Playing Golf Without Fear
Playing golf relaxed and confidently makes for a much better game than being frightened at the thought of the hazards. Fear is not something that you should take along with you to the driving range.
When a good player begins to have problems, they are usually mental in nature. Clear thinking should be your main goal in playing golf. When you start to feel fearful, clear thinking is not possible.
If you can change your thinking, you can help your game. There is no need to worry about why the ball went the way it did. Keep your mind on the next shot and focus.
A major problem for some golfers is that they are worried what others will think if they make a bad shot. If you are concentrating on what others think, then you are not concentrating on your shot, the ball, your swing, or the basics.
Is it necessary to have the approval of others? Is hitting a bad shot going to completely ruin your life?
It is the theory of some psychologists that we become a composite of the five people that we are with the most. You may need to find more relaxed golfers to play and practice with.
If you play golf with a perfectionist, this may not be very much fun. Why ruin the golf game for yourself? Find people to play with that enjoy the game. The way you play will improve because you are having more fun, are less keyed up, and are able to swing better.
If you concentrate completely on your game, this can help you to beat your fear. Ben Hogan’s key to concentrate was “to ignore the gallery and the other golfers, and to shut my mind against everything but my own game.”
Worrying about what others think may make your game inconsistent. You are careful one second and aggressive the next.
What is the key? You need to focus on your target and not who you are with or where you are at. Ignore everything around you. Concentrate fully on your game.
Perfectionism can ruin your game enjoyment and cause ulcers. Great players rework their skills each year. They are always refining their game in little ways, which add up. You are not always going to play a great game and you will never play a perfect game no matter how many skills you master. If you will work to improve the little problems, then your golf game will get better and better.
Keeping a wide smile helps to relax your face and will help to decrease anxiety also. Make smiling a habit before you hit the ball instead of tensing your face.
Mistakes should stay in the past. Tiger Woods even says, “I hit it and forget it.” Forget about the shot and move on, because you cannot go back and replay it.
Keep your mind off what others will think about your shots. If you can get over that fear, then your game will definitely improve! When you play your next golf game, keep a clear mind and think confidently.
You will soon overcome your fear and become a master of golf!