female golfer tips: get over comparisons

how to stop comparing yourself to other golfers

golf really is quite a tough game. Pit your skills, stamina and mental strength against nature with a ball and golf club. Then throw in the inevitable comparing of yourself against better players.

Each hole you try to get the ball as close as possible, or closer than your opponents. Its hard enough matching yourself against good players in your mind, but often it is even harder when other people compare you. It could be your playing partner blaming you for the loss, or a coach comparing you to his star student. these negative comments are never pleasant to the ears.

So how do you stop comparing, or stop being bothered when others compare you??

1. Always remember that everyone's path in life is different. it is the same for your golf improvement.

2. Keep encouraging and believing in yourself. Other people can have their opinions but you have the choice not to listen to them.

3. Stay away from people who give you negative comments. it is your natural right to be in a loving nurturing environment.

I once had a coach who kept comparing me with another student. It was quite subtle thing but not something 14 year old me could not pick out. That and numerous other reasons led me to stop golf for awhile. if i had known then what i know now, i would better handle my emotions and encourage myself a lot more.

comparisons can be to various degrees. No matter if its just a small bit of comparing of scores in the middle of the round, don't do it. You are better off focusing on your own game.

Success is individual achievement. Not whether you did better than someone else.

eep i forgot all about my putting challenge

nautical golfer

i saw nautical inspired golfing polo shirts and shorts by Callaway at Takashimaya but because they aren't considered basic pieces, i can't afford the hefty price tag that comes with its cute-ness. if i were sponsored by callaway, i'd so rock the nautical look 

disclaimer: the products featured are not from Callaway except the shoes

first day after the SLGA Amatuer Open 2010

wow it's my first break from golf (as in first day not touching golf at all) in a month.
slept from 8pm to 9am yesterday and even took a nap again this afternoon. i'm amazed at how much i can sleep.

i think i would have played a better score if i had slept earlier after each round of golf. then i would have a bit better concentration on the greens and wouldn't have felt to giddy under the hot sun. i was keeping myself well hydrated and relatively shaded.

i feel pleased with myself for hitting consistent scores :) i think it is important to be consistent. although i did not play as well as i had hoped, there will be other chances for me to wow people away with my low scores ! i believe i can do it.

just remember to stay committed and confident on each shot and not slow down or second guess as i'm about to hit the ball

after a good good rest, i am all fired up and ready to work on the areas of my game that need more attention :) it is only through playing in competitions that you are exposed to those pressurizing moments like being rushed for slow play. and only through experiences can you learn how to deal with the situations better the next time round

SLGA Amateur Open 2010

hi all ! haven't updated for quite a few days because i was taking part in the SLGA Amateur Open 2010 played at my home course. the old course of Singapore Island Country Club. it was a tough 3 days of play where half of the holes were played off the white tees and we were under the torment of the hot sun.

it's my first 3 day tournament since i started on this journey towards improving my golf and i played a fantastic golf score of 87, 87 and 88 to come in 6th place in the A division and won a small trophy :)

learnt alot from the experience and now it is clearer which areas i need to work on in order to bring my scores to the next level. i know that each day i could have saved at least 5 shots if i had putted better, aimed correctly at the target and pitched or chipped a bit better. so these are the areas i will need to work on :)

i find that playing on the course more in the past 2 weeks has helped me to be better at managing my game on the golf course so that is what i will continue to do in order to build up confidence in my short game to score better

World trick shot championships

precise timing speaks for itself

golfing gods send phil mickelson a sign in 2010

they say its a piece of tree that fell out of the sky. but it almost looks like a worm jumped out from underground to watch the amazing phil mickelson !

the real massage ball

ahhhhh i finally managed to get one !
there is this shop near my house that sells all those therapy stuff including wheelchairs and crutches etc
never noticed it before but things i need and want always find a way to appear in front of me

yayy its much firmer than the fakes i bought and looks unlikely to leak air out

i also bought this electrical heat pad that will help to relieve sore-ness and aches. so excited to try it out ! wheee
dad and mom will also be able to use it for their pains too

the shop is called "Mobility Plus" and the lady offers really good prices and heh discounts too so go to

Mobility Plus
7 Thomson Ridge
tel: 64556018
hp: 91371799

for all your therapy needs
they have wheelchairs, motorised power chairs, hospital/ home furniture, walking aids, nutrition/ oral feeding, bathroom/ toilet aids, adult diapers, respiratory and suction therapy, pressure relief cushions and mattresses and various other aids to daily living. they also do rental of equipment.

i'm just really glad i found the massage balls there so do go give the lady business ok

more refreshing sleep

i used to have trouble falling asleep, sometimes even when i'm tired. and then morning time comes around and i can't drag myself out of bed. even with 12 hours of sleep, i can still feel lethargic and unable to open my eyes.
i suspected it was because my room is partitioned by built-in wardrobes that block my bed from the windows so it's really dark at night. but the downside is that i often can't really tell if the sky is still dark or if the sun is shining brightly outside.

but ever since i started using mental imagery before sleep. i find myself sleeping soundly with ease (i think i might even sleep with a smile on my face). and i also feel more energetic when it's time to wake up :) i spring out of bed (comparative to dragging myself out)

before i go to sleep, i lie on my bed, relaxed and imagine myself on the golf course. sometimes i just picture myself hitting great shots and sometimes i see myself playing the course. i watch myself hit fantastic shots with a smooth and complete swing, then feel the emotions and satisfaction of seeing the ball fly toward my target. i always have a big smile after hitting an awesome shot

i used to find it a chore to see things in my mind. but with practice and determination, it is becoming easier to feed my subconscious mind with wonderful images.

then when i'm on the golf course, i feel more confident when i'm about to hit the ball, which results in a good shot more often

yayyy

putting challenge day 2

didn't manage to complete the 9 in a row putt challenge. managed to reach 8 again after half an hour. so i decided to try a variation instead

choose a hole that has a relatively straight line then poke 3 tees each at 3feet, 4 feet and 5 feet.
i was guessing but 3 feet is roughly 1meter which is one big step for me.
putt in the cycle of 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet then back to 3 feet again.
see how many you can sink in a row.

i managed to do 20 !! heehee so proud of myself

went to play a few holes on the course after that and i can already feel a dramatic increase in my confidence when putting, which meant i sank more short putts from 3 feet.
wheeeee happiness is sweet

100th post celebration !!

whoop whoop !
i'm so happy that i've reached my goal of 100 posts by may 2010

to celebrate this joyous occasion, i've prepared a special treat for everyone. i'm gonna reveal ...

20 things you didn't know about Lim Shuyan

1. i don't think practicing golf requires sacrificing other things
2. my family supports me 100% in pursuing my golfing dream
3. i picked up golf when i was 12 as my form of exercise
4. i stopped golf at 15 due to diminishing interest and change in priorities
5. i studied in Melbourne from 2005 to 2009
6. i have built in wardrobes in my room
7. my biggest challenge is keeping stuff off my room floor
8. i believe that i can learn from every experience in my life
9. i am grateful to all the wonderful people who touched my life in big and small ways
10. i think i am a very lucky girl
11. my favourite colors are pink, yellow, orange, green,
12. my dog picks are pekingese, toy poodle and corgi
13. my 3 most valuable possessions: Bushnell lazer, Oakley sunglasses and golf bag (with clubs)
14. my favourite cartoon is spongebob squarepants
15. i have 2 favourite soft toys (lion and bunny)
16. in my free time, i read, update my blog and fiddle around on polyvore
17. i love to finish a salty meal with ice cream
18. i get frightened when people start raising their voices
19. my favourite drinks are coke, kickapoo and fruitade
20. i most enjoy the company of people who believe in me

putting challenge

you spend a big portion of your golf game on the putting green, and that should convince you that putts are ever so important. but because you only need negligible talent in order to putt, most people neglect this important aspect of the game. often concentrating on improving we long game, we forget that it is usually our putting that can determine whether we play in the 80s or the 90s. 


in trying to bring down my scores to play in the low 80s and even break 80, i've discovered how important each putt is. a missed putt as a 1 stroke addition to your overall score. 


i'm not very good with judging putts in feet so i'll just refer to them in metres for my own simplicity. 


when i'm left with a 2 metre putt for par, i often don't sink it and then turn my good chip shot into a bogey instead. but i realised that it's usually because i've convinced myself i'll probably miss it, therefore i do. so i devised a putting challenge to increase my confidence and also create some pressure in my putting practice to simulate the atmosphere in competitions where you want to sink putts that matter. note that this is a variation from something i read in a book. 


choose a hole with a simple break or preferably a straight putt. 
take out the pin and using tees, mark out 1m, 2m and 3m away 


the goal is to sink 9 putts in a row. (3 from 1metre, 3 from 2metres and then 3 from 3metres)
if you miss one restart from 1metre again. 


it was my first time doing this and i learnt that this simple exercise can bring out so many aspects in your golf mental game


15 minutes
i'm starting to get frustrated and don't follow my pre-shot routine 
think: just stick with it. even if it takes 1 hour, stick with it ! 


25 minutes
i manage to sink 8 putts in a row, and almost cry out when i missed the 9th 


30minutes
i have to leave to go home but i feel my confidence in those short putts improved !

do sports people hold their liquor better ?

met a new friend yesterday that mentioned that sports people are able to drink more alcohol because they exercise more often which increases their metabolic rate and thus their bodies will be better at breaking down the alcohol.

isn't alcohol broken down by the liver? so what does exercising got to do with my liver?

i've sworn off alcohol for 2 months already and after last night's experience, i think i will be off alcohol for another 2 months. so the evidence (me) states that the hypothesis of  "sports people hold their liquor better " is INCORRECT !

what do you think ??

massage ball fail

i was looking online for those massage balls to massage aching muscles but couldn't find any shop websites that say they sell it. the closest i got to finding where to buy one in singapore was this website that will ORDER for me from taiwan or something. very lame.

well i managed to find one at novena square. i was so excited because they came in an assortment of bright colors. i chose a pink one of course. i tried using it and to my amusement, it actually lights up and blinks in blue, red, purple colors when used haha.

after about 15 minutes of use, it wasn't so fun anymore when i started to hear a hissing sound. when i took it from behind my back where i was using it against the wall, i found it half deflated. gahhh

massage ball fail man

anyway, i found another website that sells cool massage supplies. go to this website to check it out. yayy at least its in singapore. and i do know where the warehouse is ! so la la la i can get my massage balls soon haha

if you don't know what a massage ball is go here to check it out. basically they are used for self massage and therapists use them too. they help to ease sore muscles and enhance sport performance !

why are they distractions

some voices and faces are just so distracting (not in a good way). now i not only have to work at staying focused on playing my game and working on my golf swing i must learn how to block out those distractions. aiish even when i plugged in my (revived) ipod, it only marginally improved the situation. 


but i believe that i have strong focus-power. in mr khor's A. math tuition class, i could always block out the noisy VS boys sitting behind me and just concentrate on finishing the work. i pride myself in that ability to block out sounds. so i'm sure i'll be able to do it now. 


i'm gonna be uber-focused golfer gal ! 

wow I'm amazed at my new found fire

I just finished 9 holes. Nothing special? It was drizzling. I'd usually be the first to run indoors when the sky turns dark but I resolved to finish the round. Although I finished with a 43. I did it with one birdie and a very naughty triple bogey. Haha and then I went on to practice my putting till the rain got too heavy.

I'm gonna hit the shower first to prevent catching a cold or worse, a fever. Hopefully I can practice a bit more before I go home later

feeding your mind with good scenes

this exercise works best before you go to sleep. although i accidentally fell asleep with the lights on halfway through the first time i did it. so you can choose whether to switch off the lights or keep them on. either way is fine but no matter whether you want to do it on the bed, or in a chair, make sure you are in a quiet place that you will not be disturbed. put on some soothing music if you wish.

do the 4-5-6 breathing technique i learnt which is to
breathe in for 4 counts
hold your breath for 5 counts
breathe out for 6 counts.

this 456 breathing exercise can help you to relax.

*use it while focusing on your muscles from your feet up to your head for a more thorough relaxation*

ok imagine yourself on the first tee box. try to be as detailed as possible with what it looks like (is the sun bright?), are there any smells? etc
then imagine yourself smashing an awesome tee shot straight and long down the fairway
feel your body making the beautiful swing to hit the shot and soak in the nice warm feeling after impact

do this every night. it will only take a minute but will slowly build into your subconscious mind that you will hit a great drive to start off a good golf game. we all know how good it feels to start the golf game well right. soon you will find it become a reality ! trust in it and just be patient !

you subconscious mind can work in wondrous ways so just let it do its job

concentrating on the golf course

i used to feel pressured when my flight mates watch me hit. especially when they stand quite close-by. but i realised that it is impossible to stop people from watching me hit so i decided that i need to find a way to concentrate better when i'm about to hit the ball because i tend to rush when i'm ACTUALLY hitting the shot.

when concentration increases, score goes down.

now, i make an effort to really slow down and focus on hitting each shot without rushing at impact. even though i feel like i'm playing at a slower pace, i believe that it's just because i'm getting used to staying focused and once i get more used to it, i'll be able to zone in and totally concentrate on my shot on the golf course.

i also tell myself that if people are watching me, then it must be because they want to learn from me. so i can draw on that positive idea and channel it into my golf game to hit better shots !

whoo hoo ! stick to the plan and results will come !

mental images take practice

i admit i am guilty of beating myself up on the golf course. giving up around hole 5 of the golf game is my forte and then i have to spend a good 3 holes trying to convince myself that i have the potential to play better as long as i find confidence.
i admit i am guilty of giving up on my routine when i play badly telling myself its no point and doing something different might actually be good for my game. and if i'm gonna play the same score anyway, whats the point in putting so much effort.

i resolve to play every golf game with conviction and commit to visualizing my shot and seeing it land at the spot i have chosen. i resolve to spend more walking time on the golf course feeling what its like to hit great shots. hearing the sound of the putt dropping into the cup.

it wasn't easy but i was able to channel my mind to do it about 85-90% of the game. i still finished the round with a score of 89 but i can really feel my game improving. when it all clicks together then i'll really be in business.

i think it takes time to train up seeing imagery in your head. maybe all the good players already know this. it all seems vaguely familiar but now i am certain that even though its not easy, i will be able to do it easily and effortlessly if i stick to the process and keep thinking that i am a great player.

when i feel like a great player, i can play like one.

think good swing thoughts: smooth and simple swing with good rhythm.
think "sa-wish swish"

my kiss

keep it simple and smooth. You can call it kis-as if you want have a more high-class ring to it. Haha or if you just want to say it out loud quickly repeating it to make yourself laugh. It will do you good to have some laughter in your golf game.

Often I've hit too many double bogeys to get anywhere near my goal of breaking 80 on the day so I just try to look around and find things that make me smile. Such as the funny lizard that runs away when I go near. Haha animals always make me coo.

everyday is a new day and a new chance for a good game of golf. Even when your confidence is really low, spend time each day. Even 5 minutes would be good. Spend the time to imagine you are a great golfer. What it would feel like to return with a score in the 70s everytime. How proud of yourself you would feel.

Think big. See the big picture. Instill your mind with positive images because your mind doesn't tell the difference. Feel great in order to be great



Start

there's nothing wrong with me

just because the extroverted, bubbly shuyan doesn't appear as often anymore doesn't mean i've changed right.
just because i find it more challenging to stay optimistic doesn't make me pessimistic.
just because i seldom meet friends doesn't mean i'm weird.
just because of what you think doesn't make me conform to your ideas

so stop it. stop thinking i'm weird. i'm not. weird is subjective. your idea of weird is the problem. not me.

smile shuyan ! you look prettier that way

don't think about the score

i don't know whether to thank or scold the person who told me not to think about my golf score. on one hand it made me feel numb to whether i hit a par or a double bogey. it also made me have more time to think about how bad my putting is. on the other hand, it also took away the jitters when i hit the ball.

i suspect that in trying to not think about the score, i totally switched my mind off the game and lost all confidence in my golfing ability. aiish. maybe thats why i played so badly today. however, i can't really say its that bad because i didn't hit any horrible shots with my woods. you know the kind that you just pops up and runs 50metres along the ground?
maybe the problem is just that i forgot to have good foot work and returned to my bad habit of dropping my right hip.

why is the golf swing so challenging if it's meant to follow a natural swing plane. it should be something natural right. then why is my right hip still doing unnatural things ?

i can hardly recall my strokes. is it ok to just forget today's game happened and believe and remember only the good games i've played?

i've also tried a new way of keeping my stats on the golf course. a method of ticking and crossing that also helps to take your mind off the score and just trying to get ticks. yesterday's 'tick-sheet' had more crosses than ticks. but today's one is worse because there are so many many crosses. eek i think seeing the number of crosses further aggravated my lack of confidence

oh well, it is something to learn from.
if i only remember one phrase from my time at adam khoo's course, it's that "there is no such thing as failure, only learning experiences"

i was actually hitting the ball quite well. not hitting it thin but slightly fat instead today. my distance improved but direction was really horrible. maybe i was trying a different golf ball thats why the distance was longer. hmmm

jiayou lim shuyan ! you can do it !

but for now i feel like curling up and going to sleep. the rain outside goes pitter patter and seems to be hypnotising me not to think about my golf and just go sleep.

sweety skirts

after playing a score of 88 in the ladies' club championship, i came home feeling quite sad that i didn't play as well as i did. but it's clearer now that my game is getting better and better and very soon i will be shooting awesome scores. but for the time being if i cannot shoot the lowest scores, i can take the most inspiring ladies' golfing fashion photos.

check out my newest photo shoot on how to wear skirts on the golf course :) and i've also featured my new golf bag by 'fourteen' that is black and PINK heehee


mummy helped me with the iron on 'S Y' and sunflower. yay thank goodness the heat from the iron didn't burn a hole in the bag phewwww and thanks to wongyuen for helping me choose such pretty designs and thanks sis for helping me arrange them prettily and lastly to daddy for helping me reserve the bag in case someone else wanted the pink one

so check out my photos on facebook for more sweet inspirations on wearing skirts to play golf

cheers to playing with a clear head

play free of expectations. maybe i played with too little thought or emotion today that i didn't find the drive to will my ball to where i want it to go. maybe the pace was too slow. maybe i was too thirsty. it could be so many things. but i know for sure after playing with a level head and peace of mind to just play my best and not let nerves get in the way, i can see great potential for lower scores and that i will play better and better

keep it up shuyan ! don't give up ! you will break 80 !!

misunderstood

maybe it's easy to misunderstand the things i say about my golf if a)you don't know about golf or b)you don't know me well enough

it was quite stressful having to think about my plans and try to explain it to someone. especially if the person doesn't know me very well. because its a complex situation to describe and how can i possibly repeat all the thoughts in my head.

maybe thats why i have pent up anger that i either a)snap at anything that crosses my path or b)retreat into solitude and try to forget i have any issues. i think the anger stems from disappointment so maybe i just need to have a more realistic time frame and level of expectation of my own golf performance

putting out of your mind

I've been stuck on the first two chapters of my third bob rotella book. Something to do with feeling unable to apply to or relate to the first two chapters. Or perhaps I'm afraid of what I will see in the later chapters. I fear that everything I've known and done about putting will be challenged. It's not like I don't have enough to think about already. its not that easy to keep my thoughts simple.

Will really get to it today and improve my mental putting. See the hole in your mind. Keep relaxed.Yes yes yes

no one told me I'd ache so much

gosh gosh gosh I didn't t realise that practicing and playing golf everyday would cause me to ache so much. previously I developed pains here and there but I just realised how much my WHOLE body aches in general. Maybe I haven't stretched enough each day. I guess I must incorporate more stretching and self massage into my daily routine and practice sessions.

blog review

why would anyone be interested in what i write?
how does my content add value to their lives?
who would be able to relate to the things i say?

i sometimes think my blog is so small and insignificant. i'm just one person on this planet and maybe my golfing journey doesn't really impact anyone. why would any random person read this and think wow i wanna support this girl !

oh well sometimes things just happen and one day i'll get my big break to be someone worth being famous.

keep at it shuyan !

chocolate will be my salvation

I sometimes have a chocolate addiction. but i haven't felt those cravings for some time. i suspect that is the reason why i allow myself to be so mean and unloving to myself. telling myself things like "i really see no hope in trying anymore" and "this is useless" and well lots lots of other worse things 


The reason why women are more addicted to chocolate is because of the hormone progesterone which is important in ovulation and the menstrual cycle. i didn't do well in biology so i did some research and they say that progesterone induces fat storage and the level of fat in the blood drops, thus prompting a craving for fat. 


the other female hormone in the menstrual cycle is estrogen and a drop in its level(during PMS) causes a drop in the brain chemical serotonin (the chemical that keeps us calm). thats why we get crabby, moody and just behave illogically. 


Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, a chemical that some people describe as giving them the feeling of being in love. it is often referred to as "optimal brain happiness". chocolate also contains theobromine which provides a caffeine like effect. 


so i'm gonna start on a new experiment, to eat a piece of chocolate everyday and see whether there is improvement in my level of optimism and positivity. besides, chocolate is yummay... so no harm in giving myself a good treat everyday. heehee 

not me, my body is giving up on me

everywhere is aching. at the same time now.
on days where nothing seems to go right, you can really be very hard on yourself. when you try but that nasty part of the brain just overrides all your senses and you can't help but think that you're hopeless and should just give up. it's weird because thoughts of giving up occur so often these days but i just refuse to give up yet. the time period isn't up yet. i just refuse to give up despite all the signs that make me think maybe i'm not cut out for this. it is almost too tough for me but NO. i will keep trying. although trying doesn't seem good enough

it's on those yucky-poo days that i think up the most preposterous propositions and somehow manage to talk myself into the idea that they are true.

mental strength test

I feel my mental strength tested on a daily basis. From the time my alarm rings till I go to bed, my mind is constantly challenged to be optimistic about the day ahead and how much my golf performance can improve.

Golf is just a game where you are never immediately rewarded for practice although it is certain that constant practice has a better payoff than spurts of enthusiasm.

If my daily attitude towards golf practice and game performance were measured like in an exam, I wonder how I would fare out of 100 ?

I think I currently just pass. I would score myself 50. It would be good to think of improving my mental strength like it were an exam I sit everyday. I aim to score 100 marks soon. That means to be able to stay optimistic about my game and practice and be able to identify unhelpful thoughts and weed them out by replacing them with hopeful positive thoughts

So there. Female Golfer Tip of the day: score your mental strength after each round of golf or after each practice session. on a scale of 1-100 how optimistic were you and how positively did you hit all your shots.

Thoughts like 'my golf really sucks and will never get better' or 'i don't see any point in practice because there's never any improvement' and 'nothing I do seems right, I really wanna give up' are no-nos and should severely lower your mental strength grade for the day.

Don't worry, you get a new mental strength grade each time you play golf or practice so there's always room for improvement and each golf practice session is a new one.

Its a simple way to measure your mental strength and track your improvement

neck inflammation

in addition to the rest of the aches in my body ie: my feet, my wrist, my arms and my legs. now i also have an inflammation at my neck. i really have no idea if its from practicing golf or from going shopping for golfing clothes the other day, either way its related to golfing. 

been feeling really sore in my neck since last week and i just thought it would go away after awhile. i don't know why i just don't learn that these aches and sore-ness doesn't just go away after awhile. grrr 

well today it got really bad where my neck REALLY really hurt. and i have a high threshold for pain. i think. 

so went and got it massaged by dr teo and he pasted those medicated plasters on my neck and they're stuck tightly so i had trouble turning my neck haha everytime i tried to look around, i have to turn my whole body. it really is quite comical. 

oh well, yet another learning experience from another minor injury. hmmm is inflammation considered an injury? 

if any medical specialists are reading this, please advise ... 

send love to my neck and wish me all the best in tomorrow's medal !! 

titleist pink ribbon caps

ahhh ha ! i finally managed to find those titleist caps i was looking for. sometimes things just appear so unexpectedly !

yup yup i'm so pleased that now i have both the white and black caps with pink lining and titleist logo
although yes i know they're kind of the same cap. but i have the same adidas caps in pink and white too. it's my bad habit: when i can't choose between 2 colors, i just buy both. besides, it's not everyday i see nice golf caps that i want to buy and are willing to buy.

i'm not a spendthrift so it's ok right

come back 56degree baby

I know you just want to go on adventure, hurry return home I miss you a lot !!

Think of the fun fun times we had tgt in bintan and all. You're always my number 1

vanilla twilight owl city

thanks yuwei for introducing me this song ! its nice :)
and i found this cute video which is so simple but yet so sweet
it really reminds me that its often the simple things in life that make it so great to be alive and just that fact that i have the opportunity to pursue my professional golfer dreams make me so happy and lucky

check out the http://www.metrolyrics.com/vanilla-twilight-lyrics-owl-city.html">lyrics here

female golfer tips: positive thinking

positive thinking in golf just means giving yourself positive instructions !

i am also sometimes guilty of having the kind of thoughts like "oh gosh, don't enter the bunker", "please don't let me shank the shot out of bounds" or "get across the pond, just - get - across - the - pond and i'll be happy"

some call it self fulfilling prophecy but scientifically it is just that the brain responds to whatever message you give it and it sees whatever you are thinking. it is unable to decipher what you don't want because it can only picture the current thought. so instead of thinking "don't enter the bunker", positively rephrase the thought by saying to yourself "land on that strip of fairway" and repeat the positive thought till you are comfortable, then make that swing and watch it land where you want it to.

tadah ! like magic !

a good mental attitude for playing golf is about banishing negative thoughts and bad pictures from the mind. only imagine all the good shots and remember what it feels like to hit that nice sweet shot

female golfer tips: never scold yourself on the golf course

it's so easy to beat yourself up over a bad shot, an unlucky shank, topping your pitch over the back of the green etc
how come its difficult to keep those berating thoughts out and welcome in those loving, nourishing thoughts ?
how come we often set up to a shot previewing all the bad shots we hit out of the same position or same type of lie ?

i have this theory that we're so used to scolding ourselves that we get used to the idea that we aren't that good at golf or we have no talent at the game and we eventually feel quite comfortable playing the usual round of golf. so much so that when a negative thought creeps into our mind, it becomes quite hard to remove it because we feel uncomfortable without it. it's like we've made ourselves believe that we will  never play a score during a round of golf that it is hard imagining ourselves playing a 79.

its the 51, 39. 39,50. or what i like to call the 90 curse.
you play 51 on the front nine and get so frustrated that you switch to this heck-care attitude which relaxes you and makes you hit 39 on the back nine. then you beat yourself up over why you didn't play better on the first 9 so you break 90.
or you hit 39 on the front nine and then try so hard to keep up with the pars and birdies that you go hit a 51 on the back nine because your mind went and made the game so complicated. then you berate yourself for screwing up the back nine holes.

i know it isn't easy and i'm still working on getting better at doing it. but if you keep trying you will get better. don't scold yourself on the golf course for doing something less than perfect or ideal. no one hits the ball perfectly into the right spot where you want it land 100%

be less harsh on yourself and don't give up !

best birthday present for daddy

hapy birthday daddy !
although it was 3 days late and 3 strokes higher than i planned, but it still is the closest i've been to breaking 80. played 38 on the first 9 holes thanks to sinking 2 birdie putts and 44 on the next 9 mainly because i missed 2 short simple putts but overall i'm really really happy because i learnt the importance of keeping your mind in the game and not scolding yourself for hitting a bad shot or missing a putt. easier said than done because one bad thought lasted me 3 holes and then took me another 3 holes to get my head back to where it should be.

but i'm really glad because it was a great experience and i know that the next time it happens i will be better at handling the situation and i hope that i will be able to weed out unhelpful thoughts when they occur and can continue playing well

go on., fight strong lim shuyan ! you can do it !

start the game without planning for the score you want to hit. just focus on each shot, putt, pitch, drive etc and good scores will come automatically because it is just the natural thing to happen

fishy luck !

although this blog is aimed to provide female golfer tips, i also like to share about my life and my journey towards improving my golf and i hope that even if my stories seem like they don't relate to you, there will be something to learn from my experiences and how i link them to my golf game.

i have this fish tank at home that was full of grass (the fish tank kind) so in order to prevent mosquitoes from breeding, we bought some fish. (dengue fever is a grave issue and we don't want to be part of the problem). so anyway we bought 2 tiger barb and 2 gourami fish. in case you don't know what they look like, HERE:

TIGER BARB

GOURAMI

this story is about the gourami fish, i like them more because they are bright red in color and the tiger barb are dull in color and like to hide in the grass. 

longwinded as this story may seem, i find it necessary to outline all details in order to bring out its full effect. 

so it starts out that we see this green-ish bubbly patch at the top of the tank a few days after we put the fish inside and one of the gourami always stays under it. it really looked like a sponge dropped in and grew mouldy. so we did some research and found out that the male gourami makes a bubble nest together with leaves and grass then waits under it to attract the female so they can mate. 

within a week, our other gourami died (we suspect is was male too anyway so no chance of mating there) and the bubbles slowly disappeared though the grassy mass was still floating there. in my quest to make baby gouramis we went and bought 2 more. the fish shop people couldn't tell the difference between male and female so we just chose 2 more that looked healthy and just hoped for the best. its a hit or miss type of situation. 

brought the 2 new gouramis home on sunday. stock take is 3 gourami and 2 tiger barb. 

on tuesday morning we found 1 gourami half dead but unable to swim kinda half floating on the water surface so we took him out and byebye fishy. on thursday afternoon we were observing the fishes and could only find 1 gourami (the male waiting patiently under his nest) and still the 2 tiger barb ( i'm beginning to think i should take them out of the story), the other gourami was missing. close inspection led us to the conclusion it was eaten by a bird who probably perched itself on top of the fish tank and waited to swoop down and eat its prey. i was sad because my fish mating plan had failed again. sigh 

saturday afternoon, we came home from playing golf. i was happy that my game was a bit better and i was focusing on better mental strategy. i went to say hi to my fishes and then tadah ! the missing gourami appeared!!!!! after further observation, i am lead to the conclusion that we now have 1 male and 1 female gourami and there seem to be gourami fry (i seem to be the only one capable of making out the tiny fry but i am certain they exist). 

whoopie !!!! 

what a great start to the month of may !!! yippeeee wheeeee !! i'm so happy. they say a house with trees that fruit will be prosperous ( we do have a fruiting mango tree) yayyy and so a house with a fish tank of mating fish must be prosperous too !! although its my own logic i believe the lim house will be so prosperous from now onwards !! for 77 years whoo hooo 

ok anyway i really think it is a good sign that my golf will bear fruit and errm we'll see the fruits of my labour soon. or the fruits of my labour to come. i feel such motivation and excitement again ! 

female golfer tips: playing 'gimme'

'gimme' is a tricky novelty way of playing golf. in the SICC May Day Charity 2010, we played this way to try to speed up play. they draw a white ring around the hole and you pick up your ball and add a stroke to your score if you land within the hole. the main idea is that you're sure to sink the putt from that distance so they just give it to you.

we ended up aiming to get inside the circle, which has its pros and cons.

for players who don't putt as well as they would like to (like me currently), 'gimme' offers a guarantee on short putts. i sometimes miss those really short putts so this format really took the pressure off my game.  however, when you miss the circle by a little bit it gets so frustrating because you have to "work" hard to get the next putt into the hole.

the bad thing about gimme is that you often just try to get the ball inside the circle instead of getting into the HOLE. because each time you enter the circle, you are effectively adding a stroke to your score. if you aim to go INTO the HOLE, you might sink a few of them and shave off some of your score.

female golfer tips: notice wildlife on the golf course

i think i either have an affinity with animals or my eyes just spot animal movements well. could be something to do with my eyesight that is short sighted in one eye and long sighted in the other.

at the golf course that i play, there are monkeys, monitor lizards, various birds, turtles, fish and sometimes even snakes. there's so much wildlife mainly because its situated next to the reservoir. i always smile when i see animals and take the time to greet them and thank them for coming to say hello to me. sounds strange but it really lightens my mood on the golf course and takes my mind off trying to hit a good score. you could call it a pleasant distraction.

i noticed two birds with a green tummy and red-ish head sitting in the tree and chirping. then there was this kingfisher with a worm in its mouth just sitting next to my golf ball. and then the silent, still monitor lizard hiding under a tree in the shade.i feel so lucky to always see cool animals.

thank you animals for making my golf games so fun and interesting !

if you enjoyed my female golf tip, do share with me what wildlife you see at your golf course :)

female golfers' challenge : period

female golfer tips: always be proud that you're a woman and play stronger when you have menstruation

why ? because we go through what men will never ever experience. and we go through it on a monthly basis.
it is the source of our mood swings, grouchiness, and sense of over-whelming emotions. who can blame us for feeling this way when we feel bloated, uncomfortable, weak and even worse when suffering from stomach cramps.

it is no wonder that it is even harder to play golf during those days because you find it harder to swing, harder to concentrate and then harder to control your emotions which often makes you more frustrated when the ball doesn't go where you want it to.

its on those horrible frustrating days when you need sound fundamentals to get you through, revel in the fact that you endure more hardship than men and use that strength to play better golf. don't let menstruation get to you and pull your game down. channel all that extra energy during your period and let it be be the driving force to improve your golf game