Play Comfortable

In golf, as in life I suppose, the key to happiness, which is true success, is to know yourself and be yourself.  You have to know your game and play your game to succeed.  In many respects we are what we think.  If we don't think we can make a shot, or a putt, we almost certainly won't.  If we think we can make a shot, we're more than halfway there.

I have seen more people, myself included, hit terrible shots, only to say, "I knew I was going to miss that one."  Why do we do it?  I guess there are many reasons, but the important thing is to try never to hit a shot you don't think you are ready or able to hit.  It may mean laying up, taking more club than your playing partners, shooting away from the pin, playing with nothing more than a six iron--whatever it takes to play comfortable; to play your game.

I remember a friend of mine talking about playing with a guy who hit nothing but slices.  He'd aim way left and Bubba-curve it back at his target.  After every shot he'd say, "Not pretty, but effective."  For him, the slice was his shot.  He didn't try to fix it.  He just learned to play with it.

That's a good plan for all of us: get to know what we're capable of and play the shot we're pretty certain we can play.  It may not be daring, or bold.  It may be a bit boring, until we suddenly see our scores improve.  Play the shot you know you can play and, as Raymond Floyd says, "Play comfortable."  Comfortable is good.