Reduce Your Anger On The Golf Course

I have been playing golf since I was 11 years of age. I love golf and I know you do too. For most of us golfers, we get our start and maybe even our finish on Public golf courses. Heck, if we didn’t have public golf courses, we’d still be in the times when pretty much only the rich could play golf. Don’t get me wrong here, I’m not at all saying that private courses are bad, far from it. I’ve had some great times playing at beautiful locations at times when I have been invited me to play golf on someone’s private golf course.

I think the best thing about private golf courses is that…and I hate to admit it…you just don’t see as many Yahoos out there. Who am I calling Yahoos? I’m referring to the people who leave trash around the golf course, they don’t fix their ball marks on the green and they scream profanities when they make a bad shot. Basically, they spoil things for the rest of us golfers.

Now, does all of this happen on private golf courses? Of course (to a lesser extent). So then why do I even bring this up? It’s because there is a serious lesson here that can help you in scoring lower in your own golf game. Here’ the lesson:

If you just want to go out to the golf course – whether it’s a public or private course, and your objective is to simply have a good time, that’s great! But all too often I hear people say that’s their desire and then they allow themselves to get angry when they have a bad shot and then they start expressing their anger and they act like a Yahoo.

If you care even the least about lowering your score, you need to start caring about yourself. Allow me to explain.

You are not different people in different life situations. You are one person. What does this mean? It means that when you don’t have respect for the golf course, the rules, the etiquette, your playing partners etc., you really are not having respect for yourself! If you get angry on the golf course, are there other situations where you find you tend to get anger when things don’t work for you?

It’s ok to feel the anger, but it’s not ok to act upon that anger.

I know that’s a hard pill to swallow, but it’s a fact. We are whole people, not compartmentalized. In other words:

“How you do anything is how you do everything”

Here’s what I really want you to get from this article. If you’re a person who uses a lot of cuss words, then like it or not, your mind works from within that negativity when you’re faced with a tough approach shot or a steep bunker lip. You think you can compartmentalize…you can’t.

Your mind is in a mode of “negativity.” It’s very hard to break that pattern and I promise you that it affects your score. Need I remind you of Jack Nicklaus’ words: “Golf is 90% mental”? No I don’t, do I?!

I love writing on the mental game and shortcuts to better golf without practicing. It seems that this issue of “how you do anything is how you do everything” just keeps coming up. Observe your friends and family on the course next time. You’ll see parts of their personality in their play, good or bad.

The good news for you is that you can take control of this. You can change. You can start immediately to improve your golf game by improving your attitude – your everyday attitude. Tommy Bolt, who was also known as “Terrible Tommy” was interviewed in a golf magazine recently and openly confessed that he wonders how many more tournaments he might have won had he had a better attitude.

Ever watch golf on TV? How many top pros on the leader board throw temper tantrums on the course like some amateur golfers do? It’s no accident.

Why is it that golfers can keep their cool at their business, even in the face of a very demanding customer, boss or employee and then on the course, they totally lose it at the slightest mistake?

I’m telling you that you have everything you need inside of you to keep your cool, play robotic, consistent golf with your emotions under control.

About the author: Craig Sigl is golf’s anti-practice expert. For years, he struggled to break 80 like so many amateur golfers. After throwing his clubs in the corner of his garage and giving up, he discovered golf’s secrets that changed his life and renewed his game. A year later he scored 77 on a championship course. He then went on to drive his handicap down to a 5, make a hole in one, and record his first under par round…all without practicing. He is now a mental toughness trainer and teaches his methods to golfers worldwide. To learn more about breaking 80 without practice go here now.