Arousal is the degree of activation of the organs and mechanisms of the body that are under the control of the autonomic nervous system (Cox). The body’s system that controls golf, such as the heartbeat and respiratory rate, is called the autonomic nerve system. The autonomic nervous systems releases sweat when you are faced with pressure three footers. Important is the fact that an individual’s level of arousal greatly influences their ability to perform in a competitive setting. This article will help you find and train for optimal arousal.
A golfer who plays at their best is more likely to have played in an optimal state of arousal. The best state of mind isn’t determined solely by arousal. It is an important factor that must be taken into consideration.
Golfers often leave it up to fate, and don’t pay attention to patterns related to arousal. Instead, they play every round as if they were playing lotto ….. While they may hope to see their numbers rise, they feel they have little control over the final outcome. You can make better golf. Consistency can be also an influence!
You can also influence consistency! It is important to maintain a balance between both the parasympathetic (sympathetic) and sympathetic nervous systems. A golfer can describe their feelings and determine the optimal level of arousal. However, objective measures such as testing heart rate, blood pressure, respiration frequency, or subjectively can measure the quality of your golf game. This is why I frequently use a pressure gauge to check blood pressure and pulse rate in my golf psychology sessions.
Surprisingly, the sympathetic nervous systems responds rapidly to stimuli such as seeing an opponent drain large putts during match play or walking onto the first green with large galleries. The parasympathetic response is slower. It is important to note that a golfer’s ability to maintain calm under pressure depends more on their ability to relax and fire up the parasympathetic systems quicker (through training), in response to sympathetic shifts. This is far easier than trying to stop the sympathetic system activating due to environmental stimuli. This is a crucial point for any golfer who wants to be consistent on the course.
The ability of a golfer to maintain calm under pressure will determine their success. The golfer must be attentive to both the environment and the partner.
A state that is harmonious between the parasympathetic (sympathetic) and sympathetic nervous systems is considered to be the best level of arousal. Aim for a level that is between intense excitement and deep sleeping. It is as simple as taking a few minutes to record your arousal levels in order to find your ideal levels.
You can do this by taking a spare scorecard with you and rating your arousal levels. An additional ‘arousal column can be added to your game statistics. For example: columns in your stats card that read score, fairway hit, green hit, putts, and finally ‘arousal. This can be done for four to five rounds, and you will see a correlation between the arousal levels on each hole and your overall score. The optimal level of stimulation will depend on the type and style of your shot. The golfer will typically benefit from being more calm when they are putting rather than driving. ….This should be considered. You might consider taking two different arousal scores to each hole. One for the full swing and one for chipping, putting and chipping. Does your arousal levels correlate with how you play short games and get the ball moving?
According to the “inverted U hypothesis”, the ideal level of stimulation is the medium one. This suggests optimal performance. Inverted U hypothesis states that performance and arousal are curvilinear. An example of this is the upside-down, or inverted U, shape. This shows the relationship between performance level and arousal. A U that is upside down peaks in medium arousal suggests that the best performance occurs at moderate arousal.
This is a slight variation to the above. My view is that there is a correlation between performance and arousal, however that each person’s ideal arousal level is unique.
My point is that one player might perform best when hyperaroused, while another may be at his most relaxed. You should find your optimal level of arousal and try to maintain it before each shot ……, regardless of the state of your partners! You can find your unique optimal arousal by completing the exercise described above.
Schultz’s research also showed that humans seek optimal levels of arousal. This phenomenon is known as “internal drive and optimal arousal”. It is very beneficial for golfers to have a clear, congruent view of their goals. The clarity and congruence that you have about your golf day will impact your arousal during tournament pressure, for instance.
Here’s something to remember: You need to set specific goals. Make sure you have congruence. Frame your goals in such a way that you desire to accomplish them. And finally, create your vision for how you want it to turn out. A simple test I do with golfers is to determine their level of clarity and consistency regarding their shots. Ask them to tell me where you are planning to put this ball. Their response time and their clarity when answering questions are directly related to how congruent and clear they feel about this shot and toward achieving that day’s goals.