Play without fear
As we grow older, we inherently become more sceptical about everything. This is a natural by-product of experiencing the world around us. We learn what we like and what we don’t like. How else would we know that a stove top is hot or that chicken livers are eaten only by the clinically insane? This trial and error process continues throughout our lives and is the reason why we question before we act. As a kid, you did exactly the opposite. There was less “fear” especially when you were playing sports. Having little to no knowledge about what can go wrong, allowed you to commit to the decisions that you made. Yes, you failed, got bowled out, fumbled the ball, or made a triple bogey but it didn’t stop you from trying again. The failure didn’t prohibit you from attempting the task again, it taught you how to improve. I think as we become older and more weary, we allow this fear of failure to inhibit our ability not necessarily to take risks, but to commit. We find ourselves thinking about how things could go wrong, rather than making a calculated decision and focusing on the positives.
Get creative
As we allow the fear of failure to grab hold of us, we find ourselves playing in a box. We make decisions based on what is around us and what we know, not always thinking about trying new ways to achieve success or ways to win. Being creative in a round of golf can be an excellent way to learn what we can do or learn new ways to achieve. Trying new things has to be implemented into your practice sessions, allowing you to increase your shot selection when on the golf course. For example; approaching the green from a set distance would result in many golfers selecting the club that they know and trust, however, a creative golfer, one who is willing to try something outside the box may select a club that will allow them to fade the ball into the wind, not having to hit as hard and let the wind and shot shape to ensure the ball lands softer on the green. Knowing what works for you as a golfer is important, always, however, don’t be afraid to expand your shot repertoire, increase your shot options and be excited about making mistakes on the course…
Know your limitations
Now, be creative, expand, try new shots when practising and commit without fear, however…know your limitations. What do I mean by this?
A golfer knows their club distances first and foremost, so someone playing a tee shot that requires a 300-yard carry over bunkers, but can only hit their driver 270 yards, should not attempt to clear them. Knowing your limitations is not about sticking to what you know and not trying new things but it is about understanding what you are capable of at that time. Timing is also a key factor when you are in a competition and are playing against a competitor, knowing your limits and how they affect you will help you make better decisions when under pressure… This will not result in failure, it just means you have to play to your strengths at this time, accept that you will need to play within your known limitations and ‘take the medicine’ on specific shots. Lastly, understanding what your body can do is also vital, don’t push yourself in competition; realising when you are fatigued can be the difference between hitting the same club 10m shorter than you did previously in the same round. Train your body like you have to train your mind in golf…know your own body’s limitations; warm up correctly, improve your flexibility and be ‘golf fit’.
Practice more
We as adults have ‘life’ constraints; work, family, and additional commitments but when we are young we practice with less fear, we practice often because we have time or family support and because we want to get better.
Practice is not about finding that quick fix, it is about being creative with our practice time, exploring our shot repertoire, and committing to decisions that will face us on the course. When we use repetition and replicate our competition environments, it inherently results in more confidence and a higher execution rate of the task at hand. Practice is a key fundamental to improving that overall understanding to ‘play’ the game. When we practice like this, we start to feel more comfortable in competition and become more confident in our ability because our ‘practice’ sessions mirror our ‘game’ time.
Play another sport
Variety in your sporting life is key. Using your transferable skills allows a sportsman/ woman to enhance their; hand-eye coordination, balance, agility, speed, spatial awareness and reaction time to name but a few. Yes, it is important to focus on that one sport that drives you and makes you want to be the best, however, variety will allow this to happen faster. The sport that ‘doesn’t matter’ as much will allow you to be creative without fear and minimise the fear of failure. It subsequently develops your passion for the sport that does matter, making you hungry for success which in turn will result in you becoming the player who; plays creatively, plays without fear, improves their knowledge, understands their limitations and wants to practice as often as possible under the right conditions.