Eliminate Any Doubts About Your Golf Game - Forever

A player I've recently spent time with told me how he found it much harder to improve than he expected, even though he'd gone from 10 down to 7 in under a year.

Already successful in other sports and in his career he said to me "maybe I should settle for where I am in golf, I might not be meant to be a good player".

I hear this sort of thing all the time, players who doubt they have the right to succeed in golf.

This doubt will be familiar to you if you have you ever set out to make a significant improvement in your game.

For example, have you wanted to:

Drop 5 shots in your handicap?

Play for your club?

Win your division in the monthly medal?

Be eligible for local and regional events?

Did you get everything together you needed, a teacher, DVDs, books, new equipment, regular sessions on the range?

But all the time you have a voice in your head that kept telling you

"Who do think you are kidding thinking you can be good at golf?"

And if you've had that sort of doubt you are not alone - most players get doubts - even at the top level, in fact, especially at the top level.

Here's the most important thing you need to remember - It's not that you have some doubts, no; it's what you do with that doubt that matters.

So what can you do about it?

Well here are 4 strategies you must use if you want to overcome the doubt and put yourself back in charge of your golfing success.

1. The Reason Why

Before you start it's essential your reason to set this goal or challenge to improve must be crystal clear to you

"Because it would be nice" or "I think I can"

These won't be enough to get you through the tough times.

You need to ask yourself:

What do I want from Golf?

Why will it add to the quality of my life?

How will my golf experiences be more enjoyable?

Be specific, be very specific.

2. The What

What is your definition of success?

What does it look like, sound like and feel like to you?

Tiger will only feel truly successful when he exceeds Jack Nicklaus' Major tally, some tour players want their first tour victory, and others want to keep their card, while others want to get their tour card.

As amateurs playing for your county or playing in your company's annual golfing outing might be your goal.

Whatever it is - it is yours - You own it. You define it.

Ask yourself

"What one thing do I need to be able to: do, have or be to demonstrate to myself I've succeeded?"

3. The Who

Golf is an individual game, even in team events like the Ryder Cup players need to be great individual players to qualify.

But in order to perform your best it's vital you have a team around you, people who will support you in your ambitions.

You need Specialists and Generalists.

The Specialists should be golf coach to work with you on your technique. A Performance Coach can guide you in setting goals and your mental approach to the game. And a physical coach to help you with your fitness and nutrition.

The Generalists are friends and family who will help cover for you in other areas of your life so you can spend the time you need to on your game. They are your cheerleaders…

4. Your Path, Your Signposts.

Even after you have a great reason to play outstanding golf, and you've decided exactly what success will look like to you, and you're secure with the people you have helping support you. Even then you can suddenly get the feeling of being lost all over again, as if you can't remember why or where you are heading.

But never forget this - It's your dream so the directions can't be found in anyone else's map or plan.

It's your plan, your path, so use your own sign posts and landmarks.

These can be things to remind you of where you are going, why you want to succeed and what success will look like. Gather together things to remind you, things like:

Quotes from golfers

Photographs of the honours board

Songs you get inspired by

Pictures of past prize-giving evenings

A facsimile of your handicap certificate with a future date and the handicap you intend to have.

The most talented players are not always the best, it's the players who believe in themselves and follow up with actions, and they are the players who will always succeed.

Take time to go back over these 4 steps make a list of all the questions you've read and answer them all honestly on a sheet of paper, notebook or journal.

Never doubt you'll be successful in golf, if you take actions on the 4 steps above you'll have earned the right to be successful, you'll deserve to be successful, you will be successful.