Making It Too Important

Why do we treat a game as though it is a life or death situation. We get nervous when we do not have anyone's life in our hands. We are just playing a game. You must keep golf in perspective. Realise that when you stand on the first tee that there are more important things if life than that one golf shot you are about to play.

If you are a nervous person then you must focus on your breathing. Learn to belly breathe, think about some good shots you have played in the past and stand up and hit the ball. If it goes down the middle, it goes down the middle. If it goes in the trees, then you find it and hit it again. You won't be struck down then and there for hitting a bad shot. If you hit a great shot, be sure to celebrate the fact. Don't do what a lot of people do after they hit a good shot and say "about time I hit one like that". Say to yourself, "how good was that, that felt great", be sure to feel those emotions of a great shot. If you hit a poor shot always ask yourself. What can I learn from that? Don't do what most people do after a bad and say "you useless git, why did you hit that". If you ask yourself the question about what you have learned, you stand a greater chance of improving. If you talk in a destructive manner all you do is succeed in destroying your enjoyment and your confidence.

• Keep the game in perspective, there are more important things than golf in life.
  
• Learn to belly breathe.
• Celebrate the good.
• Learn from the bad.

Cheers
Maurice