January 2015 NWO Golf Links

10 / 17

Golfmightnotincludealotof
running,jumpingandheavy
lifting,butyourbodyhastobe
readytoperform.And,tobea
topperformeronthegreens
andfairwaysofyourfavorite
course,yourmindhastobe
readytoperform,too.
Thefactisthatinmyover40
yearsofcoachingathletesand
many,manytopperformers,I
havelearnedthateverygreat
performanceandachievement
actualybeginsintheheadof
theathlete.Let’stalkaboutwhatit
wiltaketoS-T-R-E-T-C-Hyour
mindsoyou,too,canbethe
bestgolferyoucanbe.
Thinkofitasstartingthe“Inner
Game.”Andyoudon’thaveto
beonthegolfcoursetodoit!
Todecidehowstrongagolfer
youwanttobe–orwhatexactly
youwanttoachieve,youhave
tostartwithagoal.Goalseting
iscriticaltostaymotivated,to
trackyourprogressandtostay
onpoint.Buttobemanageable
andsuccesful,yourgoalhas
tobeS-M-A-R-T.
And,byS-M-A-R-TImean:
S–Specific,notgeneral.To
getbeterorimproveyour
gameisnotsuficient.Exactly
howwilyoudothat?
M–Measurable,forfeedback.
Howwilyouknowyouare
makingprogress?Whatdoes
progresslooklikeandfeel?
A–Atainable,notsobigyou
cannotachieveitorgetso
frustratedthatyouquit.
R–Reviewable,soyoucan
continualyrefocusonwhatyou
wanttoachieve.
T–TimeBound,whatare
yourbenchmarks and final
deadline?
Takesometimetothink
aboutspecificgoalsyoucan
settoimproveyourgame.
Writethemdownandkeepit
handy!
Whatcanyoudodiferently
thatwilmakearealimpact
ontheoutcomeofyour
performance?Startthere!
S-T-R-E-T-C-HtheBodyandtheMind
GolfMindset
TomRichardson,knownasCoachTom,
hasmorethan45yearsofexperience
asateacher,athleticandbusiness
coach, internationalspeaker,corporate
executive,managerandtrainer.Hehas
refinedyearsofsportspsychologystudy
intoasucessfulprogram basedon
mentalperformancestrategiesthatcan
beappliedonthefieldaswelasin
business.Tommycanbereachedat
orat
TommyRichardson
MentalPerformance
Coach