Recovering From A Disastrous Start
IN: Golf Psychology | by Andrea Furst | 04 Sep 2008
It is hard to imagine how one can recover from the start of a round riddled with bogeys or double bogeys or worse, depending on what your level is, but it can be done.
The expectations for one’s round of golf can vary from care factor zero to sheep stations, and all that lies in between. The players who generally have high expectations of their ability to play and shoot a decent score for their level of play are commonly the worst hit when the round is not progressing the way that they had anticipated.
So, how do we aim to decrease the addition of scores to your card early in a round as well as increase your ability to finish the round off with composure when there are too many strikes next to your name in the first nine holes?
Not always, but often, the tendency to have several holes in a row where you are performing well below expectation stems from the fact that you are not letting go of past bad shots or holes.
The first bad shot or hole often creates disappointment and then dread or fear of similar performances for future holes starts to develop. It is no surprise that you then find yourself adding to the baggage of bad play – it is as if it is contagious.
The ability to let go is a vital skill if you are serious about your golf.
If you find that you cannot let go of past shots it is logical that the negative emotional energy spent on critiquing yourself will spread throughout your mind and body like a toxin making it very hard for you to reset to your “A Game”.
The notion of a pre-shot routine is very well established. The post-shot routine, in this case of a collection of bad shots and holes, is imperative.
Aim to develop a step-by-step thinking and behaving process that helps you to deal with each shot at the time. In a sense you are planning how you want to think and act after each shot in order for you to switch off from the shot and put mental energy into your walk time before you then switch on for the next shot’s pre-shot routine.
With a post-shot routine you sharpen the skills of being able to refocus on your game. You can start by resetting yourself after a certain number of holes until eventually you are resetting after each shot. The past doesn’t have to make the future – generally only the present can influence the future directly. It is just that we have a tendency to let the past creep in and have its say!
A simple step-by-step plan may include the following:
Look
Aim to watch your ball until it lands and ensure that you keep
any comments quiet until you see its general whereabouts and you
completely ‘finish’ your swing.
Learn
Aim to take something away from each shot regarding a way that
you can improve your game.
Log
If is it a good shot, give it some credit and ensure that you
keep it on file.
Leave
If it is a bad shot the key is to leave it where it happened. Try
taking your glove off or putting your club in the bag to signal
the shot is over!
Language
Pay attention to your body language, your communication with
playing partners, and your inner dialogue to ensure that it is as
productive as it can be.
Train yourself to follow these steps and you will then work towards minimising the damage of a disastrous first nine holes and it may even reduce the frequency of disasters too!
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