‘Great win — now Glenn has Bacardi Par 3 to conquer’

In the match play stage, the first part of our two-stage challenge for the Capital G Golfer in the Making series, Glenn and I passed with flying colours, dispatching Collie Buddz comfortably at Port Royal.

Glenn showed real class in the short game department, which was the key area we had been working on.

Now the final stage is preparing for the Bacardi Par 3 Championship this weekend at Turtle Hill Golf Club. This is a different kind of pressure where EVERY shot counts and the stress can build.

It is inevitable Glenn will hit a few bad shots — everyone does — after you allow anger, anxiety, doubt or fear to enter your mind. Whatever you’re thinking of or whatever you say to yourself just before hitting a shot becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Your mind will guide your muscles and your golf club to strange-looking swings, if you allow it. 

If you are distracted by negative thoughts, you won’t swing the club the way you normally would because your muscles will become tense and almost non-functional.

However, Glenn must understand that being a little nervous in the stomach area is normal good for all players, especially in their first tournament. Being nervous, having shaky hands or a pounding heart is a good sign, because it means you are ready to compete.

But, you must separate your mind from your body. Your body can be nervous, but your thoughts must remain calm. This is possible if you follow these guidelines:

1. Focus on the target, not on what bad things can happen. 

In the pre-shot routine that we have been working on, the focus is to decide what shot to play then execute, not leaving any time in between to think while standing over the ball. Time is your enemy. It all needs to happen without delay.

2. Take a few deep breaths. Relax your neck, arms, shoulders, and hands so that you are not tense in any way. Pay attention to your jaw and teeth. Do not clench or grind your teeth because this will lead to tension everywhere else in your body.

3. Do not worry about the results of the shot before you hit it. Just concentrate on making a smooth swing, just as you would on the driving range with nobody else around. Remember you cannot control the result, the ball can take a good or a bad bounce, just try to do the best swing that you can do.

4. As a final point, if you miss a putt or another shot even though your thoughts are filled with good intentions, just accept it as part of the game and do not dwell on it.

Above all enjoy the game — forget about the shots you missed, just remember the great ones. 

Paul Adams is the golf professional at Tucker's Point