Allowing things to distract you when playing a round of golf can be very costly in terms of your final score.
Even the world’s best players can get distracted from time to time, so it is not just a problem associated with amateurs and beginners. The main difference between professionals and the rest of us is when things start going wrong on the course, they tend to cope with it in a better way.
So, what are these distractions and what can we do to cope better with distractions on the golf course?
Dealing with slow play can be very difficult and it is easy to become distracted and lose your concentration when someone is needlessly holding you up on the golf course. You cannot control other people on the course, so you must focus on your own game.
Think about how you are walking between holes and the flow of your routine. If you can keep your own routine going at the usual rate, any slow play from other golfers should not have a negative impact on your score.
Some golfers allow themselves to get distracted due to poor course conditioning. While it is frustrating if the golf course is not in perfect condition, you cannot blame bad shots only on the course.
You are not the only person on the golf course who will be thinking about the conditions if they are bad and it is how you manage them which will determine your performance. If you are playing a tournament, let the others moan about the course while you focus on playing to the best of your ability.
A wind which continually moves from one direction to the next and changes in speed during a round of golf can be a huge distraction.
If it is beginning to take the ball away from your target area, do not continue to try and beat it by being stubborn. It will take over your whole round and make you frustrated. Instead, think about how you can lessen the impact of the wind on your ball, rather than trying to beat it.
Hit your shots lower whenever you can by playing the ball further back in your stance and keeping your follow through a little shorter than usual. Around the greens, play a bump and run instead of a high lob shot whenever you get the opportunity.
Finally, it can be very distracting if you are paired with a golfer your do not know during a round at busy times.
If you are a recreational golfer and do not play tournament golf, this can lead you to wondering how they are judging your game. Focusing on what someone else thinks of your golf is only going to lead to a lack of concentration and dropped shots.
The fact of the matter is, they are probably more worried about their own game than anything you are doing. So, don’t worry about something which is out of your control and enjoy playing golf with someone different and see it an opportunity to perhaps learn something new.
