But I have found it to be a frustrating sport for all these 30+ plus years I have played. Even now when my golf knowledge and skills are probably at the highest point ever in my life. Most of us know the feelin', huh?
The past few rounds have proven to frustrate me particularly.Something about making good progress and then to watch a huge reversal of fortune occur it is enough to make a man want to scream, toss a club or even snap one in half.
Golf can do that to a fellow. I've seen a fair number of fellow players do those very things at similar moments. Frustrated golfers can become very ugly don't ya know. Have you been around someone who "went off" over a bad golf shot or a missed putt? How did that experience make you feel.
You see at my most frustrated moments on the course, I try to remember that when I am about to lose it myself. I don't want to be like those others without a decent sense of self control. I would be ashamed to lose control, behave badly and in the process make my playing partners feel like I have felt when others have vented their uncontrolled emotions in my presence.
Yet still I get frustrated by my performance or the luck of the bounce that didn't go my way. So while it may be more considerate of others not to vent, is it the best way to cope with the frustration? Is it better to release it somehow or keep it to myself. I don't know. Some say don't let it stay bottled up inside. Others think its best to let go.
I say that you can let it go without spouting out an profanity laden outburst, tossing the club or anything of the kind. You can feel like doing those things, I have sometimes, but you don't have to actually do them.
So I am asking you to find a way to be civil and respectful of others on the course. Don't let the game bring out the worst in you rather allow it, as it should, to bring out your best.
But whether you are civil or not when golf frustrates you it behooves us to find a way to cope with the frustration so that it does not affect your score. You know it cost us strokes either way, bottled up or vented. So knowing how to manage frustration is an important golf skill.
If you find you need help with some techniques on how to do that you might want to work on your golf mental game.
How you handle an emotional high like making a birdie or a low like slicing one out of bounds can make all the difference to your score. That means you'll want to maintain a strong mental game to score your very best.
I was able to begin scoring so much better and staying away from those awful blow up holes once I got control of my frustration. It took some time and some work but I found help and made some good progress.
Maybe you hadn't thought too much about working on your golf mental game. I'm just saying it might be something you would benefit from if you gave it a go.You'll notice a big improvement on the scorecard when you have your thoughts and emotions under control.
If the course gets the better of you some days that's okay, golf is like that. If your emotions get the better of that would be sad.
Don't let frustration win.
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