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LISTICLE/07/04/2023
07

mental effects of golf that will change your life

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Golf is one of the most popular sports to switch off and let the soul dangle. Golf is not only relaxing, but also challenging. And best of all, the sport has many mental aspects that can have a positive impact on both your personal and professional life. We present seven effects that golf can have on your life.

01

Flow

Three pars in the first three holes. For most amateur golfers, such a round start is a dream. But how can the flow be taken after such a round start without wanting too much? It often happens that one's own abilities are overestimated and an exaggerated club choice is made that would rather apply to a PGA Tour professional.

It is important to be able to assess one's own abilities well and to let the self-confidence gained from the previous holes flow into the current swing. This also applies to everyday life: positive events strengthen mental power and self-confidence; the positive thoughts and flow must then be transferred to other situations, but without becoming arrogant or taking off.

02

Conviction

Sometimes, however, twelve balls are lost on the first three holes. Nevertheless, the same challenge awaits the player on the fourth hole. Now it's time to trust in your own abilities and check off the beginning of the round. In golf, it helps to use your favourite club, even if it may not be the best choice for the shot. However, the chance of placing a nice golf shot is much higher. In this way, self-confidence can be upgraded again.

In life, too, many failures and setbacks await us. As in the game of golf, it helps to block out thoughts about past and also future paths in life and focus on the "Hit with your favorite club". The familiar situation, which often leads to success, gives new self-confidence and supports concentration. It is important not to question the entire life or, as in golf, to question all learned skills at once.

Golf teaches you to keep your focus.
Image credit:
Benedikt Bauer
03

Make a cut

Many players have mental problems when their athletic performance fluctuates extremely. One way to develop consistency throughout is to make a cut. This means not philosophizing all the way to the next tee after a shot about why this shot wasn't optimal and why things haven't been going well all day. It's often better to think about something completely different from golf after a shot. This works even better with a playing partner: To relax, simply steer the conversation to other topics. And then, on the next tee shot, focus on the ball.

Off the golf course, the ability to switch gears quickly can help you get a better handle on your work-life balance. On the one hand, so that you don't take the stress of work home with you to your friends and family, and on the other hand, so that you can perform at your best at work. Because good results also increase the chances of salary increases and promotion opportunities.

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04

Accept challenges

The perfect shot cannot always be executed. Even the balls of the pros often land between trees, close to water or in a sand bunker. In these situations, successful players try not to let past strokes influence their next shot. The greater the mental ability to accept the challenge, the easier it is to profit from precarious situations anyway.

This means that the better you can cope with every conceivable situation in the Gulf, the easier it is to transfer this mental strength to your own life. For example, a large property damage, for example in a car accident, can bring a heavy burden with it, at which many people break. Alternatively, one does not look for culprits and responsible persons for this situation, but immediately tackles the solution of the problem. Comparable with a blow through all the trees yet on the green.

05

Emotion Control

One of the most important effects that can be transferred from golf to everyday life is controlling one's emotions. After all, emotions, whether positive or negative, can make the game of golf much more difficult. The best thing to do is to go into each new game situation as neutrally as possible in order to achieve the best possible result.

After some time, you get better and better at achieving an inner calm on the golf course, and you can take it home with you from the course. Radiating calmness not only brings great added value to everyone, but can also develop a certain group dynamic. The calmer you are, the more relaxed the people around you will be.

There is power in calm - also in golf.
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Tyler Hendy/Pexels
06

Concentration on one thing

Training concentration while golfing is another effect that can be taken into everyday life. Shortly before a shot, you have to focus only on the swing. Every little distraction interferes, even if it's just a thought, such as that the club is slightly dirty. Then you should stop the shot, because in most cases it probably won't be a good shot.

What does that mean for everyday life? You should concentrate on one thing and not let anything upset you. Because, especially in the fast-paced, modern world with its many distractions, concentration on one thing is becoming increasingly difficult.

07

Relaxed in everyday life

Making a tee shot during a sunset and pleasant 20 degrees at a hole, and the only thing you hear is the birds chirping from the forest - this experience of nature is one of the most soothing effects of golf. This kind of relaxation - without having to give up the sporting competition - only a few sports offer this kind of relaxation. And that's why many golfers find it easy to take the peace and quiet they experience on the golf course home with them.

 

Text: Benedikt Bauer

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