Golf and Adrenaline’
Over the past few years we have been advised on the effects of adrenaline and how it provides the so-called “pumped-up” feeling.
It may seem to some golfers that they should promote and use this as it offers some sort of an advantage but this is not so because the two main reasons for adrenaline flow are anger and fear and these are the two main feelings in golf, you must avoid as much as possible.
It is also produced when you are too excited or at times when you find the pressure much too difficult to handle and if you add to this the lack of control provided by the fear of ’getting it wrong’, then you are really in trouble and often allow yourself to become a quivering jelly which just can’t cope.
One thing you must remember to do on these occasions is to take one club less because you will almost certainly hit the ball further than you normally would, and obviously on those days when lethargy is more prominent than excitement, one club more.
You have all seen players hit the ball too far, particularly in the professional game, and in the Open at Troon many years ago you saw Greg Norman drive the ball a tremendous distance on the 18th hole but into a bunker considered ‘out of reach’ and this was the direct result of adrenaline, which limits the ability to control our actions.
Obviously, there are times in life when you do need this extra energy to cope with an emergency and this is the reason why the human body can supply such energy, however playing golf should not be one of these times because it is a game which demands peace of mind, and all the feelings which are associated with contentment.
You must strike the ball with peaceful authority, then you will hit the ball the correct distance and have a much better chance of it going in the right direction and at all times you must avoid being too excited, try not to become angry and not allow the fear aspect of golf to reduce you to an also ran.
Peaceful authority is POSITIVE power.