I try to put bad things that have happened to me out of my mind right away. I've two pieces of knowledge that let me do just that, hard as it was at the beginning before my philosophical education took hold[that is, before she purposely developed a mental game]. The first is that over so long a stretch as fifty-four or seventy-two holes of golf, similar misfortunes are sure to overtake virtually everyone else. The second is that in so lengthy a competitive stretch, there's plenty of time and opportunity for your skill -- or luck for that matter -- to have a good chance to take effect and even things out. If you're the best or one of the best, time is on your side, so don't panic. In any case, you can't do anything about spilled milk. All the gnashing of teeth in the world isn't going to change that double-bogey-6 back into the par-4 you should have made, but a couple of birdies will make up for it. About all I do after a bad hole is draw a little fence around the figure on my scorecard, so it won't spill over onto the next hole! When I make a birdie I draw a star. Does that mean I'm superstitious? Sure. Who isn't one way or the other? [p127-8]Now I know that you're going to fixate on the "pro" parts of her advice and say that it won't apply to you. But it does.
After all, everything is a matter of angle -- or, as Obi-Wan Kenobi instructed Luke, "What I instructed you is proper... From a sure factor of view."
First piece of knowledge you should learn: One day of golf isn't how your whole game will go from now on, just as one day of your life isn't the way your whole life will go from now on. You have good days and bad days, and so does everybody else. So don't develop tunnel vision and think your golf world is in shambles just because today was a bad day.
Second piece of knowledge you should learn: One day of golf isn't all you'll have in your life. (Well, probably not. I suppose you could just give up after one day...) Over time, you're going to get better -- and worse -- over and over, and you're going to get some lucky breaks and some unlucky breaks. As Nancy says, "time is on your side." Things will even out over time.
Maybe you may not make multiple birdies to make up for that double- or triple-bogey you made, but you may make a few bogeys and pars in case you do not beat your self up over the awful holes.
And I have to admit that I just like the concept of drawing fences around horrific rankings in your card. And you may draw stars for pars or maybe bogeys if those are correct ratings for you. BTW, there's not anything wrong with 90 or one hundred being a great score for you. If you are not a seasoned golfer and your existence isn't always built round playing golf, you shouldn't decide your game by a pro's standards. Presumably you play golfing due to the fact you revel in the game, now not to your ego. Enjoy yourself and ignore different human beings's critiques!
Nancy's factor is which you can't get your self confidence from a silly game, so don't even try. Golf have to help you handle life higher, no longer make your lifestyles greater traumatic. If it's no longer relieving stress for you, then you definitely need to work in your intellectual game... Or soak up a brand new interest.
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