Daily Trust

10 pointers to great golfing

- By Tony Akhigbe [0805618007­1]

They say golf’s ability is to teach us many of life’s most important lessons. This means that even though you probably don’t have a shot as being the best, you do have a shot at being the best you can be. This means both failure and success in the game are temporary. But you must remember that even though the best golfers have the chances to win, the other golfers have the most chances to improve. Too many complexiti­es in this game, you will say. But we have broken down these complexiti­es to just ten points. Imbibe them and you will soon be punching the sky with sheer joy, just like world’s best, Dustin Johnson does daily. Enjoy the tips.

Believe you can win

1. At all times, forget that those you have to compete with hit it further than can. They could hit it straighter. Their bunker play could be fantastic. And they could chip and putt better. But always believe that if those guys can win so you can. Just work on your game, and over time you will get better. 2. Don’t bother where you stand at the 18th Green. Just stay in the present. This means not allowing yourself to be-seduced by a score or by winning until you run out of holes. Always pick a target, visualize the shot and let it rip.

3. Sulking anything

The worst thing you can do for your prospects of winning is to get down when things don’t go well. If you start feeling sorry for yourself or thinking the golfing gods are conspiring against you, you will never be focused. 4. Every time you have the urge to make an aggressive play, go with the more conservati­ve one. You’ll always be ok. In a tournament, the rough is thicker, the pins are tougher,

Don’t be seduced by results

won’t get you

Beat them with patience

and the greens are faster. The moment you get impatient, bad things happen.

5. unsolicite­d swing

Ignore advice

Someone can just step up and say: I don’t know what you’re doing with your putting, but that’s not the way you used to set up. A few minutes later another player comes over: “You don’t have your eyes over the ball the way you used to. Now my guy doesn’t know what to think. He went from making everything he looked at to being a mess the next day. You’ll have lots of well-meaning friends who want to give you advice. Don’t accept it. In fact, stop them before they can say a word. Their comments will creep into your mind when you’re on the course. If you’ve worked on your game, commit to the plan and stay confident.

6. your golf

Embrace personalit­y

Some players love to socialize on the course. Others like to keep to themselves. The key is to find what works best for you.

Have a routine to lean on

7. Always follow a mental and physical routine on every shot. It keeps you focused on what you have to do, and when the pressure is on, it helps you manage your nerves. 8. When you practice hard and admit to yourself that you really want to win, it’s easy to build up a tournament into something so huge that you can’t play. You can see players who are not used to competing arrive two hours before their tee time and try to rebuild their golf swings. They become panicked and try to perfect every area of their game. They get themselves so tied up in knots it’s ridiculous. But always remember that the golf course has to be your sanctuary, the thing you love, and you can’t be afraid of messing up. 9. You must believe that stroke play is real golf. There are lots of people who are good in matches but can’t get it on in stroke play. But most guys who are

Find peace on the course Test yourself in strokeplay

good at stroke play also thrive in matches. When you have to count every shot, it’s a tougher game. Too often guys go out as a foursome and play “our best ball against your best ball”. That has its place, but stroke play makes you mentally tough.

10. someone

Find believes in you

who

The greatest thing that could get going for passionate golfers is that ability to believe in other people’s talents. You can see people doing things they can’t see themselves doing. Every champion needs that. The great Hogan once mentioned that he considered quitting the game several times early in his career because he didn’t think he was providing for his wife the way he should. But his wife, Valerie, wouldn’t let him quit. She knew he’d never be satisfied until he won Majors. Having confidence in yourself is important, but it helps to have someone who believes in you, too, whether it’s a spouse, a friend, a teacher, or even a sport psychologi­st.

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