Play Happy

By Dr. Jean Harris CONTRIBUTOR

As my friends will tell you, I am an intense individual. I always believed that I was an overachiever that had to work hard to succeed. I was a good golfer as a junior and into my early adult life. However, I never “played happy’”.

I met one of my golf heroes, Nancy Lopez, about 15 years ago and she told me that you must “play happy”. I had always thought that I would be happy if I played well. Instead, Nancy Lopez told me that if you play happy you will play better. Nancy always plays with a smile on her face.

Nancy’s father, Domingo, taught her that a positive attitude is the way to play happy golf. When Nancy was a child playing golf, he got her to stop crying because he reminded her that she couldn’t see the golf ball when she was crying. Domingo would tell her when she slammed her club into the ground in anger, that you cannot focus on hitting the ball when you are angry. He admonished her to “play happy”. Domingo taught Nancy that positive attitude was as important as technical performance.

When you think negative thoughts, negative things happen. Anger, frustration, and ambition can get in the way of enjoying your round. When you are angry it is because your expectations and skill level are at odds with one another. You need to matchup your expectations with your current skill level. You can either work harder to increase your skill level or adjust your expectations downward.

Finally, if golf is a big part of your life you need to make sure it brings you happiness. Remember that golf is a great way to be outdoors, enjoy nature, exercise, and spend quality time with your friends and family.

Dr. Jean Harris is an LPGA Master Professional and teaches at local golf courses. jean. golfdoctor.harris@gmail.com; golfdoctorjean. com

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