Golf is Not a Game of Perfect

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Golfers must learn to love 'the challenge when they hit a ball into the rough, trees, or sand. The alternatives—anger, fear, whining, and cheating—do no good. Second, golfers often have a problem of perception. If a player, facing a tee shot, starts to remember shots she’s hit out of bounds, is she being realistic? Or is she being unduly harsh on herself? If she thought about it, she’d probably remember that she’s hit far more tee shots in bounds than out of bounds during the course of her golfing career. Remembering one of the good shots, therefore, would be far more realistic than remembering a shot that sliced out of bounds. But golfers, particularly high-handicappers, often perceive themselves too negatively. They allow the bad shots to dominate their memories.” At night, a golfer can program her mind with great expectations. But she must throw them away when she steps onto the first tee.

On the first tee, a golfer must expect only two things of himself: to have fun, and to focus his mind properly on every shot.

no swing thoguhts from 120 and in. target only. For you this might be a bit less. But inside this threshold distance don't go for the middle of the green. think about holing it. Ch 6 conveys old Scottish wisdom: one cannot think about the details of swing mechanic details and perform a successful shot. This was lost through technology, teachers with "secrets", and the golf world's obsession with and misperceptions of Ben Hogan. His victories came not from hours of training and a pure swing, but beginning in 1946 when he trusted that he knew the fundamentals and no longer worried about them. Being careful, tightening up, and trying to steer the ball will likely cause disaster. Good golfers gain control over the ball by feeling that they are giving up control.

But while I certainly wouldn't discourage someone with those physical characteristics, I've found that they have little to do with real golfing potential. There is no such thing as a golfer playing over his head. A hot streak is simply a glimpse of a golfer's true potential. Rotella also emphasises how there should be no “mechanics” on the golf course. His mantra is “Train it on the range so that you can trust it on the course.” Rotella explains the importance of a pre-shot routine and how incorporating a great pre-shot routine on the course will allow the golf swing to flow naturally. Rotella states that “even the greatest players are human, human beings commit mental mistakes, and all golfers can learn from the study of those mistakes.” Regardless of whether someone is a tour professional or a casual weekend golfer, there will always be mental mistakes made in the game of golf, so Rotella’s advice for limiting these errors is the ultimate key to better scores. Practice, practice, practice … But the dreams I ask about are not the ones that crept from the unconscious the night before. They are the goals and aspirations a golfer has been carrying around in his or her conscious mind.The best place to be is in the “now.” Now is the happening place. You need to frequently ask yourself, “What should I do now?” to keep yourself focused in the present. Your reaction is everything – Your reaction is your choice. You can choose to dwell on a bad shot and feel sorry for yourself or you can choose to stay calm and maintain your composure. Either way, the choice is yours. I told him it would be harder for him to achieve great things in golf than it would be for his school's basketball players to achieve great things in their sport, because he would have to do it himself. He would have to set his own goals higher than his team's, and commit himself to achvieving them. It would be an individual quest, and sometimes a lonely one. Talking about golf specifically, Rotella asserts the importance of practice. He believes there are two states of mind when practicing: the training mentality and the trusting mentality. The training mentality is where a golfer evaluates his shots critically and analytically. It’s where a golfer tries to MAKE things happen. The trusting mentality is where the golfer LETS things happen more naturally. Rotella suggests that a golfer should spend at least 60 percent of their practice time in the trusting mentality because it is where the mind is shut down, except for thoughts of target and routine.

I don't know," he said. "I'm a pretty talented golfer, a pretty talented student. I do pretty well at both. My dad's got a pretty good company, and I guess after college I can go to work for him and make a pretty good living, so I'm not worried about the future."spend at least 50% of the time on 120 and in. start onthe fringe and practice until you sink 2 chips. It is more important to be decisive than to be correct when preparing to play any golf shot or putt. Ch 1 describes how great players dream big and pursue those dreams with patience, persistence and practice. It can often be lonely, especially if expectations are low in a mediocre program, or high due to a label of natural ability. A good mind with good wedges & putting will propel one. That process, not the end result, enriches life. I want the people I work with to wake up every morning excited, because every day is another opportunity to chase their dreams. I want them to come to the end of their days with smiles on their faces, knowing that they did all they could with what they had. That’s one reason golf is a great game. It gives people that opportunity.”