How often do you get really angry on the golf course? I guess there are times when you feel like throwing all the clubs away just because you can’t play a good round.

It can happen to anyone of use. There are times when the pro’s get upset at a poor shot especially when it triggers a bad round. We are not robots programmed to perform perfectly all the time. Just look at the numbers who miss the cut on every tournament. Putting yips is a common place where the score blows out as your mind blows up.

So where do we need to start to get on top, not under the pump for situations that have occurred that may not even be our fault. Think over the last round you played! You probably had some very bad hole. Heh! What about the good ones where you got par or heaven’s above a birdie or two. Focus on the good points and how they were achieved. You can’t replay the shots that caused you grief.You need to move on and focus onto the next hole.Okay I hear you say it sounds good but how do I achieve this when I am boiling mad?

Relax. Plan the next hole, not replay the last one. It takes only 2-3 good shots and you could have a birdie or par. Focus on the job in hand not the one gone before. We can’t have our 21st birthday over again so the same applies to golf, we can’t have the shots over again.

Routine. Have a solid routine for setting up before you play a shot. If you have confidence in your swing and keep to a pre-set routine you will focus on this rather than the previous mishap. Get this practice right before you venture onto the golf course so that it becomes automatic.

Reward. Why not Reward yourself when you have a good shot. Skite to your mates. Yell out or punch the air. Just look at the emotions shown when the pro’s hit a winner. They don’t go around sombre and still after a good shot. I have seen Tiger Woods Punch the air when he has hit a good shot or got a good result, so why can’t you do the same.

Results. The results are not always good so be prepared for this and factor it into the mental side of your game. If you played good shots all the time, would you be a local player or on the pro circuit. They don’t all have good rounds just use the results you get and get on with playing a round for pleasure not a chore to belt the daylights out of the ball and hope against hope for a miracle.

I often have bad shots and need to keep on going. You never know you may be getting into a groove and get a reasonable score by the end of the round even though you started disastrously. Keep going and look for help on the mental aids around to help you improve and enjoy a great game.