[Trig]

Three words: Confidence, concentration and expectations.

Confidence is good as long as you don't get overconfident. What did Tin Cup say: Be humble?

Be humble and confident - and consentrate on doing your best to produce the shot you know you have in you. And be ready to accept the result.

Expectations are IMO the enemy of good golf and golfing pleasure. Expectations tends to be the super-ego talking to you with a judgemental attitude. If you play poorly for a few holes you will talk yourself out of any possibilities you might have of recovering. If you play to well you will start fearing to blow up a good round now that your super-ego expects you to post a good score.

I think you can use positive expecations to carry the round. I'm not talking about expecting to make 60 foot putts. I'm talking about taking the attitude that you are good enough to keep a good round going.

About a month after my first swamp visit I started the round birdie/eagle with a host of great shots. I was still -3 after 6 holes but then fell victim to trying to protect the score. I started leaving 10ft putts short because I was worried about making a bogey. I could have been -5 at the turn if I just had enough confidence to make my normal stroke. I ended up shooting 75, which is a very good round no doubt. But I think my mental attitude cost me a very great round.

My attitude now is: I'm good enough to break par. I expect it to happen. My goal has been for the last couple of years to break 80 every round. I think my sights are set too low. I find myself constantly doing what it takes to break 80 and then getting really protective of that outcome.

I also know I'm going to hit bad shots. Everyone hits them. But it's how I react to them that determines if I let it turn into a downward spiral.