Why acceptance could be the secret to better golf

During the round

If you’re a casual golfer and your game has deserted you, shift your focus to things outside yourself. Make a real effort to spark up a conversation with your playing partners about something interesting. Look for a deeper connection with the people you’re with. Enjoy being outdoors — notice the birds, take in the smells in the air.

I’m not saying this is easy, but force yourself to choose these things to focus on by actually doing them. What happens is it resets you mentally and helps release some of that pent-up tension you may be carrying.

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Straight after the game

This is where the real work begins. Someone in the clubhouse asks, “Hey, how did you play?” and the temptation is to fire back with:
“Mate, you wouldn’t believe how much I suck at golf. I’m so useless. You should’ve seen the bad luck I copped today, blah blah blah…”

We’ve all seen this — I’ve been guilty of it too. But here’s the thing: when you start throwing out that kind of negativity, you turn into a bit of a human shit magnet (yep, that’s right). Everything feels worse, the world looks darker, and you actually start to revel in it. It does you no good, and honestly, it’s not much fun for the people around you either.

Instead, you could answer:
“Thanks for asking. It was a challenging day, I didn’t have my best stuff, but the guys I played with played well and we had a good time. The greens were rolling great today, don’t you think?”

Two very different answers. Which one do you want to be? Changing this habit is tough, but I encourage you to be really conscious of it the next time you have a stinker of a round. Be a great playing partner and put out positive energy — you might be surprised how much better it feels. Dwelling on how badly you played is a habit that’s hard to break and damaging if you’re serious about improving, or if you’re guiding a young aspiring golfer.

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Between rounds

We all want to play well. After your game, take a few minutes to journal some positive shots you hit — describe them in detail. Then jot down one or two key areas you could work on that will have the biggest impact on your score next time. If possible, commit to actually working on those areas during the week.

The word you should be carrying with you - maybe even written on a card in your pocket - is acceptance. Improvement in golf is rarely linear. Acceptance helps you stay consistent, enjoy the experience, and stop obsessing over results.

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Final word

Golf will always test you. The question is whether you let it get you down or whether you accept it, reset, and keep moving forward. Master that, and not only will your golf improve — you’ll enjoy the game a hell of a lot more.