There’s not one person who plays the game of golf who at some point hasn’t felt embarrassed with their game. It’s just a fact.
It doesn’t matter if you only have one full round under your belt or you’re a seasoned professional who’s won 15 majors, at some point during your time playing golf you WILL feel embarrassed with your golf game.
At the end of the day, what matters is how you react when you’re feeling down about your game. Some golfers will blow it off and move on to the next shot while some will feel so badly they’ll quit and never play the game again because it’s too hard. If you’re one of the ones who feel like quitting, this article is for you.
Whether you’ve shanked a few pitching wedges on the range and almost hit the golfers down the line or nearly took someone’s head off slicing your drives into the next fairway, don’t give up. Follow these six steps below and you’ll beat the golfing demons that haunt many in the golfing world.
#1: GET OVER IT
I started the list with “GET OVER IT” because if you’re embarrassed with your golf game then you’re not alone. Golf is an extremely tough and humbling game. One day you’ll shoot your best round ever and have it all figured out and the next day you’re back to your old self.
If you feel people are laughing or making comments about how you’re playing, just forget about those people. Look at Tiger Woods, arguably the best golfer in the world at one point and now just crapping all over himself when he tees it up. Tiger doesn’t care what people are saying. He just works hard on his game and wants to prove people wrong.
The first step in getting better at golf is sucking up your pride and getting over the fact that you may not be that good right now. But at least you’re willing to work on it, which brings me to my next step.
#2: FIND A PGA PROFESSIONAL TO HELP YOU
Finding a local PGA Professional to help is the next step in your journey to feeling better about your golf game. PGA Professionals exist throughout the entire world, so I know for a fact there is one near you. These people are in place for many different reasons, but one of the biggest parts of their job is to help you improve at golf.
You can do a quick search on the PGA.com website and find someone local. Give them a call or shoot them an email. Hell, reach out to them via Twitter or Facebook and strike up conversation with them. Chat with them about your goals and what you’re embarrassed about.
These PGA Professionals are hell-bent on growing the game of golf and helping your succeed at it. They don’t want to see you quit because they fail at their mission of growing the game. Meet with one and schedule an hour lesson to get your game evaluated. I’m pretty confident saying any PGA Professional out there will help you understand how to beat those demons.
#3: MOVE UP A SET OF TEES
First off, if you feel like your manhood is being affected by moving up a set of tees, refer to #1 on this list. There is no shame in moving up a set of tees, especially if it will help you enjoy the game more.
By moving up a set of tee boxes you might be able to shoot better scores and gain your confidence back. This will go a long way in feeling better about your game. Once you’re handicap has dropped considerably and you feel like you can play with anybody, then you can consider moving back a set of tees.
Until then, try it out, I think you’ll have more fun.
#4: KEEP YOUR COMPOSURE
When you’re feeling embarrassed about your golf game it’s very easy to lose your composure. By now, I’m sure everyone has seen the infamous 3-iron fling by Rory McIlroy in the second round WGC Cadillac Championship. While everyone let Rory get away with that toss, he frankly looked childish.
You don’t want to gain a reputation of being one of those players who cusses and throws clubs on the golf course. Your friends won’t like it and other people will see you do this and judge you from the next hole. It’s okay to get upset on the golf course, just don’t act out pull a Rory. Remember, he gets his clubs for free. You’ll have to fork out $150 for a new 3-iron!
#5: FIND PLAYERS AT YOUR ABILITY
If you’re a 25-handicap playing with other players who are single-digit handicaps, then there’s a high chance you’re comparing your game to theirs. Some may tell you to continue playing with these better golfers because you might pick up a thing or two along the way on how they approach the game. While that’s fine for some, until you get your confidence back, I say go try and find a group of players that are closer to your handicap.
Start competing with players who you might have a chance to beat and gain confidence this way. Once you feel much better about your game I am sure your old group of golfing buddies will let you back in.. Unless they have found a new 4th…
#6: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE
Last, but not least, you have to practice to get better. If your golf game is down in the dumps then you need to start practicing more so you can work through your demons. Make your practice purposeful though. Play games with yourself. See how many 100 yard targets you can hit. Imagine two flag sticks are the fairway and try to hit your driver between them. You’ll see much more improvement when you have a purpose.
Along with purposeful practice with your long game, keep in mind that a big part of your game is putting and chipping. Focusing a lot of your practice time on your short game will go a long way in providing a big benefit to your score.
So there you go. There is no reason why you should feel embarrassed with your golf game anymore. Keep in mind the best players in the world even go through stretches when they play like crap. The game of golf is highly addicting and there’s a reason why when I’m not playing golf I am normally thinking about my next round…
If you have any other tips to add, let us know below or hit us up on Twitter @Front9Back9.
fillfassgoma.science says
Once you have your goals set, you will need to seek out a credible golf instructor who can help you achieve your goals by improving your swing fundamentals.