Rembering to Breathe

Golf, the game that tests your mental toughness and how well you can deal with problems. One of the most important factors you should strongly take into consideration for approaching any stressful problem is to take a breath to relax yourself. I have never thought of breathing to be an asset to my confidence within my body and mind. I am now realizing that when I used to get irritated from what I had thought were bad shots, I only had dealt with them by smacking my club down. Or even before my shots, I would feel pressure and would start breathing quickly, causing many faults in my shots. The book Zen Golf by Dr. Joseph Parent has expanded and really has made an impact on the way I think of breathing while golfing, or being in any conflict. He explains an exercise in which you take your golf stance and close your eyes, to think of  a situation that causes you anxiety. He states that in most cases, your breathing will not be relaxed, rather quick and shallow. In order to achieve a relaxed state, you must allow your lungs to breath at full capacity. Which will lessen all anxiety and pressure to keep you focused and stress free (67). I found this technique to work with me through golf and in day to day situations. The other day when I was practicing at the range with my friend, an exceptional golfer, I always felt anxiety because I thought that I wasn't as good as him. But since I had starting thinking about my breathing, I could swing with confidence and I could see that in his eyes as he says "Nice shot". I can now calm myself when i'm in a stressful or anxiety filled situation by monitoring my breathing.

Since my last blog post, I have improved myself on staying confident and not too over-focused. The next step to improving my overall golf experience is to concentrate on my breathing. Dr. Joseph Parent says, "Stand eight to twelve feet behind the ball, where you can look straight down your aim line. Having engaged your mind fully in the image of the shot you've planned, gently take a full breath through your nostrils and slowly exhale through your nostrils and/or mouth. Only when the exhalation is completed do you start your approach to the ball"(72). With the confidence that I have grown through reading this book, breathing would have an even greater effect on my golf game. It will cause me to evaluate the current situations with my shot and stay confidence and calm throughout every shot. Not only will this improve my confidence through golf, but when I am in tense situations, this technique should allow me to stay calm and confident.

How do you keep your composure in stressful situations?

Parent, Joseph, Dr. Zen Golf. New York: Double Day, 2002. Print.