The Mental Art of Putting Using Your Mind to Putt Your Best

by Cohn, PhD, Patrick J.,; Winters, Robert K.

• ISBN13: 9780912083872
• ISBN10: 0912083875
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1995-08-01
• Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing

Summary

With this book every golfer can putt with greater confidence, composure,and consistency in between those elusive holes-in one!

Table of Contents

Foreword	xi
Preface	xiii
Acknowledgments	xv
Introduction	xvi
Lagman or Charger?: Determining Your Putting Style	1	(6)
Two Different Styles of Putting	1	(2)
Do you Lag or Charge?	3	(1)
The Importance of Speed	4	(1)
What is Your Attitude About Putting?	4	(2)
Finding Your Style	6	(1)
Try This!	6	(1)
The Best of the Best: Qualities of Great Putters	7	(9)
Do You Think of Yourself as a Good Putter?	7	(1)
Are You Confident in Your Ability?	8	(2)
Are You a Doubter?	10	(1)
Do You Believe in Your Method?	11	(1)
Do You Practice for Touch?	11	(2)
Can You See the Line?	13	(1)
Do You Love to Putt?	13	(1)
Do You Give Your Best Effort?	14	(1)
Do You Know That You're Not Perfect?	14	(1)
Do You Practice to Make Putts?	15	(1)
Mind Matters	15	(1)
Try This!	15	(1)
A Healthy Start: Choosing the I-Can-Make-Everything Attitude	16	(10)
Choosing a Good Attitude	16	(1)
A Study in Attitude	17	(1)
Making the Right Choice	18	(1)
The Golden Attitude	19	(1)
The Power of Words	20	(2)
The Little Engine: A Relevant Children's Story	22	(1)
Developing the I-Can-Make-Everything Attitude	23	(3)
Try This!	25	(1)
The One-Putt Mindset: The Only Way to Think	26	(8)
Confidence: The Name of the Game	26	(2)
Competence and the Putting Cycle: It Works Both Ways!	28	(1)
The Positive Putting Cycle	29	(2)
The Negative Putting Cycle	31	(1)
Finding ``IT'' on the Green	31	(3)
Try This!	33	(1)
Confidence: The Key to Giving It Your Best Stroke	34	(10)
Competence: The Foundation for Confidence	35	(1)
Confidence from Your Practice	35	(1)
Confidence from Your Preputt Routine	36	(1)
Confidence from Experience and Competition	36	(1)
Confidence from Your Commitment	36	(2)
Confidence from Your Preround Warm-Up	38	(1)
Confidence from Your Putter	38	(1)
How to Regain Confidence When You're Leaking Oil	39	(5)
Mind Matters	42	(1)
Try This!	43	(1)
Line, Speed, and Target: Focus for Making Putts	44	(12)
Understanding Concentration	45	(1)
What Are the Important Cues?	45	(1)
What Is Relevant and Irrelevant to Putting?	45	(1)
Don't Reflect, React	46	(1)
Focus on Execution, Not Result	46	(2)
Focus In and Focus Out	48	(1)
Getting Back on Track	48	(1)
Stop the Wandering	48	(2)
Attention Killers	50	(1)
Outside Distractions	50	(1)
The Blank Out	50	(1)
Negative Thoughts	50	(1)
Anxiety	51	(1)
Boredom	51	(1)
Low Self-Confidence	51	(1)
Running Out of Steam	51	(1)
Off-Course Exercises to Improve Your Focus	52	(1)
Holding Your Focus	52	(1)
Focusing on Breathing	52	(1)
Mental Rehearsal	52	(1)
Practice Refocusing Attention	53	(1)
On-Course Tips for Better Concentration	53	(1)
No Past, No Future, Only the Present	53	(1)
Think One Shot at a Time	53	(1)
Focus on Your Preparation	54	(1)
Relax While You Wait Your Turn	54	(1)
Use a Warm-Up	54	(1)
Practice Like You Play	54	(1)
Cue Yourself to Concentrate	55	(1)
Rehearse Your Putt While You Wait	55	(1)
Try This!	55	(1)
Now You See It: Vision and Imagination in Putting	56	(12)
Differences in Vision Between Great and Poor Putters	56	(1)
Vision and Your Putting Routine	57	(1)
Surveying the Green: Getting a Read	57	(1)
Watch Other Putts: Your Best Clue	58	(2)
The Dominant Eye in Putting	60	(1)
The Million-Dollar Look	61	(2)
Developing an Eye for the Line	63	(1)
The Big Picture: Soft Focus or Hard Focus?	63	(1)
Focus on a Small Target	64	(1)
Are You Really Square?	65	(1)
Visual Shift and Image Decay During Putting	65	(1)
Keep Putting Simple	66	(2)
Try These Exercises for Improving Vision!	66	(2)
The 30-Second Mindset: Establishing a Putting Routine	68	(10)
What's All the Fuss about a Preshot Routine?	68	(1)
Take It from the Pros	69	(1)
The Six Essentials: Qualities of a Good Routine	69	(3)
Example Preshot Routine for Putting	72	(1)
Maintain Your Line	73	(1)
Regroup When Distracted	74	(1)
Develop Your Own Preshot Routine	74	(2)
Should Your Routine Be Routine?	76	(1)
Make Your Routine Simple to Follow	76	(2)
Try This!	77	(1)
The Child Within: Generating a Fearless Mindset	78	(16)
What's So Scary?	79	(1)
Stress on the Green	79	(3)
A Golfer's Biggest Enemy: The Fear of Missing	82	(1)
The Fear of Looking Stupid and Incompetent	82	(1)
Do You Protect Your Ego?	83	(1)
The Fear of Choking	84	(1)
The Yips and Freezing	84	(3)
Dealing with Fear on the Green	86	(1)
Eliminate the Past	87	(1)
Putt Like a Little Kid Again	87	(2)
Think of Your Putt as a ``Second'' Attempt	89	(1)
Reality Check on the Green	90	(1)
Be Your Own Coach	90	(1)
Focus on the Task	91	(3)
Try This!	91	(3)
Preparing Your Mind to Putt Your Best	94	(8)
Instilling Confidence: A Never-Ending Project	94	(1)
The Positive Coach Inside You	95	(1)
Pictures Are Worth a Thousand Putts	96	(1)
Don't Expect to Putt Perfectly	96	(2)
Preparing to Putt Well in Tournaments	98	(1)
Coping With Poor Putting	98	(3)
What Are Your Goals?	101	(1)
Try This!	101	(1)
Productive Putting Practice: Taking It to the Course	102	(11)
The Difference Between Practicing and Playing	102	(1)
Transferring Your Putting to the Course	103	(3)
Make It Automatic	106	(1)
Practice for Touch and Feel	107	(3)
Improving Confidence With Short Putts	110	(1)
Taking It to the Course	110	(2)
The Use of Visual Aids During Practice	112	(1)
Try This!	112	(1)
The Golden Touch: Warming Up Your Putter	113	(6)
Generate Your Feel on the Greens	114	(1)
Validate Your Confidence	114	(1)
More Is Not Always Better	114	(2)
Go with What You Have	116	(1)
One-, Two- or Three-ball Warm-Up?	116	(1)
Remember, It's Only a Warm-Up	117	(2)
Try This!	117	(2)
Putting Rx: Remedies for Common Problems	119	(10)
I Can't Putt Well on the Course	119	(1)
I Get Distracted by Spike Marks on the Green	120	(1)
Everyone is Making Putts But Me	120	(1)
I Make More Par Putts Than Birdie Putts	121	(1)
I'm the One That Will Miss	121	(1)
I Just Can't See My Line Somedays	122	(1)
I've Got the Yips	122	(1)
I Don't Have Enough Time to Warm Up	123	(1)
I Let Poor Putters Bother Me	124	(1)
I Can't Putt on Lousy Greens	124	(1)
I Have Trouble Putting through My Shadow	125	(1)
I Can't Make Three-Footers	126	(1)
I'm Not Sure I'm Ready	126	(1)
I Lose My Sense of Touch Somedays	127	(2)
A Summary of Great Putting: Six Important Keys	129	(6)
Positive Attitude	129	(1)
Putting Confidence	129	(1)
Touch and Feel	130	(2)
Total Focus	132	(1)
Imagination and Vision	133	(1)
Trusting Your Stroke	133	(1)
Monitoring Your Progress	134	(1)
Appendix: Player Progress Questionnaire	135	(2)
References	137	(1)
About Patrick J. Cohn, Ph.D.	138	(1)
About Robert K. Winters, M.A.	139