The Course, the Strokes, the Opponent

photo credit: Steve Burt   Golf can be divided into three categories, the course, the strokes and the opponent.  As a player, you must learn to deal with each of these in a separate manner. 

The course is something that must be managed and played with utmost consideration.  Each course has it’s  own personality and should be approached accordingly.

The strokes can be controlled by your own ability to play each and every golf shot to the best of your ability.  With enough practice and plenty of thought beforehand,  your shot total can be kept to a minimum. 

Opponents add an unknown dimension because, like courses, each opponent is different.  A worthy opponent should bring out the very best in you as a golfer.

How Golf is Played

photo credit: LulaTaHula   There are two facets to golf:  A)  making shots.  B)  playing the game.  Shot-making and actually playing the game are two different entities.  Look at it this way:  Good shots are worthless if you don’t know how to play the game.  There are some great shot-makers on the PGA Tour that hardly ever win.  A good example would be Sergio Garcia.

Look at golf’s big winners, the greatest players weren’t just good shot-makers, they knew how to play the game.  They knew how to control their emotions, when to take risks (when not to ), they knew gamesmanship and they knew how to use strategy.

To play better golf:  1)  Practice.  2)  Learn to play the actual ”game.”  It is a game isn’t it?

Is Fear Ruining Your Game?

photo credit: jonny2love   Are you allowing fear to ruin your game?  How many times have you feared the outcome of a particular shot?  It happens to everyone all the time.  The fear you experience before a shot can have a paralyzing effect. 

Moving into action before actually thinking about each and every shot should be avoided.  By not deliberating about your strategy, you leave to chance where your next shot will end up.  When you plan each shot very carefully, you will find that the fear you have about missing the shot will dissipate. 

Place more emphasis on the mental part of your game.  Being confident means thinking of ways to play to your best ability which will dramatically increase the odds of making a good shot.

Know Your Capabilities

photo credit: dhilgart   It is illogical to expect a golfer with physical and temperamental limitations to be a scratch or sub-par player.  The secret to playing good golf is to know your capabilities and play up to them as often as you possibly can.

The golf handicap system makes golf a comparative game.  Golfers, who regularly shoot in the 90s or 100s can compete against Tour Pros because of the handicap system.  The handicap system also has another important role and that is to allow each player to play within his or her capabilities. 

The amateur golfer needs to know that if they play up to their capabilities, the handicap system will take care of the rest.  The key word in all of this is “consistency.”