If there is one thing that certainly separates Tiger Woods from most if not all the other golfers on the tour, it's his mental toughness, but hey, don't take my word for it, here's what Tiger has to say.

"I am the toughest golfer mentally." Tiger Woods.

Does that mean that he never has a negative thought like the rest of us? I doubt it, but he is very, very good at refocusing and controlling his thoughts and emotions when he needs to, no matter what the circumstance.

What You have in common with Tiger is that you also have negative thoughts on the golf course, perhaps before you even get to the first T and if you've had a bad round then a whole lot more after you leave. It's not the having of negative thoughts that's the problem really but how you deal with them and how long it takes you to do it.

If you hit a bad shot are you able to walk away immediately? Do you beat yourself up about it or do you immediately forgive yourself and refocus on the job in hand - the next shot - with calm confidence and a belief that you WILL pull it off? Or are you angry, self depreciating, doubting of your own ability and pretty damn cross and tense?

The more you allow negative emotions into your game the more your game will spiral out of control. Think back to a time when you were playing really well. What emotions were you feeling? What attitudes did you have? When asked to describe their game and how they felt when playing really well most golfers describe that it was "easy" and that they felt happy and confident. Certainly the list of your emotions and attitudes you have when you are playing really well will be in the opposite column to anything negative. So if you don't control negative emotions then don't expect to play any better.

Now you know negative emotions are really harmful to your game lets take a quick look at negative thinking because that's what triggers the negative feelings. You have a negative thought and the emotions follow. In other words; "You think it before you feel it." So now you know that in order to stay in control of your emotions, you need to stay in control of your thoughts and what you tell yourself. I am not suggesting this is easy because it isn't always just a case of changing your thoughts and the emotions instantly disappear.

The quicker you can recognize and stop negative thoughts/emotions the better and this is certainly a skill which improves with practice and like anything of any real worth and value in this world it does require effort. So don't beat yourself up if you can't think like Tiger right out the blocks. He was working with a marine psychologist at 13 and Earl Woods was constantly testing at an even earlier age.

Wishing you FIR's, GIR's & Blue Skies.

Mark.

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If this article has been of interest to you, you can find out more on the mental side of golf and how it can dramatically improve anyone's game when you apply some easy techniques by going to my website at http://www.golfmindshop.com. Discover What's HOT & What's ROT. Reviews of Golf Training Programs are now available online so you can read up on a system before deciding if it's right for you. Some of the systems are great and will give you excellent results if you work them, but some of the systems which promise to knock loads of shots off your game are, quite frankly, rubbish. Read my reviews at http://www.golfmindshop.com

Mark Wright is a Master Coach and Sport Psychologist. He can be contacted via his website where you can get free advice on your golf swing or mental game just for the asking.