Gail Smirthwaite, is one of the country’s foremost golf mind coaches. Through motivation, confidence building and helping her students to gain greater awareness in themselves and their abilities, Gail believes that it’s as important to master life’s game if you are to master the game of golf.

In the first of a new series for Golfbidder, Gail looks at Managing Anger on the Golf Course.

MANAGING ANGER ON THE GOLF COURSE

Statistics are showing that we British are angrier than ever; with the rise in Road Rage, Air Rage, Phone rage can there be such a thing as Golf Rage?

It isn’t surprising that we mere mortals are incapable of hiding our emotions when so many celebrities are splashed all over the daily papers and gossip magazines regularly displaying their less than calm side!

The ridiculous thing is that golf is meant to be a relaxing hobby played for the enjoyment of the game with like-minded friends, whilst enjoying the beautiful outdoors and the sunshine; shouldn’t this all be conducive to an enjoyable day out and a friendly round of golf?

But anger is an emotion and golf, as any golfer will tell you, is an emotive game!

So what is it about golf that pushes all those buttons; someone else playing well and being really smug about it, a perception you have created that people are watching you and waiting for you to do badly so when you do you get mad with yourself? Your opponent commenting on how badly you are playing in a sympathetic but obviously pleased manner, your fellow golfer just breathing slightly too loudly, you playing a clearly stupid and not very well thought out shot.

Are you just thinking too much? … ask a variety of different golfers what winds them up on a golf course and I bet there is a book’s worth on your findings.

Here are 3 ACE stress relievers to help you keep your cool on and off the Golf Course:

1. AWARENESS. Know when to walk away and take a deep breath:

The physical reactions such as an increase in your body temperature, your heart racing faster, a dropping of your head and general low body posture will be accompanied by your negative self-talk telling you possibly ‘how stupid you are’, ‘how annoying the other guy is’, ‘that luck isn’t on your side and you can’t believe the ball has ended up in the bunker again!’ when you start to feel your physical reactions catching up with your mental negativity walk quietly ahead and take 10 deep slow breaths. Keep your head up high and shoulders back and replace any negative self talk with a positive statement.

Make sure your statement is in the present tense and attach some emotion to your phrase so you own it.

‘You are great at putting it’s just a one off
You are great off the tee …you can easily catch up with your next shot
Let it go and enjoy yourself you are here to have fun …

You can add anything that works for you. Repeat it slowly in your head until the negative feelings and thoughts have gone away. This will help with Step Two.

2. CREATE YOUR OWN REALITY

If you tell yourself that you are going to hit the next shot into the bunker what happens? Nine times out of ten you will – that is because your sub-conscious mind is there to protect you. If you have already started on the slippery slope of negative self-talk and getting yourself physically wound up too, your sub-conscious will kick in to protect you.

It takes practise to stop negative thoughts in their tracks and replace them with positive thoughts. Your sub-conscious will accept anything you tell it; it does not differentiate between right and wrong, positive and negative it merely wants to ensure that you are right. If you tell yourself you are going to hit a bad shot your sub-conscious will kick in to help this happen for you. Not quite what your conscious self has in mind?

It will not always work just by telling yourself that you are going to hit a fantastic shot but I assure you it is a 100% effective if you tell yourself you are going to hit a bad shot – YOU MOST DEFINITELY WILL! You may as well increase your odds and be positive.

Your mood will lighten, you will enjoy yourself more and you will definitely play better overall.

REMEMBER: Keep telling yourself how great you are YOU – if you don’t believe it your sub-conscious will and that will do the work for you.

3. ENJOY YOURSELF

Above all else have fun! It is a hobby you have chosen to do - your mortgage, feeding and clothing your children, does not depend upon the outcome of a round of golf … so get it into perspective. The more positive you are, the more you convince yourself that you are good and getting better all the time and that you are enjoying yourself regardless of the result, I promise you that you will have a more enjoyable experience. Just remember you chose this as a hobby it should be seen for all the positive things that you love about the game not treated like a trip to the dentist!

So it is up to you to take responsibility for how you play your game of golf.

It is all about CHOICE: You choose pretty much at the start of a round how you are going to play. You have already told yourself. If you enjoy being miserable and negative then carry on because that will reflect in the results you will get BUT by changing your attitude and being more positive and having fun, even if you do not always get the results … after all IT IS GOLF ask Tiger, I guarantee you will change your game of golf for the better.

© Play Great Golf 2007

For more information Gail can be contacted at: gail@playgreatgolf.co.uk
Further Free downloads are also available at: www.playgreatgolf.co.uk