  Working with golfers from the
junior ranks up through the PGA and LPGA
tours has taught me a lot about the game of
golf. One of the things that I now know to
be true about this game is that there are
very few times when a golfer is completely
comfortable with his game or with the
circumstances in which he finds himself in a
tournament situation.
There is constant attention paid to one’s
swing not feeling right, the putter being a
little bit off, or the conditions of the
course being less than favorable. If a
player hits it well in a practice round there
is the concern that they peaked too early,
and if they hit it poorly there is a concern
that they will not hit it well the next day.
When leading an event there is the discomfort
of everyone chasing, and if behind in an
event there’s the discomfort of having to
chase.
The best players in the world know that there
is no such thing as an extended period of
time when one is comfortable with every
element of one’s golf situation. The best
players accept that they will be
uncomfortable with something (sometimes
several things!) and they get on with the
business of playing the game with what
they’ve got.
Rather than dwelling on those things about
which they’re uncomfortable, the emphasis is
placed on the task at hand and the attention
is narrowed to focus on those things that are
relevant in that moment. Eventually, for
many players, they simply feel the fear
and “do it” anyway, rather than waiting for
that rare time when they get “comfortable”.
There are 18 holes in a round, a maximum of
14 clubs in the bag, you may not strike
another player’s ball…these are all truths
about the game. As a junior golfer, the
sooner you learn to accept that
being “uncomfortable” is another truth about
the game and pay attention to other things,
the more successful you will be at an earlier
age! |
Back to The Mental Game.jpg)
.jpg)
