While on a long haul flight to the UK (then the next year to New Zealand/Australia), I got a chance to read a couple of golf magazines. Several articles had strong comparisons to we who stutter trying to become good speakers. One in particular (Golf Illustrated, May 2007) really hit home. Written by a golf pro, Steve Bann, who seems to have a sports psychology background with a title of: “Confidence: The one skill in golf you really need”.
The comparisons to a golfer who has lost confidence in certain clubs or shots and a stutterer who has lost confidence in saying certain words is huge. Confidence is one of the core dynamics in recovering from stammering / stuttering.
This is the full article;
“What exactly is confidence, and why does it come and go seemingly for no apparent reason? Why is it that many golfers can hit the ball well or chip or putt well when they practice, but when they go out on the course, it falls apart?
I believe confidence is a direct result of preparation and experience. Confidence is not some mystical belief that cannot be substantiated by tangible evidence. Confidence is knowing you can do something because you have done it before, or at least you have simulated doing it in practice enough times that you know you can do it again in a competition. Once a golfer has executed a shot successfully in competition, he then has a real and powerful experience to recall for future shot experience.
“The Confidence Cycle” provides a great way to build confidence into your game. All successful golfers practice this way, whether structure in a formal approach or instinctive. The4re are four steps to the confidence cycle.
Step 1: Technique
Many golfers practice technique exclusively. They are constantly working on positions, moves, pivots etc based on who is winning currently on the tour or the latest trend of swing style. However, good technique is an absolute if you are going to play golf with confidence consistently. So your technique must be attended to in every session.
Technique by itself will give you some confidence out on the course, but what usually happens when you hit a few poor shots is that you then believe that it is your technique that is causing the poor shots. You then spend the rest of the round thinking about and working on your swing.
When you practice technique, evaluate your success or failure by whether you achieve the move or position in your swing and not where the ball goes.
Step 2: Skill
Once you have done some work on your technique, you should then practice skill. Skill is practicing a a particular shot repetitively. An example might be a 5-iron fade shot. After practicing your skill shots, your confidence level will be higher with that particular skill and you will play golf with a higher level of confidence.
Step 3: Test
Testing a shot involves focussing on a target and a goal and using your pre-shot routine on every shot. Many golfers avoid testing because they believe it can damage their confidence as it exposes their inability to hit shots when it comes. However, testing is vital in every practice session.
Examples of some basic and effective tests are three in a row test. Hit three shots in a row with a 5 iron through a ten yard gap. The first two might seem easy, but the third shot will feel much more like the pressure you feel out on the course. If you miss, start again and continue with this test until it is complete.
If you cannot complete a test after a few attempts, go back a step and practice the skill a few more times with no measurable pressure and then try the test again.
Step 4: Compete
After completing the three in a row tests you should be ready when you approach this shot on the course. Simply remind yourself that you have hit this shot three times in a row during practice, and you can certainly do it again.
Competing with confidence is the final hurdle to becoming a successful golfer. When you can successfully execute a shot on the course after taking yourself through the confidence cycle in your practice program, you will have achieved absolute confidence in that skill. Remember, confidence is a direct result of practice and preparation.“
Here is the link to the full article: http://www.mcguireprogramme.com/uploaded/files/golf_confidence.jpg
Read it? Understand the “confidence cycle”? If so, here is the comparison to stuttering / stammering:
“TECHNIQUE”
Like with golf technique, good speaking technique is very important. For us who stutter / stammer, technique is breath control, voice tone, and articulation. A golfer will go to the driving range to perfect and drill technique. We in mcgp read out loud, talk to other members or our family friends who understand what’s going on.
Like the driving range is the golfer’s comfort zone, the phonelist, courses and support groups are comfort zones for mcgp members. We use this to drill our technique.
Not really mentioned in the golf article is the importance of a coach or practice partner to give you feedback on your technique. Same with we who stutter. We need each other for that strict mutual coaching. Video cameras are great for this as well.
“SKILL”
Good golfers will use their good technique to produce different kinds of shots. High chips with backspin. Fades. Draws. Etc. Or simply making a reasonably good shot with good contact using a club that you’ve lost confidence in. This is called “skill”. A golfer will practice skill on the driving range, or a quite course where you can throw down two or three balls.
For we who stammer, skill is in things like ‘clarity’, ‘conciseness’, ‘assertiveness’. Or simply saying a words with good technique without struggle or tricks. We develop skill by having conversations with other mcgp members, doing drills requiring memory and clarity, practicing ‘centring and clarifying’, practicing public speaking in support groups, etc.
To be continued … next: “testing” and “compete”
