The next ten “Tip of the Day”s are being taken from an article by Dr. Bob Rotella for Golf Digest, titled “Inside the Golfer’s Mind.” We’re paraphrasing, changing the language a little, and condensing his typical three to four paragraphs into one or two. This is tip four of ten: the past is the past.
The instant your club makes contact with the ball, the shot is in the past. You can’t change the physics of your ball flying through the air or your ball rolling on the green (not legally, anyway). The shot has already happened. The result you can’t affect. The next shot you can. Getting angry over a missed putt, a fat 7-iron, or a sprayed drive means that you’re not playing in the present and focusing on the next shot.
Remaining competitive does not mean getting angry with yourself – it means making up for mistakes with great shots. The next shots after your misses. You’ve probably made par from the junk before. Do it again. Worrying about the shot that put you into the junk won’t help get the ball in the hole. The past is the past: worry about the next shot. It’s the only one that matters.