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 Age: 42 Current Handicap: 12 Lowest Handicap: 10 Has played golf for: 15 years Plays: About twice a month Practices: About twice a month The symptoms: I shoot in the mid-80s, but I think I could easily be better. My problem is that during my round, I’ll miss an easy shot. I might hit a wedge fat from a perfect lie, skull a ball out of a greenside bunker or hit a drive out-of-bounds on a wide-open hole. These seem to be avoidable mistakes. I get furious at myself and typically blow the remainder of the hole and the next hole before I calm down. How do I get over these blowups and keep them from ruining my round? Dr. Golf’s prescription: Your blowups result from having expectations that are based on success you’ve enjoyed in the past. There also is the assumption that success will occur again — and it will. However, success can be elusive. You know that you’ll hit poor shots during a round and what you do with the emotional fallout from those shots is the key to future success. There’s a thin line between what just happened and what will happen next. It is on that line we live our lives. Successful players own a skill that allows them to know that their future is not determined by their past. They don’t play golf on the verge of being angry over a missed shot as many of us do, because they know the greatest gift golf offers is another chance to succeed after every shot. They know that a poor shot is forever gone and only new possibilities exist. In life, as in golf, we’re always hopeful for what may come next. Patient: Male Age: 38 Current Handicap: 16 Lowest Handicap: 12 Has played golf for: About 10 years Plays: About once a month Practices: Once a week The symptoms: I finally broke down and started taking lessons. So far, I’ve taken two, but I feel so uncomfortable on the course that it’s not fun to play. I don’t have any confidence in the swing I’m trying to use and I don’t know whether to stick it out or go back to my old swing. I’m afraid to share my discomfort with the pro because I don’t want him to think I’m a big baby. It’s not like I’m going to play the tour anyway. My question is, how long should I commit to these swing changes, how long does it take to see progress and is there anything I can do to make the process easier? Dr. Golf’s prescription: When you lift a fork with food to your mouth, I bet you don’t think about keeping your hand steady and the fork level. It’s a natural movement. Your golf instructor has a plan and you should be comfortable discussing his ideas, your feelings and concerns about taking your new swing out on the course. Making changes in your golf swing will feel different and produce a different result for a short period time, but you’ll be surprised at what follows if you allow yourself to make a natural process out of what seems foreign to you right now. Stay the course, but talk about your feelings during the process with your instructor. Jeff Johnson is a PGA professional at San Bernardino Golf Club. He can be reached at (951) 294-1139. Patients in need of help from Dr. Golf should send their ailments to scpgamedia@aol.com. |
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