“Real pressure in golf is playing for $10 when you’ve only got $5 in your pocket.” Lee Trevino
I was playing golf this weekend and not playing particularly well. When we finished the round, I found myself 11 over par, shooting an 82 on this particular course. For most golfers this wouldn’t necessarily be a bad day, but for me it really is.
As we were finishing up the round, one of the guys suggested we play 9 more holes for $20 a man. We all agreed. I don’t know if it was the pride factor, the $20 bet or the fact that I only had $16 in my wallet, but all of a sudden I started playing better. Not that the money was truly an issue as we are all friends and I am sure I could have slid on the $4.
I really haven’t played in many cash games since moving east. I used to play in games where hundreds of dollars could switch hands in a day, but out here most of the time no more than a few dollars ever switches hands.
Well, I guess it was the prospect of losing money I didn’t have or maybe it was just my competitive juices, but I played more to my potential that last nine. I shot two under par with two birdies and seven pars. One of the guys kept it close through the first six holes, feeding the competitive juices even more, but fell back during the last three. I won by five shots.
It is nice to get the competitive juices flowing occasionally. I am a very competitive person, but I learned a long time ago that the competition is actually with myself and not those I play against. This is particularly true with golf and other individual sports, but I also think it applies to all team sports. Whenever I compete in an activity, I don’t judge the outcome based on winning and losing. I base it on my individual performance. Did I play up to my ability…did I maintain my focus…did I do everything I could to make my team or myself successful. If I did those things, then the outcome is irrelevant to me. I think the hardest thing for most competitive people to understand is that it is possible to do everything right and still lose.
To bring this whole thing back to golf...I read in book by Bob Rotella, “You can hit the perfect putt and it still may not go in, so the success of a putt should not be based on whether the putt goes in or not. Rather it should be based on your preparation and execution.” I wish I understood that my entire life. Might have saved me a few putters.
So that is what they meant by, “it’s now whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.” Who knew?
1 comment:
It's interesting how a little competition makes things a little more exciting. I play in various football pools or even sometimes fantasy football -- not becuase I really care about football, but it's fun to be in the competition (and win money, of course). I know what you mean, though, about the group sports. We've been playing kickball and some of our teammates were real poor losers and would make spiteful remarks if anyone ever made an error (despite their own mistakes).
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