"If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude." Colin Powell

Welcome to PEAK PERFORMANCE and MENTAL TECHNIQUES. This section is dedicated to improving the mental side of your game and, indirectly, the quality of your entire life -- for a championship attitude carries through to everything that you do, both in sports and out. If you want to excel - in anything that you do - start today. Make a commitment and stick with it. As Mr. Powell says, make it a habit.

An athlete's mental skills are the key ingredient that separates the merely good from the very best. You probably already know the physical qualities often associated with championship athletes: speed, strength, and stamina. But do you know the mental characteristics of championship athletes? They are confidence, concentration, consistency, and control. Physical training and talent will get you only so far. It is mental training that will bring you to the highest levels.

Most of the information you will find in this section was developed as part of my Masters Degree work in Sports Psychology. It contains some of the latest thinking in sports psychology as well as tried and true methods and techniques. Many are the same mental techniques being taught to professional golfers on the PGA Tour.

If you've read articles on sports psychology or books by authors such as Bob Rotella, you have some insight into the techniques. But this section is not intended to teach all the details of all the mental techniques. Rather, it is a place for you to get informed. To try on some ideas and thoughts to see which ones work best for you. It is to get you pointed in the right direction. If something sounds interesting or catches your eye, then we have something to discuss and you should call or email me. If you are having problems or you recognize an issue here that applies to you and you think it is probably mental in nature, then again you should call or email me. There may be a mental technique that can help.

One caveat - the forms you can download from this section are not necessarily self-explanatory. These forms are intended to be part of a working session between a sports psychology consultant and a client, where a full explanation of the technique and the corresponding worksheet is possible. You must supply your name and email address to download forms. I want to know where they are going (that seems like fair trade to me). For the most part, the forms are intended for existing and future clients of mine.

One other note - these mental techniques are not "gimmicks." They are not quick fixes (although they can often fix a problem quickly!). They are skills, and they need to be learned and practiced just like a flop shot or a 4-foot putt. I have always been leery of people who wanted to get in my head or who wanted me to think a certain way (their way!), or sign on to their "system." Sports psychology skills are not like that. You can take them or leave them, use them or drop them. If one of them works, Great! If it doesn't, move on to something else.

Here's the real deal - I use a number of mental techniques when I compete, and I can assure you that I would not have won a World Championship nor would I have earned LDA Rookie of the Year honors had I not learned to relax, stay in the moment, visualize, focus, and trust (yes, these sound like common sense, but they are also mental techniques, or there are mental techniques to help you achieve them). There are other guys out there who are more gifted physically than I am. But I don't think you'll find a single competitor who is more mentally prepared or mentally tough than me in competition. I can't wait to get out there.

Here are a number of forms you may download to help you reach your golfing goals. I welcome any feedback you may have.

Practicing Effectively
Pre Shot Routine Benefits
Pre Shot Routine
My Pre Shot Routine Worksheet
Ray Floyd's Pre Shot Routine
Post Shot Routine
Nideffer's Focus Quadrants
Goal Setting Basics
Goal Setting Achievement Strategy
Goal Setting Activity Time Log Worksheet
Goal Setting 2-week Activity Form