E.L.A. - huh?

Emotion is a huge part of our lives. Anything we attach an emotion to becomes a memory. In golf this usually has a negative connotation when we play a bad shot.

Golf is not a perfect game, nor is there a perfect golfer. The idea is always to minimize mistakes as we play a round of golf.

Every shot is important, almost especially the bad ones, based on how we react to them. Hogan said (I thought I had said it first), 'it is not about the last shot, its about the next one.

My simple formulation that I teach is ELA. Evaluate, Learn, Adapt. No, not earth shattering, BUT, simple always seems to work best in Golf.

We play a bad shot- Oh man. Can't believe I did that. (Club thrown or broken.... you get the picture.) We just attached emotion to the bad shot and are quite likely to repeat it.

We play a good shot- Oh man, Can't believe I did that- same words different emotion, different memory, quite likely to repeat it!

After every shot do a quick mental evaluation of the flight of the ball, is it right for that club, the aim, was it online, the roll out and carry, what are the conditions you are playing under as 3 simple factors to consider. Learn from what you see and observe and Adapt or Adjust and play the next one.

Now, do not sink into the quagmire of depression if it was bad, adjust to make the next one better!

We choose our attitudes and reactions- Choose wisely, and of course play well!