Are you harder on yourself than anyone else? Do you consider yourself to be a very inconsistent golfer? Have you thought, “Why do I keep doing this to myself?” Well luckily for you, so is everyone else!
One of the most enjoyable aspects of golf is when you finally connect perfectly on a shot that shows you what you are capable of. On the flip side, it can also be frustrating to know what you can do, but wonder why you can’t do it every time. I’m here to tell you that every.. single.. golfer.. goes through this rollercoaster of emotions that you are on. However, I want to tell you why you need to play golf through a lens of seeing the glass as half full.
Did you know that the average score for an 18 hole round in the United States is 102? Yes, that means that if you shoot a 101 you are an above average golfer. See, doesn’t that make you feel better already?!? For a 9 hole round, this would mean that the average score is around 51 for those of you who love to play your rounds here with us at American Classic.
From a mental state though, it’s so important to play golf with confidence. Now we all can agree that this is the most humbling sport on the planet, but it’s extremely important to go into every shot with the confidence that you are going to hit it exactly where you want to. Instead of getting mad though when you miss your line, try to find the positive in the swing and build off of it.
For instance, when you blade one off the tee and it rolls for 50 yards, be happy that it stayed on the fairway and at least was heading towards your target. More times than not, this means that you were set up correctly but maybe you rushed your swing or got a little antsy and looked up before connecting with the ball. When it’s a minor swing fault like that, there’s zero reason to beat yourself up about it and instead, use it as a learning experience to adjust for the next swing.
If you are unsure of what you did that caused you to miss your line and target, don’t be afraid to take a golf lesson. When someone inquires about lessons, their number one request is to be more consistent. Of course you can watch endless videos and read several articles, but every swing is different and having someone physically present to teach you about your swing can make all the difference. If you feel and know that you have it in you to play golf, there’s so much knowledge and experience to gain by scheduling a lesson to help your ball striking.
Now that we gave you our sales pitch on why you should take a lesson with one of our golf pros, we want to stress the importance again of playing golf as the glass is half full. In the history of golf, no one has ever mastered how to hit the ball perfectly straight every time and if you watch the tour players, they too have their share of chip shots out of the bushes and trees (Thank you Phil). That is why it’s important to learn from every shot, and allow them to help those bad swings be fewer and far between. Plus, golf is much more fun to play when you aren’t afraid to fail and learn. Learn from every shot, play with confidence, and always look for the positives in your round.
-Austin Ebersole, Head Golf Professional at American Classic GC
