Golf, a sport of emotional competition

When you go to the golf course, you will always meet one or two people who are fighting with their clubs: Why am I not hitting the ball well? Why did I three-putt and four-putt? The reason why there is no blah blah blah …… puts people on the verge of collapse at all times, making people feel that the difficulty of golf, rather than a perfect sport, is a game that is not as good as it should be ……


It must be said that golf does have an anti-human element to it: four hours of starting volume, a variety of traps and obstacles to overcome, a mistake that can be a thousand miles away from the moment of hitting the ball needs to be controlled, and the mind needs to be stabilized when playing badly …… If you are lucky enough to get a hole in one, make a big long putt, and get on the green according to the idea The sense of accomplishment will be incomparable!

Golf, a sport of emotional competition

So, it is inevitable that there will be many negative emotions on the golf course. Unlike professional players, amateur players play mostly for leisure and entertainment, and too much negativity will only cause counterproductive effects. Jack Nicklaus once said that the key to success depends on how you manage your court strategy and manage yourself. You know, the strongest players on the court are often strong not in avoiding conflict, but in controlling negative emotions!


Mickelson, who is still fighting on the field at 49, is a master of handling emotions, because he never gets angry and discouraged after each mistake, but thinks about how to make up for it, and his skills become more and more refined over time! The same control and self-discipline, as shown in the face of the “Amen Corner” 12 par 3 hole only 150 yards of temptation, still choose to follow the strategy, with a smooth mind to keep the precious Pa, to give up all the performance of the challenge, and finally won by one shot!


Anger, depression and helplessness are emotions that everyone has, but unlike an artist who relies on passion and emotion to create, emotions can ruin a round.


After a bad shot, the first reaction most people have is anger or frustration, and such a reaction is more strongly implanted in our memory than the average experience. The potential for negative memories on the court can destroy your self-confidence. In encountering a similar situation, you may want to think that the same bad outcome will occur. When you think in that way, those unexpected results are likely to arise.


Negative emotions are not only rooted in bad memories, they can also limit your ability to learn new things. Sharper insight does not arise in the midst of volatile emotions. Therefore, it is important to get rid of negative emotions that arise during hitting as much as possible.


Negative emotions arise mostly from anxiety and feelings of instability when we lose control of something or feel out of control, and are negative thoughts about the past and the future.


When you feel emotional, try stepping aside, taking a deep breath, swinging your club back and forth a few times in a relaxed rhythm, and shifting your focus to your vision.


The psychiatrist who worked with Payne Stewart gave Stewart a prescription for “deep breathing” and told him to take off one shoe when he felt angry, as if he had a stone in it, to calm his emotions – and eventually, Stewart won the 1999 U.S. Open Championship. Stewart won the 1999 U.S. Open.


Psychologists also advise players to look at the sky when they’re upset, as the open view can be calming – if you can stay calm, you can know what’s going wrong and adjust accordingly.


Most of our lives are determined by our emotional response to things, rarely determined by the things themselves, such as life’s proving ground of golf when faced with the experience, not as good as nine out of ten things, to manage emotions, is the key to success!