Control Your Emotions

Video Transcript

We are hearing a lot more these days about the concept of emotional intelligence or emotional control and people who specifically train to have better emotional control. We always say that you can not hope control the ball if you can not control yourself or your emotions. If we think of the history of golf and we try to imaging who the best players have been you think of Bobby Jones and Jack Nicklaus in particular. In both cases in their youths they had problems controlling their tempers, Perhaps Bobby Jones more than Jack Nicklaus. Now as we examine what they did as they matured they certainly were exemplary examples of people who were able to control their thoughts, control their concentration and control their emotions and not be afraid of their emotions. I am sure that they each experienced anger when they hit bad shots or perhaps bad shots back to back. Instead of getting angry and out of control and throwing clubs such as Jones did as a youth, they learned to instead use those emotions to fuel their performances, to direct their thoughts to perhaps better course management or perhaps get with Jack Grout and fix that hook. The main point here is that one should not be afraid of emotions. You should develop on-course attitudes and on-course programs that enable you to use that fuel of a negative emotion or even momentary anger to direct your thoughts to what are better strategies and better swings. I am sure that if you work as hard at your emotional and other intellectual skills you will be a better player and not simply by working on the physical parts but on the emotional control as well.

Dr. Fran Pirozzolo
Baylor College of Medicine
One Baylor Plaza
Houston, TX 77030

Fran Pirozzolo is the mental coach to many PGA Tour Pros and is a performance coach for the New York Yankees. He is also the author of The Putter's Pocket Companion.

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