Emotions in golf

By Andrew McCray
Guest Blogger

Emotions play a big part in your golf play. It affects your desire to drive for show, putt for dough, and hit the best approach shots possible.

We all have seen people lose it on the course. Balls, clubs, even golf bags end up in the water. People mangle their high-dollar drivers after blowing both another drive and their cool.

Everything you do on the course is affected by your emotions. But the best golfers are in control of their emotions.

They don't ignore them. They don't pretend they are not there. They acknowledge them and deal with them.

What are some of the factors involved in golfers’ emotions:

1. Expectations- Do you have realistic expectations on the course? What is driving those expectations? Even Tiger Woods does not drive every shot with perfect accuracy.

2. Perfectionism - Look at your palms. Do you see any nail holes? No? Good. That means you are not perfect. If you expect your golf game to be perfect, you are bound to be disappointed.

3. Injuries - If you play with an injury, not only will you stress your body, you may also stress your game. Take care of your body to play your best golf.

4. Tiredness - Golf is a mind game. You need to recharge your mental batteries on the links. Listen to your favorite music. Take a break. Smell the breeze.

5. Personal Issues - If there is "stuff" going on in your life - your job, your home life, etc. Don't be surprised if it affects your game. Hey, you're human. The more you deal with the issues, the quicker your handicap is going to head down.

If you are not managing your emotions and stress, they are going to manage you. So start working on your emotions regularly, just like you work on your short game.

This will produce the results you want on the course. Most great golfers have hobbies aside from golf. Do you? See you next week.