Right Down The Middle
Psychologist helps golfers put ball in the short grass.
By Alan M. Petrillo
Tucson, Arizona | Published 03.23.06
It's been said that golf is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical.
If that's the case, then Kevan Schlamowitz is on the right track
with his Links to Success program, designed to help golfers get
over the psychological sand traps they build for themselves.
In putting
the program together, Schlamowitz has found a way to combine two
passions in his life work and golf. He's worked with hundreds
of golfers, from professionals to beginners.
John Vesper,
general manager and former golf professional at Cortebella Golf
Club in Phoenix, first met Schlamowitz on the golf course as a
player and had a half-dozen golf sessions with him.
"After
we got to know each other, he got me started in managing the mental
aspect of the game," Vesper said. "He helped me think
less about the mechanics of the game and more about seeing myself
succeed."
Schlamowitz
said many players improve after a single session, but it's more
typical for a golfer to take about five sessions to fully change
their game. Schlamowitz
usually has a session in the office first, in which he goes over
the techniques he and the golfer will use, and then reinforces
those lessons by playing on a course. |
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"The
playing lessons are where we see the biggest return on our investment
of time," Schlamowitz said. "That's where the client
gets to see the immediate improvement in his game."
Cutting
stress is the key
Schlamowitz
says that concentrating on golf's mechanics often can work against
a player.
"When
a golfer tries harder, he creates muscle tension, which yields
errant shots," he said. "That's the outcome when you
focus solely on the product."
Instead, the
48-year-old Foothills resident tries to get his clients to think
about lowering stress in order to improve their games.
"Relaxing
is a natural thing, compared to trying harder, which gets in the
way of letting the process work," he said. "What I do
is redirect a person's thinking and teach him how to talk to himself,
either verbally or with internal dialogue."
Bill Nicol,
coach of Pima Community College's women's golf team, said that
while he's never used a golf psychologist, many professional golfers
do.
"A lot
of pro athletes, including golfers, use them to improve their
games," he said. "In golf, visualization of the shot
helps the person's body react to the situation better. I tell
my golfers to 'See it, feel it and do it.'" Schlamowitz
encourages golfers to pick a target as a guide and visualize hitting
to the target. |
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N.Y.
native had UA fellowship
A native of Syracuse, N.Y., Schlamowitz received a National Institute of
Mental Health fellowship to attend the University of Arizona,
where he received his doctorate in clinical psychology in 1984.
He was director
of clinical services for Canyon Ranch and later started a private
consulting practice, which he still runs. He's also the author
of a self-help book, "Emotional Prosperity for Life."
For Vesper,
who was a golf professional at various courses for years, studying
Schlamowitz's methods has knocked about three strokes off his
already finely tuned game.
"Kevan
offers you a different way of approaching the game and helping
yourself succeed," Vesper said.
Mike DuBois,
40, a Tucson physical therapist and golfer since 1987, said Schlamowitz
"instantly helped create a sense of calm with my golf shots."
DuBois, who
took a single golf session with Schlamowitz, pointed out that
tools such as visualization and inner dialogue helped remove the
doubt he felt on the course and instilled him with confidence
when he approached the ball for a shot.
"Golf can produce stress when our expectations are unrealistic,"
he said. "By keeping that in mind, I don't overburden myself,
and I've shaved strokes off my golf game."
Alan M. Petrillo is a Tucson freelance writer. |