Mental Game · Tip
Accept Your Feelings, Then Commit
Part of our mental game programs for nerves and pressure, no routine, losing it after bad shots. Build a program with it
Trying to control your emotions on the course rarely works. Accept them instead. Notice the nerves or the frustration. Name it. Then go back to what you control: your routine and your commitment to each shot. Once the ball lands, your reaction can't change anything. So meet good shots and bad shots with the same calm. After the round, grade yourself on how well you committed, not on your score.
Step by step
- Notice your feelings without fighting them.
- Name the feeling, then start your routine.
- Commit to every shot.
- React calmly to every result.
- Judge yourself on commitment.
Why it works
Fighting a feeling keeps your attention on it, and that attention is then not available for the shot. When you notice and name the feeling, it takes up less of your focus, and you can give that focus to your routine. A routine and a clear commitment are things you control before the swing. A calm reaction after the ball lands stops one bad result from carrying into the next shot.
Common mistakes
- You try to force the nerves or anger away before you hit.Say what you feel in a few words, such as "I'm nervous," and then start your routine anyway.
- You start your routine but still hold doubt about the club or target.Make the club and target decision before you step in, and do not swing until you have fully chosen both.
- You grade the round by score and let one bad result change how you play the next shot.Keep your reaction the same after good and bad shots, and after the round count how many shots you fully committed to.
How you'll know it's working
- Your pre-shot routine takes about the same time on every shot, including after a bad one.
- Your body language looks the same after a good result and a bad result.
- After the round you can say how many shots you fully committed to, and that number rises over several rounds.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Practice it on the range first, naming a feeling and running your full routine before each ball, with no score at stake.
Harder: Use it in a competitive round or a playing match, and keep the same routine and calm reaction on the shots that matter most.
Common questions
How do you stop getting angry on the golf course?
You do not need to stop the anger. Notice it, name it, and then go to your routine and commit to the next shot, since the last shot cannot be changed.
What does it mean to commit to a golf shot?
It means you choose the target and club, and then swing with no second thoughts about that choice. You judge the shot by whether you did that, not by where the ball ended up.
