Recommendations To Make It As a Professional Golfer.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO MAKE IT AS A PROFESSIONAL GOLFER

Sport psychology is the scientific behavioral study of people in sports and exercise context, including the practical applications of the knowledge earned from the study. As a consequence, principles and guidelines acquired by sport and exercise psychologists can be used by professional for helping adults and children to participate in and benefit from sport and exercise activities. (Weinbergs, 1999:4)

In this assignment I, as a practicing sports psychologist, will assist a local golfer with efforts to make it as a professional golfer on the Australasian professional tour. To achieve this, Psychological Skills Training is introduced along with other areas that are directly related to the training: Arousal regulation; Imagery (mental preparation); Confidence Building; Increasing motivation and commitment (goal setting); and Attention or concentration skills (self-talk, mental plans).

Coaches and sportspersons all know that physical skills need to be frequently practiced and refined through accurately thousands of repetitions. Since Psychological Skills Training (PST) refers to learning to systematically and consistently practice mental and psychological skills. Therefore, psychological skills, such as maintaining and focusing concentration, regulating arousal levels, enhancing confidence, and maintaining motivation, also need systematic practice (Weinbergs, 1000: 224). Nevertheless, there are at least four reasons that many of coaches and sportspersons abandon working on developing psychological skills in order to improve their performance:

1. Lack of confidence

2. Lack of time

3. Lack of comprehensive sport knowledge

4. Lack of follow-up

These factors will need to be taken into consideration when introducing this program to the local golfer, as well as his coach.

Though PST programs can be built in many forms depending on participants needs, they generally do have a fix structure that comprises of three distinct phases. Accordingly, the local need to be put into these phrases, which include education, acquisition, and practice. Firstly, in the educational phase the local golfer will quickly recognize how important it is to obtain PST and how the skills affect his performance.

The educational phase may take as little as an hour or as long as several hours from the course. Secondly, the acquisition phase focuses on strategies and techniques for learning the different psychological skills. Both informal and formal meetings are used for helping the local golfer in the learning of these skills. Individual sessions will follow the formal sessions in order to teach the local golfer how to apply positive coping in actual competitive settings. Thirdly, the practice phase contains three primary objectives for the golfer

a. to automate his skills through over learning

b. to teach him to systematically integrate psychological skills to his performance (Weinbergs, 1999: 299-321)

When designing and implementing a PST program for the local golfer, some key aspects are outlined as follow:

1. Discussing your approach – It is important to explain in simple terms to him exactly what kind of PST services can be provided and that it is an educational approach to mental training.

2. Determining which psychological skills must be included- This decision will be based on the golfer’s availability, interest, and time allowance.

3. Designing a schedule – The initial PST ...

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a. to automate his skills through over learning

b. to teach him to systematically integrate psychological skills to his performance (Weinbergs, 1999: 299-321)

When designing and implementing a PST program for the local golfer, some key aspects are outlined as follow:

1. Discussing your approach – It is important to explain in simple terms to him exactly what kind of PST services can be provided and that it is an educational approach to mental training.

2. Determining which psychological skills must be included- This decision will be based on the golfer’s availability, interest, and time allowance.

3. Designing a schedule – The initial PST program should probably last 3 to 6 months and start during the preseason or off-season

4. Evaluating the program – This will allow for change and for the program to evolve in the future (Weinbergs, 1999: 233-239).

Since the local golfer is still very young and may not have been exposed to the amount of attention related to such a large tournament, therefore, it is highly important to focus on Arousal with him. Nevertheless, the association between arousal and performance can be complicated, and sportspersons in competitive sport need to learn how to control their arousal. As a result, they should be able to increase when they feel lethargic and decrease when they get the anxiety and enviousness to win (Weinberg, 1999:246).

In order to regulate the golfer’s anxiety, it is essential that the golfer needs to increase his awareness of his arousal states. To achieve this, self-monitoring and recognizing will be used to facilitate how emotional states affect the golfer’s performance during practices as well as competition. Since excess anxiety and inappropriate muscle tension can cause the muscles to appear uncomfortable, stiff, and uncoordinated, which in turn reduces performance. Therefore, the golfer will be introduced to two forms of techniques for controlling arousal and anxiety. The two forms of techniques are somatic anxiety-reduction techniques and cognitive anxiety-reduction techniques. First, Somatic anxiety-reduction techniques include:

1. Progressive relaxation – for tensing and relaxing specific muscles

2. Breath control – for controlling anxiety and muscle tension in stressful situations by make use of sportsperson’s breathing.

3. Biofeedback – a physically oriented technique specifically designed to tech sportspersons to control their physiological or autonomic responses.

Second, Cognitive anxiety-reduction techniques include:

1. Relaxation responses – for applying the basic elements of meditation.

2. Antigenic training – consists of a series of exercises designed for producing sensations, specifically of warmth and heaviness.

On one hand, these techniques can help the golfer to calm down when he gets anxiety, to manage his energy levels in an effective way, to refocus on the sport activities, and to help him sleep well. On the other hand, when the golfer is under-aroused, it is essential that he should increase his breathing rate, act more energized, use positive statements, listen to music, use energizing imagery, as well as have a pre-competitive workout. In terms of Imagery, it is a form of simulation recalled from memory pieces of information and all types of experience that will be used for creating an experience in the mind. Then, Imagery can help the golfer to solve the problems in the following areas:

1. Concentration – By visualizing what the golfer wants to do an how he wants to react in certain situations, he can prevent his mind from loss of focus.

2. Confidence Building – By Austin seeing himself performing well in his mind it will make him feel he can perform under adverse circumstances.

3. Controlling Emotional Responses – it would be recommended that the golfer undertakes arousal imagery, such as picturing himself dealing with a difficult situation in a positive way, which can be used both to increase and decrease these responses.

4. Obtaining and Practicing Sport Skills and Strategies – the golfer is able to practice particular sport skills and pinpoint weaknesses and visualize correcting them. Imagery can also be used for the golfer to learn new strategies or review alternative strategies.

5. Coping with Pain or Injury – Imagery can help speed up recovery of the injured area and also keep skills form deteriorating (Weinbergs, 1999:273-275).

Though, imagery can be used at any time, it is recommended that, for a better result, imagery should be used before and after practice, before and after competition, during personal time, and during recovery from injury.

Since the 19 year old golfer is a rooky and not used to a big tournament such the Australasian tour, he may feel intimidated or lack of confidence to win the tournament. Therefore, maintaining a level of confidence to maintain a high level of performance when playing in a big tournament. The principle of self-confidence must be applied. Self-confidence is the belief that each sportsperson can successfully perform at a desired behavior (Weinbergs, 1999:286).

By doing this, it can help the young golfer to arouse positive emotions, facilitate concentration, focus on game strategies, and maintain psychological balance. Moreover, some strategies can also be used for enhancing the young golfer’s confidence including attracting him to think and perform confidently, use imagery, maintain good physical condition, and prepare himself for upcoming performances both mentally and physically.

Since goals are objectives, a standard, an aim of some action, or a level of performance or proficiency (Weinbergs, 1999:506). Then, they may be subjective or objective and directed toward performance, process, or outcome. The basic goal-setting principles for the young golfer include developing specific, realistic, both long-term and short-term, and both for practice and competition. To achieve this, a three-stage system should be initiated for the young golfer to reach his goals.

1. Preparation and planning – this stage focuses on assessing the young golfer’s abilities and needs, then, setting goals in various areas, identifying influences on goal-setting systems, and planning goal-achievement strategies.

2. Education, and acquisition – this stage involves scheduling meetings and limiting the number of goals that the young golfer initially focuses on.

3. Follow-up – this stage involves the use of appropriate goal-evaluation procedures, goal support and encouragement, and goal re-evaluation (Weinbergs, 1999:519)

Anticipating problems and understanding how to avoid them are major components of effective goal setting .The PST program that will be set for the local golfer must address the common problems found in the process of goal setting, such as, failing to set realistic goal, setting massively difficult goal that could not be achieved by his present performance, setting too many goals too soon, failing to accommodate goals in accordance with the situations, failing to set performance and process goals, and not initiating evaluation goal and follow-up.

The promising talent of the young local golfer is a major plus for him, subsequently, one thing to be applied to the program is concentration, which will help him to successfully compete on the professional tournament. Concentration in sport and exercise settings usually involves focusing on the relevant cues in the environment, maintaining that focus over time, and being aware of the changing situation (Weinbergs, 1999:526). To achieve optimal performance and concentration of the young golfer in the upcoming tournament, he must develop skill of shifting attention in various situations to four distinct types of focus:

(1) Broad-External – used to rapidly assess a situation

(2) Broad-Internal –used to analyze and plan

(3) Narrow-External – used to focus completely on one or two external cues

(4) Narrow-Internal – used to mentally prepare an upcoming performance or control and emotional state.

In general, athletes recognizes that they have problems maintaining their concentration, therefore it is important that each athlete controls and maintain their focus against internal and external distracters. In terms of internal distracters, it refers to attending to past or future events, being choked with pressure, physical fatigues, etc. External distracters includes visual and auditory factors, as well as gamesmanship.

Because the young golfer also needs to maintain a focus on relevant environment cues is essential for his performance, just like other athletes do. There are exercises that will be suggested to him for improving his concentration on-site, these exercises include: using simulations in practice, use cue words, establish routines, develop competition plans, practice eye contact, stay focused in the present, and over learn skills.

To apply the principles of Sport Psychology for the young golfer, a tailor-made PST must be made available for him in order to allow him the chance to complete at a professional level on the Australasian Tournament , as well as to promote his optimal performance in golf games. PST definitely can reinforce the foundation of Sports Psychology, which are arousal regulation, imagery, self-confidence, goal-setting, and concentration of the young golfer. However, these foundation requires the young golfer to practice regularly to build his own way to the desired level in his golfing career. Lastly, it is essential that he recognizes the problems that he faces in each area, and must prepare himself for the changing environment and situations.