Though most non-golfers view the idea of hitting a little ball inherently masochistic, the abuse the Bad Golfer experiences does not come from the physical demands of golf. The source of self-abuse is the inner critic, the voice heard inside the heads of all golfers. The inner critic is also responsible for most golf rages by demanding unrealistic performance. One of the primary challenges of the mental side of golf is learning how to manage the inner critic. The following are strategies that the Bad Golfer can use to reduce the influence of the inner critic.
Anxiety fuels the inner critic.
The Bad Golfer can starve the inner critic by reducing the jitters by practicing relaxation techniques. Selective memory . Golfers are notorious for replaying shots in their minds. The Bad Golfer often ruminates on episodes of really Bad Golf while the Good Golfer selective forgets bad shots. For example, Jack Nicklaus was once asked by a reporter about a shank he hit during a round.