In our experience, many other sport psychology or sport performance programs focus on the mental side of the game almost exclusively. Although the mind is very powerful and influential when it comes to performance, there are two other aspects, emotional and physiological reactions, that are also important to address. At Get in the Zone, we focus on how the mental, emotional and physiological states of being all combine to affect performance and teach you how to transform your state of being so that you perform at your best.

Another key difference is that Get in the Zone integrates the psychological aspects with the technical aspects of golf. Our team includes a licensed psychologist and LPGA and PGA teaching professionals to offer the very best of both professions.

Can you really train someone to “get in the zone”?

Yes, according to the latest brain research we now understand what is happening in the brain during zone-like or optimal performance states and can teach our students to enter into that state at will. Training to perform in this optimal state requires a commitment to a systematic process which must be practiced like any other aspect of your game.

What is so important about “awareness”?

We have found that many golfers are unaware of how their thoughts, feelings and physiological reactions are interfering with their ability to play well. In addition, most of us are paying attention or are aware of things that are external and pay very little attention to our internal state. Golfers can learn to play in their optimal zone by developing greater awareness of their mental, emotional and physiological habits or tendencies during performance and choosing to play in their optimal state.

What is biofeedback and how is it used for performance?

Biofeedback is a technique in which information from your body such as heart rate is fed into a computer-based software program so that you can see in real time what is happening in your nervous system. Biofeedback is a powerful way to increase your awareness of the impact of your thoughts and emotions on your body. Through breathing techniques and mental imagery, biofeedback is used to help golfers transform their current state of being to an optimal state for performance. Biofeedback is particularly powerful for people who have negative reactions to their shots, are nervous on the first tee or get stuck in negative reactions.

Are Get in the Zone programs designed only for elite golfers?

No, this approach is for anyone who is interested in improving their performance. Although many elite golfers are drawn to our approach, we work with people of all ability levels, ages and experience. Our approach has also been successfully used with corporate groups as principles apply to all
aspects of performance both on and off the golf course.

What types of groups benefit from our services?

Get in the Zone offers a wide variety of group-based programs in addition to individual sessions. We have presented to numerous groups including:

• High school and college golf teams
• Colorado Women’s Golf Association (CWGA)
• Colorado Junior Golf Association (CJGA)
• Women’s Chamber of Commerce
• Men’s and ladies’ golf leagues
• Young Presidents Organization (YPO)
• The Executive Women’s Golf Association (EWGA)
• Corporate events
• And more!

 Where do sessions or programs take place?

Individual and group programs can take place in a variety of settings. Individual sessions can be face-to-face or by phone or Skype. Typically we meet at the golf course and utilize the practice facilities and/or work on course. Likewise, our seminars and clinics can be delivered at your home course, place of business or at CommonGround Golf Course.

How are Seminars and Clinics different?

Seminars

Get in the Zone seminars are designed to be an introduction to our integrative approach to optimal performance. Our seminars are interactive and engaging and are typically held indoors. We can accommodate groups of any size or ability level. Seminars are typically 1-2 hours in length and
participants will leave with skills that they can apply immediately to everyday life and golf.

Clinics

Get in the Zone clinics are a combination of classroom-style instruction, experiential exercises and actual application of skills to golf either on the practice range or golf course. In addition to an introduction to our integrative approach to optimal performance, we also offer more in-depth coaching and skill development. The participant to coach ratio is 6:1 in order to provide a more personal experience.

Participants will not only learn skills that they can immediately apply to golf and life, but they will also have the opportunity to apply those skills to golf while receiving coaching from the GITZ staff. Our clinics can be designed for half-day, full-day or multi-day formats and are customizable.

How do I get started?

For more information or to schedule your FREE initial session, contact Dr. Denise at Denise@getinthezone.net  or at 303.902.5008

These programs can be tailored to fit your group’s specific needs and can be delivered in as little as 2 hours or up to several days depending on your needs.

Please contact us at 303-902-5008 to discuss details.

Check out our upcoming programs:

2012 Optimal Performance Programs

Our unique Optimal Performance Programs take golf instruction to a new level!  While most golfers and golf instruction primarily focus on the mechanical components of the golf swing, we believe that to take your game to the next level you must integrate improved golf technique with finding your optimal state of mind and body.  These programs explore new ways of learning and will show you how thinking differently about your yourself and your game opens the door to better results.  We think you will find the experience quite rewarding!

Mental Game 101 : The Fundamentals of Optimal Performance

Many golfers say that golf is such a mental game. Golf is one sport during which you have so much time to think about the many aspects of the game. For example, swing mechanics, club selection, landing area, target, type of shot, effects of the wind and so on. In addition to all of those thoughts, most of us are also thinking “Don’t hit it in the water!” “You are such an idiot!” “I hope I don’t miss this putt!”

Regardless of your skill level or handicap, performance training can help you improve your mental game as well as your emotional reactions on the course. In this introductory clinic , Dr. Denise will teach you some basic tools to help you think better, react better and have more fun!

Dates: TBD

Cost: $30 for CGA/CWGA/CJGA members; $35 for non-members

Location: CommonGround Learning Center

Class size: Minimum = 4, maximum = 10

ExperienceGolf – 1/2 Day Introduction to Optimal Performance Program

Join Elena King and Dr. Denise McGuire to experience a transformation in the way that golfers approach the game. In this program you will be introduced to a process which allows you to tap into your own resources and achieve your best on each shot which leads to more enjoyment of the game.  You will develop awareness of what interferes with your ability to play at your full potential and learn the basic tools that allow you to shift your thoughts and emotions and experience your best playing state.

Age Range: 12 and up
Minimum / Maximum Number of Participants: 4/8
Total Hours of Instruction Per Session: 10
Time: TBD

Date:  TBD

Price: $180

ExperienceGolf – ½ Day Level 1 Optimal Performance Program

Following completion of the 2 Day Introduction to Optimal Performance Program or equivalent experience, you will build upon your knowledge and become more aware of how to utilize mental, emotional and physiological resources to improve your performance. Learn how a consistent post-shot routine will help you recover more quickly from bad shots and build trust and confidence on the course.

Age Range: 12 and up
Minimum / Maximum Number of Participants: 4/8
Total Hours of Instruction Per Session: 3
Time: TBD
Date: TBD
Price: $180  

ExperienceGolf – ½ Day Level 2 Optimal Performance Program

Following completion of the 2 Day Intro to Optimal Performance Program or equivalent experience, you will build upon your knowledge to become more aware of the importance of being fully prepared to hit your next shot.  Learn how a consistent pre-shot routine will prepare you to be in your best state on the golf course. We will experiment with tempo, intensity level, commitment and target focus as part of a complete pre-shot routine in different areas of the game.

Age Range: 12 and up

Minimum / Maximum Number of Participants: 4/8

Total Hours of Instruction Per Session: 3
Time: TBD
Date: TBD
Price: $180

All programs will be held at the CommonGround Golf Course. Please call 303-902-5008 to register.

Boston College

Southern Methodist University

University of Northern Colorado

Princeton University

University of Pennsylvania

Colorado State University

Regis University

University of Kansas

Hope College

Williams College

Colorado School of Mines

University of South Dakota

Bucknell University

West Texas A & M

Georgetown University

Brown University

Adams State College

University of Oklahoma

University of Colorado

Oral Roberts University

New Mexico State

By Elena King and Denise McGuire

Ever notice how difficult it is to maintain balance in your life? With so many priorities to juggle, living a balanced existence presents a daily challenge. A key to meeting this challenge is having awareness of when you are both in and out of balance. Being aware is the first step in changing some part of your life. You cannot change what you are not aware of. The same principle applies to golf. Optimal golf performance requires balance in the mechanical, mental and emotional aspects of the game.

MECHANICAL

Pre-Swing: Being balanced at address establishes a solid foundation.

Tip: Get grounded by keeping your center of gravity low. Make sure your weight is evenly distributed (left to right and front to back).

Backswing: Your body is always trying to find balance in any motion that you make. For example, during your back swing if your weight is out on your toes, your arms, hands and club will tend to swing more “inside” (or behind you) to counterbalance your weight.

Tip: During practice: swing with your feet together to stay centered; use balance discs or swing standing on one foot.

Swing: To swing in control you must create a balanced finish.

Tip: Take a practice swing and find your perfect balanced finish and assign it a 10 on 1-10 scale. The goal is to re-create this balanced finish while hitting your shot. This is a great playing focus to take to the course; it does not involve mechanical thoughts.

Putting/chipping: Balancing the length of your stroke back and through will give you better consistency and distance control.

Tip: Use a yardstick to measure the length of your backswing and forward swing. In addition, holding your finish will create good balance with your putts and chips.

MENTAL

Decision-making. Optimal decisionmaking requires using both hemispheres of the brain. The left side tends to analyze details such as yardage, target selection, and mechanics. The right side concerns visualization, emotions and the feel of your swing.

Tip: When consumed by swing thoughts or your score, engage the right side of your brain by visualizing to connect with your target right before pulling the trigger.

Attention and focus. It is important to balance your attention or focus between broad and narrow in order to sustain focus for an entire round. It is not helpful to grind yourself mentally about shots during the entire round.

Tip: Between shots take a mental time-out to broaden your focus. Hum a song. Look at the horizon. Think about something fun.

EMOTIONAL

Nerves. When you are nervous or feeling too “pumped up” after hitting a great shot, it can create an imbalance in your nervous system. Experiencing too little intensity can also affect performance.

Tip: Use deep breathing, which has an immediate effect on your nervous system, to restore balance so that you can perform from that optimal state.

|By Elena King and Denise McGuire

Do you feel like you need to have swing thoughts in order to hit the ball well? Does it feel like you need to force your body to do something correctly? Do you ever wonder why you can sometimes hit really good shots without having to think so much?

We often observe students getting so hung up on mechanics that they lose complete sight of the object of the game…getting the ball into the hole!

For instance, in a recent coaching session Elena observed a student getting very frustrated as she continued to try and make her body rotate during the swing without success. She asked the student to shift her focus completely to the target and immediately her body rotated just as she had wanted it to. The student’s comment to Elena after just a few balls was, “It’s just unbelievable how well I am hitting the ball without thinking any mechanical thoughts. I’ve never swung the club so freely. This is the best I’ve ever hit it!” What was so different? By shifting her focus from trying to make her body do something to focusing on the target she was able free her mind and allow herself to swing the club and move her body freely and naturally.

We tend to believe that we must tell the body what to do. However, research in the performance field has consistently shown that the type of thinking that most golfers do over the ball is actually detrimental to good performance. The left side or analytical part of the brain actually should be quiet during the few seconds right before we start the swing.

Quieting the analytical part of the brain is different from “blanking out” the mind or trying to not think about anything, which is difficult if not impossible, to do. The key is to engage a different part of the brain in the critical few moments right before you start your swing. Regardless of your skill level or handicap, you can improve your performance by learning to engage a part of your mind that will allow you to be fully in the present, trust your instincts and stay focused on what is most important in that moment…the target!

Here are a few suggestions for becoming more target oriented:

• During your pre-shot routine, take a long look at the target and do so with a soft gaze. Do not squint or strain while looking at it.

• Visualize the flight of the ball going to the target or the ball rolling into the hole.

• Maintain your awareness of the target as you are about to start your swing or stroke. Stay connected with the target even while you are not looking at it.

• Commit to where you want the ball to go.

At the end of the session Elena asked the student, “What would you need to do to hit the ball like this on a regular basis?” Her response was, “If I clear my mind I can trust that I know how to swing the club and not always feel like I need to fix something.” A powerful learning experience indeed! Good golf is about playing with a free and clear mind and allowing the mind and body to execute without interference. The freer the mind the freer the swing!

When I hear golfers say, “I can hit the ball really well on the range, but I can’t seem to take it to the course,” I usually ask questions about their practice habits: “How often do you practice?” and “What do you spend time doing?” The answers are very revealing. They say things like, “I hit over 200 balls a day!” or “I’m out there every day until dark!”

What you do during practice develops associations. It’s an opportunity to engrain either bad or good habits. If you are doing the old “scrape and hit” form of practice, while feeling increasingly frustrated, you have just engrained the habit of hitting mindlessly while feeling frustrated. That’s not exactly the formula for success on the golf course.

One of the keys to transferring good practice habits to the course is to view practice time as an opportunity to blend your mental and emotional skills with your mechanics. When asked how to practice for optimal performance, Michael Murphy, a human-performance expert and author of Golf in the Kingdom, said, “Focus on teaching them to get in the zone. You practice the swing mechanics with the mind mechanics. If you don’t do them together, the practice might make you worse.”

One way to establish an integrated practice approach is to incorporate intentionally those skills into your practice routines. I’ve written previous articles about the importance of pre-shot (May 2008) and post-shot routines (Fall 2007) for optimal performance. To master the mental and emotional skills, it makes sense to practice these skills just as much as you practice your swing mechanics.

Here are some suggestions for integrating mental, emotional and technical skills into your practice:
• Spend at least 50 percent of your practice time completing a pre-shot and post-shot routine for every shot.
• Have a specific practice intention, such as staying focused on the target.
• Adjust your practice routine to fit your personality. If you have a short attention span, take frequent breaks.
• Pay attention to how you are thinking and feeling about your shots. Make a habit of shifting from negative to neutral or positive.
• Practice feeling pressure or nervousness. Imagine yourself stepping up to the first tee during a tournament.
• Practice being 100-percent committed to your shot and swinging with confidence.

Another issue is that many golfers practice in ways that have little to do with actually playing golf. Unlike basketball, football, soccer, baseball and many other endeavors, golf is one sport where the players don’t practice on the actual playing field. How is hitting one tee shot after another simulating a round of golf? When actually playing golf, you rarely use the same club twice in a row, so why would you want to practice hitting the same club repeatedly?

To bring your practice-range swing to the course, you must simulate a round of golf during your practice time. This allows your mind and body the opportunity to rehearse for playing situations.

Here are some additional tips for creating good practice habits:
• Practice playing holes on the practice range. Imagine playing the first three holes on your home course. Start with your driver and then iron shots. Select different targets. Engage your brain in decision-making for each shot.
• Practice making up-and-down shots (a chip and one putt) by using only one ball. Set it up as a par two, and see what your score is for 18 shots.
• Practice putting with only one ball, and putt until you hole it.
• Play a round of golf with the intention of practicing a specific skill. For example, you might want to practice hitting high shots or draws. Select a specific focus for three holes and switch focus. Make notes about your observations and performance.

Of course, there is a time and place for mechanical practice, too. This is especially true if you are making significant swing changes because you need to spend time ingraining the muscle movements necessary to develop a habit. Be clear with yourself about the intention of your practice time, and structure it accordingly.

By  Denise McGuire, Ph.D.

Denise McGuire, Ph.D., founder of Get In the Zone, uses mind-body techniques to train golfers of all levels.  Contact her at denise@ getinthezone.net or 303-902-5008.

5/14/08

By Denise McGuire

Say you’ve never broken 80, and you usually shoot around 83. But one glorious morning, you start your round with three consecutive birdies. You’re feeling pretty good. At the turn, there’s a 36 penciled next to your initials. You think ahead—not just to breaking 80, but possibly to shooting in the low 70s. You think, “This could be my lowest round ever!” You feel excited and probably a little nervous. Maybe you start to think about playing conservatively to “protect” your score. You start to think more about each shot and don’t want to make mistakes. From this mindset you will most likely start to play below your potential. You end up shooting a 44 on the back nine. You’re right back where you think you deserve to be.

This familiar debacle is a result of you being out of your comfort zone—the subconscious mind’s idea of what we are capable of achieving, scoring, possessing, being and so on. This zone exists in all of us and governs every aspect of our lives whether we realize it or not. For instance, we all have a comfort zone for our income. We may say that we want to earn $100,000 a year, but if we unconsciously feel like we don’t deserve to have that much money or we worry about how it will affect our relationships with others, we will likely find a way to continue to earn the amount of money our comfort zone allows.

The subconscious or unconscious mind exists outside of our awareness, so these hidden beliefs can sabotage what we consciously say we want. In the sports-performance arena, the comfort zone acts like a thermostat to keep us in the range we believe we belong. One way the comfort zone shows up in golf is through one’s score. Just ask a group of golfers what they shoot, and you generally will hear comments like, “I shoot in the mid-80s” or “I’m usually in the low-70s,” even though some part of each of them usually believes they could go lower.

Most of the time the comfort zone applies when we are playing better than expected, but it can also work in the opposite direction. You shoot a 45 on the front side and say to yourself, “I can play better than that,” and shoot a 37 on the back nine.

The irony is that a comfort zone is not a true reflection of your ability or potential. It’s nothing more than a belief system you have developed and proven to yourself over time. You can consciously reinforce it by saying things like, “See, I knew I couldn’t break par,” or you can look at where you’ve set your comfort zone—and expand it.

Here’s an exercise that might help illuminate your own circumstances. Think about everything you are currently doing to improve your golf game. Draw a circle and inside it write down all of those things. You might include taking lessons, the amount you practice and play, your workouts with a trainer and so on. That circle represents your comfort zone.

Next, draw another circle around the first one. The larger circle represents personal growth and change as well as your dreams or ambitions. This circle contains those things you wish you could do or achieve, but haven’t. In the space between the two circles write the word fear a few times. Most of us pull back into our comfort zone as soon as we experience fear. Examples of such fears include feeling awkward or uncoordinated while making swing changes, or feeling anxiety about setting big goals and committing the time and energy necessary to achieve them.

However, the most successful performers continually push themselves out of their comfort zone and face their fears in order to realize their potential. A perfect example of this is Annika Sorenstam. Early in her career, her discomfort with public speaking resulted in her intentionally finishing second or third to avoid having to face the crowd as the winner. Her coach, Pia Nilsson, asked Annika to practice a speech until she felt comfortable making it. Pia later said, “Annika has given herself permission to be great. It shocks some people, being so bold. But it’s crucial that you see yourself doing something exceptional so that when the time comes you don’t bail out. Because you feel you belong there, you stay in the zone.” ag Denise McGuire, Ph.D., founder of Get In

By Denise McGuire and Elena King

You have made hundreds of putts on the practice green, but when it comes to sinking that three-footer to win a bet or to make a birdie, everything suddenly feels very different.

Being aware of what is happening in your body is the first step toward improving your putting, especially under pressure. It’s a well-known fact that muscle tension interferes with a fluid putting stroke. When under pressure, we often experience doubt and fear and say things like, “I hope I don’t miss this putt.” Negative thoughts create fear and physiological changes such as holding your breath, and excessive tension in your hands, forearms, and shoulders. This tension inhibits the ability to make a fluid, relaxed stroke—which, in turn, causes the putter to decelerate and you to leave the putt short.

Another common putting challenge is distance control. Although you may think that misjudging distance results from poor touch or feel, an inconsistent stroke is more often the cause. In order to create the most repeatable stroke, you need to remove all unnecessary body movement during the putting stroke. The more repetitive the stroke, the easier distance control will become. You can then rely on your eyes and intuition to guide you.

Integrating the mental, emotional and technical components of golf is a highly effective approach to improving performance. Students learn how these aspects seamlessly come together to produce increased awareness of their tendencies and give them tools to help correct mistakes without becoming bogged down with mechanical thoughts.

One of the more popular and effective exercises is the putting progression. This exercise will improve centeredness of contact, distance control and the fluidity of the stroke—all of which will ultimately make you a more consistent putter!

Start in the middle of the green approximately 25-30 feet away from the fringe with three balls.

For each step in the progression, putt three balls to the fringe.

Be sure to repeat the previous step(s) as you add on the next one.

After each step observe your results to see if your ball grouping has improved.

Take note of anything that you sense is different, such as changes in contact, sound, the way the ball rolls, tension level, tempo and rhythm.

STEP 1. Before starting, take a few practice strokes without the ball and rate your grip pressure on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being the loosest and 10 equaling the tightest. Determine what your optimal grip pressure is and assign it a number. Now putt three balls to the fringe while keeping your optimal grip pressure consistent. Benefit: Promotes a more fluid and repetitive stroke.

STEP 2. Lower your center of gravity by grounding your feet and feel your weight balanced evenly front to back and left to right. Benefit: Keeps lower body quiet and evens weight distribution.

STEP 3. Place a dime or ball marker directly under the ball and keep your eyes focused on that spot after impact. Benefit: Stills head and eyes.

STEP 4. Hold your finish for a three-second count with the putter head low to the ground. Benefit: Maintains posture and spine angle.

STEP 5. Exhale before starting your stroke to release tension in the hands, arms, and shoulders. Benefit: Creates a more fluid and consistent stroke.

STEP 6. Putt with your eyes closed. Benefit: Increases awareness of feel and sound of contact. Blocks out most mechanical thoughts and the ability to follow the putter head during the stroke.