I want to say great story but it doesn’t sound right. Going through that must’ve been pretty tough. It was for me when I decided to take a few years off. I took up the game in 2015 and steamrolled my way to improvement. My ridiculous expectations were only solidified. If I could get to a 10 in under 2 years of playing, I should be scratch in no time, right? I didn’t even know how to swing a club and I was threatening par at times. Imagine how good I’ll be when I actually learn the golf swing.
So I did. And then I started getting the shanks. And then I started slicing to protect against it. And then my scores suffered. And then the frustration built. And then the anger followed. And then I tomahawked my first club. And then I followed it up with more. And then I looked in the mirror. Why was I spending all that time working on a game that was making me act like a donkey? I started getting into the mental side and played to “have fun”. Poor shots and poor play wasn’t fun. I gave it up for a couple years, playing 1 round in that timeframe.
I started golfing again a year ago. Found THP again. Worked harder on my mental game - acceptance more than anything. I found something that resonated when I heard something like “accepting a bad outcome doesn’t mean you don’t care. You can still care and accept the bad outcomes.” And that started me back on the path of enjoying golf. It didn’t help my skill, but it let me accept that just because I’m bad today doesn’t mean I have to stay that way forever. I still have goals, big goals judging by my current handicap. I’m taking lessons and putting time in to get the skill part better. As both my mental game and skill improve slightly I’m sure I’ll be tested again. I’m hoping I’m better equipped to pass the test when it comes.
So I did. And then I started getting the shanks. And then I started slicing to protect against it. And then my scores suffered. And then the frustration built. And then the anger followed. And then I tomahawked my first club. And then I followed it up with more. And then I looked in the mirror. Why was I spending all that time working on a game that was making me act like a donkey? I started getting into the mental side and played to “have fun”. Poor shots and poor play wasn’t fun. I gave it up for a couple years, playing 1 round in that timeframe.
I started golfing again a year ago. Found THP again. Worked harder on my mental game - acceptance more than anything. I found something that resonated when I heard something like “accepting a bad outcome doesn’t mean you don’t care. You can still care and accept the bad outcomes.” And that started me back on the path of enjoying golf. It didn’t help my skill, but it let me accept that just because I’m bad today doesn’t mean I have to stay that way forever. I still have goals, big goals judging by my current handicap. I’m taking lessons and putting time in to get the skill part better. As both my mental game and skill improve slightly I’m sure I’ll be tested again. I’m hoping I’m better equipped to pass the test when it comes.