Course Management: Control your emotions
By SwingFix.com staff
There’s no question that golf is a difficult game, extremely difficult in fact. And on certain days, it’s a game that can create incredible frustration for even the best players in the world.
That was certainly apparent on Thursday in the first round of the Masters, as guys like Tiger Woods, Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson all had their share of struggles on the course.
The harsh reality is that no one plays well every time out and learning to put a respectable number on the board when things aren’t going your way is a huge part of the process when it comes to improving your overall game.
And grinding out a good score when you don’t have your “A” game involves two different things, one of which can be easily forgotten and difficult to do.
First, you must be able to figure out ways on the fly to make your golf swing perform when it’s a little bit off without trying to make major mechanical changes.
The second thing you must be able to do, and this can be a very trying part of the process, is to control your emotions.
When you get frustrated on the course, and it will happen, if you let your emotions get the best of you, things are likely to get ugly in a hurry.
Frustration can quickly lead to a lack of patience and ultimately anger, at which point your round will unravel to the point where it can’t be salvaged.
Your task is to not let that happen - even on days when your swing is off, you’re getting one bad break after another and the guy in your group that you want to beat the most is taking it to you.
Above all else, remember that days like the one described in the preceding paragraph will make you a better player if you approach them with the right mindset.
When things are going wrong, stick with your game plan and don’t let frustration influence you into attempting shots you normally would not try.
Additionally, given that you’re likely to hit the ball into some pretty ugly spots when your game is off, instead of lamenting your position, embrace the challenge of trying to play great recovery shots.
And finally, focus solely on your game and not what’s going on around you. After all, you can’t control anything else other than what you’re trying to do. So stay focused, stay positive and give every shot your best effort no matter how poor some of them will inevitably turn out.
If you can do these things, you’ll establish the mental toughness it takes to be a better player and you’ll manage your game better when things get tough on the golf course, no matter what the reason.