The Way Golfers Screw Up: Ambitions
March 22, 2008 – 9:14 am | by GolfdirtOriginally Published in HumanGolf.com
By Martin Vousden
PREVIOUSLY: Lessons
We should: Remember the old but nonetheless true adage, “It doesn’t matter ‘how’ but ‘how many.’” This is the philosophy adopted by Tour pros who are, after all, the absolute best in the world at what they do — to the extent where they even have a phrase for it, which is “playing ugly.” This means being able to scrape together a score, no matter how badly they’re swinging the club.
We do: Constantly beat ourselves up for falling short of some vague, idealized notion of how we should play. Not convinced? Then answer the following question honestly.
If given a choice, on a par three hole would you rather?
- Hit the ball so sweet and pure that it goes further than you’ve ever hit that particular club before, with the result that it flies the green.
- Top the damned thing so badly that your fingers sting and the ball runs along the ground, between two bunkers, onto the green.
If you answered “a” you illustrate the point perfectly. If you answered “b,” you’re lying.
NEXT: Pace of Play
Martin Vousden is a freelance golf writer, a former editor of Today’s Golfer and launch editor of Golf Buyer and Swing magazines. His book, With Friends Like These; A Selective History of the Ryder Cup, was published in 2006 by Time Warner. He edits the RareBirdie.com website.
