Instruction
A key to success in any aspect of life is to believe in your ability . When you believe in yourself , you never give up . You are willing to work hard and take risks . A round of golf has its ups and downs . It is rare to play 18 holes of golf and not have a couple dif� cult shots or holes . The winner is usually the one who best handled adversity . If you make a terrible shot , you have to believe that you can make a good recovery shot . As an adult , if you make a bad business decision , you must believe that you can learn from that and do better in the future . Self-belief keeps you in the game . Self-belief is also the result of hard work and re� ning one ’ s skill . It is not just saying , “ I am good .” Because , if you have not practiced , prepared and developed a level of skill , you know you are only hoping for the best . You know there is little depth to your belief . Hard work , perseverance , and good training result in a realistic belief in yourself that will sustain you when life gets tough .
easy to be upset when you do not live up to what you think you should be doing .
Focus and Concentration
Lapse of focus and concentration is an issue for golfers of any age . The diagnosis of ADD or ADHD is so widely used today that many younger golfers feel they have concentration and focus problems . Poor concentration along with lack of emotional control leads to poor decision-making and bad course management . Good decisions throughout a round can save many strokes and avoid big blowups . Greater concentration also allows for enhanced visualization skills-another important factor in peak performance . A strong mental game requires an ability to stay focused when it really counts .
There are a couple of things one can learn to help in this important area : meditation , selfhypnosis , and yoga breathing techniques .
Diet can play an important role in supporting enhanced focus and concentration : junk food with lots of sugar will lead to mental breakdown .
Realistic Expectations
The junior golf can spare himself or herself a lot of unnecessary frustration if he or she will realize that golf is a very dif�cult game to master . It takes years and thousands of hours of dedicated practice to become a scratch golfer . There are so many aspects to the game : driving , irons , short game , trouble shots , putting , chipping , and bunker shots . There are also so many different conditions that need to be learned : windy days , rainy days , cold days , hot days , foggy days , etc . This is not a game that one masters in a few months or every a few years . It is a game that requires a long-term perspective . Learning and change takes time . Bob Rotella has a great saying , “ Golf is not a game of perfect .” The sooner a junior golfer can learn this and make peace with mistakes and the learning process , the happier and more successful he or she will be .
Perseverance
As I mentioned above , golf is a tough game . It does take a long time to become very good and a lot of practice and learning to become great . A player has to persevere and keep at it . If a child has a tendency to give up when frustration hits and expects instant success , then trouble lies ahead with this game . Patience is a virtue that supports perseverance . It can take a year to make a major swing change and as a child is growing with physical changes , he or she has to adapt -- all this takes time . Long-term goals are important for the junior golfer with the patience to keep working to obtain them .
Personal Responsibility
Part of growing up is learning to take responsibility for your actions and behaviors . Since golf is such a dif�cult game , it takes a lot of work to become great . A junior golfer has to show up to practice , work on the thing that are identi�ed by his or her coach , and realize that there is no one to blame for lack of progress and success : bad lies , tough greens , tough conditions , or other players are not the cause of poor performance . It is the person swinging the club . Golf is a great game for a child or adolescent because it does provide the opportunity to instill values that will last a lifetime . Learning to be accountable is an important part of integrity .
Self-Worth Beyond Golf
One ’ s sense of value and worth should be based upon deeper and more important issues than one ’ s golf game . Unfortunately , the junior golfer that is still developing a solid sense of identity may only rely on outer de�nitions like golf performance , what their friends think of them , or physical appearance . If your worth is de�ned by how well you hit a golf ball and how low you can score , then the door is open for an emotional roller coaster of elation and depression .
The junior golfer needs to know that their worth and value is inherent in their being . Spiritual families can draw upon their faith and encourage a child to realize that he or she is made in the image and likeness of God and he or she has a special purpose in this life , well beyond a golf score . Nonspiritually oriented families can �nd deeper value in one ’ s overall connection to life , people , and one ’ s ability to love and care about others . Whatever the source for self worth , it must be much more than how one hits a golf ball .
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