By ScottyX 
The key to playing good golf and scoring well is an even temperament. Easier said than done, you reply. Golf: It’s all about keeping your cool out there on the course. If you get the chance to play with a professional golfer you will see that they rarely lose their cool out there. This is especially true when things don’t go their way. Watch how a pro handles the situation when his or her ball is in trouble off the fairway. They spend some constructive time surveying the situation. Whereas the amateur will often get in reactive mode and send the ball into another penalty area, compounding the problem.
“Golf is an awkward set of bodily contortions designed to produce a grateful result.”
– Tommy Armour
Golf Requires A Cool Head To Navigate The Course
The best advice when your golf ball is off the fairway and in trouble is to stay cool. Take some time to walk around and review your options. Don’t get reactive and rush into just getting it out of there. Think it through and calm down before playing your next shot. Beginners and hackers invariably rush things when under stress. If you want to master the game of golf you need to stay in the driver’s seat. This means remaining composed and not letting stuff get to you.
“The most important shot in golf is the next one.”
– Ben Hogan
Keep Calm In The Face Of Adversity
Easier said than done, I know, but you have to find ways to keep your cool out there on the course. Take a few deep breaths and calm down. Stay focused on what you want to achieve rather than losing it over stuff. Remember that the road is long and there will bumps along the way. Stay committed to your intention, which is playing the best round. 18 holes of golf gives you the opportunity to do what is required, Stoically of course.
“If a lot of people gripped a knife and fork the way they do a golf club, they’d starve to death.”
– Sam Snead
Become A Methodist
You need to become a methodist – a golf methodist. Have method in your madness and reap the rewards in your scoring. What is your method to keep cool? Devise a plan and a strategy to be able to deal with every situation that the game of golf might throw at you. Your method will enable you to remain composed in those off the fairway situations. Walk around your ball and lie a few times, to assess the options. Take a few calming breaths. Choose the best option. Visualise the shot and the ball going where you intend it to. Go about your normal pre-shot routine. Play the stroke calmly.
“Golf is a game whose aim is to hit a very small ball into an even smaller hole, with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose.”
– Winston Churchill
Tension Is Your Enemy On The Golf Course
Beginners and golfers who never learn, and there are plenty of us in that category, bring tension to recovery shots and invariably try and hit the ball too hard to get it out of trouble. Most of the time this makes everything worse. These days I say to myself when I have to play a challenging recovery shot is ‘strike it smoothly’. Smooth is better than hard in most situations out on the golf course. Golf: It’s all about keeping your cool.
“People don’t understand that when I grew up, I was never the most talented. I was never the biggest. I was never the fastest. I certainly was never the strongest. The only thing I had was my work ethic, and that’s been what has gotten me this far.” — Tiger Woods https://www.golfmonthly.com/features/32-best-golf-quotes
Points To Remember
- Keep Your Cool
- Assess The Situation Calmly
- Choose Your Best Option
- Play The Recovery Shot With Composure
- Smooth Not Hard
- 18 Holes Is A Long Road
- Develop A Method You Can Rely On
Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of The Stoic Golfer.
©GolfDom
The Stoic Golfer: Finding Inner Peace & Focus On The Fairway PDF
The Stoic Golfer PDF version
In these pages, you will discover how to cultivate a Stoic outlook on golf and life, how to use mindfulness and visualization to improve your performance, and how to navigate the ups and downs of the game with equanimity and grace. You will learn how to:
Develop a strong, clear vision for your golf game.
Let go of distractions and focus on the present moment.
Cultivate a positive and resilient mindset, even in the face of adversity.
Harness the power of visualization to improve your performance.
Deal with setbacks and failures with grace and determination
Find joy and fulfillment in the game of golf, no matter your level of skill.