This column will address the first “P”, being present.

One mistake that many of us make in golf (and in life!) is that we spend a lot of our time thinking about the past or looking into the future. Occasional glimpses into the rear view mirror of our current situation can give us information that can be helpful. Occasional glimpses into the future can help us plan ahead to make the right club selection or the best maneuver to successfully navigate the golf hole. The key here is that this look be only a glimpse rather than a stare or an obsession. “I should have done it differently”, “I can’t believe I screwed that up, it was so easy”. These are examples of backward looking and backward thinking that can inhibit your ability to execute to the best of your ability RIGHT NOW. It is very difficult, if not impossible to perform at a peak level when you are still focusing on something that has passed. Most of us are not talented or lucky enough to be able to be thinking about the past and still react to the situation at hand in an optimal way.

Similarly, others are so caught up in the future that they forget to take care of this moment. “What if” and “I hope I don’t” thinking characterizes this type of dynamic. “I hope I don’t hook it into the water” “I hope I don’t run this downhill putt too far past the hole” “What if my swing breaks down in the last round?” “What if I miss the cut?” Others will future-think about a positive event: “If I just par the next three holes I’ll break 80 for the first time” “If I win one of the next two holes I win the match play tournament” “If I play the back side at even par I’ll make the cut”. This thinking, while at first appearing positive, is in fact a distraction from being focused in the present.

To “Be Present” means to purposefully bring yourself into the now so that you can put all of your mental energy into executing this task, this moment! When you are on the course and these distracting thoughts come into your mind, refocus by gently bringing your thinking back to the present or by restarting your pre-shot routine. This will help you be as present as possible. Learn from the past, prepare for the future, and perform in the present.

The above column was reprinted with permission from the e-book “Fitness Secrets of Championship Golfers”. Jeff Troesch and Susan Hill contributed several chapters to this 212 page e-book, along with Kai Fusser (Annika Sorenstam’s trainer) and several other well-known experts on the physical, mental, and technical aspects of golf training. This e-book can be purchased on- line at www.golffitnessexperts.com