How can clearing the cobwebs in your mental game make beginners and amateurs into better golfers?
After a bogey-free weekend, Frittelli discussed how, for the past several months, sports psychologist Jay Brunza has changed his game.
"The plan for this week was just to be creative and have fun," mentioned Frittelli during his post-tournament interview. “Mentality clarity was the difference this week,” Frittelli said.
Although the exact communications between Jay Brunza and Frittelli remain confidential, Brunza did state that positive encouragement was a focus of their messages.
Mental clarity is easier said than accomplished but think of the song lyrics by En Vogue, "Free your mind and the rest will follow" and you are on the right track.
According to an article in The Independent, Brunza, a retired U.S. Navy officer and caddie/sports psychologist to an amateur Tiger Woods, said this about the junior Woods,
"...the process that followed was to teach him to deal with critical situations by emotionally detaching himself from them, while at the same time being completely immersed mentally in the challenge of the moment. With the inhibition of the fear of the moment removed, Woods could respond to the best of his burgeoning physical ability." [paraphrased, Paul Trow]
Jay Brunza is also credited by several other tour players (Charlie Howell, for example) for his unique mental game strategy.
"You don’t focus on win or else," mentioned Frittelli in his post-round interview. Winning is a process. An easy thought to remember would be Brunza's catchphrase, "Relax, Review, Refocus".
A few more mental golf tips from the superstar sports psychologist are to...
Focus on a “pre-shot routine” in the pursuit of “peak performance” and "letting everything go, all the distractions, before playing a shot.”
Also cited, Timeslive.co.za
Photo by Regine Tholen on Unsplash
