If you watched the British Open this summer, you know that Louis Oosthuisen from South Africa won the championship. What was interesting about Oosthuisen and what the TV announcers had partially focused on was the red dot he had marked on his left glove at the groove between his thumb and index finger.

Prior to each shot, Oosthuisen would take a moment and look down at that red dot on his glove before he took his stance and hit the shot. To the outside observer you might think it was part of his pre shot routine and may very well have been. But, if you noticed, as soon as he looked up he immediately stepped up to the ball, took his stance and executed the shot.

It appeared to me that he was implementing the first key to peak performance which is having a calm, relaxed mind. At the same time, it allowed him to activate the second key to peak performance which is to visualize and focus on the task at hand, the shot he wanted to implement to the exclusion of everything else in his environment. In other words, he was narrowing his focus and entering into what I call the “peak performance trance”.

All that was left was to move forward and hit the shot. At times though, before hitting the shot he would back off and start again. In these cases it appeared to me that he was implementing part of the third key to peak performance which was to notice the feedback his body was giving him prior to executing the shot. If he did not have what I call that “unconscious feel” which is part of the “peak performance trance”, he would back off and begin again.

The average golfer can learn from this strategy used by Louis Oosthuisen. Find a trigger or anchor you can use (i.e. red dot, taking a deep breath, tapping your thigh, etc) that will set your process into motion and can be a way to let go of any previous shots and keep yourself in the present moment. Then, let the magic begin!!!

(Tim Loebs, MA, LPC is an Author and Sports Counselor in Surfside Beach. Call 843-650-8940 or visit www.themindmagician.com for information on available peak performance products).