The Voice Inside our Head – Part Two

-         The link between the voice, and performance

I would like to share a sporting example with you. The sport in question is golf, but this is only an example, as this example relates both to many other sports, and also to broader life aspects. My apologies if gold is not your “thing”:

Consider a top quality golf professional e.g. Tiger Woods. Examine his pre-shot routine, and we will see the control that goes into producing consistent high level performance. Here it what happens:

• Tiger talks to his caddy, and assesses wind conditions, yardage, the position of the pin, and a range of other factors (including the temperature of the day, as this influences ball flight and distance, and even the grain of the green, and the lie of the gold ball on the fairway).
• Tiger will then decide on which club to hit
• We will stand behind the ball, facing the target, and control his breathing
• He will then walk up to the ball, check the lie and stand slightly to one side
• He will then take a small number of practice swings
• He will then step up to the ball, address the ball, get his balance. Then, and only then, will he take his swing, which will result in the ball either moving the required line and distance, and landing on, or near the intended target, or not.
• This all may seem like unnecessary affectation, and histrionics to anyone who has not played golf. It is not. Here is what is really happening (I will repeat these points, and then in red italics will explain what is really happening):

 
Tiger talks to his caddy, and assesses wind conditions, yardage, the position of the pin, and a range of other factors (including the temperature of the day, as this influences ball flight and distance, and even the grain of the green, and the lie of the gold ball on the fairway). This is preparation, in the same as preparing for any other important activity, in business or personal life. We all realise that we need to consider all relevant factors before executing a task, or strategy.
 
Tiger will then decide on which club to hit. The club to a certain extent defines how far, and what shape of shot is possible. Skill is still very much needed, but choosing the wrong tool for the job can make the task all but impossible.

He will stand behind the ball, facing the target, and control his breathing. This is where the mind / body connection comes into play. Tiger is visualising the line, length, and shape of shot that we wants to play. In terms of an earlier article of mine, he is assessing the “content” to help deliver the “context”. The “context” is the shot that he wants to hit.
He will then walk up to the ball, check the lie and stand slightly to one side. This is a mixture of preparation, and visualisation.

He will then take a small number of practice swings. There is much more going on here than appears. The practice swings are accessing Tiger’s muscle memory. Muscle memory comes from many thousands of swing repetitions in practice and training. As muscle memory is stored in the unconscious mind, the practice swings are a way of bringing the required swing into the conscious mind.

He will then step up to the ball, address the ball, get his balance. At this stage, Tiger has done everything that he can to get prepared for the best possible swing. He must then trust that the best of his unconscious and conscious mind, via his body, will deliver the required swing.Then, and only then, will he take his swing, which will result in the ball either moving the required line and distance, and landing on, or near the intended target, or not. The resulting swing, and golf shot, will have either delivered the intended outcome, or not. Tiger then walks to where his ball has landed, and repeats the whole process again. For top professional golfers, this process, including puts, is repeated between approximately 62 and 72 times per round.
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• The importance of a positive mind set – standing in a positive future – this will be explained in Part Three