Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-04-21
Mind OYER MATTER IN GOLF
He Can Who Thinks he Can" is
True in This Great Sport.
IT IS NOT A GAME OF LUCK
Player Who Can Most Unerringly
Interpret subconscious In
stincts VIII Win
Out

NEW YORK, April 2o.-In these days
when people discuss in considerable de-
tail the relation of mind to matter and
are prone to consider the psychological
side of nearly every question 1t becomes
an axiom that the success OF man IN
sports or any other competition depend
ing on the physical. rests on the reeosn-
ton of the power Of the mind over the
muscles. He can who thinks he can.
is true more particularly Of golf than
of any other game. man who De-
lieves il possible to make stroke finds
the stroke actually possible. player
who eliminates the impossible from his
mind evolves a possible victory. The
trained mind in connection with trained
muscles must necessarily win over mere
trained muscles in the long route.
Only a few years ago all that was con-
sidered essential to success In sports
was a set of well trained muscles. Now
it is rapidly becoming recognized that
in these days player to be successful
must not only have a set Of well trained
muscles, but must have his mind In
81 tHdl llc VIII NC Ciaoi
to that of his physique, and even more so.
There are people, and they are count
less, who have had superstitions for
years, peculiar notions as to certain
signs that mean victory or defeat. They
have drifted into the habit Of pinning
their faith to charms and signs supposed
to make for good luck. The horseshoe,
the four leafed clover. the lucky stone
and the rabbits foot all have been called
into service.
Some may scott at the credulity Of
golfer who starts a round with supreme
confidence against an opponent because
he carries in his pocket the left hind foot
of a gray rabbit killed in a graveyard on
the first Friday night Of the full moon.
but frequently results justify his con-
fidence. The first ball he drives might
land in bunker or the rough. but he is
not the least Hurried. for he is convinced
that he cannot lose with that sign of
good luck in his pocket. In the end he
wins.
Rabbit Foot Helps.
The confidence, the mental attitude OF
that player won that game for him, and
Just so far as the rabbits foot acting
on his mind helped to produce a con-
fident mental attitude that far 1t helped
In winning.
Recent study of psychology, however,
has revealed more reliable methods OF
producing mental confidence than can
be furnished by signs and charms. Those
who can maintain winning attitude OF
mind without the use Of these charms are
those who are most successful Trainers
now seek to get the men under their care
into such a mental condition that nothing
feazes them.
The average beginner in golf will usu-
ally play much better for the first few
weeks than he will later on. As he comes
to understand the finer and more Diff
ficult points of the game he plays with
less confidence than when he began. To
explain this 1t will be necessary to call
attention to only two or three phases Of
the game
The hazards Of the golf course are as
rule more OF test Of the mind than
Of the muscles. Hazards for the most
part are not built for muscular tests
Those which players most frequent fail to
negotiate are those that need a drive of
not more than Us yards to clear. A player
who might cover such distance without
effort becomes fearful when facing the
hazard and generally will fall under
these circumstances to overcome the
trap. The hazard becomes more difficult
as the mental uncertainty is increased.
Some players find water hazards more
difficult for the apparent reason that the
risk Of losing the ball affects the mental
attitude unfavorsbly.
Using Good Judgment.
A great deal of what is called luck in
the game is encountered In bad lie. The
player who can best Judge the lie OF his
ball and select the proper club to use
usually can make good. But the lie of
the ball is not judged by the eye alone