How to Manage Your Frustrations on the Golf Course

Golf takes an incredible amount of concentration along with physical ability. You need to have control of the mind as well as the body when teeing off to perform well. Frustration is part of the game no matter how much you practice. Regardless of years of playing or attending golf colleges for additional lessons, frustrations can boil over on the golf course. So, how do you manager your frustration on the golf course after a bad shot or stop the voices in your head from stressing you out? There are some techniques to lower your frustrations when teeing off or hitting from inside a bunker.

Talk That Sabotages Your Game

One of the biggest sabotages to your game is the negative chatter that rattles around in your head. One bad shot or poor putt can lead negative thoughts to infiltrate your brain. These negative thoughts can result in a day of additional bad performances. According to experts from top golf colleges, rather than talk to yourself negatively, begin giving yourself advice as if you are a top PGA Tour caddy. A caddy will give the golfer they work with tips on how to improve their play and increase self-worth. Replicating this in your head can have positive effects. You should believe you can improve after a bad shot. The next hole is a way to overcome what came before it and you should treat the next hole as a chance to start all over.

Unrealistic Expectations

Every day, golfers go onto the golf course with extremely high expectations that will never be reached. Whether it is lowering your handicap or improving your swing, high expectations can actually hinder performances. Unrealistic expectations can also cause frustration. Golfers aiming for perfection often find their expectations to be unattainable and repeated failures ensure. According to former PGA Championship winner Jason Day, focusing only on results creates added pressure that is difficult to overcome. By lowering expectations and focusing on one area to develop and improve per round, you can feel more fulfilled when playing golf. You may choose to focus on tee shots and driving the ball down the fairway on your next golf outing. This singular focus will prevent you from overwhelming yourself. In addition, you won’t expect too much from all the areas of your game at one time.

Add Perspective to Your Game

It is doubtful that you play golf for a living. It is more likely a hobby that consumes your life on the weekend. You probably retreat to the golf course for fun and to enjoy a day outside. Unlike a professional golfer who makes a living from playing the game, your next shot won’t have major significance on the rest of your golf outing or finances. You are playing golf for fun, so treat it that way. Sure, you want to be the best golfer you can be, but getting frustrated about every shot is pointless. Rather than spending the day getting upset about shots and putts, remember to have fun and enjoy the journey. It is unlikely you will ever play a perfect golf game. Very few, if any, golfers have ever played a flawless round of golf. Top professionals do not complete errorless rounds of golf, although they do come close. Amateur golfers shouldn’t try to replicate the performances of PGA Tour professionals. If you could replicate performances of PGA Tour professionals, then you would be on the circuit too. Have perspective on your game and the frustrations of failed shots won’t be so strong.

Focus On The Good and Not The Bad

Often times, golfers focus on the last bad shot they made rather than their previous best shot. Focusing on what was done poorly can result in nothing but bad shots to continue. Golf colleges and instructors teach golfers to focus on the things they have done well. The next time you miss a short putt or drive a tee shot into a bunker, just remember the great shots you made previously. This can improve your psyche going forward and prevent dwelling on negative aspects. Visualize the successful shots you have made in the past. You can replay them in your head to feel positive mental and physical impacts. Visualization is a powerful tool and it can put your focus on the good you have done rather than the bad. Mental toughness can go along way on the golf course. Legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus once said golf is 80% mental and being able to manage your frustration on the golf course can help you become a better player.