Golf Psychology: How to Deal with a Slump in Form

How to Deal with a Slump in Form

We've all had periods when our game just goes to pot, nothing seems to go right: You can't putt for love nor money, well hit irons seem to catch the bunker and plug, and you can't hit a fairway with a 7 iron let alone your driver. You probably couldn't hit a barn door with a tractor!

These rounds can appear from nowhere. You're going along playing well then something just derails you and rattles your confidence. When this happens during a round it's bad enough - when it continues and continues - you just know you are in a slump. Sometimes it's just one area of your game that's gone to pot - other times the whole thing just seems to go. You feel completely helpless, completely exposed. You have no clue as to what is happening.

Sound Familiar?

Well next time you are in one of these "slumps" take close notice of your own internal dialogue - your "self talk". I bet it's not positive! In fact I'm willing to bet it's anything but. And what about your physiology? Are you walking tall with a purpose to your stride, confidently patrolling the fairways and greens?...... NOT!

"Yeh! but wait a minute Brian, I'm down because I'm in a slump. My self talk is negative BECAUSE of how I'm playing - not the CAUSE of how I'm playing!"

I know that's what you honestly believe but let me put another slant on it for you...

Somewhere along the line a few bad shots or poor scores put pressure on you and your self confidence. You focussed on these and let your mental game become "lazy". Your mind returned to Outcome* focussed golf and you constantly registered what every bad shot that you played meant - you lost focus on the Process* of playing golf. YOU must take full responsibility for your slump. You caused it. It is not happening TO you. You are doing things in your mind, in your emotions and in your physiology that virtually guarantees you'll play poorly. This also applies to all of the bad breaks you get too; do you notice how they seem to happen more when you're in a "slump"?

Take a look at your good rounds versus your bad ones.

In both types of round you'll find bad breaks. The bad breaks are drawn to you when you are playing poorly. You weren't playing poorly because you were getting bad breaks. You were getting bad breaks because you were playing poorly in your mind! You still got bad breaks when you were playing well but they didn't fluster you or take you out of your game. Because you were in tune and your mental game was solid at the time.

I've often heard football commentators mention about how the teams in relegation trouble just don't get the breaks - it's the same thing. The bad breaks are attracted to the negative, outcome orientated focus the players in these teams are displaying.

You must accept responsibility for your slump. You are causing it. It's not happening to you.

Accepting this principle is key. Until you are willing to accept that everything that occurs on the course stems from you, you will never truly allow your Inner Golf Coach to function properly.