Managing Stress Both On & Off the Course

‘Tis the season for unnecessary pressures, tough playing conditions, and heightened expectations.  We practice keeping our inner peace with lessons we have learned from golf’s ever-present challenges.  

Here are a few ideas for maintaining inner peace after another three-putt or an upcoming event.  

Establish your own goals. Focus on an element of the game (or holiday situation) that you have 100% control over. For example,
“For 9 holes I am going to give myself a point every time I hit a shot with 100% commitment to the target.”
Or,
“I will get a chocolate chip every time I stay neutral or positive after I burn yet another meal in the microwave.”

Manage expectations. Even though we hit every fairway yesterday, there are no guarantees it will happen again today.  The golf experience (and holidays) are constantly changing.  Expecting certain outcomes can be disappointing and limiting.  Perhaps this year, I will courteously be asked to simply bring a tomato salad.

Breathe! Whatever the stressful situation, a deep breath can lessen the emotional intensity.  Dragging the anger from a double-bogey to the next hole doesn’t contribute to a smooth tempo.  A few deep breaths between the green and tee box will assist in lowering adrenaline levels. It also helps to take a few deep breaths after accidentally dropping your tomato salad on the driveway before you reach the front door.

If all else fails, make sure you have your favorite snacks, like inner peas, packed in your golf bag (or purse). When you need to sneak away to the side of the fairway (or tv room), and simply have a few minutes to yourself.

Dodie Mazzuca is the author of “Seamless Golf,” “Golf Sūtras,” “Daily Golf Tap-Ins,” and is the founder of Golf PROformance LLC. She teaches golf lessons, golf schools, and performance coaching in Santa Cruz, CA and Reno, NV.