Timezones and perspective
Changing your time perspective fluidly based on the situation is an important mental skill
The Theory
Time perspective is the study of how people divide the flow of human experience into time “zones” or categories. Our perspective of time is a cognitive process - it influences how we make decisions and what we focus on. It varies between cultures, nations, individuals, and we all have preferences and tend to favour some more than others in different situations.
As explained in this video by researcher Philip Zimbardo: The psychology of time, there are six main time perspectives:
Past oriented: focus on what was, and how the current experience is like what they've experienced in the past.
Past Positive: things that have gone your way in the past
Past Negative: things that have gone wrong in the past
Present oriented: focus on now, the immediate situation, what others are doing and how you're feeling.
Present Positive: the joys of the present moment
Present Negative: all the things not in your control
Future oriented: focus on what will be, the costs and benefits of anticipated consequences.
Future Positive: setting goals to improve
Future Negative: expecting the worst to happen
The human ability to shift time perspective is adaptive, as it allows us to learn from mistakes, anticipate future threats, take pleasure in past memories and imagine future events.
How does this play out in golf?
In golf, changing time perspectives is important in performance and making improvements to your game. For example:
Past: remembering a hazard on a course when you play it a second time (e.g. there's hidden rough on the left of a par 4), or recalling the feeling of hitting your five wood "sweetly" before preparing for the next.
Present: coming to your senses, feeling your grip, your balance, or the tempo of your swing to create the ideal conditions for the next shot
Future: thinking ahead and planning for the shot after this one (for position), or imagining the line of a putt before you hit it.
Timezones can become problematic when we spend too much time in one timezone, or unconsciously bias towards the negative past, future or present.
Think about it, imagine you're always thinking about what might go wrong, or an uncomfortable pain you're experiencing in your body, or how you missed that short putt on the second hole… what may the result be? For one - you're probably not enjoying yourself. Two - you're not taking the learning opportunity from each new shot. Three - you're not creating the optimal conditions for your mind or your body to "work their magic" to create the best shot they can in the next moment.
Zimbardo's research shows that the optimal time profile is
High on past positive (gives you roots)
Moderately high on future positive (gives you motivation to achieve your goals)
Moderate on present positive (gives you energy to explore yourself, places and people)
As with all mental game aspects, this cognitive process can negatively impact your sporting performance, or you can use it to your advantage - it's about becoming aware of where you spend your time (your timezone preference), and how to consciously place your attention on what is useful in any given moment of time.
The ability to shift time perspectives flexibly depending on the demands of the situation is an important mental skill.
Again, important not to spend too much time in one timezone, for example dreaming of the future, or reminiscing about the past (positive or negative). All have a role to play, and should be given your due consideration.
Exercise 1: becoming aware of time…
Take some notes. Which timezone are you in:
Driving in the car?
Doing exercise?
Walking to your next shot after hitting a drive?
Eating dinner?
Facing a 5 foot putt?
Awareness is the first step…
Are you:
Thinking about what to have for dinner OR anticipating what the car in front may do?
What your boss said the other week OR the feeling of your body working hard?
What your opponent might be doing OR the birds and the bees around you?
Remembering to pay the car insurance OR the conversation with your friends?
Imagining what would happen if you scored your lowest score today OR taking in the gradients of the greens?
None of these are inherently right or wrong. It's about what's workable, what's going to serve you best in that moment in time. So once you're aware of what you're thinking, you can categorise the timezone and then ask yourself, which timezone would most likely be useful? And go there.
Exercise 2: what timezone do you spend most of your time in on the golf course?
Close your eyes…
You're on the final hole and you're on the green for two, you need this birdie to win the match. You're walking up to the green and you notice you're 5 meters from the hole, and your opponent is 3 meters.
You take a deep breath. Which timezone are you in? Tick one:
Future (positive or negative)?
Past (positive or negative)?
Present (positive or negative)?
Now try and think about what other timezone would be useful here?
Do you need to recall a time before when you hit this shot well?
Or imagine what a good shot looks like (feels like, sounds like) here…
Doing this exercise often makes it a habit, and gives you more control over where you place your attention. Remember, all timezones are useful, but balance and flexibility is required.
Exercise 3: using the timezone skill in your performance routine
How can changing time perspective be useful in your performance routine? Here are some notes from my own routine:
Notice how the pre-shot and post-shot phases consider present, past and future, and the shot phase is all in the present - I find this the most effective way of creating the ideal conditions to hit my best shot. Of course, not all shots turn out perfect (see the 70:30 rule) - this is golf! But at least I’m doing my best and in control of the things I can control. This gives me agency and confidence.
Feel free to reach out if you’d like some support on your mental game, and check out some of my other resources to learn more (for example the performance routine 101).
