Golf is Not a Game of Perfect
One of the things a successful pro does best is to accept bad shots, shrug them off, and concentrate completely on the next one
One of the things a successful pro does best is to accept bad shots, shrug them off, and concentrate completely on the next one. He has accepted the fact that, “Golf is not a game of perfect.” - Dr. Bob Rotella
None of us are going pro any time soon but the concept still applies. Accepting bad shots and focusing on the next one is essential to lowering your scores, which is made easier by having realistic expectations. In my opinion, the best expectations going into a round are no expectations. None, ZERO.
Focus on the process and not the outcome. Also, have a realistic idea of your current game. Rotella says, “A pro understands that while striving for perfection is essential, demanding perfection of himself on the golf course is deadly.”
So why do some of us still demand perfection and get frustrated by a bad shot?
If you average a 95 and are expecting to shoot an 82 you are setting yourself up for failure and a ton of frustration. Focus on what you can control. Routine, focus, temperament.
A little trick that might help you is to allow yourself a certain amount of bad shots per round. So if you're a 12 handicap, you aren’t allowed to get angry at a shot until the 13th bad shot. I’m currently a 5 handicap so I get 5 bad shots before I can get annoyed at anything.
I’ll leave you with one more quote from Rotella:
“Good golfers have to get over the notion that they only want to win by hitting perfect shots. They have to learn to enjoy winning ugly. And that entails acceptance of all the shots they hit, not just the good ones.”
That’s it for this today. Enjoy the weekend.
P.S. - A video below from my round in Deep Creek. My Tiktok is @the.2nd.cut