Mental Skills for Golf: Emotion Control

Let's say you just chunked a shot or missed a three foot putt before you throw your club. Watch this video and learn how you can control your emotions in those moments a little bit better. As I've been saying throughout the series, golf is a mental game and one bad shot can spiral into a bad round. Staying calm helps you make better decisions and swing more freely. So I want to give you all three quick tips for better emotional control when you're golfing. Number one is to breathe intentionally between each shot.

Take a slow, deep breath after a tough shot shot. It helps reset your nervous system and calms your mind. Number two is to create a reset ritual that you do whenever you need to reset. Have a small action that you might make after a mistake or in general where you're losing control of your emotions. That action could be cleaning your club, adjusting your glove, whatever works for you to mentally signify that you are moving on to the next shot. This reset ritual can help you improve your ability.

Like I talked about in a previous video, to stay focused and present. And the third, third quick tip I have for you all to be better at emotionally controlling yourself while you're playing golf is to talk to yourself like a caddy or a coach or a friend. Be supportive, not critical. Which again connects to a previous video where I talk about self talk, your internal dialogue and how it can affect your confidence, but it can also affect your emotions that you experience. So for example, hey, that's one shot.

You've got this next one instead of oh, I always mess this up. Be productive and and treat yourself like you are your own best caddy. In regards to emotional control, you can't control every shot, but you can control how you respond to each shot. So my challenge for you is next round. Focus on your reactions after each shot and how you can have better control. Be more productive. Great way to lower your score without even focusing on your swing itself.