Mental gymnastics...

It seems though I've been retreading old ground recently. First there was my chipping and pitching, then then the putting and now the mental part of my game. Bob Rotella's books are like a comfort blanket wrapping you in warmth, reminding you of how to think about your game and reinstiling the principles of a sound mental regimen. It's funny how you get complacent about things and then realise you've been hindering yourself. Reading his books as a complete novice I had fewer positive memories to draw on, visualisation was tougher and a lot of the wisdom was lost on me.

I blogged a few days ago that I felt like The Prisoner and that maybe this misperception was halting my progress. I was right. I can tell you now without any exaggeration I am not a 28 handicapper. The CONGU system may label me as one but that's a temporary misunderstanding. The basis of this bold assertion is simple: my game is much better than that. What's lacking is concentration and self believe. In fact that last sentence is grammatically incorrect: I should have used the past tense.

In a day I have whittled through "Your 15th Club" and it is a timely intervention. I've got this weekend's medal to warm up before giving both my elder brother's a spanking on the 9th April. I have also realised how lucky I am to play with the guys I play with every week. They have boosted my confidence in my ability, offered helpful advice and been a really positive influence on my game. It's no surprise that since I've been playing with them I've got better.

Some of you will be thinking "we've heard this all before" but there is a big difference this time. This time I BELIEVE it!