Introduction
I’m halfway through this fascinating book and was thinking how it could relate to golf.
The lead character wants to commit suicide (no she didn’t have a particularly bad round – stay with me for a moment) She ends up in the Midnight Library and is given a book of all her regrets, no matter how small. She then has the opportunity to experience every life she may have led, had she made different decisions at key times in her life.
So how could this apply to your golf game?
Grateful vs. ungrateful?
When lockdown ended and you were able to play your first round in two months did you feel grateful and if so, for how long? Do you look around you when you play, take time to admire the scenery, the wildlife, breath the fresh air and say thank you? Or does a dark cloud quickly appear over your head and stay there for most of the round?
Lucky or unlucky?
Are the unluckiest golfer you ever met; bad bounces, ball finishes in a divot, your opponent thins a bunker shot which should go 40 yds through the green into position z but hits the flag and goes in? All the above coupled with a selective memory so when your duck hooked drive hits a tree and careers into the middle of the fairway?
Gary Player said “the more I practice the luckier I get” So his poorly struck shot still manages to claw its way onto the green. Lucky or he makes his own luck?
The player your friends want you to be or your own person?
Are you the fall guy, the one who crumbles under pressure, the 3-putter, the chip duffer?
Or do you dig in when the going gets tough and grind out a result even when not at your best?
One trick pony or a man for all seasons?
Are you great on your home course but very average when you play other courses? Do you hide behind familiarity or embrace new challenges; parkland, heathland, Downland and links courses. How many varieties did you play this year?
Are you a fair weather player, or can you adjust your game to windy days, cold, hot or rainy days?
Glass Ceiling vs. anything is possible
Jonny Millar once said “the putter doesn’t know how many birdies you’ve made”
If it’s going well, too well relative to your handicap – do you take your foot off the gas and settle back to “your level”? Maybe you’re comfortable with the glass ceiling or maybe you just don’t know how to just keep going, one shot at a time and worry about the score at the end? Are you worried you might lose your friends if your game improves well beyond theirs?
Step into the shoes of a tour pro
If you could, who would you be? How would you conduct yourself for the day? Your body language for example. Head down after a poor shot or head held high defiantly?
Would you roll up 5 mins before your tee time or make time for a warm up before the game?
Would you grip it and rip it or plot your way around the course?
Would you get down on yourself for the first wayward shot or rise to the challenge of scrambling a par or bogey?
If your opponent was playing well would you roll over or bide your time, knowing that they too would miss fire eventually?
Are you hungry to succeed or already settling for 2nd best?
Golf may not be your biggest priority but does that mean you should settle for mediocrity?
Do you have a plan and a smart practice regime to pick off your low hanging fruit and raise your averages?
Be a winner!
Today one of my students won a local event scoring 50 stableford points in the rain! Remarkable? Well in a way yes! Only a few months ago she took part in her first competition at this course. It took all her will power just to turn up she was so nervous and shot 120. Today she improved by 28 shots and won comfortably. No glass ceiling here – many congratulations Lucy!
Summary
We have many choices in golf of the kind of player we’d like to be. We won’t all be tour players but we can strive to be the best player we can be.
If you’d like to explore any of the topics discussed in this blog – just get in touch
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