It begins as a spiritual journey entering into the flow of movement and awareness of being totally immersed into one with activity and consciousness (of behaving and being). It is not necessary to define the outcome initially, but more importantly allowing oneself to develop optimal functioning of performing tasks of importance to self. That is, it may be important to run fast, move the ball swiftly through the air in a predetermined course (the size of the ball, the field in which one plays, the scoring method are all less important), develop strength, stamina or grace and form so that the goals are significant to the individual and essential to oneself not only to the outcome of the competition.

Inner processes of strengthening self in terms of confidence, awareness as well as performance are the focus of the field of Sport Psychology. As is true of any profession the art of the application of the principles and techniques differentiates the individual practitioner. That is, there are excellent mechanics in all professions and then there are the artists who creatively blend, weave, color and shape the applied techniques into a unique form evidenced in the artwork of the individual’s being and becoming the athlete (amateur, recreational, professional, elite) they imagine they will be.

Potential cannot be acquired it is only developed. Knowing one’s potential is part of the journey. You may now reflect upon the time during which you were unaware of the potentials at rest within you. How did you become aware of them? Was it through trial and error testing, the use of imagery (imagining that you could do the task having not tried it before or executing it in an optimal manner) or developing a less developed quality? Steep yourself in the moments of awareness when you began to uncover the abilities you have developed or are continuing to focus upon working towards the ultimate goals you have formulated. What strategies have you continued to utilize to aide in your development? Which of the strategies you have employed are no longer effective and why?

Athletes who share the overall similarities in skills, strengths and experience may differ in their abilities of thinking and emotional intelligence. The strategies of thinking in the forms of mental preparation as well as in self-thought (thinking of self reflected in self confidence) vary markedly amongst elite athletes. It becomes apparent when observing individual’s responses to stress and competition. In essence, thinking and believing may well be the significant variable (factor) in the differentiating success from lack of success. Development of attitudes and beliefs will lead to optimal increase in processes, which are essential in becoming successful. We are addressing the process of potential both in terms of learning of them as well the development of them. The concept of potentials being unlimited is not the focus of this writing. It may be of concern to all to assess their potentials by utilizing imagery and application of behaviors, which are not usual for the individual. One’s personal power is directly and proportionately related to belief in self.

Applying clinical psychological principles to issues, which athletes may experience, is the focus of Clinical Sports Psychology. Since stress may be simply defined as any phenomenon which moves an individual away from homeostasis all of us are subjected to the probability that our immuneological systems to this condition flexes over time with the higher profanity that at some point we will not be as capable of coping with the stressors in our life to the extent it will interfere in our ability to function to capacity. Athletes are not immune to the phenomenon and are likely to experience additional forms of stress than other members of the average population. That is, in addition to common stressors which we may all be subjected to and which may lead to disorders of mood, adjustment, anxiety, sleep, substance abuse, sexual issues, etc., athletes are influenced by additional stressors due to physical injury, ageing and to the reactions of psycho-social factors related to performance in public settings as well.

• Emotional control
• Development of emotional intelligence
• Anxiety reduction
• Substance abuse
• Adjustment
• Stress management
• Self confidence
• Mood disorders
• Concentration and attention
• Coping strategies
• Anger management
• Depression
• Marital counseling
• Social problems

The focus of this sub-discipline of Sports Psychology is upon the assessing and the teaching of the mental skills utilized by athletes whom are relatively free from the clinical diagnosis of conditions, which may impact upon their performance. This arena will serve to enhance the athletes’ performance to a higher degree of functioning by utilizing some of the following venues:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• One-on-one instruction
• Small group instruction with members of same sport
• Team education
• Observations of the individual athlete in their actual sports environment
• Meeting with coaches to discuss specific areas to develop

• Motivation
• Goal setting and achievement
• Attention and focus
• Arousal control
• Imagery and rehearsal
• Internal and external distractions
• Performance improvement
• Coping with stress
• Arousal
• Concentration
• Injury and its mental impact
• Mental skills training
• Self-confidence
• Stress management
• Flow
• Empowerment
• Pain
• Relaxation
• Thought processes

• Hypnosis
• Relaxation training
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Thought stopping
• Cognitive restructuring
• Imagery and visualization techniques
• Rehearsals
• Simulations
• Coaching
• Mental skills training
• Positive self-talk
• Affirmations
• Triggers and cueing
• Goal setting
• Simulation training

Learning about learning and thinking about thinking, (critical thinking) form the foundation for my educational philosophy. It is essential that the student become aware of their personal learning process by understanding how it is that they learn and how their thinking affects this process. The basic objective of education is to develop a foundation of a body of knowledge. Demonstration of the comprehension of that knowledge, its application, the analysis and synthesis leading towards the evaluation of understanding is then accomplished (Bloom’s Taxonomy, 1956). Didactic as well as experiential processes are employed within the context of the classroom and assignments outside of class.

I utilize a highly interactive model during the actual presentations of information in class with keen attention to the affective domain (Bloom’s Taxonomy, Volume II) integrating the reception of information, the students’ response to the information, and the analysis of their valuing process and organizational abilities. In addition to the utilization of this basic philosophy, I have integrated from the works of Plato and Socrates a style that challenges the students to learn of their subjective experiences as well as their objective information. I have also adopted from the works of Carl Rogers a philosophy that education is a person-centered process. That is, education should involve an integration of one’s openness to experience, their awareness of this experience, the organization of new aspects of information (Gestalt formulation), multiple hypothesizing and eventually integration into an organismic valuing of one’s experiences of learning into a unique set.

Inquiry and discovery learning are focused upon throughout the course work, whereby students are expected to recognize the difference between their ability to think (which may have a fragmented quality to it) orally communicate their ideas, and eventually demonstrate, in the form of written communication, the basic integration of their understanding into a formidable work. They are required to produce a rigorous and scholarly demonstration of their learning.

In summary, my educational philosophy reflects an integration of students’ abilities to learn how they learn and think how they think with clear demonstrations of rigorous and scholarly pursuits. Students’ learning should incorporate experiential, didactic and interactive application to course content along with a critical reflection of this process.

Think about one of those great putts you have made. Maybe it was more than 20 or 30 feet. It could have been a 3 or 6 footer as well. How did you know how much power you needed to stoke the ball to have it follow the break, go through it or just drop in the hole almost as if it was going in reverse? You are not able to account accurately for exactly how you accomplished this. Of course, you used you pre-putt routine, studied the line and practiced in your mind the image of the ball’s path to the hole. You may have taken a few practice strokes to get the feel of your stroke. However, at the time you perform your stroke something seems to take over. Just as an accomplished pianist plays the piano, it seems as if the music comes out of their hands and fingers. There is no thinking during optimal performing. To think will significantly interfere with the performance. The more the performer thinks about what to do the more distracted they become which disrupts the flow of movements.

This can also occur when playing golf. The more you are thinking about what to do when you are trying to do it, the more likely there well be an interference with your performance and disrupt your flow. How many times have you missed a 1 foot putt due to standing over the ball thinking about how you could miss the shot? When you were first learning to drive a car you had to learn to coordinate what you saw out the windows, the speed and the direction of the car. Remember parallel parking and how difficult it may have been to begin with. Now, driving the car is subconscious. On your way to the golf course you are not telling your body to move specific muscles; turning the wheel, braking and accelerating is automatic. You may carry on a conversation with a passenger or not remember how you arrived at your destination although you arrived safely without any difficulties.

The subconscious mind accounts for many of our decisions and performances. When we are learning something new, we start out not knowing what we do not know (unconscious incompetence). When you began to play golf, you did not know exactly what to do in all the situations you were to face as a golfer. Over time, you began to become aware of what you did not know (conscious incompetence) and practiced what was necessary in order to become proficient (conscious competence). The more you practiced the more fluid your performance became and eventually you are able to perform (hopefully in a very proficient manner) without being aware of all of the specifics that you had been practicing (unconscious competence).

The reason that this all occurs is due to different brain mechanisms. The intent of this article is not to provide a lecture on neuro-brain anatomy but to help you become aware that it is important not to be thinking during your performing your golf stoke. In order for the brain to enter into the zone, it requires a loosening of awareness of what one is actually doing during the routine and allowing the process to flow out of you. This can be enhanced by practicing your swings and strokes, using imagery, and relaxing.

In the next several articles, I will provide specific techniques to help you develop this process. Although it is rather complicated to enter the zone, there are conditions that seem to increase the possibility of being able to do so. If you are seriously interested in this area, I recommend that you read Flow: the Psychology of Optimal Experience by Csikszentmihali and Flow in Sports by Csikszentmihali and Jackson.

Dr. Nick Molinaro, Sport Psychologist, has been working with athletes, business executives and performing artists for more than 20 years. In addition to his private practice in clinical and sport psychology, he is an adjunct faculty member of the Graduate Program in Counseling Psychology at the College of St. Elizabeth, Morristown where he also teaches Sport Psychology. He is the Chairperson for doctoral students in Sport Psychology at San Diego University for Integrative Studies, which is the largest program in Sport Psychology in the nation. He is the consulting Sport Psychologist to the Golf Zone, Flanders, NJ and to the Mendham Health and Racquet Club, Mendham. He has consulted with amateurs, collegiate and professional athletes in many sports and is specializing in golf. You may contact him at his e-mail at SportsMindedDoc@aol.com or visit him on the web at www.SportsMinded.net. He will be pleased to answer any questions you have about the mental side of golf.

1. It can be interpeted diffently, it does not matter
2. It is not limited by any single meaning, rather it is a source of meaning itself
3. It is akin to myth: both draw us into a separate world and ask that we make an intelligible connection between that world and the one of everyday experience
4. It is akin to religion, art, war, business
5. It is frequently used as a metaphor
6. Just as zen is zen and tennis is tennis, sport is sport. None of the examples has to be reduced to be understood.
7. It may be hard to define in a separte manner. Its roots come from the word disport meaning, “to divert or amuse” which is derived from the latin des porto which means “to carry away”. Sport does much more than provide pleasure; it carries us out of ourselves and it casts us and ourselves into a larger world. Sport can propel us into the presence of powers that are greater than the self yet in which the self is rooted.
8. It may be best to consider the meaning of sport without a formal definition since to operationalize it only would take away from the spritual experience and imbed us in semantic territory.