It is difficult to consistently play well in golf. The majority of amateur golfers could play much better if they didn’t constantly beat themselves up about every shot they missed.
Amateur and professional golfers are two different things that I have seen a lot of. One thing that I keep noticing is the differences in the attitude between the pros and the amateurs regarding how they handle ‘less desirable’ shots. Professional golfers have the ability to deal with all aspects of the game.
Golf pros on the tour realize this. “you can’t control the game, but you can control yourself during the game.”
You can make the greatest difference in your game on the course by managing your frustrations when they aren’t going your way. It’s easy to get frustrated about your golf shots and take the frustration and anger with you.
Pro golfers on tour have a very high tolerance for frustration. This is one of their mental confidence tools. Negative reactions to frustration can cause stress and lead to a vicious cycle of negative emotions that seem to never end.
I.e. Bad shot = frustration = bad shot = frustration = bad shot = frustration etc
It is important to understand that frustration can be controlled. Your perception of golf events will determine your reaction, which is chemical. If you perceive golf events negatively, such as feeling frustrated or anxious, you can release chemicals that cause your body to make more stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. This chemicals can affect your feel and rhythm, and you may also experience symptoms like high blood pressure and increased heart beat.
Good news! Stress caused by frustration can be managed as long as it’s recognized for what it really is. The first step to emotional, mental and physical growth is stress exposure. Because it helps you adapt to changing golf course conditions, small doses of stress can actually be beneficial. You will be less successful if you are not able to protect yourself from stress.
It goes, “There’s a saying…” “If you don’t adapt your die,”Literally and metaphorically, this statement is very true. Your golf game will suffer if you can’t adapt to change. A lack of adaptability and a game that doesn’t change is called arrested development. You stop learning and become too familiar, or automatic if this is what you want.
Pro golfers work hard to improve small areas of their game so they are not too proficient and automatic. Uncomfortable is a good thing because it forces you to learn and improve. “Negative stress lives just beyond uncomfortable,”The question that you may need to ask about frustration is: “what makes you think that every golf shot you hit should turn out exactly as you planned it?”
The problem isn’t the frustration that you feel from not hitting the right shot. It’s the moment you reach the limit of your frustration tolerance when problems start to appear. If you were able to let go of negative emotions associated with poor shots, would golf become more fun?
Golfers who are professionals know they will miss a lot of shots. This means that they often hit poorer shots than expected.
Their goal is to strike their golf ball in the middle of the fairway. It’ll usually end up hitting the rough or into fairway bunkers, sometimes into water.
About forty percent of them will miss the green if they hit an iron into the green.
Playing a sand shot in a bunker greenside will result in at least 50% of them not making the putt.
They should aim to pitch the ball towards the green from the front, as they want it to be close to the hole. Most of the time the ball will end short or left of their expectations.
They will also miss at least half the shots when they place their putts between six and ten feet from a hole.
Professional golfers spend a lot of time practicing, but their shots end up being miss-hit almost all the time. They know what they are doing and can manage them. You should too.
Because there are many factors that can influence where your shot ends, it is unreasonable to expect your shots to turn out exactly as you expected. Accept that your chances of being short-long-right-left or right are likely to be lower than you expected.
The game of golf is not something we can master. However, it is possible to control your emotions and choose how to respond when faced with a bad shot. You can then take your club back to your bag and go to the next shot. You can accept that you tried your best in that moment, and you should live with that fact.
If you find yourself beating yourself up about a golf shot, it is likely that you place too much pressure on yourself and have unrealistic expectations of your golf abilities. You will not learn how to stop reacting to your reactions and accept them as they are.
You will improve your tolerance for frustration and your abilities to play better. This will lead to greater enjoyment and more confident golf.
Your happiness and confidence on the course is a good indicator of your ability to manage frustrations. You will be less inclined to blame yourself for not accepting the difficulties of the game. Be kind to yourself. “you can’t control the game, but you can control yourself during the game.”