The game of golf is a game of skill and endurance, but there is also a mental component to the game that can separate a successful round of golf from a nightmare. The ability to clearly think through each and every shot, without becoming distracted or frustrated, is critical throughout the course of a five-hour round of golf. Most important, you have to perform self-therapy several times per round to keep your mind clear and focused. 

The first, and perhaps most important thing to remember is that each shot must stand on its own. There is nothing you can do about the last bad shot that you hit, so do not dwell on it. Conversely, you can’t think too many shots, or holes, ahead. You must play with the mindset that the most important shot of your entire round is the one you are preparing to hit. 

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It is important not to dwell on bad shots, but you should take ownership of your mistakes. Bad breaks can arise that are outside of your control, but you shouldn’t be upset that a ball took a bad carom off of a tree, you should accept that a good shot on your part would not have hit the tree in the first place. You need not go through the five phases of death – anger, denial, bargaining, regret and acceptance – you should just go straight to “acceptance”, and prepare to hit your next shot. 

If you do hit a bad shot, you should spend the time walking or riding to your next shot thinking about what it was that you did to hit the shot poorly. Once you have analyzed your mistake, make a mental note of it, so you won’t make the same mistake again in the future. Throughout the course of a round of golf, a golfer should also make mental notes of mistakes and aspects that he can work on at the practice range in between rounds of play. 

Finally, remember to have fun. A day at the golf course is a long one, there is plenty that can go wrong from the very first tee box, but stay focused on why you are there – to enjoy the day and play a game. It is a fun game to play, and even more fun when you are playing the game well, so remember to put in the hours of practice required to improve your game. If you have not taken the appropriate measures to prepare yourself for success, then you should lower your expectations of your performance, and play just to enjoy the day with good company.

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