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At the core of excellence in any domain is an effective system

This page of my website above all pages is where the work towards excellence is done. On it are avenues of practice including exercises, drills, activities, programs, and a system template. When I refer to “The System” I do so, not with the intent of suggesting there is but one (mine) specific way to reach your potential. The System is you. It is your way of being, doing, believing, planning, and executing in your pursuit. Less, a road map and more tour guide, my purpose with this page and my feedback is to provide light for the journey. To illuminate your discovery to create, improve, maintain, and surrender to a system.

The Flex-Mind Training System

At the center of enhanced mental functioning for peak performance are not internal states that come and go at the whim of outside forces. Confidence, positive thoughts, calmness are nice when they are present but not required to execute challenging shots under pressure. Nor, is it necessary to remove doubt, worry, anger, and fear in order to play high performance golf. What is required to play to one’s potential consistently is psychological flexibility. This is the learned ability to commit to controllable actions that will produce the best chances for success even while experiencing unpleasant, uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, and emotions. In any contest, the athlete with the flexible mind is going to have a competitive advantage over others with rigid mentalities. Flex-Mind training is a systematic approach to developing psychological flexibility and enhancing performance. Like any training system, learning is optimized by thorough and conscientious completion of the program components. This program consists of six, weeklong components, each with specific readings and assignments. It is recommended, for optimal effect, to follow the assignments as closely and consistently as possible.

Pre-Training

Assignments

  • 1. Take the Flex-Mind Evaluation.
  • 2. Get a notebook or journal for daily exercises and writing assignments.
  • 3. Make a list of three to five things you would like to get out of completing this program and describe why those are important.
  • 4. Complete the Pre-Training checklist before moving to Week # 1

Pre-Training Checklist

  • 1. Took the evaluation
  • 2. Got a notebook
  • 3. Listed 3-5 things you would like to get out of this program
  • 4. Completed before moving to Week #1

Week # 1: Understanding the Performer's Mind

Assignments

  • 1. Read "The Psychology of Human Potential" & "Control is the Problem not the Solution" (Blog page).
  • 2. Complete the "Try this" exercises in your notebook.
  • 3. Write the following affirmations in your notebook everyday: "I will play to my potential every time." & "I will be a master of the mental game."
  • 4. Perform the “plank exercise” every day. a. Find a place free of distractions to perform a plank. b. Using your phone’s timer, set a length of time that will challenge what you are capable of handling (1-4 minutes). c. Start the timer and perform the plank with no music or other distraction. d. As you do the plank, pay attention to thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations. e. Notice how uncomfortable, painful sensations accompany certain types of thoughts. f. In your notebook describe the thoughts and feelings you experienced during the plank. g. If you wish you can repeat the exercise.
  • 5. Do the “mindful breathing” exercise once a day. a. Find a distraction free location and sit in an upright, yet comfortable position. b. Close your eyes. c. Take a full, not forced breath in through your nose, feeling the flow of air traveling past your nostrils and filling the deeper portions of your lungs. d. Exhale through your mouth in a slow, measured fashion. e. The exhale should take longer to complete than the inhale. f. Experience a slight pause at the completion of the exhale before beginning the next breath cycle. g. Complete nine breath cycles with the intention of focusing your attention to all the sensations of the breath that arise.
  • 6. Write a short report at the end of the week evaluating what you learned and the progress you felt you made

Week # 1 Checklist

  • 1. Read the two Blogs
  • 2. Completed the Try this homework
  • 3. Wrote affirmations everyday
  • 4. Performed the Plank Exercise everyday
  • 5. Did Mindful Breathing everyday
  • 6. Wrote week ending report

Week # 2: Cultivating Performance Awareness

Assignments

  • 1. Read "Mental Currency" (Blog page).
  • 2. Complete the "Try this" exercises in your notebook.
  • 3. Write the following affirmations in your notebook everyday: "I will play to my potential every time." & "I will be a master of the mental game."
  • 4. Perform the “plank exercise” every day.
  • 5. Do the “mindful breathing” exercise once a day.
  • 6. Do the "song I hate" exercise once a day. a. Find a song or type of music that you absolutely do not like. b. Close your eyes and listen to the song. c. Notice the thoughts, feelings, and emotions you experience while listening. Watch them like they are characters in a play. d. In your notebook, write what you observed happening in your mind.
  • 7. Make a "controllable actions" list. a. Think of controllable actions as things you do with your eyes, mouth (words), hands, and feet. b. In your notebook, write one golf shot, such as putting and describe what controllable actions if performed might provide you the best chance of hitting the putt you desire. c. Try different actions out on the putting green. d. With each action you write, confirm that it is controllable by applying the "gun to the head" test (If someone were pointing a gun to my head, could I still guarantee that I would perform this action?). e. Make a list for every shot.
  • 8. Write a short report at the end of the week evaluating what you learned and the progress you felt you made

Week # 2 Checklist

  • 1. Read the Blog
  • 2. Completed the Try this homework
  • 3. Wrote affirmations everyday
  • 4. Performed the Plank Exercise everyday
  • 5. Did Mindful Breathing everyday
  • 6. Did the "song I hate" exercise everyday
  • 7. Made "controllable actions" list
  • 8. Wrote week ending report

Week # 3: Becoming Wise

Assignments

  • 1. Read "Psychological Flexibility" (Blog page).
  • 2. Complete the "Try this" exercises in your notebook.
  • 3. Write the following affirmations in your notebook everyday: "I will play to my potential every time." & "I will be a master of the mental game."
  • 4. Also write the following in your notebook everyday: "Thoughts are uncontrollable, accept them and move on", "Feelings are uncontrollable, accept them and move on", "Emotions are uncontrollable, accept them and move on".
  • 5. Combine and perform the "plank exercise" and the "song I hate" everyday. a. Before starting the plank, cue up the song you hate and perform the plank while listening. b. Notice the connections occurring beyween physical discomfort, irritating thoughts, and unpleasant feelings. c. Write what you discovered and experienced in your notebook.
  • 6. Add to the "mindful breathing" exercise and perform once a day. a. Expand your attention from the sensations of the breath to sounds that present themselves as you take the nine breaths. b. Recognize that sounds present themselves naturally and possess no meaning ot value--they are neither good nor bad. c. Acknowledge that while sounds may fall into categories of things such as car sounds, bird sounds, etc., they simply "are what they are".
  • 7. Perform the Blind Result Putting Challenge three times. a. Take the head cover from your three wood and stuff it into the hole. This is to eliminate the sound of the ball hitting the bottom of the cup. b. Place a ball anywhere from 5-10 feet from the hole. c. Perform your normal routine of reading and rehearsing the putt. d. Hit the putt as you would normally perform but just after making contact with the ball close your eyes for a few seconds to prevent yourself from seeing the result . e. Take a moment to let yourself notice what occurs in the mind and body. f. Do you feel your attention rush to your ears trying to detect a sound telling you that you made the putt? g. Is there a little twinge of tension in your gut that you feel when you are hoping for something? h. If yes, then you did not completely let go of what was uncontrollable--what the ball did after you putted it. i. Challenge yourself by attempting ten more blind result putts to see if you can be solely concerned with the process of the attempt and completely let go. j. In your notebook, reflect on your experience of doing this challenge.
  • 8. Write a short report at the end of the week evaluating what you learned and the progress you felt you made

Week # 3 Checklist

  • 1. Read the Blog
  • 2. Completed the Try this homework
  • 3. Wrote affirmations everyday
  • 4. Wrote "uncontrollable" affirmations everyday
  • 5. Performed the Plank/Song I hate Exercise everyday
  • 6. Did the adjusted Mindful Breathing everyday
  • 7. Performed the "Blind Result Putting Challenge" three times
  • 8. Wrote week ending report

Week # 4: Integration

Assignments

  • 1. Read "Be Wise to Disguise (Blog page).
  • 2. Complete the "Try this" exercises in your notebook.
  • 3. Write the following affirmations in your notebook everyday: "I will play to my potential every time." & "I will be a master of the mental game."
  • 4. Also write the following in your notebook everyday: "Thoughts are uncontrollable, accept them and move on", "Feelings are uncontrollable, accept them and move on", "Emotions are uncontrollable, accept them and move on".
  • 5. Combine and perform the "plank exercise" and the "song I hate" everyday. a. Before starting the plank, cue up the song you hate and perform the plank while listening. b. Notice the connections occurring beyween physical discomfort, irritating thoughts, and unpleasant feelings. c. Write what you discovered and experienced in your notebook.
  • 6. Perform the "delayed gratification" exercise three times. a. This is best done when extremely hungry. b. Go to your favorite restaurant (i.e. Chic fil a, In and Out) and order the item that you crave the most. c. After receiving the meal, place it directly in front of you and set the timer on your phone to five minutes. d. Without talking to anyone, browsing on the phone, or letting yourself get distracted, sit and wait until the timer ends before eating. e. Notice what happens in your mind. f. Pay attention to the thoughts, stories, irritations, and impulses that arise. g. After eating write about the experience in your notebook.
  • 7. Practice Meditation once each day. a. Find a distraction free location and sit in an upright, yet comfortable position. b. Set a timer for five minutes and start. c. Close your eyes and listen to whatever sounds present themselves with an attitude of accepting the sounds as they are, without judgment. d. After a minute or so, expand your attention to include awareness of the sensations felt while taking long, slow, and deep breaths. e. After another minute or so, invite your attention to notice what is occurring in the mind. f. Cultivate an attitude of regarding mind phenomena (thoughts, memories, fantasies, worry) as free of judgment and meaning. They are what they are.
  • 8. Perform the Blind Result Putting Challenge three times.
  • 9. Create a post-shot routine. a. Wise golfers think in terms of information rather than judgment. The more unbiased, pure, and applicable the information, the more value it posesses. b. Go to the range with your notebook. c. After warming up, begin hitting specific shots to concrete targets (i.e. 7-iron to a target, 154 yards away). d. After making five attempts of hitting to the target, open your notebook and reflect upon judgments and feelings you had about each attempt (i.e # 1: hit it great, # 2: terrible, etc.). e. This is an unwise post-shot routine --high judgment, low information. f. Take another attempt at hitting to a target and categorize the attempt as a "keeper" (one that you would want to repeat in competition) or a "fixer" (one that you would want to make adjustments to). g. If it is a "keeper" review what controllable actions (what you did with your eyes, told yourself, physical movement sensations you created) you performed that helped you the most. Then tell yourself "On the next shot I will stay committed to ...." h. If the shot is a "fixer" consider what adjustments (controllable actions) that might turn the next attept into a "keeper" and say to yourself, "On the next attempt I will commit to ....." i. Continue making attempts to varied targets with different clubs, following each with this post-shot routine. j. Immediately after completing practice, write down controllable actions that when you committed to, seemed to help produce "keepers" and replace "fixers".
  • 10. Write a short report at the end of the week evaluating what you learned and the progress you felt you made

Week # 4 Checklist

  • 1. Read the Blog
  • 2. Completed the Try this homework
  • 3. Wrote affirmations everyday
  • 4. Wrote "uncontrollable" affirmations everyday
  • 5. Performed the Plank/Song I hate Exercise everyday
  • 6. Performed the "delayed gratification" exercise three times
  • 7. Did 5-minute meditation practice once each day
  • 8. Performed the "Blind Result Putting Challenge" three times
  • 9. Created a post-shot routine
  • 10. Wrote week ending report

Week # 5: Complete Readiness

Assignments

  • 1. Read "Create Space" (Blog page).
  • 2. Complete the "Try this" exercises in your notebook.
  • 3. Write the following affirmations in your notebook everyday: "I will play to my potential every time." & "I will be a master of the mental game."
  • 4. Also write the following in your notebook everyday: "Thoughts are uncontrollable, accept them and move on", "Feelings are uncontrollable, accept them and move on", "Emotions are uncontrollable, accept them and move on".
  • 5. Combine and perform the "plank exercise" with "song I hate" everyday
  • 6. Practice Meditation for 10 minutes once everyday.
  • 7. Perform the Blind Result Putting Challenge three times.
  • 8. Worst Case Scenario playbook. a. Open your notebook and begin to imagine what it would be like to be playing a tournament and experiencing the most severe, negative, fearful, and uncomfortable internal states possible. b. Write a sentence that starts with, "On the tee box, with a driver, in the worst-case scenario I will commit to ... c. Complete the sentence with actions that are completely controllable under those circumstances. i. What will you do with your eyes, mouth, hands, and feet. ii. Confirm that these actions pass the "gun to the head" test--you could guarantee that action even with a gun pointed at you. d. Write and fill in additional sentences for every conceivable situation. i. Three-foot putt. ii. Bunker shot. iii. Long approach over water. iv. Etc.
  • 9. Worst Case Scenario Practice three times. a. At practice or on the course, set up those scenarios, use your imagination to picture being in that wors-case state and practice committing your playbook responses. b. Include the post-shot routine. c. Make comments in your notebook about dicoveries and observations.
  • 10. Write a short report at the end of the week evaluating what you learned and the progress you felt you made

Week # 5 Checklist

  • 1. Read the Blog
  • 2. Completed the Try this homework
  • 3. Wrote affirmations everyday
  • 4. Wrote "uncontrollable" affirmations everyday
  • 5. Performed the Plank/Song I hate Exercise everyday
  • 6.Did Meditation everyday
  • 7. Performed the "Blind Result Putting Challenge" three times
  • 8. Created Worst Case Playbook
  • 9. Did "Worst Case Practice" three times
  • 10. Wrote week ending report

Week # 6: Perform

Assignments

  • 1. Read "Create Space" (Blog page).
  • 2. Complete the "Try this" exercises in your notebook.
  • 3. Write the following affirmations in your notebook everyday: "I will play to my potential every time." & "I will be a master of the mental game."
  • 4. Also write the following in your notebook everyday: "Thoughts are uncontrollable, accept them and move on", "Feelings are uncontrollable, accept them and move on", "Emotions are uncontrollable, accept them and move on".
  • 5. Practice Meditation for 10 minutes once everyday.
  • 6. Perform the "Plank Exercise" with "Checklist" everyday. a. Before engaging in the plank exercise, write a checklist in your notebook. b. Title it "Checklist for Pain Management". c. By now you have a clear understanding of what the mind's reaction to the plank will be. d. Create two or three checlist actions to commit to in response to the mind's reactions. For example, "every five seconds of the exercise I will call out a rating from 1-10 of the intensity of the pain sensations".
  • 7. Perform the "Delayed Gratification" with "Checklist" three times. a. Before engaging in the exercise, write a checklist in your notebook. b. Title it "Checklist for Impulse Management". c. By now you have a clear understanding of what the mind's reaction to the craving to eat will be. d. Create two or three checlist actions to commit to in response to the mind's reactions. For example, "every five seconds of the exercise I will call out a rating from 1-10 of the intensity of the craving".
  • 8. Perform the Blind Result Putting Challenge three times.
  • 9. Worst Case Scenario Practice three times. a. At practice or on the course, set up those scenarios, use your imagination to picture being in that wors-case state and practice committing your playbook responses. b. Include the post-shot routine. c. Make comments in your notebook about dicoveries and observations.
  • 10. Write a short report at the end of the week evaluating what you learned and the progress you felt you made

Week # 6 Checklist

  • 1. Read the Blog
  • 2. Completed the Try this homework
  • 3. Wrote affirmations everyday
  • 4. Wrote "uncontrollable" affirmations everyday
  • 5. Did Meditation everyday
  • 6. Performed"plank" with "checklist" everyday
  • 7. Performed "delayed gratification" with "checklist" three times
  • 8. Performed the "Blind Result Putting Challenge" three times
  • 9. Did "Worst Case Practice" three times
  • 10. Wrote week ending report

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