We’ve all been there. You’re striping it on the range and then you get to the first tee ready to seize the day but your driver has other plans. Your practice swings feel good, but you are suddenly begging for a mulligan after that first tee shot.
Perhaps it doesn’t hit you on the first tee. Maybe in the middle of the seventh fairway? Either way everyone reading this has hit a golf shot that hasn’t gone according to plan. I am here to help because I was once the golfer who would let my anger boil up and ruin my round. Spoiler alert: nobody likes playing with an angry golfer in their group for four hours or more.
I think a big part of being a level-headed golfer is going into the round acknowledging that bad shots are going to happen. Whether you have the best round of your life or a round that’s not to be spoken of, every golf shot can’t be perfect.
Let’s get into three tricks that will help you get over bad golf shots when they occur.
Rickie Fowler reacts after his second shot on the seventh hole during the first round of the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Don’t be afraid to get angry
I think a lot of golfers go into their round making false promises to themselves on how they are going to behave on the course. A part of this is accepting that anger is a natural and fair response that can’t always be controlled.
Paul Tesori, PGA Tour caddie for Webb Simpson, says that they call their moments of anger “off-time.” You can get as mad as you want after hitting a shot for 10 seconds, but then you bring your head back to the task at hand and go about the next shot. Making this promise to yourself can really help you accept your emotions and help navigate your thoughts going into the next shot.
Visualize and move on
Breathing in and out slowly can help slow your heart rate down after a bad shot and silence your thoughts. Once you have control of your body and thoughts, visualize the shot you meant to hit, take a practice swing and move on. If you let your thoughts about the bad shot linger, your next shot is likely to be even worse.
Focus on something else around you
A human mind is a powerful tool that is able to think and study thousands of thoughts a day. After hitting a less than desirable shot, try focusing on something that isn’t golf-related. The simpler the better.
Whether that be a cloud, a tree or a snack from your bag, taking your mind off golf for a few moments may be what you need to calm down. I used to write simple and humorous sayings on my hand. Any time I’d hit a bad shot I would glance down that day and say, “chicken noodle soup.” As dumb as that may sound, I can assure you my mind was not overwhelmed or thinking about golf.
How you talk to yourself plays such an important role in how you execute your round. If you call yourself a bad golfer, you may speak that title into existence. Your subconscious mind is more powerful than you think. Find what works for you, stay humble and remember to enjoy the sport.
English
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Spanish