Debbie O Connell, LPGA Teaching Professional and author
The salient point of this podcast episode revolves around the significance of maintaining a relaxed and positive mindset while engaging in the game of golf, particularly for those returning to the sport after a hiatus. I am joined by Debbie O'Connell, an esteemed teaching professional and author, who provides valuable insights on how golfers can enhance their performance by adopting a simple yet effective approach to their game. We delve into the importance of setting realistic expectations, embracing relaxation techniques, and cultivating an attitude of gratitude, which not only improves one’s golfing experience but also fosters a more enjoyable atmosphere on the course. Moreover, we explore the concept of flow state in golf, emphasizing the necessity of being present in the moment and letting go of past shots to optimize performance. Throughout our discussion, I encourage listeners to appreciate the game for what it is and to embrace the joy of playing, regardless of the outcome.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Brilliant Marine
- Golf Digest
- LPGA
- Snell Golf
- Westin
- Painted Hills
- Birdie Wrap
- Pig Powder
- Golf Positive
- Live Positive
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
Transcript
It's time for grilling at the Green.
Speaker A:Join Jeff Tracy as he explores the golfing lifestyle and tries to keep it in the short grass for the hackers, new sweepers and turf spankers.
Speaker A:Here's Jeff.
Speaker B:Everybody.
Speaker B: in Portland and AM: Speaker B:That's what I know.
Speaker B:Welcome back.
Speaker B:We just finished the Portland Golf show that was a really big success for us there.
Speaker B:Talked to a lot of great people.
Speaker B:So if you're listening and you stopped by the booth, it was a pleasure to meet you and we really enjoyed it.
Speaker B:I've asked a friend of the show and a friend of mine, Debbie O'Connell, to come back.
Speaker B:Author of Golf Positive, Live Positive.
Speaker B:Debbie is a teaching professional, lpga, voted, rated, ranked, however you want to put it, one of Gol Digest, top 50 best women teachers in the country and always has a lot to discuss.
Speaker B:So, Debbie, welcome.
Speaker C:Well, thank you so much.
Speaker C:It's so exciting to be back here with you.
Speaker C:I love your show.
Speaker C:I love all the wonderful knowledge you share and the humor you share with your listeners.
Speaker C:So it's great to be a part of it.
Speaker C:I'm ready to grill.
Speaker C:I'm ready to go do some grilling.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:Well, and humor is a big part of my life.
Speaker B:So I learned a long time ago if you can't laugh, especially laugh at yourself.
Speaker B:You, you need to work on that.
Speaker B:That's one of the things you could add in your seminars and stuff.
Speaker B:And when you're teaching, tell them to laugh at themselves.
Speaker B:It's better than getting mad, I think.
Speaker B:So I wanted to start off having just come from the golf show, Debbie, and talking to a lot of people, a lot of people that you talk to and I know you talk to them like this.
Speaker B:You know, they're kind of self deprecating in a lot of ways.
Speaker B:You know, they're, they're, if you ask them how's your game?
Speaker B:It's terrible.
Speaker B:And that's fine.
Speaker B:It's kind of a pat answer, you know, out of the list of answers that's probably number one or number two.
Speaker B:But I wanted to talk to you today about a simple start, meaning that what's one thing that somebody can do, especially if they haven't played over the winter?
Speaker B:All right, we're coming into spring.
Speaker B:It's going to be a lovely day here in the Northwest.
Speaker B:I don't know how it is back east, but no snow, sunshine gets people fired up.
Speaker B:But a lot of people try to go out and pick up right where they left off in the fall.
Speaker B:That doesn't really happen very much.
Speaker B:But what's one thing that they can do to kind of make it simple, Forget the bad shot right behind him and progress with their round?
Speaker C:What a great question, Jeff, because we, we find that people will get on that first tee and right away, if they haven't played in a long time, they'll throw out excuses.
Speaker C:You know, I haven't hit a.
Speaker C:Hit a ball in four months.
Speaker C:And they're.
Speaker C:They're setting their mind up to not play well.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:I also, And I bet you've done this too, and many of my clients have gone out to play golf with zero expectations because maybe someone hasn't played in a long time, right?
Speaker C:And everything is just clicking until they, quote, wake up, and they're like, wait a minute, I shouldn't be playing this well.
Speaker C:I announced it on the first tee, told everybody I haven't played, so I'll probably play horribly today.
Speaker C:And here I am, you know, doing well, and then they wake up, and then all of a sudden they fall apart again.
Speaker C:So I think, you know, relaxing is, is a huge one.
Speaker C:Getting your body as relaxed as possible.
Speaker C:And a deep breath is such a key before you play golf.
Speaker C:And I'd say that first round of the year, the first few rounds, enjoy yourself.
Speaker C:The, you know, laugh at yourself.
Speaker C:Like you said, put a smile on your face, take some deep breaths, get relaxed, and just be thankful that you' there playing golf again.
Speaker C:And, and actually, those are the same tips you can use to move on from a poor shot.
Speaker C:Go to gratitude.
Speaker C:You can't be stressed and frustrated at the same time.
Speaker C:You're being thankful.
Speaker C:So, hey, I'm so thankful for a new golf season that I, you know, you can.
Speaker C:Even if it was a really bad shot and you're feeling really frustrated, what if it's, you know, hopefully you laughed at yourself if you did it?
Speaker C:What if it's, wow, I am so thankful I got to watch that bad shot because I can see right walk, I can talk.
Speaker C:I'm out here playing golf and, you know, an attitude, attitude will help your golf game.
Speaker B:I think I like to take the line of a recent movie, Top Gun Maverick, where he goes, don't think, just do.
Speaker B:And, and because if you think like you were just saying, if you think about it too much but you haven't practiced, you, you know, you're just getting back into the year and you overthink, I do it.
Speaker B:I think we all do it overthink, but if you just go do it, that muscle memory and stuff, and the mental relaxation will probably faster.
Speaker B:I'm guessing.
Speaker B:I don't know this for a fact, but I think it would come back faster than really trying to, you know.
Speaker C:Do it that way 100%.
Speaker C:When we can quiet our conscious mind and stop the thinking, we will play better, because now our unconscious mind will go back to what it knows.
Speaker C:And when we allow ourselves to go a bit on autopilot, it's easier to have good balance and tempo and timing.
Speaker C:It's our thoughts that get in the way, and the swing happens too fast for us to really think swing thoughts.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker C:So that is that.
Speaker C:I love that.
Speaker C:That was one of my favorite lines in the movie.
Speaker C:Don't think.
Speaker C:Do.
Speaker B:Do.
Speaker B:I have found that over the years, and I've got a few years on me, I will freely admit that.
Speaker B:But if I just walk up and maybe take one practice swing, maybe sometimes not at all, and just hit it, I do.
Speaker B:Then if I'm up there, you know, three or four practice swings, couple of waggles, trying to make sure my line is right, you know, all the stuff we tend to think about.
Speaker B:But if I just go up and go, okay, here's the ball.
Speaker B:It's got to go there and do it.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:I probably have a 75 to 80% success rate at maybe not getting exactly where my target was, but within the general area.
Speaker B:You know, when I say general area, to me, that's within five yards of either side, front or back, you know, and.
Speaker B:And that's.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:But I think that's just a.
Speaker B:And it keeps all this other stuff out of your head.
Speaker B:And I got plenty of stuff in my head.
Speaker B:I do not need any more.
Speaker C:You know, some people, general area is still on the golf course, so you're doing better than most there.
Speaker C:Jeff.
Speaker C:I was playing golf this past weekend.
Speaker C:I was watching this one gal on this one particular shot, and she just took forever over the ball, and.
Speaker C:And she hit a horrible shot.
Speaker C:And I said, what were you doing over the ball?
Speaker C:She said, you know, I couldn't get comfortable.
Speaker C:I started thinking.
Speaker C:And then I explained to her in that moment, and it's not the easiest thing to do.
Speaker C:I'm like, step away.
Speaker C:Get out of what we call the play box.
Speaker C:And I was teaching her about when you step into the play box, you want a quiet mind and you want to set up and swing.
Speaker C:You know, I take one last look at the target.
Speaker C:I'm not in that playbox for Very long.
Speaker C:We do our thinking beforehand, deciding on the club, checking the lie, where's it landing, maybe visualize the shot, and then it's commit to what we decided, step in and go.
Speaker C:It's go time.
Speaker C:It's go time.
Speaker C:Nothing more to think about.
Speaker B:Yeah, no.
Speaker B:And I think people would find that their round is more enjoyable overall.
Speaker B:You know, they can chuckle if they actually scuff it or something, you know.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:But most of the time, you're just gonna step up there and hit it, and it'll be.
Speaker B:It'll be good.
Speaker B:It'll be better than, you know, trying to come up with a theory of relativity for golf in your noggin.
Speaker B:You know, that's.
Speaker B:That's kind of the way I look at it.
Speaker C:Well, yeah.
Speaker C:Trying to figure that out over the ball is the worst thing we can do now.
Speaker C:I am a proponent of the pre shot routine.
Speaker C:Sure.
Speaker C:But that's all done before you step into your setup position.
Speaker C:Once you're there, you want to spend as little time.
Speaker C:I think Annika Sorenstan was four seconds in what we call the playbox.
Speaker C:So once she stepped into it, I think maybe she took one more look at the flag, but then she went.
Speaker C:She was swinging the club, you know, I think, you know, to.
Speaker C:To your point about swinging, sometimes without thinking, I think everyone here has probably experienced the I don't give a hoot swing.
Speaker C:Maybe you were playing a fun, not a tournament, and the score didn't matter so much.
Speaker C:Or you could hit an extra shot, and maybe you got so frustrated you took out another ball and threw it down and they swung the I don't give a hoot swing.
Speaker C:You were just so mad, you just threw it down and swung.
Speaker C:And you look and you're like, wow, why don't I do that all the time?
Speaker C:And I tell people all the time, it's because you care too much on the other shots.
Speaker C:You're trying too hard.
Speaker C:You care too much.
Speaker C:The biggest key, Jeff, is to release the outcome.
Speaker C:We plan the shot.
Speaker C:I love a pre shot routine of visualizing the shot.
Speaker C:Having clear direction for your brain is very important.
Speaker C:We want.
Speaker C:Because how many times we've been over the shot and go, wait, am I hitting this high or low?
Speaker C:Or, you know, where am I?
Speaker C:Where's this supposed to go?
Speaker C:Have a clear plan and, like, it means the world.
Speaker C:Like, really be, you know, diligent about that part of it.
Speaker C:And when you step into the play box, it's time to swing like you don't care.
Speaker B:Yep, absolutely.
Speaker B:Speaking of caring, we Gotta take a break.
Speaker B:Cause we gotta do a little business here.
Speaker B:But we'll be right back with Debbie O'Connell from Golf Positive right after this.
Speaker B:Hey, everybody.
Speaker D:JT here, you know.
Speaker D:Every week on Grilling at the Green, we bring you a travel tip.
Speaker D:And that is brought to you by the Westin dealerships.
Speaker D:I've known those guys since I was a kid.
Speaker D:And they have one way of doing business.
Speaker D:It's called the Weston Way.
Speaker D:It's family oriented, and there's no better people to deal with.
Speaker D:Check out Weston Kia on Southeast Stark in Gresham, Oregon.
Speaker C:Hi, I'm Dean Snell, CEO of Snell Golf.
Speaker C:And you're listening to Jeff at Grilling at the Green.
Speaker B:Welcome back to Grilling at the Green.
Speaker B:I'm JT today we have Debbie O'Connell with us from Swing Positive.
Speaker B:Debbie obviously coaches and teaches golf, but she's also got a live positive Golf Positive.
Speaker B:She's a very positive person.
Speaker B:How'd you get so positive, by the way?
Speaker C:I worked at it, I tell you.
Speaker C:I was collecting salad tea bags because they had quotes on them when I was a teenager.
Speaker C:I was just really intrigued with these positive quotes.
Speaker C:And then I started reading like Norman Vincent Peale and Zig Ziglar.
Speaker C:Listening to cassette tapes, had Tony Robbins cassette tapes.
Speaker C:The personal power and what everyone was saying was how important it was to be positive and think and believe in yourself.
Speaker C:Not beat yourself up, but instead lift yourself up.
Speaker C:So I took all that pretty seriously.
Speaker C:And I became really good at reframing negative to positive and speaking positively to myself.
Speaker C:Giving myself a break sometimes.
Speaker C:Now, does that mean I've never got mad at me?
Speaker C:No.
Speaker C:Have I ever sworn on a golf course?
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:You know, we're all still human.
Speaker C:We still have emotions.
Speaker C:And where I got really good was to shift out of that state very quickly.
Speaker B:I just call it speaking golf fluently.
Speaker B:When you're swearing on the golf course, that's.
Speaker B:That's the way I look at it.
Speaker B:I didn't know.
Speaker B:I guess I didn't.
Speaker B:I didn't ever ask.
Speaker B:I didn't know, but I didn't know you were.
Speaker B:Had spent some time in Kentucky.
Speaker B:That's one of my favorite states.
Speaker C:Oh, it is.
Speaker C:I loved it there.
Speaker C:I went to college at Western Kentucky University and I played basketball.
Speaker C:I was the shortest one on the team.
Speaker C:I played college basketball and had the most exciting season my freshman year.
Speaker C:And we went to the Final Four.
Speaker C:NCAA Final Four.
Speaker C:And that was played at Rupp arena at the University of Kentucky.
Speaker C:So that was really, really neat.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I spent a lot of time in Kentucky over the years.
Speaker B:I was horse guy before, you know, a long time ago.
Speaker B:So our trips every other year to Louisville, and it's Louisville, not Louisv, and just in case you wondered out there, folks.
Speaker B:But, yeah, I loved Kentucky a lot, and I played some great golf courses there.
Speaker B:There were a lot of fun courses.
Speaker B:I got to play Valhalla many, many years ago when it was kind of brand new or was brand new to me.
Speaker B:So that was.
Speaker C:That's fantastic.
Speaker C:Yes, Kentucky's great.
Speaker C:As a matter of fact, Jeff, the Solheim cup, which, in case some people don't know, they know the Ryder cup for sure.
Speaker C:Hopefully, they do know the Solheim Cup.
Speaker C:It's the women's ver.
Speaker C: Will be played in: Speaker C:I'm so excited to get back there.
Speaker C:You know, Churchill Downs.
Speaker C:One year, our team went to Churchill Downs to take some pictures for our.
Speaker C:Our poster that we would make every year.
Speaker C:And it said, you know, of the race to the final four.
Speaker C:And we had two horses out on the track.
Speaker C:Some of us dressed as jockeys.
Speaker C:Me being the shortest.
Speaker C:I dressed as a jockey, and some dressed like the belle of the ball.
Speaker C:And we had our team picture right there on the track at Churchill.
Speaker C:So I run a trip to the Solheim cup every time we have it.
Speaker C: e going to the Netherlands in: Speaker C:It's such a great event.
Speaker C:I love it.
Speaker C:And then I was really excited to find out.
Speaker C:2028, Louisville, Kentucky.
Speaker B:I might have to come see that one.
Speaker B:Just old home week for me type thing.
Speaker B:I actually got to sit in the governor's box at the Downs one time.
Speaker B:It wasn't the derby day.
Speaker B:It was a different day, but I actually got to go sit in the governor's box and watch a couple races.
Speaker B:That was kind of fun.
Speaker B:Back then, you talked about, you know, getting mad at yourself and that I tend to be harder on myself than anybody, and I've been married for over 30 years, and that's saying something.
Speaker B:Okay, so is it difficult for people, and if it is, to not get mad at themselves?
Speaker B:And if it is, what are a couple of quick thoughts or steps that they can do to.
Speaker B:To try to back off of that, especially on the golf course.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Many times I'll have a client say, I am really positive out on the golf course.
Speaker C:I.
Speaker C:I am the most positive person.
Speaker C:And I said, well, how positive are you with yourself?
Speaker C:And they said, oh, yeah, with everyone else, I'm really positive.
Speaker C:But with me, oh, I'm actually Really critical.
Speaker C:So it's paying attention to the words you're saying, you know, and a lot of it comes from your upbringing, right, where maybe you were in a family where you were criticized if you didn't do something perfectly, or you were only pointed out when you did things wrong.
Speaker C:And then you got into that same habit of being critical to yourself and all of you listening.
Speaker C:You don't deserve that.
Speaker C:You really don't.
Speaker C:And think about this for a moment.
Speaker C:If your brain was listening so carefully that it heard every word you said to it, and it listened in a way that you're programming the brain to then create an outcome, I think people would be more careful about what they say to themselves.
Speaker C:Your brain is listening, and it wants to do what you ask it to do, and it will try to.
Speaker C:So be nicer to yourself, for one.
Speaker C:And how do we shift that?
Speaker C:You can get mad for that moment, and then it's time to truly shift out of that negative state.
Speaker C:And a couple things that I have people do.
Speaker C:I have a formula called Blab that I came up with.
Speaker C:We're going to blab, blab, blab around the golf course.
Speaker C:The first one is to use your body.
Speaker C:Get, you know, make a quick move where your chin comes up, your shoulders go back, your chest goes out.
Speaker C:Just really a fast move.
Speaker C:And then get in that power pose, right, the superhero pose.
Speaker C:Put a smile on your face.
Speaker C:You release your own happy drugs, serotonin and dopamine.
Speaker C:They make us feel happy whether we want to or not, as soon as we smile.
Speaker C:And then the other part is the L language, positive language.
Speaker C:You know, instead of being so frustrated, here's a great one for everybody.
Speaker C:You might want to write it down or you might remember it instead of being like, oh, I'm so frustrated, right?
Speaker C:We don't want to say that.
Speaker C:I'm just fascinated.
Speaker C:How can I intend to hit the ball there?
Speaker C:And it goes all the way over there.
Speaker C:This is just fascinating.
Speaker C:What if you shifted it like that?
Speaker C:And the other part of L is ask positive leading questions.
Speaker C:Don't ask, why do I keep three putting?
Speaker C:Because then your brain is going to focus on why you keep three putting.
Speaker C:That's not really what you want to know.
Speaker C:You want to know, how can I make two putts or less the rest of this round?
Speaker C:So asking positive leading questions.
Speaker C:The A, I already touched on it.
Speaker C:Appreciation.
Speaker C:And the B is to take those deep breaths because that will calm the nervous system.
Speaker C:So blab your way around the golf course.
Speaker C:Use your body.
Speaker C:Positive language, positive leading questions.
Speaker C:Appreciation.
Speaker C:And breathe.
Speaker C:Your game will improve if you blab it all the way around.
Speaker B:So after I hit a.
Speaker B:I'll call it an errant shot, I probably shouldn't say, well, that was a good piece of double dose of the dumbass, which is one of my favorite sayings.
Speaker B:Anyway, we're going to take a break and we'll be back with Debbie O'Connell from Golf Positive right after this.
Speaker D:Hey, everybody, it's J.T.
Speaker D:you know, I talk about Painted Hills all the time and we always say beef the way nature intended.
Speaker D:But it's more than that because each bite of Painted Hills will make your taste buds explode.
Speaker D:Put a big bright smile on your face and whoever's at your dinner table will have a big, bright smile on their face.
Speaker D:And you can thank me for that later.
Speaker D:Just go to painted hills beef.com and find out more.
Speaker D:You won't regret it.
Speaker B:Welcome back to grilling at the green knife, J.T.
Speaker B:hey, we want to thank the folks at Birdie Wrap.
Speaker B:If you've got a little sores, I get little raw spots on my knuckles on my offhand, not my glove hand.
Speaker B:And it's a lot of times it's from rubbing on the glove.
Speaker B:So I've been using Birdie Wrap for the last, I don't know, four or five years and it's really helped.
Speaker B:So go, go to birdierrap.com.com I should say.
Speaker B:And check it out.
Speaker B:And also from my barbecue show, Pig Powder, the best rub on the planet award.
Speaker B:And this stuff was created by my co host over there, Leanne Whippen, her father, Trim tab.
Speaker B:So go to pink powder.com it's great stuff.
Speaker B:I recommend it.
Speaker B:We're Talking with Debbie O'Connell today from Golf Positive.
Speaker B:And you know, we talked in the first segment, Debbie, about leaving stuff behind.
Speaker B:Can it work in the opposite direction in that, that you hit a really good shot and it, it happens to everybody.
Speaker B:You hit a, you, you know, you smoke it and it's three feet from the pin.
Speaker B:And maybe that's an unusual shot for that individual, but they, they do it.
Speaker B:They get it.
Speaker B:It's pure.
Speaker B:It's all the things we like to talk about.
Speaker B:And they get up there and they're fired up and hopefully they make the putt.
Speaker B:That's a good thing.
Speaker B:And then it's just, you know, they're really elevated emotionally until the tee shot on the next box.
Speaker B:Tee box, or maybe the second shot on that.
Speaker B:And then it goes way over there and then they're back to reality.
Speaker B:So how do you keep that going.
Speaker B:I mean, that's it.
Speaker B:That's.
Speaker B:You were talking about endorphins and, and adrenaline and stuff because, I mean, that happens to me all the time.
Speaker B:You know, I'll hit several good shots in a row and then all of a sudden over there and like, yeah, that.
Speaker C:The key to that is staying in the present moment.
Speaker C:Oftentimes we, when we're playing well, we want to keep playing well and we try harder to hang on to it.
Speaker C:It's kind of like when, when someone has a lead in a tournament and you see them tighten up instead of just continuing to play the great golf they're playing, they try to hold on to the lead well.
Speaker C:So many golfers try to keep that good play going.
Speaker C:And that's not what you just did on the previous three holes.
Speaker C:You played well.
Speaker C:You were just playing.
Speaker C:And it's a mindset of being in the present moment, which is about flow state.
Speaker C:And there are certain flow triggers.
Speaker C:Taking that deep breath is one.
Speaker C:Having a clear focus, a clear target each time, they help bring on flow and, and bringing yourself back to the moment.
Speaker C:When you breathe, if you pay attention to your breath, you can't help but be in the present moment.
Speaker C:So that's a huge thing you can do.
Speaker C:I think a lot of people kind of boo hoo, deep breaths or they don't think they're as big a deal.
Speaker C:I'm breathing out there.
Speaker C:What's the big deal?
Speaker C:Debbie, when you intentionally make a deep breath and pay attention to what it feels like in your body, you'll be in the present moment.
Speaker C:The present moment is key for everything.
Speaker C:So the past doesn't matter that you've either had a horrible whole or that you've had three birdies in a row, or the future doesn't matter.
Speaker C:You're not afraid of anything or you're not trying to create anything because you're right here in this moment.
Speaker C:You know, I, I've had someone recently who I, when I was playing golf, made a birdie and came back with a not so great hole.
Speaker C:So I educated them about, wow, that's a FU app, you know, And I don't, you know, it's.
Speaker C:It's something that happens after a birdie sometimes because we now, like, it was so exciting.
Speaker C:We're either too high adrenaline or we want to keep playing well for sure and we mess it up.
Speaker B:Yeah, mine's not FU app.
Speaker B:Mine's fubar sometimes.
Speaker B:But we don't have to go into that definition.
Speaker B:But I'll just say that that does have it.
Speaker B:So can people take the lessons from golf positive, live positive, take them off the golf course, use them in their everyday life?
Speaker B:I would think that if they did that, because I'm a pretty happy guy.
Speaker B:So I, I don't, I try to be positive about most things.
Speaker B:I mean I, I grouse and growl about things like everybody does little stuff but don't go off the, the railroad tracks there.
Speaker B:You know what I mean?
Speaker B:But if they, if they start to do the live positive stuff, stuff in everyday life, does, should that.
Speaker B:I can't say it.
Speaker B:Could it.
Speaker B:Of course it could.
Speaker B:But should it help them when they finally turn around and come back to the golf course?
Speaker C:Yes, because what you're doing is creating a habit.
Speaker C:And when you start to create a habit of looking for the positive, right.
Speaker C:Being in gratitude.
Speaker C:Just, just take some people in traffic.
Speaker C:You know, I know a lot of people who get very fascinated, we hope in traffic and just focus on, it's kind of like that slow play, like focusing on why, why is this not moving.
Speaker C:I can't believe in this traffic and going all to this negative and getting anxious rather than just say, wow, this is fascinating.
Speaker C:Let me do something positive.
Speaker C:Let me at least be happy that I have a car.
Speaker C:Not everyone has a car.
Speaker C:Like we could really go into gratitude there.
Speaker C:Or just distract yourself with doing something more positive.
Speaker C:I mean, one time with me, I was getting very close to Christmas time and so I was in traffic, I grabbed my phone, I started recording the Christmas list that I planned on getting for everyone.
Speaker C:So I, I turned it into something positive.
Speaker C:Or I'd make a phone call, I'd think of somebody and say, hey, let me go, let me call this person.
Speaker C:Because now I have a little bit more time.
Speaker C:So what can you do in the situation to shift, shift your mindset and start to create a habit of seeing the positive and set yourself up to look for positive.
Speaker C:What if you started the morning and say, hey, I'm going to look for the positive in everything today and I'm going to have an attitude of gratitude throughout the day.
Speaker C:And you just started practicing that, it'll definitely transfer over to the golf course.
Speaker B:I want to give you a scenario.
Speaker B:Back when I was in the horse business, we had great big, big rigs, trailers and stuff.
Speaker B:Pardon me.
Speaker B:When you're driving and if there's any truckers, especially long haul guys listening to this show, they can relate to that, to this I should say, but when you're driving a big truck, there's always cars in front of you and you pay attention to those, but the cars you really pay attention to are several cars ahead.
Speaker B:Head to.
Speaker B:To be able to see if they swerve, if they slam on their brakes or if they do that.
Speaker B:Because with the big trucks, you can't stop.
Speaker B:You know, you got a lot of weight behind you like that.
Speaker B:How would that be applicable to playing golf in your golf shots, if at all?
Speaker C:I.
Speaker C:I love that.
Speaker C:I love that analogy.
Speaker C:So watching ahead and looking ahead, and then that could be applicable just by.
Speaker C:When you get on a tee, plan out the entire hole.
Speaker C:Now, your plan might not come to fruition.
Speaker C:You want to look and see where's the flag on the green if you can see it, or if you have a sheet that shows you where the hole is and you can plan, what is my strategy on this hole?
Speaker C:And aim for it.
Speaker C:Pick that specific target.
Speaker C:If it goes there, Great.
Speaker C:Now you're set yourself up.
Speaker C:It's like playing chess.
Speaker C:Looking ahead, but then come back to playing one shot at a time.
Speaker C:You know, it's all about focus.
Speaker C:We get more of what we focus on.
Speaker C:Where are you putting your focus on the golf course?
Speaker C:What are the thoughts that you're thinking and you want them to be thoughts and a focus that's going to support you to play your best.
Speaker B:Yeah, I think that's important because the average golfer probably doesn't have the skill level as a pro, but just the thought process of saying, okay, it's supposed to be a par 4, but maybe they can't play that well, but maybe they could, you know, bogey the hole plus one on each hole.
Speaker B:That's good golf, actually.
Speaker B:But, you know, you.
Speaker B:You look at that and you say, if, you know, you want to stay out of the weeds on the right and you want to miss the bunker on the left, and.
Speaker B:And just kind of do that, like that driving scenario I gave you.
Speaker B:I think if they planned it a little more instead of just standing up and letting it and see where the hell it goes, you know, they might.
Speaker B:They might enjoy it more, too.
Speaker C:Yeah, definitely.
Speaker C:And so many people don't even have a target.
Speaker C:I'll ask, what is your target?
Speaker C:And I'll say, oh, the fairway.
Speaker C:Well, that's not specific enough.
Speaker C:You know, the green.
Speaker C:Not specific enough.
Speaker C:You know, if you pick a very specific small target and you miss it, you have a chance to be close.
Speaker C:If you pick a big target and miss it, well, then you're going to miss it big.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's like I used to hunt.
Speaker B:Aim small, miss small.
Speaker B:You know, like that that's what.
Speaker B:That was the deal.
Speaker B:I think the person that did that, the best of anybody in our lifetime was Tiger.
Speaker B:I think that guy could dissect a course.
Speaker B:He had everything planned out.
Speaker B:You know, there was situations that, you know, you got a bad bounce or something like that.
Speaker B:That happens to everybody.
Speaker B:But I think I never saw anybody play golf like him that could dissect a course like that.
Speaker B:That it was very managerial.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And when he played at Augusta for the first time, he had done so much research on those greens.
Speaker C:You know, these guys, they come into town and they.
Speaker C:They play their practice rounds.
Speaker C:They know where the hole will be each day.
Speaker C:They roll the ball, they putt the ball.
Speaker C:Their caddy's doing the same thing to really understand how the ball will break.
Speaker C:And Tiger also looked at videos and old footage of people putting and took notes on all of the greens.
Speaker C:That's why he was the best to play the game, because of his homework and his preparation that we didn't see him do.
Speaker C:There was a reason he was so great on the course, and it was all the work he put in that we didn't get to see.
Speaker B:Yeah, that's not work that we tend to do, but for Tiger, it worked out good.
Speaker B:We're going to take another break.
Speaker B:We're going to be back with Debbie O'Connell from Golf Positive and Live Positive right after this.
Speaker B:Stay with us.
Speaker B:This.
Speaker D:Hey, everybody, JT here.
Speaker D:If you need something to practice with in the inclement weather, try birdie ball.
Speaker D:Go to birdieball.com check out the actual birdie balls, their packages, their putting greens, which I happen to have a couple of those, and they work great.
Speaker D:Birdieball.com.
Speaker B:Welcome back to Grilling.
Speaker B:It's green.
Speaker B:I'm JT.
Speaker B:We also want to thank.
Speaker B:Thank birdie ball.
Speaker B:My good friend John Breaker back there.
Speaker B:Not only do they make the little birdie balls, the little things that look like napkin rings, they only fly about 40 yards.
Speaker B:I'm.
Speaker B:I'm very adept in the pitch speech for them because I think I gave out 500 of them at the last golf show last weekend.
Speaker B:But the point is, they also make some great indoor and outdoor practice putting mats.
Speaker B:I have one in our putting greens.
Speaker B:I should say I have one in my backyard that we use on the.
Speaker B:When we're doing the TV stuff.
Speaker B:Stuff.
Speaker B:Great stuff.
Speaker B:Go to birdieball.com and do that.
Speaker B:We're talking with Debbie O'Connell today from live Positive and Golf Positive.
Speaker B:So I should ask you this at the top of the show.
Speaker B:Debbie, what's new with you?
Speaker B:What are you doing?
Speaker C:I always have a lot going on and probably too much.
Speaker C:I have a virtual golf clinic coming up.
Speaker C:I found that so many of my clients were either stuck, stuck in the north in the winter and not able to go practice, or they just didn't have time to go to a simulator or go to the golf course for those in the warm weather climate.
Speaker C:So I have a virtual golf clinic coming up that I'm really excited about.
Speaker C:We work, we do chipping, putting and full swing.
Speaker C:And I teach everybody drills that they can use at home to work on their performance skills.
Speaker C:So that's one thing I'm looking forward to.
Speaker C:And I do it three different nights, once every winter, once a year.
Speaker C:And I do it usually in March, maybe leading into April.
Speaker C:I'm also really excited about focusing a lot on business golf.
Speaker C:I run corporate golf outings.
Speaker C:I'm a keynote speaker in corporate America.
Speaker C:And I notice that people aren't always using the network experience of golf as effectively as they're capable of using it.
Speaker C:So helping people to be able to step onto the golf course or use golf golf.
Speaker C:And even some of the women and some of the guys who don't really play golf can still use golf as a networking tool.
Speaker C:It doesn't mean you have to go play 18 holes.
Speaker C:You can take a golf lesson or a playing lesson with your client and still have an amazing time together or go to a simulator even.
Speaker C:So it's maybe an hour.
Speaker C:So using.
Speaker C:Using golf is a great way to build relationships and then possibly talk about business or decide if you want to be in business with someone is, is.
Speaker C:Is so empowering.
Speaker B:I think that that's a great idea.
Speaker B:I've kind of worked on sales stuff, side of things, business for a long time.
Speaker B:And it's amazing though, to me that sometimes companies, entities, whatever, if you tell them, you say, okay, if you want me to do this for you, I need to be able to go to the golf course.
Speaker B:You got to put it on the bill.
Speaker B:But.
Speaker B:And I'm going to bring this client in and this client in and talk, and I'm going to make them laugh and I'm going to tell them all the funny stories about the media and this type of stuff.
Speaker B:And they, and they go, well, why would we do that?
Speaker B:You know, it's like, you should have had a V8, dude, because, you know, your brain's not working.
Speaker B:And the simulator stuff I think is actually in our area is coming more into focus, especially because we have being the Northwest from the first, first to middle part of November up until mid March, the weather's a little dicey.
Speaker B:We get some nice sunny days, but most of the time it's kind of gray.
Speaker B:And maybe it's raining or snowing on occasion, but you can go to a simulator and usually they're in a cocktail setting around here, which is.
Speaker B:Doesn't hurt anybody's feelings.
Speaker B:And you can do that and, you know, you build that relationship with the potential client or sponsor or whatever you're doing and do it that way, and it makes a lot of sense.
Speaker C:Yeah, I had one of my students was a pretty new golfer and didn't feel even comfortable yet going out on the course.
Speaker C:And he is a hedge fund guy.
Speaker C:So he had all of these people who wanted to take care of, take him to the best restaurants in New York City, really treat him well so that he'd consider buying their stocks and working with them.
Speaker C:So what I suggested to him, because he said to me, debbie, I have three kids.
Speaker C:I'm sick of going to the best restaurants in New York City.
Speaker C:I just want to get home.
Speaker C:And I said, well, what about saying, meet me at a golf simulator before work?
Speaker C:And he said, oh, my gosh, what a great idea.
Speaker C:He found out what they opened really early.
Speaker C:So he said, look, if you want to spend some time with me and you want to talk some business, book a simulator and we'll go and we'll hit balls together and maybe play a few holes on the simulator.
Speaker C:He did that like four mornings a week.
Speaker C:And that's how he would practice his game and get better.
Speaker C:It didn't cost him anything because he's the client and he loved it.
Speaker C:So there are, if you're creative, if you think, how can I use golf effectively for business?
Speaker C:You will come up with these ideas that fit into your game, your time, your business, all of it.
Speaker C:And it's very effective.
Speaker B:You gave me an idea, but I'm not going to share it on the air here.
Speaker B:But you gave me a good idea.
Speaker B:Debbie's going to stick around for after hours.
Speaker B:But Debbie, work in.
Speaker B:People find you and the information all about golf positive and live positive.
Speaker C:Yeah, my website is debbie-o'connell.com that's-e b b I e the little dash.
Speaker C:And then O'Connell o c o n n e l l dot com.
Speaker C:And if I can, I'd love to give everyone a little gift.
Speaker C:I have an ebook about lowering your handicap with Flow State Golf.
Speaker C:And if I could give a phone number for that, if everyone would Just text the word flow to this number.
Speaker C: -: Speaker C:Just text the word flow and you will get a link to get a free ebook from me.
Speaker C:And it's about being in that present moment and playing your best golf time after time again.
Speaker B:All right, Debbie.
Speaker B:Thank you, folks.
Speaker B:We'll be back next week with another edition of Grilling at the Green.
Speaker B:So for Debbie and myself, thank you.
Speaker B:Go out, play some golf, have some fun.
Speaker B:But most of all, be kind.
Speaker B:Take care.
Speaker A:Grilling at the Green is produced by JTSD Productions, LLC in association with Salem Media Group.
Speaker A:All rights reserve.
