| Are you a golfer who attempts to improve the | | | | Finally, I told him, "I've an idea. Instead of thinking |
| golf swing by instructing, "Don't..." | | | | about your slice the rest of the day, let's think |
| "Don't slice." | | | | about hitting the golf ball perfectly, even if you do |
| "Don't hook." | | | | slice the ball. Want to give it a try?" |
| "Don't hit it into the water." | | | | My friend shrugged, as if to say, "That's the best |
| "Don't hit it into the sand trap." | | | | you can offer me?" |
| I think we're all familiar with this approach. | | | | He sliced again. And, he sliced again. |
| What happens instantaneously? The mind | | | | He looked at me and said, "This isn't doing any |
| immediately forms an image of the very thing | | | | good." |
| you don't want to take place on the golf course. | | | | "Forget about it, Richard," I said. "You don't care |
| It's the old elementary school trick of "Don't think | | | | about the slice anymore. All you care about is the |
| of a pink elephant." The negative becomes an | | | | perfect golf swing. You intellectually know all the |
| action in the positive. In other words, the negative | | | | mechanics. Picture them being executed perfectly |
| formulates a sense of being. | | | | in your mind. When the slice pops into your head, |
| I was playing with a friend not long ago, and I | | | | substitute it with the perfect golf swing." |
| noticed he was falling victim to the "Don't" disease. | | | | It took awhile, but on the 17th hole he hit the |
| He was focused on his slice. It consumed the | | | | shot he was lusting after. On the 18th, he did it |
| early rounds and was a major point of discussion. | | | | again. |
| He wanted some advice on how to rid himself of | | | | I'm certainly not saying this will solve all the |
| it once and for all. We went through the standard | | | | problems on the golf course with your golf swing. |
| instructions but the slice still persisted. | | | | But, it's a good start. |