The Reason Why

I have to do something about my emotional and mental state

I am volatile; emotionally volatile. On a golf course. You’d have thought by the time I was in my early 60s having played not just golf but many other sports since being a kid I’d have grown up and been through all that and out the other side.

But No.

I don’t just get pissy with myself when I’m playing badly, I do it sometimes when I’m playing well. Outside matters over which I have no influence whatsoever can get right up my nose, although interestingly never what my playing partners are doing good, bad or indifferent. A classic case of “getting in one’s own way” is the obvious diagnosis.

Because I can play. That’s not simply a conceited “look at me, ain’t I good”. I’ve won everything from the monthly medal up to and including National age-group Order of Merit events via numerous county championships. I’ve participated in National and International Championships, and with very mixed outcomes(!), I’ve represented my club, my county and my region and I’m still hanging onto a zero handicap index. So, the empirical evidence is I can hit a golf ball in vaguely the right direction a lot of the time.

But yet.

I can still be an emotional wreck on the golf course, allowing all sorts of things which are, bluntly, out of my control affect what I’m doing, how I’m thinking and on what I’m focusing. With the inevitable outcome I’m either focusing on the wrong things or, indeed, not at all. If I am to maintain my game, or even improve somewhat in the face of advancing age and consequent diminishing physical prowess I have to be better mentally.

So I have gone back to the basics with the guidance of still the best writer on the topic of the mental side of golf. The mighty Dr Bob Rotella. I’ve read all sorts of things about the best way to approach the game from eminent writers but “Golf is Not a Game of Perfect” pretty much remains the bible. I’m darn sure he doesn’t particularly need my endorsement, but if you haven’t read it and you’re interested in this element of our great and infuriating game I can’t recommend a better place to go. Than maybe staying here (!).

This year I have therefore rededicated myself to the idea of improvement, but in addition to the few physical bits of my game upon which I shall concentrate I firmly believe the biggest area where I can make gains is in my approach, my focus and my attitude. The 6 inches between my ears.

This isn’t something I’ve decided this morning and immediately thought I’d better sit down and write about it. I went back to Rotella last year and have been trying to introduce those thoughts and approaches within his stated rules over the first couple of months of the year. To be honest with pretty mixed results so far. But that is also kind of the point. This is a journey on which I’m embarking, which may or may not reach a successful destination.

I’ll just have to see where it goes, to what it leads and what I might learn or consider along the way.