Breaking Out of a Slump

Not long ago, Rory McIlroy was the number one player in the world. With four majors, amazing power and youth on his side, it seemed like Rory would dominate golf for years to come. Then he fell into an amazing putting slump. Rory recently mentioned that he lost his confidence so bad that he only believed that he could make three-footers. Anything longer than that would be a struggle and it was! Then Rory did something very smart to break out of his putting slump. He changed everything. He changed his putting instructor, his grip and his putter. It worked. He went from one of the worst putters on the PGA Tour for the past two years to having one of the best putting performances at the Deutsche Bank Championship. He won this event with his laser-like irons along with his amazing putting! Rory McIlroy was following a psycho-logical process to break out of a slump: change can help eradicate a slump. Newness of a grip or club gives you a different mindset, and with this renewed mindset comes renewed confidence. Next time you are in a slump, or you have a student in a slump, you may want to try a simple strategy: change. This small step can result in a huge leap in performance for the better. Please visit www.MasteringGolfPsychology.com for more articles on the mental game, and your free mental game e-book. Also, visit this site to get certified as a mental game coach by the International Golf Psychology Association. The IGPA is the coaches division of the USGTF and the program is highly endorsed by the International PGA. About the author: Dr. Gregg Steinberg is ranked by Golf Digest as one of the world’s greatest sports psychologist. He is the head sports psychologist for the USGTF and IGPA. He has worked with Tour winners such as Brandt Snedeker and Brian Gay, as well as NCAA championship golf teams such as the University of Florida and the University of Alabama.