It is very easy to lose your rag on the golf course. The level of precision required by the game can drive us mad. Are you an angry golfer? Do you find yourself regularly simmering with rage at times during your round of golf? If you do you are not alone. Golfers at all levels of the game battle with temper tantrums bubbling just below the surface. Unfortunately, this has a compounding detrimental effect on our games. Swinging the golf club is an action which is exceedingly sensitive to our moods and emotions. The angry golfer is vulnerable to tempo and rhythm changes, which negatively impact upon our ability to put a good swing on shots.

Beating The Anger Via The Stoic Golfer

One thing leads to another and things get worse and worse out there sometimes. What if you could find a way to prevent the bad stuff happening in the first place? Would this deliver the tranquil base that all golfers require to survive and, indeed, thrive over 4 plus hours of competitive golf? The Stoic Golfer has the mental tools to cope with and combat the challenging emotional interference which threatens your ability to play good golf. Learning the fundamental principles at the heart of Stoicism can deliver the resiliency required to win.

The Von Bucks Berating Yourself On The Golf Course

“Never berate yourself out on the golf course.”

Norman Von Nida – The Von

Self-abuse is rife out on the links. I hear more cursing and self-admonishments in ribald terms than any praise by miles. It doesn’t help anyone, least of all the golfer going to town on himself or herself. Anger and angry self-recrimination only makes things worse for the golfer.

The Von said, “Never berate yourself out on the golf course. It has disastrous results. Be your best friend out on the fairways. Staying positive can only do great things for your game.”

It is absurd that weekend warriors heap abuse on themselves in frustration during a round, when they never practice. Unrealistic expectations suck all the enjoyment out of playing the game of golf. Staying positive will help you bounce back from mishits much quicker to start playing some decent golf.

The Von was one of the first great Australian golfers who achieved success nationally and in Great Britain in 1930s, 1940s, 1950s 7 into the 1960s.

“The guys playing along with Sergio Garcia last week at the Saudi International really didn’t have that option.

By now most of you have probably seen or read about Garcia’s temper tantrum in the sand and subsequent disqualification last week for damaging five greens at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in Saudi Arabia. Although this isn’t the first time Garcia has displayed anger on the course, the extent of these latest transgressions is troubling for a 39-year-old major winner who you would think would be past this sort of behaviour.”

https://www.golfpass.com/travel-advisor/articles/golfer-anger-management

Professional golfers, quite possibly, feel that they have more to lose than you or me when playing golf. The big money on offer makes the stakes higher when they leave it in the bunker or stuff up in any serious way during a tournament. However, even for the weekend warrior, the game of golf can be mightily frustrating that’s for sure. Perhaps, if the Saudis cut a few things off, as they do to their own citizens for serious transgressions, Sergio would really learn his lesson. There are, of course, better ways to manage anger issues on the golf course and in life. Stoicism is a tried and true pathway to free oneself from the trap of out of control emotional reactions.

The Stoics believed that emotions such as fear, anger, and desire could cloud our judgement and lead us away from the path of wisdom and virtuous living. They taught that individuals could achieve tranquility and inner peace by understanding the nature of the universe, accepting the inevitable, and practicing self-control and restraint in their thoughts and actions. The golf course is the nature of the golfer’s universe. The rules of golf are inevitable and not worth getting upset about. Wisdom comes via acceptance and restraint in the face of adversity and bad breaks. Take a few deep breaths and give yourself time to come to terms with whatever besets your golf ball. Gritty grace is what I call it and this state of mind is required to do battle on the golf course. Find out more in The Stoic Golfer: Finding Inner Peace & Focus on the Fairway.

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