Do you really love to play golf?

Do you really love to play golf? Does playing golf bring you joy every time you play? Our emotional states dictate how we feel. The lowest energy level of emotions that upset us on the golf course are anger, fear, frustration, etc. At the highest energy level that makes us feel good are love, joy, care, compassion, etc.

Most golfers believe that when they play well they will be happy. And when they aren’t playing well they experience anger and frustration. To be successful requires a paradigm shift in the thoughts that cause your emotions. It is important to remain in a state of loving the experience of playing golf no matter what the results are. Albert Schweitzer explained it simply as:

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Albert Schweitzer

How do you change your stressful state?

We become stressed when our performance doesn’t meet our expectations and we don’t manage our emotional reaction.

To change your emotional state, reframe the situation that upsets you. There is always another way of looking at a situation and reacting to it.

You hit a perfect shot over a sand bunker to a pin in the front of a green and it falls just short and imbeds under the lip of the bunker. Amid the frustration and disappointment, remember why you love golf. It’s a game where one-half inch can be the difference between perfection and disaster. Chasing perfection and avoiding disaster is the challenge that makes the game so captivating.

If you only love to play golf when the half-inch works in your favor, you will be frustrated and angry often on the golf course.

To change your state of mind and body when things don’t go your way, smile at adversity and be surprised rather than angry that it didn’t happen the way you expected. The more you repeat changing your state in this way the easier it will become to access and stay “in the zone.”

Play “In the Zone” With Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances

If this article is helpful to you, and you want to learn more about developing a strong mental game, call Joan for a complimentary 15-minute consultation. She can be reached by phone at 828-696-2547, or by email at pmi4@bellsouth.net 

Self-empowering mental golf CDs are available on the Positive Mental Imagery website.