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