We all love to win when playing golf. Winning can be defeating a single opponent in a match play event, winning a stroke play tournament, defeating a group of friends or hitting a new low score on a particular golf course. It’s a great feeling.
Losing is a different feeling altogether.
In the words of Ben Crenshaw, two-time Masters champion, “You learn to accept defeat graciously in golf. Unlike other sports, the game itself is a constant opponent. It never stops. A golfer is fortunate to win a few times. We spend our whole lives trying to conquer something, and we lose a lot more than we win”.
It’s true that the sport of golf is a constant opponent and although we will feel we sometimes win, sometimes we also lose.
However, losing or hitting a big score when playing golf does not need to be a negative experience. In fact, many positives can be taken from defeat, sometimes more so than from winning.
Losing a tournament or feeling defeated by a course gives you the opportunity to address what went wrong and work on your weaknesses. Look back on the round of golf you played and try and analyse what went wrong. Think about your shots off the tee, your approach play and your putting.
Did one aspect of your game suffer more than any other? If so, use your practice time to work on that area of your game and try and improve it for next time.
Perhaps the reason you lost was nothing to do with the way you played and more to do with your motivational levels. If you have been enjoying a good winning streak or playing very well for a period, sometimes you can switch off during a round. The defeat will encourage you to come back with renewed determination.
Losing also provides you with a new goal. If there is something you struggled with on the golf course, which lead to defeat, you now have a new challenge to overcome. This is great for motivational levels. You now have something from which to bounce back and this should be enough on its own to add to your resilience next time you are on the course.
Having a disappointing round of golf can help to redefine your goals. If you are consistently struggling to hit your current goals perhaps it is time to look at them and create a new one, which is not as difficult as your current goal.
Finally, losing can help to put your golf into perspective. You may enjoy a few successful rounds and believe you are untouchable on the golf course. This often leads to players taking on risky shots in the belief they can hit anything.
Having the occasional reminder that the golf course is in charge hurts no one and allows you to take stock of your own game. The next time you find yourself standing in the same place with a risky shot, you may just reconsider what to do.
Suffering defeat in golf should never be a reason for disappointment. Instead it is the sports way of reminding you to keep practicing and striving to become a better player. There is nothing wrong with that.
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