If a golfer chooses to compete, he must choose to believe that he can win. Winners and losers in life are completely self-determined, but only the winners are willing to admit it. Good golfers don't allow events to influence their thoughts--they use their thoughts to influence events. A few years ago I was down at the Austin Country Club working with Tom the week before the Tournament of Champions. He had to go inside to take a phone call, and while I waited for him to return, a tall, athletic-looking man walked up to me and introduced myself. Ch 3 stresses that fear of failure on the course — not trust & confidence — causes one to think about the mechanics of the swing instead of being fluid and natural. That reduces consistent shotmaking. Only train the swing mechanics during practice, then trust it on the course. Focus on targets and strategy, and forget correcting flaws & mechanics. Envision the desired shot, and trust the body to deliver. He has fulfilled those dreams. Now he has new ones. Two days after he won the U.S. Open for the first time, he called me up. He knew what would happen when he returned to the Tour. Everyone he met would want to congratulate him. Reporters would want to interview him about the Open. Fans would mob him. Faced with those distractions, a lot of new Open champions have suffered letdowns. Tom was determined not to be one of them He wanted to test his self-discipline. He wanted to be a player who used the Open as a springboard to even better performance. And he did.

Snead also didn't win championships until he realized on every course there are a few holes that bothered him where he shouldn't hit driver but wood or 2 iron. In each chapter, mixed among the many stories of challengs, triumphs and defeats of amateur and professional golfers and their coaches, are italicized principles and rules for thinking well as a player. In this appendix, each is listed on its own.I read this book before Christmas, along with the John Richardson one I wrote about yesterday, and it has also helped me in a number of ways. So, here is my “potted version”, a list of the salient points which I have gleaned that made the most impression on me. Golfers must learn to love 'the challenge when they hit a ball into the rough, trees, or sand. The alternatives—anger, fear, whining, and cheating—do no good. you have to play relaxed. Attitude is what makes a good putter. Lots of young players will make everyting and half the time don't even line it up. Are you swinging to make or are you swinging not to miss? There is a very fine line between fully expecting the ball to go where you want it to go and expecting it to, and then blowing your cool if it doesn’t. There’s never been a perfect swing in the history of golf, but whatever swing you woke up with is always going to be good enough to get the job done.

If someone in that category asks me whether he should keep going, I don’t have an answer. I have questions. The most basic is, “Are you sure you’ve honored your commitment?” By that, I mean to ask whether the client has done what he set out to do, which is to make the strongest possible effort to become as good as he can be by creating and fulfilling performance and preparation processes.” Freud believed dreams were a window into the subconscious mind. From them, he spun a web of theory that, too often, boils down to a belief that people are the victims of circumstances beyond their control -- of childhood traumas, parental mistakes, and instinctive impulses. Another quote I really liked was “A golfer can and must decide how he will think.”- Dr. Bob Rotella pg 36. The reason I read this book was to try to get valuable information out of it on how to control my emotions on the golf course. This quote helps me realize that my emotions and the way I act is a choice made by me. It also made me think about how golf isn't that big of a dead, it's not a life or death situation. For me to get so upset about me not playing to my expectations isn't right because at the end of the day, it's just a game. Ch 13 is about memories while playing. Train the mind to remember the good shots & enjoy them. If bad shots come to mind, release them. The more you do that, the less bad shot memories will come to mind. Savor, celebrate and remember good shots — they are a thing of beauty. Fred Couples tries to relax over a shot, then recall the best shot he’d ever hit in his life with the club in his hand. Then hit it.

It’s the same way with your mind,” I said. “You’re going to have to decide before the round starts how you’re going to think, and do it on every shot. You have to choose to think well.”