Four Final Thoughts by John Jacobs: Part 3

Having reminded us that we hit the ball with the clubhead and not our body, John Jacobs advised us to know and accept our limitations when it comes to distance. The third of his final four thoughts has to do with our attitude. He wrote:

    "My third point concerns your attitude on the golf course. In this book we have dealt only with half the game--the striking or shot-making side of golf. In many respects it is the lesser half because, even if you have the ability to hit the most perfect shots in the world, you won't win matches and tournaments unless you play them strategically and tactically. So, whatever your limitations or advantages as a shot-maker, never forget to apply yourself assiduously to the arts of scoring. Bear in mind that many, many victories have been won, in first-class and club golf, by inferior strikers who could get the ball from A to B, over superb stylists and stroke-makers, who couldn't answer the strategical or tempermental problems set by the course and the competitive situation. Remember that golf is a game of how many, not how; that people may be interested in what you scored, but rarely in how."

Mr. Jacobs makes a very good point here. While we need to learn to strike the ball effectively, it is only half the game, or less. Your ability to strategize and maintain a good attitude on the golf course is perhaps even more important to your success. The difference between the champion and the also-ran is more often than not how well they played, not how well they swung the club or struck the ball. Golf is a mind game.