The 2009 LPGA tournament was a very interesting event from the psychology of performance perspective. One of the leaders mentioned that her improvement this year was in part due to the application of the techniques from “Zen Golf” by Joseph Parent. She was the leader through most of the tournament until she apparently stopped applying what she had learned and lost her objectivity, kicking her bag and demonstrating other behaviors that indicated she may have not been practicing her breathing and centering techniques. One of Dr. Parent’s techniques is to breath in and out deeply while mentally rehearsing “relax and trust”. This is related to your mind and body being able to perform complex tasks that cannot be done well when “painting by the numbers”. The winner of the tournament stated after that she was nervous before she made a 20 foot put for the win. She apprently was able to manage the nervousness well rather than letting it negatively affect her performance. It is not that we do not get nervous or anxious before a performance of some type, it is how we manage it that seperates high performance from low performance (assuming skill is equal).

Have a day filled with loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanmity and impeccable sobriety.

Robert A. Mines, Ph.D.

CEO, Mines and Associates