Don’t let negative emotions hijack your golf game

Considering all the breakthroughs of mental toughness training, emotional regulation is one of the new frontiers in golf and all competitive sports.

Emotions rule performance even more than thinking. Let’s say your prevailing emotions while playing competitive golf are anger and fear. Usually, pessimistic golfers undergo a flux of conflicting feelings as they play, ranging from defeatism to frustration, both of which can have disastrous results. Research demonstrates that negative emotions can have the following consequences: less efficiency in decision-making; less ability to think clearly; reduced coordination; higher cardiovascular stress.

Negative emotions tend to counter thoughts and efforts aimed at performing well in sports or at work. Below your level of awareness, your central nervous system (your brain directing your body) is getting signals crossed with your autonomic nervous system, which controls organs, glands and hormones. A typical scenario might be excessive worry about the outcome of an event, let’s say an approach shot to a green over water with the tournament on the line, perhaps; where we’re asking our muscle memory to produce a great shot, but the sympathetic nervous controls shoot out adrenaline which constricts our motion and flexibility, and the play goes awry. It’s like having one foot on the gas and the other foot on the brake.

Theory and research aside, there are several things you can do which will elevate your ability to manage your emotions, resulting in a greater chance of success. One is encouraging yourself to have more positive emotional responses, despite your past tendency to get down and sour. Do positive emotions just happen or are they random? Or can we choose them ourselves at different times for different reasons? You certainly do not have to be the victim of your past emotional breakdowns and disasters. With determination and practice you can learn to create positive feelings for yourself.

The very first thing you can do is eliminate negative and demeaning self-talk, while detaching yourself from blaming, whining and complaining on the golf course. Most of the time, when we complain about the golf course or conditions or weather or wind – anything – it’s just a feeble attempt to wish away our own poor play. Playing emotionally strong golf means accepting responsibility for the outcome which you yourself have created. If you are going to be undaunted by adversity you need to respond positively with self-nurturing thoughts, more focus and better play. This is a tall order, I realize, especially when you must do it while avoiding over-trying, which, of course, is generally counter-productive in golf.

An example of what I’m talking about occurred May 17 at the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, when iScottie Scheffler was trying to maneuver around a traffic snarl on his way to the front gates of the golf course, and was handcuffed and arrested by a police officer in a law enforcement mess-up. He spent a couple of hours in jail at police headquarters before returning to Valhalla. That would be enough trauma to shake up anyone. Scheffler then went out and shot 5 under par 66. He’s my poster child for emotional resilience. 

When you’re on the golf course, think of yourself as your own caddy. Caddies on tour don’t tear their players down – they build them up. Don’t be overly critical of yourself; be your own caddy and coach yourself into good decisions, good shots, a serene mind and calm insides. If today didn’t go well, there is always tomorrow, so we can accept the challenge of changing what went wrong. Make a choice to feel good about yourself regardless of the outcome of any single round. Learn to guide your own emotions.