Reframing is a type of self-talk that is often considered the most effective tool in psychology. Reframing refers to how situations or thoughts are challenged and changed. It requires a person to intentionally change their mindset by challenging the predominantly negative emotions from an event out of the event and implementing a process to think about the event in a positive way.

One of the most extreme examples of a reframe comes from a boy in a coma for twelve years. Martin’s family, friends, and caregivers thought he was vegetative because he could not respond verbally or physically. However, he was aware of everything happening around him; one day, he heard his loving mother say, “I wish you would die.” He reframed his mother’s comment and found a way to cope with his situation. After twelve years, he came out of the coma. Here is an interview in his own words: Boy in coma reframes to cope

Do you daydream about playing golf while you are awake? When that happens, your brain connects the images in your head and the muscles that control those movements, and you complete mental reps. However, the most effective visualization techniques include as many senses as possible. To make the most of your mental reps you ​ should see it, feel it, and hear it.

Using three senses makes the visualization more realistic and memorable and thus allows you to have an entire movie in your head.

The best time to visualize is right before bed, as your mind tends to replay those images at night. Play all eighteen holes in your head when you lie down to sleep. Use all your senses. See yourself hitting good shots and reacting to and recovering from bad shots. Take your time and dedicate twenty minutes to this process. Increase your mental reps!

Keep track of your time for one week without changing anything. After that week, see if you spent the time on the essential things. If not, write a list of the important things for that week on Sunday. Try to limit the list to fourteen items for an average of two per day. Determine the day(s) you will work on a particular item, review your list daily, and prioritize. We only have a certain amount of energy each day. If you plan your day, you are more likely to accomplish the items on your list.

Keys to turning around negative self-talk

It is normal to have negative thoughts while on the golf course, and those thoughts are valuable when they help you identify places on the course you want to avoid. However, negative thoughts become problematic when they take your focus off your target and intent.

To increase awareness of your self-talk, take notes on your scorecard during your next round. Write a plus sign for positive thoughts and a minus sign for negative thoughts next to the hole number after finishing the hole. Do you notice any patterns? Does your self-talk change after a good hole? After a bad hole?

The goal of self-talk is to control the message no matter how you play. If you notice patterns that change your self-talk, create a plan to control the message. Before your round, write your self-talk on the top of your scorecard. For example, if you want to stop talking to yourself about previous swings, write “next swing is the most important swing” to bring your thoughts to the present.

Routines add consistency and help guide your pre-shot thoughts and behaviors. When golfers become overly outcome-focused, they must focus on how often they complete their process instead of focusing on the score.

Let’s learn the routine and use it consistently. At NOYN™, we teach a four-step routine.

1. Plan – Take account of the lie, wind, type of shot, etc., before addressing the ball. Commit to the project, then step into your address.
2. Trust – If you are uncommitted, step back and reset your plan. If you have total commitment, pull the trigger.
3. Execute – Physically execute your shot.
4. React – It is okay to be happy, disappointed, or to show some emotion. But by the time the club goes back in the bag, it is gone, and your reaction is over.

In your next round, track how often you complete this routine. Keep track of your progress toward completing the routine between each shot.