Do You Stay Calm When Playing Inconsistently
Do you become easily frustrated when you have an up-and-down day during a round of golf?
Can you relate to the following scenario?
You started off a competitive round with two birdies, and your confidence was soaring. You felt the momentum was on your side, and you would have a great day.
Then, on the fourth hole, you misread the greens and four-putted for a double bogey. You became a bit angry over your inaccurate read. You could feel yourself losing momentum and spiraling downward during the next few holes.
However, you get back on track on the eighth and ninth hole and finish the front- nine strong. On the back-nine, a few unfortunate bounces cause you to feel frustrated as if you can do nothing to turn around your game.
You had difficulty focusing for the rest of the round and felt mentally defeated.
The previous example came from a player who responded to our Golf Mental Game Survey. This collegiate golfer inquired: “How can I mentally stay in the game and in contention when my play is a bit inconsistent?”
When you have fluctuations in your play during a round, you may tend to lose a sense of control, emotionally fall apart, and resign yourself to having a bad day.
Staying in the game mentally, first, requires that you understand there will be up and down days. You will not always be on top of your game. You will constantly face challenges during a round of golf.
In fact, golf is a game of challenges.
Secondly, you should understand that you have the ability to regain positive momentum at any point. You are always one shot away from turning your play around.
Finally, you should recognize that you can still have a top finish and potentially win the tournament, even on days when you are not playing at your peak.
If you keep in mind these basic truths, you can maintain your composure and stay in contention.
At the 2024 BMW Ladies Championship, Hannah Green held a two-stroke lead heading into the third round despite some ups and downs.
After her second round, Green commented on how her emotions affected her momentum throughout the day and how she was able to refocus and finish strong.
GREEN: “Yeah, I felt like I didn’t actually hit that many bad shots on the front nine. I just couldn’t really get anything going I guess the momentum from shooting 16-under in two rounds kind of fell off, and I was getting angry at things that I probably shouldn’t have. But, yeah, it was really nice to see a putt go in on 11; obviously, make a birdie on the par-5. And then hit a really nice tee shot on 14, the par-3. And then, yeah, holed a monster putt on 15. So that really changed the momentum and, I guess, the taste in my mouth for tomorrow. It definitely could have been worse, but I’m really proud that I was able to shoot under par.”
Negative emotions intensify when you focus on unfavorable outcomes, adversely affecting your next several shots.
However, when you are able to refocus and regain your composure, you will be able to swing momentum in a positive direction and play your best golf, given your circumstances.
Staying in control is a matter of staying present. One way to stay immersed in the moment and remain in contention for a top finish is to remind yourself that it only takes one shot to swing momentum back in your favor.
Related Golf Psychology Articles
- How to Overcome Frustration on the Golf Course
- How to Recover After a Poor Round
- Are Your Expectations too High in Golf
- Subscribe to The Golf Psychology Podcast on iTunes
- Subscribe to The Golf Psychology Podcast on Spotify
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