Many golfers flounder and are frustrated on the golf course, as do many managers and businessmen on the business course and often the reasons are the same.

Preparation

Gear Preparation

As in the corporate world so in golf one needs to prepare well. Whether it is equipment and gear or oneself. Golfers often lose a stroke or two because of the wrong fitting glove or shoes, the long clubs, the square ball, the short tee, the lose cap or the tight shorts.

Did you know that dehydration is one of the major causes of fatigue and consequently poor performance of sportsmen ? Drink water and carry water, it may not be available when you need it, and you may not have the time at the watering hole.

Mental preparation is the key to success in golf as in business and life.

Prepare to win mentally by affirmation, COMMIT to focusing on the ball or as one veteran golfer told me KYFEOTB (Keep Your F ------g Eye On The Ball! ) By doing so there is a double benefit it serves the same purpose as meditation – exactly, as you are focusing away from everything else by doing so.

Its a great idea to actually visualize each stroke before hitting it, sailing exactly as you want it to. In a recent experiment two groups of basketball players one merely visualizing their practice and one actually practicing on the court, each for 20 minutes a day for five days scored exactly the same ! when on the court !

Strategy

As in business do you have a clearly defined strategy for the game? Have you sized up the competition? Are you going to play steady to win the first few holes and rattle the opposition? To do so you may need to play safe rather then be heroic and this could well be the wining strategy. Are you going to declare your intention of winning to put pressure on the opposition ?. Do you have a clear strategy for each hole based on the level of your game rather than your fantasies about your game. Come on don’t use the driver or even the woods, if the farway is narrow and the roughs and the OB’s are looming. Be realistic. Overclub when you are a 18-24 handicapper. For God sake, don’t take a pitching wedge at 130 meters just because the 6-handicapper opposition did so. Talk to your partner and plan to your strategy for each hole. Perhaps one “goes for it” in ones favorite holes while the other goes steady.

Gamesmanship

Gamesmanship is not to be mixed up with sportsmanship and is quite the opposite - but not cheating !

Making subtle comments before tee off can rattle, distract and confuse the oppositions. “My hands tend to be a little swollen in the morning and my gloves don’t fit” can get the opposition thinking off whether his hands are swollen while he is teeing off . Making a comment in front of the long hitter of the opposition “ my doctor told me to be careful and not overswing and sprain my back” can cause the bloke who hits 300 yards on his tee shot something to think off !

We aren’t talking cheating here, Sportsmanship and following the rules is a must.

Be generous and give the opposition just a little extra leeway- just so that they do the same for you !

Relationships

Relationship is the key to business success. Get the vibes right not only with your partner but also with you caddy. Make sure you have the right caddy and if you don’t have a choice figure out before you start what he is good at and at what he is not. Some caddies are excellent at the “line of putting”, some at sizing you and the wind direction up quickly and helping you choose the right club . Check if they are drunk and dump him, if he is. If you don’t enjoy playing with the people you are playing with, you can’t play well.

Be careful and considerate

Be careful of poorly guided missiles of others! and be mindful of others on the course, both for safety and courtesy.

They say golf is a gentleman’s game. They also say golf brings out your true character. I say golf changes your character, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Ops! have I opened a Pandora’s box!

Fun

People in business succeed most who have the most fun. The main purpose for me to be on the course is to have fun and not to win or loose, I enjoy the exercise, the openness of space, the birds – including the two legged ones, and the company. I believe that sharing a joke a hole is more important than getting a stroke a hole!

Dr Hiru Bijlani