Bad Golf Happens

I want to talk a bit about playing bad golf. Before I do I will do the Men's Night recap. That way, if you aren't interested in my ramblings you may simply stop after you find out how everyone did on Wednesday.

We had 32 golfers last week. Skins went on three holes. Winners included Neuf / Jason Gorrell ($20 on #2), Charlie McNabb / Charles McKay ($86.25 on #3), and Chirs Kimpinski / Kendal Korsocil ($42.50 on #8).  Closest to the pins were Keith Martin on #5 and Wes Arnfinson on #9. The $60 deuce pot was split by Wes, Mark Pawluk, and Scott Maynes.

So that was Men's Night...now for some rambling self reflection.

I write a lot about staying positive on the golf course. Sometimes it is challenging. Like most golfers I like to play well. I am fine playing with okay. It is more frustrating when I struggle a bit. 

I am not sure about everyone else but my golf game usually stays fairly consistent. But I have periods of highs and lows. Some days and weeks I hit it exactly where I want to and my score and enjoyment reflects this. On other occasions the opposite is true.  

Since last Sunday I have been in a bit of a funk. I don't feel comnfortable over the ball. I am hitting in places where I usually don't. I am messing around with my swing, my stance, and my grip. I am watching videos, trying positive swing thoughts, and starting to distrust certain brands of golf balls.

In this moment, I feel that my golf game is getting worse every time I play. Apparently that happens to a lot of people. It comes on suddenly, without much warning. One day you’re hitting the middle of the fairway and the next if feels like you’ve totally lost your swing. This situation shouldn’t be handled with panic or anxiety. Your golf swing is not lost. You still have your golf swing. You don’t just lose it.

It's funny because I have golfed a lot this year. I incorrectly assumed thought that my game would just keep improving after every hole added to my annual total. It hasn't as of late. However, I am just going to accept the current situation and not get too stressed about it. Not accepting that you will have periods of bad streaks will cause you to start to fiddle and tinker with your golf swing. I have done that and it hasn't worked.

There is a fine line between a great golf shot and a terrible golf shot. The difference may be as small as a half inch, perhaps the distance between the center of your golf club and the toe of your golf club. Once you get a little tense because of a bad shot or a bad hole, it is easy to lose that half an inch and start hitting bad shots.

So for anyone else experiencing a rough patch, it likely will not last forever. Be grateful that it isn't winter. Be happy that we have a golf course in town that you may play whenever you want. If we put all the emphasis on how we play, sometimes it isn't fun. If we put the emphasis more on having fun, there is less pressure on how you play.

Plus there is no point in worrying. It's not like we have a big horse race tournament on Saturday.