Some of us have been around this game for a long time and have heard some great advice and then some not so great advice. On everything from the swing, the mechanics, etiquette, etc. But the one piece of advice that has stuck with me all these years was given to me by my father when I was 10 years old.
Being a young kid, I had a temper and had a hard time controlling my emotions on the golf course. I would get so frustrated with myself and take it way too seriously. I would throw my temper tantrums and it would get so bad that my dad would send me back to the car and wait for him to finish because I was embarrassing him. I had a hard time letting go of one bad shot and realizing that it wasn't the end of the round after one bad hole. I had a very difficult time of "staying in the present" or "taking it one shot at a time." Even to this day it's a never ending battle.
My father eventually told me "the average player says they are going to turn it around on the back nine. The better player says they are going to play better on the next hole. The best players say they are going to get it back on the next shot." Just because you topped one off the tee 50 yards, doesn't mean you are out of the hole or the round is ruined. Staying in the present is one of the hardest things to accomplish in golf. The key to the whole thing is to not let your initial mistakes turn into additional ones.
So what say you? What has been the best piece of advice you have received? Something that has stuck with you ... whether you just took up the game or have been playing it for years.
Being a young kid, I had a temper and had a hard time controlling my emotions on the golf course. I would get so frustrated with myself and take it way too seriously. I would throw my temper tantrums and it would get so bad that my dad would send me back to the car and wait for him to finish because I was embarrassing him. I had a hard time letting go of one bad shot and realizing that it wasn't the end of the round after one bad hole. I had a very difficult time of "staying in the present" or "taking it one shot at a time." Even to this day it's a never ending battle.
My father eventually told me "the average player says they are going to turn it around on the back nine. The better player says they are going to play better on the next hole. The best players say they are going to get it back on the next shot." Just because you topped one off the tee 50 yards, doesn't mean you are out of the hole or the round is ruined. Staying in the present is one of the hardest things to accomplish in golf. The key to the whole thing is to not let your initial mistakes turn into additional ones.
So what say you? What has been the best piece of advice you have received? Something that has stuck with you ... whether you just took up the game or have been playing it for years.
