How to Control Temper Tantrums on the Golf Course

Have you ever thrown or even broken a golf club after a few sequentially awful golf shots? Perhaps you've chucked a club into the pond or stormed off a green in disgust after three-putting from under ten feet?

Many golfers can remember a time when their bad golf shots resulted in some sort of temper tantrum ...did it help, or hurt, your round?

Sergio Garcia is, perhaps, the king of temper tantrums on the golf course. I remember years ago after he missed an easy putt, Sergio spat into the cup ...and it was captured right on TV. I wondered how Tom Lehman, the next golfer to putt, felt picking up a wet ball, not to mention if Sergio Garcia even thought about his actions on the golf course.

More recent notable infractions include Sergio's response to a poor tee shot on the 16th hole of the WGC tournament in Memphis - Garcia slammed his club into the tee box. Subsequently, at The 2019 Open, Garcia again portrayed a breach of etiquette by flipping his golf club without even looking, endangering his nearby caddie. Sergio was disqualified after admitting to bad behavior in Saudi Arabia for "serious misconduct".

Sergio Garcia's temper tantrums might cause him some grief off course as some PGA Tour are calling for the golfer to be banned from play. 

Actions always have consequences, so, even if he doesn't receive a suspension, Garcia's anger and tantrums must internally be affecting his game. What can Sergio Garcia, and amateurs who suffer from temper outbursts do to stop the madness?

Related Read: Frustration led DeChambeau to Do This on the Golf Course

Gaining control of your emotions before a round of golf starts with positive self-talk and having confidence in your game. Remember that, although golfers strive for perfection, golf is a game of recovery. Don't beat yourself up for not having a perfect shot - instead, be excited at the prospect of "the game" itself, that is, getting back into play and into the hole in the least number of strokes. You play golf against yourself, which means that you tackle both physical and emotional elements for eighteen holes.

Joan King wrote an article on the expectations we have in golf and how to manage your emotions on the course to score better and have more fun. King states, "How good you are at golf is determined by how you react to the ever-changing situations during the round, not about what you expect will happen. The more flexible you are, the more control you have."

Lastly, think about how you look to the rest of your group as you get teed off...do they even want to invite you out for another round?

Your thoughts are welcomed in the comments section of this golf blog and tag us on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

photo: PublicDomainPictures.net

What Type of #Golf Do YOU Play When Score Matters?

How do you think you would play golf if your PGA Tour card was on the line? Would you calmly navigate the golf course or would your grip tighten on every club and suddenly come down with a case of "the yips"?

Some familiar names on the Web.com Tour, like Sam Saunders and Peter Uihlein, rose to the occasion this past week and snagged a spot for the 2018 season. Other golfers, like Matt Harmon, could not muster up the skills needed to deal with the situation at hand, missing short putts when they mattered most.

With only two holes left to play, Matt Harmon unraveled.

It wasn't necessarily his putting that let him down, although he missed several short putts on 17 and 18 - it was his mental game which collapsed and, to wit, Harmon snapped his putter in two further allowing his emotions to get the better of him.

Even more upsetting to this competitor is that, according to Golf Digest, Harmon is number one in driving distance on the Web.com Tour which means he had no troubles in getting to the green in regulation, just holing out.

What was the difference between Harmon's journey to claim his Web.com tour card and Sam Saunders' triumphant 59 with his PGA Tour card at stake? In my opinion, attitude under pressure.

You can either give in to nerves or take a deep breath, assess the situation and not let pressure take control of you. Ok, easier said than done.

Golf for Beginners has compiled a short list of ways to combat nerves on the course.

1. Divide and Conquer: You wouldn't eat an entire cherry pie, would you? Ok, maybe some of you would... Instead of looking at the golf course as a whole, try separating the entire eighteen holes into individual slices, making each into its own journey.

2. Breathe: Sounds simple, doesn't it? Try taking a deep breath right before you take your next shot. Stand up to the golf ball and, just before you are ready to take that swing, slowly inhale and exhale. You will be amazed at how this simple fix gives you better tempo and ease of mind.

3. Opportunity Awaits: You made a bad shot, or the hole is lost. Time for positive self-talk instead of drowning your sorrows. Stay in the moment, tell yourself that the shot is over and you can't get it back and look forward to the next shot or the next adventure. Dr. Bob Winters says to create a "now" mentality. "It is far better to accept what is than to pout and become irate over something that is history and now entirely out of your control."


What do you do to combat nerves on the golf course? Post your golf tips in the comments section of Golf for Beginners and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.