Fear is one of the primary emotions experienced by golfers. It is the emotion that creates extra strokes and prevents players from going to another level of play, such as PGA, college or achieving single-digit handicap. Why is there so much fear over a game? Anyone would understand feeling fear when skydiving for the first time, being chased by a rabid dog, or the possibility of losing a job. But a golf shot?
Yes, the golf shot or tournament can be one of the most fearful experiences in sports. It does not make logical sense, but many times emotions don't. Even though fear may be present and not necessarily logical, it does not mean it has to control our experience on the golf course - we can learn to acknowledge and manage fear. Here are three key ways to do so:
1. Acknowledge Fear: Fear is a part of golf. When we ignore it, it grows larger and has power over us. Embrace your awareness of fear, acknowledge it, and challenge the thinking behind it (now, if it indeed were that simple, we would all do it and sport psychologists would not be needed!) There is tremendous power in accepting fear. Remember, it is a feeling, not reality.
2. Challenge the Thoughts: If you are experiencing fear, you are creating it. More specifically, your thoughts are creating it. A shot or tournament does not cause you to feel fear; your thoughts about that shot or tournament do. If you think "What if I miss the cut?" or "What if I miss the travel team?", these thoughts create fear. When you get your thoughts right, your game is right.
3. Keep Perspective: Just as the title of this article asks, "What is the worst-case scenario" is a question to keep perspective. If you are experiencing a high level of fear, ask yourself this question. No matter the shot or result, you are not going to die, develop cancer, lose the love of your family, or your most prized possessions. This does not mean golf is not important, but it is never life and death. As you have heard many times, ANY day on the golf course is better than one not on the golf course!