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How to control Anger/Blow-ups

Thechosen1

Thechosen1

#Thistagwilltravel
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Personally I have been playing golf for around 10 years and ever since getting to play real golf out on the golf courses I want me and my father played serious(played a ton of rounds last year and looking to do more this year) and I am looking into tournaments this year.

Onward, for me I am able to control my temper for example if I play for the draw but hit the fade I can just laugh at it and figure out what I did(usually I can just feel what I did). Compared to my dad when we play and things don't go his way he just keeps trying to figure it out and if things continue to get worse he just makes things uncomfortable: starts to get mad, tosses clubs occasionally, just makes things bad for me and even worse when I am having a good round and I lose talking to my playing partner.

Anyone got any tips, or even for the sake of this thread do you think you have a bad temper out on the course? And if so how do you gain back your composure.
 
I recommend putting on headphones with the song Mmmm Bop by Hanson on them. You cannot help but smile and sing along with that right?

I dont like tempers on the golf course. One round in the last 5 years I can remember being really angry out there and it was not fun for my group. I talked to them about it. It will never happen again. In the end the goal is to have fun and hopefully we remember that at the dark times.
 
Funny you mention that exact song, heard it on the radio and just laughed at it.

And yeah it just puts a damper on the whole group when it happens, he knows he's going through swing changes and still gets upset(mainly just his driver hitting off the inside club face) I hate playing good and he just pouts about it.
 
JB said:
I recommend putting on headphones with the song Mmmm Bop by Hanson on them. You cannot help but smile and sing along with that right?

I dont like tempers on the golf course. One round in the last 5 years I can remember being really angry out there and it was not fun for my group. I talked to them about it. It will never happen again. In the end the goal is to have fun and hopefully we remember that at the dark times.
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I prefer my German version of Barbie Girl, but that is just me.

I got mad a couple of rounds ago, because my partner was screwing around in the middle of my backswing. Luckily, it was on the second to last hole.
 
I very rarely get angry on the course. This past weekend was one of them. First time I'd ever been hit up on. Happened twice in 2 holes. Normally I'm very calm on the course but man did it really make me come unglued. I didn't throw clubs or anything as I won't ever do that. But I did get pretty quiet and was probably not fun to be around as it just killed what was possibly the best round I had ever had going. JB is right though. Golf is fun so for the most part there should be nothing that should rile you up so much.
 
JB said:
I recommend putting on headphones with the song Mmmm Bop by Hanson on them. You cannot help but smile and sing along with that right?

I dont like tempers on the golf course. One round in the last 5 years I can remember being really angry out there and it was not fun for my group. I talked to them about it. It will never happen again. In the end the goal is to have fun and hopefully we remember that at the dark times.
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I don't put on headphones, but I do sing whatever song pops into my head (to myself) not outloud to make a fool of myself.
 
A friend always told me to stretch your arms out over you head and then slowly let them down to your side while saying woooosaaahhhh. It is actually very relaxing.
 
For me If I ever feel anger out on the course I usually just take a quick moment take a deep breath then think of a positive and move on.
 
MY father who is a full blooded and proud Irishman, has the temper of a pit bull, but I've played hundreds of rounds of golf with him until he had to stop playing a few years ago, and I never once seen him cuss, throw clubs or anything on the golf course. This is a guy that loved to box in his younger days and can blow his top with the best of them.
I asked him one time how he does it and he said it takes years in some cases to build a relationship with friends, to have their full trust & respect and for them to really know you, but you can throw it all away in seconds throwing a fit on the golf course.
I inherited many of his character traits and would fight at the drop of a dime to protect my wife and family, yet I inherited my fathers ability to behave on the golf course. I have moments on the course where I can feel the hair on the back of neck stand up, yet I just walk away.
I also figure I worked hard for my golf equipment and I'm not about to throw it all over the golf course, while looking like an assclown doing so. I also learned a long time ago to not have expectations on the course that can't be met. I rarely shoot under 76/77 so I never go to the course thinking today is the day I shoot 72. I never let myself go there. I also know I'm going to miss fairways, miss greens and miss putts, so when I do, it is nothing to get worked up over. When the low scores do come, I really get to enjoy them.
 
A cigarette always does the trick for me.
 
This is my biggest flaw on the golf course. I used to be really bad but am progressively getting better. Usually I have a bad mouth on the course but I can accept that and live with it as long as I am not throwing clubs any more. Deep breaths always help. I usually can't laugh at a bad shot unless it is actually funny, because I do usually take most of my rounds serious, but I get over them rather quickly.

A harmless move I do is just to find some deep rough, and swing my club through it as hard as I can, that's just a stress reliever for me though and it works.
 
It's been mentioned to me that I never let things get to me on the course. I hadn't thought about it before, but they're right. You're out there to have fun and it doesn't make sense to do it if you are constantly getting angry.
 
Smallville said:
It's been mentioned to me that I never let things get to me on the course. I hadn't thought about it before, but they're right. You're out there to have fun and it doesn't make sense to do it if you are constantly getting angry.
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I wouldn't say I am angry all the time, but perhaps on another side of the argument it is good to let off a little steam on the golf course? Of course not rampaging around but I feel after you get it out a little bit you feel more relaxed and can now focus on the task ahead.
 
Dent said:
I wouldn't say I am angry all the time, but perhaps on another side of the argument it is good to let off a little steam on the golf course? Of course not rampaging around but I feel after you get it out a little bit you feel more relaxed and can now focus on the task ahead.
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Letting off steam is OK. I think I am talking more about people who are so angry they make an ass out of themselves.
 
Smallville said:
Letting off steam is OK. I think I am talking more about people who are so angry they make an ass out of themselves.
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Such as tossing clubs, acting like a big baby. Or also known as, my father.
 
Smallville said:
Or, Eldrick Woods.
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Sadly, he was my idol till after his US Open win. And not cause of the stuff off the course but of the stuff on. Him always throwing clubs down and just throwing a fit(Looks at last week when he hit a 170 hybrid). Hence why bubba has turned to my favorite golfer, I want Tiger to win again but his attitude seriously needs to change before I love him again.
 
I am guilty of getting angry on the course. I go in a shell and become anti social. I don't throw clubs, slam the gas on the cart, or talk it up. Buddy I usually play with can see the storm clouds coming when the wheels are coming off. He always has unlimited ridiculous comments on my stroke that snap me out of it....

"Problem with that drive is your shoes are still on."
"I will let you throw it up there this time."
"Nice looking divot. Few more of those and I can patch up the back yard."
"See, you missed that putt because you were thinking about my wife naked."
"I'd give you a hug if you weren't still thinking about my naked wife."

He just goes on and on. Always brings me around and makes me laugh. I have yet to beat him. He's always a couple under no more than 2 over. Drives me nuts. Point is humor does wonders.
 
All the people I play with are pleasant, and so I never have had a hard time keeping my temper away. It sometimes comes up here and there, but it never gets to the point that I am making my playing partners uncomfortable.
 
For most people, I think they just need to remind themselves that they dont depend on playing well to make their living and arent good enough to get mad about it.
 
When I was younger I used to get very upset when I would have a mishit. But at some point I realized that until I am practicing for hours everyday, then I cannot expect to hit a perfect shot every time.
 
Buy him a book, like Zen Golf, or Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect. Reading those will help him think rationally.

This used to be me years ago, but I grew out of it as I realised how much I actually enjoyed playing the game. Outside of the course, when I think of playing it makes me smile. No matter where on the course I picture myself playing from.

I think it's ok to let off a bit of steam at a bad shot, but try to limit yourself to doing it while the ball's in the air. As soon as it hits the ground, it's now your next shot.
 
I've learned that getting mad, and staying mad, is completely counter-productive on the golf course. I used to be the guy that would slam clubs and get visually upset. Over time I just realized that it didn't do me any good. Now after a bad shot I might say every word in the book with steam coming out of both ears. By the time I get to the next shot it is gone. There is no point in staying mad. Hit a bad shot, get mad, then on the next shot, fix the problem you got yourself into. If you really think about it, unless you can shoot under par every time out, there is no point in getting mad. You're going to make mistakes, learn to deal with them.

To borrow from Barney Stinson, don't be mad, just be awesome instead!
 
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