STEP #1 for Your Best Golf In 2010.

This winter, many of us in Northern States are surrounded by snow so we can only dream of playing golf this spring vs. actually being out on the fairways right now. The good news about getting a break from golf is that it gives us a chance to analyze our strengths and weaknesses and gives us an opportunity to look from outside the box at how we play the game.

Well Step #1 for Your Best Golf In 2010 is "Don't Worry Be Happy". If I told you, that two friends of equal skill were going to play a match against one another, and one of these golfers felt Relaxed and Determined while the other golfer was feeling Stressed and Doubtful. Who would you bet on? My money would be on my friend who had a Relaxed Smile on his face and The Determined Eye of The Tiger.

Here are two things to work on ...

#1. Be kind to yourself. Never forget all of your successes and be quick to forget about your mistakes. EXAMPLE, if you miss a putt, don't say something like "I am the worst putter in the world" instead say even the best putters in the world miss once in a while.

#2. Don't let the people you play with or other spectators affect you in a negative way. The book SMART GOLF by DeDe Owens, Ed.D. and Dan Kirschenbaum, Ph.D. explains how to deal with the people you play with intentionally or unintentionally creating a negative mood. Smart Golf says that if you miss a putt and your playing partners say something like "Your putting has really been off lately", "Your stroke looks a really funny", or "You really need to try something new in your stroke" etc. You could either ignore these comments or respond to them. Smart Golf recommends that you respond to these negative comments - if only to keep them from recurring. They suggest defending your game in a simple and direct manner, for example: "My putting is Fine today, everyone misses some of them." or "They'll start dropping, you can count on it" This positive way to redirect the comments of your playing parters in a positive manner keeps you on track for a great day and will help to eliminate anyone from setting a negative mood.

By putting this into practice in 2010, you'll see lower scores and most importantly enjoy yourself more on the golf course than ever before.