How to Handle Your Frustration With Putting
Does the frustration from yipping cause a spill over effect into other areas of your game?
According to one reader, David, he thinks that, on hit worst yipping days, it leaks into the rest of his game.
He went on to say there are three reasons for this:
- Missing short putts puts a premium on getting close.
- General frustration blurs a golfer’s focus.
- The round is shot, so you lose interest in the score, and focus is lost.
I think everyone understand the first reason the yips spill over… You start trying too hard to hit it close or chip it close.
Numbers 2 and 3 above are related and not given enough attention. These relate to the emotional reaction to the yips…
I agree with David that when you become frustrated with the yips or the round being shot to heck, this can spill over and affect your entire game.
Frustrations can cause players to:
- Speed up the pace of their routine
- Make bad or hasty decisions
- Try to force shots (or makeup for that bogey)
- Lose interest in the round
None of the above will help you play good golf.
But how do you deal with the frustration so it does not spill over and affect your entire game?
First, make sure you slow down and take your time during decision-making in your routine. Too many golfers will get up over the ball and slap at it when frustrated.
Second, be prepared to talk yourself down. What this means is to have a coping response ready to go when you start to feel hot under the collar.
Your beliefs and expectations about missing are what cause frustration, not the fact you missed.
You might say to yourself, “it’s only one putt” or “I’m not going to make everything I look at” or “have faith that the putts will drop soon.”
Third, if you lose interest in the round because your score has ballooned on you, you might be too focused on score or too score-conscious.
When a target score dominates your mind, and you have a couple bad holes, this will lead to frustration when not playing within your comfort zone or on track to hit your target.
I teach my students to not be so focused on the score they are shooting by instead focusing on the small things that will help them execute good golf shots.
I can tell you that your frustration will keep you locked in the yips cycle.
Related Golf Psychology Articles:
- The Role of the Mind in the Golf Yips
- Why Putting Confidence Disappears With The Yips
- Do You Focus on Missing or Making Putts?
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