What is Neuro Linguistic Programming?

Do any of the following sound familiar to you?

• First tee nerves
• Start the round well but finish poorly or vice versa
• Not fulfilling your true potential in a competitive situation
• Great on the driving range, poorer performance on the golf course
• Always score poorly on one particular hole
• Anxious of hitting over water or a bunker
• Overall lack of self belief and confidence

The importance of the mind to the golfer is hugely important and can be absolutely vital to success both on and indeed off the golf course. Let me first of all give a brief explanation and background to the basic principles of Neuro Linguistic Programming. NLP began as a model of how we communicate to ourselves and others and explains how we process the information that comes into us from the outside. It is how to use the language of the mind to consistently achieve our specific and desired outcomes. If we break down the definition it looks as follows:

Neuro: The nervous system (the mind), through which our experience is processed via 5 senses:

Visual, Auditory, Kinaesthetic , Olfactory, Gustatory.

Linguistic: Language and other nonverbal communication systems through which our neural representations are coded, ordered and given meaning. Includes:

Pictures, Sounds, Feelings, Tastes, Smells, Words (self talk)

Programming: The ability to discover and utilize the programs that we run (our communication to ourselves and others) in our neurological systems to achieve our specific and desired outcomes.

Typically what happens is that there is an external event and we run that event through our internal processing. We make an Internal Representation of that event. That internal representation of the event combines with a physiology and creates a state. A state refers to the internal emotional state of the individual -  a happy state, a sad state, a motivated state and so on. Our internal representation includes our internal pictures, sounds and dialogue, and our feelings, e.g. whether we feel motivated, challenged, pleased, excited and so on. A given state is the result of the combination of an internal representation and a physiology. An event comes in through our sensory input channels of which are listed above, it is filtered and we process the event. As we process the event we delete, distort and generalize the information that comes in. This answers the question, when 2 people have the same stimulus, why don’t they have the same response? The answer is, because we delete, distort, and generalize the information from the outside.  We delete, distort and generalize the information that comes in from our senses based on one of five filters, of which are: Belief systems, meta programs, values, decisions and memories. If we put this in golfing terms we each have the opportunity to create positive thought processes, beliefs and patterns that can create successful results. This can be done using both the conscious and unconscious mind. Why is it that you play your best golf when playing a few holes with friends yet in a competition situation it feels like you are a different person? When under pressure tension creeps in, your conscious mind plays havoc and the internal representation of both yourself and the situation lead to unsuccessful results. 

‘Anxiety is a warning from the unconscious mind to focus on what you want’

NLP techniques can help you trigger resourceful states and eliminate any negative belief patterns that may be holding you back from reaching your true potential. If you think of your mind in terms of an iceberg the part above water would be your conscious mind, and the part below, your unconscious mind. Your conscious mind is the part that analyses, criticizes, thinks logically, and allows you to function and make decisions during your waking hours. Of course this is important in certain areas of your life but on the golf course can be very detrimental. ‘I always go out of bounds on this hole’, ‘I hope I don’t show myself up in this tournament’ Your unconscious mind is much bigger and controls all your bodily functions, breathing, heartbeat etc. It is here that all your memories and beliefs are stored. It is here that all your habits have been formed (both good and bad). NLP is mainly concerned with the unconscious mind as the biggest changes can be made here. Imagine chipping away at the top of the iceberg, you would be there a very long time showing little or no results. Only by targeting the bottom of that iceberg, (the unconscious mind) will changes start to show. Any number of issues on the golf course can be targeted.

 ‘I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot, when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result’ – Michael Jordan

' I don't hit every green, I don't birdie every hole, I don't win every tournament, but I believe I will' - Tiger Woods

Lets take the example of driving a car. You have learnt the process and pattern of how to drive the car, you now trust your unconscious mind to do the job for you. How many times have you travelled from A to B without actually being conscious of your actions every step of the way. You don’t tell yourself how to change gear, its programmed in there and you trust it unconsciously. This relaxed state of trust is hugely beneficial on the golf course. Think of those provisional tee shots you drive straight down the middle of the fairway. You have your target in your mind’s eye, you are relaxed and you line yourself up and bang its perfect! NLP can help you achieve these relaxed and positive resourceful states every time you step up to the ball, and it won’t be your provisional!!

‘If you go there in the mind, you will go there in the body’ – ‘Dennis Waitley’

‘The secret of achievement is to hold a picture of a successful outcome in the mind’ - Thoreau