Wouldn't it be great to learn to ride the waves of emotion, instead of letting them engulf you when you're on the golf course? Regardless of your skill level, once you understand the physiology of emotion, you'll realize why learning how to control your emotions can make the difference between a win, a loss, or a comeback in golf.
Last month's column we talked about how emotions can be detected in the changing pattern of the heart's beat-to-beat rhythms. Anger, worry, frustration, impatience and other stressful emotions create uneven, incoherent heart rhythms patterns that send signals to the brain which inhibit brain function. Positive emotions, like appreciation, care, love and joy create smooth, coherent heart rhythms that facilitate brain function - speeding up reaction times, increasing mental clarity and improving performance outcomes.
Do positive emotions just happen to us-are they random-or can we choose to create them? At times, when we are with family or friends or having a great day on the golf course, we just feel good. At other times, finding a positive emotion can feel as likely as discovering water in the desert. But, with the scientifically validated HeartMath tools, you can learn to shift emotional state and generate positive feelings genuinely on demand. Then you don't have to be a victim of circumstances beyond your control or "a bad golf game."
Dr. Bruce Wilson, a cardiologist and avid golfer, is a member of Quantum Intech's medical advisory board and golf advisory team. Dr. Wilson explains why HeartMath tools work.
I first heard about the Institute of HeartMath research in 1997 when I was interested in bringing stress reduction to my patients with heart disease. Learning to release stress in the moment is very beneficial to heart patients, resulting in fewer heart attacks and less need for repeat procedures (angioplasties, bypass operations). I attended a HeartMath seminar and was immediately impressed with their clinical studies and the programs for stress relief and performance enhancement they had configured as an outgrowth of their scientific investigation. What started out for me as a quest for newer approaches in heart care quickly became a set of extremely simple and effective tools for me to use in all aspects of my life including golf. After all, the pure golf swing must be allowed to occur, not forced. We all know the effects of extra swing thoughts and muscle tension. But how to focus, concentrate, stay energized, relax, compete -and still enjoy the game of golf - has been experienced by very few. We need to be relaxed and fully present at the same time.
I used to think lowering my heart rate would help. But that's only useful at certain times. It doesn't do the whole job. Heart rate is regulated by our autonomic nervous system (ANS) which has two branches that control many of the body's functions (see diagram). One branch is the sympathetic nervous system, which prepares the body for action by speeding up heart rate. The other branch, the parasympathetic nervous system, helps us relax or rest by slowing down heart rate. The pattern of our heart rate speeding up and slowing down creates our heart rhythm pattern. Optimal health and performance require getting these two branches of our nervous system working together in sync to create a smooth heart rhythm pattern.
(c) 2003 Managing Emotions-Golf's Next Frontier
The ANS is also involved in our ability to feel and control emotions. Stressful emotions like frustration, anger, anxiety, or worry cause the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches to get out of sync with each other. It causes a jerky and disordered heart rhythm pattern. This can be likened to driving a car with one foot on the gas pedal (the sympathetic nervous system) and the other on the brake (the parasympathetic nervous sys tem) at the same time- which creates a jerky ride and burns more gas. Just as it causes extra wear and tear on a car, the same process causes extra stress in our bodies.
When we feel positive emotions on the other hand, such as appreciation or compassion, the signals sent through the ANS allow the two branches of the nervous system to get in sync. Our heart rhythm pattern becomes smooth and ordered. This orderliness of the heart's rhythmic pattern reflects internal emotional order and is referred to as coherence in physics. Coherent heart rhythms are often seen when our mood is positive and we are operating at peak efficiency.
When we feel stressed, whether due to an unrealistic client, financial difficulties, traffic jams, or missing a 4 foot putt and being 2 down with 3 holes to play, our heart rate and blood pressure go up, and our heart rhythm pattern reflects emotional disorder and incoherence. Incoherent heart rhythm patterns desynchronize the efficient flow of information from our ANS to our brain, muscles and rest of the body. Our stress button, once pushed, actually inhibits important brain functions. The cortical areas of our brain, where we do our most complex thinking and processing, literally shut down. This is why we do stupid things when we're stressed or afraid. Like going right at the pin, when the center of the green has a much lower opportunity for disaster.
HeartMath research has shown that we can self-generate a coherent heart rhythm by learning to manage and shift our emotional state within moments (see graph). Using scientifically validated HeartMath tools like Quick Coherence(tm), especially in combination with the Freeze-Framer for Golf heart rhythm software, allows us to train in emotional control to change our heart rhythm pattern to a more coherent state, and then do it on the golf course. Our ability to think clearly, strategize, and avoid errors is greatly enhanced and it's measurable.
(c) 2003 Managing Emotions-Golf's Next Frontier
To get the most out of all the other golf skills we've learned and practiced, we need to add the power of coherent heart rhythms. It's important to re-emphasize that it is the pattern of the heart rhythm that is reflective of a high performance state, and is independent of the heart rate. In the graph, we can see how heart rate is going up and down with each heart beat. We can have coherent or incoherent rhythms at a high or a low heart rate. In fact, a higher heart rate (arousal) can help us energize, feel more confident and perform better at times than a lower heart rate (relaxation). It's rhythm, not rate that reflects mental-emotional dynamics and high performance.
Being able to create positive emotion is a choice, and it is essential. Did you all notice the look on Phil Mickelson's face as he played the final round of the Master's? Despite the roars of the crowd coming from holes all around him, he maintained a presence we have not seen from him before. Many have said that he was a changed golfer that day. It's possible for you, too.
Deborah Rozman is a high performance psychologist, author, President and co-CEO of Quantum Intech, Inc. (QI) a technology company that develops and licenses products and services that reduce stress, improve health, and increase performance based on the HeartMath® System For more information about on the HeartMath® System, visit www.quantumintech.com or www.golf.freezeframer.com.
Dr. Bruce Wilson is a cardiologist, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Heart Hospital of Milwaukee and on the faculty of the Medical College of Wisconsin. Formerly, he was Director of University of Pittsburgh Heart Institute, Assistant Professor of Cardiology at University of Minnesota Hospital and awarded Teacher of the Year by the Minnesota Medical Foundation. Dr. Wilson is a HeartMath trainer for hospitals and health professionals. He is also a leading spokesman for use of HeartMath for stress reduction and performance enhancement.
Coming Next Month: "The Zone" -- How to Get There and Stay There. Achieving and maintaining peak physiological and emotional states during golf practice and in competition. New research on measuring and training in "the Zone"
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