I’ve never had a problem with a particular hole at my home course, until recently. I usually score par or better on this par-4 hole. However, for the last several rounds, I am all over the place. I haven’t made a par on it in weeks. The hole is starting to affect my enjoyment of the entire round. I start thinking about it on my way to the course. I call it my Groundhog Day hole. Any suggestions?

For those who may not be familiar with the “Groundhog Day” title, it is in reference to a popular movie starring Bill Murray where his character is involuntarily and repeatedly living out the same day, every day. He is finally able to move through this initially destructive circumstance only when he changes his thinking about the repetitious day.

He changed his mindset to change his situation. I offer you do the same.

Unless you are aware of a recent change in the mechanics of your game, your thinking is most likely the cause of your par-4 challenge. You may be getting the same unwanted results each day you play because of the way you are thinking about the hole. For example, even before you get there, when you are thinking about the hole as your Groundhog Day hole you have already told your brain you do not expect a result different from the last time you played. If you are approaching your shots and putts with thoughts about what you do not want to happen, or what you expect to happen based on your recent past, it is more likely to happen.

I offer you practice replacing thoughts that do not serve you with thoughts that encourage confidence in yourself and your game. For example, when you are positioning for your approach shot, instead of thinking, “I messed this up the last time,” start intentionally creating, thinking and believing thoughts such as, “I know how to do this,” “I can do this,” or “I’ve done well from this place before.”

According to well-known sports psychologist and author of several books on the mental side of golf, Dr. Bob Rotella writes, “I can tell you for sure that your subconscious (your inner thoughts) will definitely affect your motor skills on the golf course.”

“Your critical thoughts and self-talk can have an immediate and destructive impact in your ability to perform in the present,” says Rotella.

It takes practice to manage your mindset, just as it takes practice to use each of your clubs well. One of the first steps in rehabilitating yourself on this hole is to catch yourself when you are thinking unhelpful thoughts and intentionally replace them with more confidence-based thoughts. You may need to mentally re-build your self-confidence in relationship to this hole, which will take practice.

Since you already have prior evidence of playing well on this hole, you may want to base future thoughts on your known ability to score on this par-4. When you successfully make the change from thinking thoughts that are “all over the place,” to intentionally directed confidence-based thoughts, it is likely you will return to consistently making par and better on this currently troublesome hole.