Golf is a game of misses. We “miss” more than we “make” and progression is seldomly linear. There are ebbs and flows, ups and downs as we try to improve. As a result, golfers become familiar with adversity and learn strategies to manage emotions and persevere.
Part of managing emotions is learning how to approach mistakes. When mistakes occur in a public place, like a class, or when playing in front of family and friends, they can lower moral. More importantly, they can create self-doubt, which can negatively impact future shots and hinder one’s desire to take risks or participate in future challenges. The problem with that is we learn best when we are challenged, when we are pushed into our stretch zone, and when we make mistakes. The questions then become: How do we view mistakes as important learning opportunities instead of signs of failure? and How do we stay positive when mistakes occur?
To address these questions, we partnered with Positive Coaching Alliance, and utilized their concepts called “mistake rituals” and “parking mistakes.” According to PCA, “a mistake ritual is a gesture and statement that individuals use to ward off the fear of making mistakes so they don’t play timidly. A mistake ritual allows athletes to quickly reset and get ready for the next play or decision without wallowing in the past and beating themselves up for having made a mistake. There are many mistake rituals, but here are some that we especially like. One is “Flushing Mistakes.” When your athlete makes a mistake on the playing field, you can simply put your hand above your shoulder and make a motion like you are flushing a toilet. You can add commentary to the flush: “It’s okay, Omar. Flush it. Next play.”
Our FTSV coaches have incorporated the mistake rituals during games in class. When we teach our core lesson, “Three Tips for Having Fun,” the mistake ritual is one of the tools we coach to stay positive and patient. Our coaches recognize that dwelling over mistakes does not help the next shot. However, our coaches understand their role is to not to ignore mistakes, but instead to provide coachable moments and help instill a habit of learning from mistakes. The difficult part is finding the right time to address mistakes.
As mentioned earlier, making a mistake in front of others can be difficult for many participants, and coaches need to find the right time for a coachable moment. A solution is to use PCA’s concept of a “parking lot ritual.” The idea is to “park the mistake in the parking lot” so they can move on, stay positive, continue with the game, and be in the present. Once the game is over they can return to the “parking lot” to examine what there is to learn from their mistake and what adjustments they can make for next time. Worrying about each mistake in the heat of a game or competition causes doubt, especially when the mistake is made in front of others. Playing with doubt negatively impacts a participant’s ability to play freely and confidently. As a result, we try to shift the coachable moments to when a participant is ready to analyze the mistake, free from the judgment of others.
This winter we look forward to another fun season and helping participants treat mistakes as opportunities to learn. We also look forward to developing strategies for participants to stay positive and be in the present.
Registration for the winter season opens Thursday, November 3rd at 11am. The season will start November 29th and will end February 4th with two weeks off, December 20th through December 31st. The classes will take place at Baylands Golf Links in Palo Alto, Rancho Del Pueblo Golf Course in San Jose, and Gavilan Golf Course in Gilroy. We encourage youth 2nd grade and above to join our program and help spread the word. For more information on our programs please visit https://www.firstteesiliconvalley.org/. To register please click here
We hope to see you at the course!
