Ever since I read Marie Kondo’s smash hit debut book ‘The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up’ I’ve been enraptured with her breakout catchphrase of ‘Spark Joy.’ For me, it’s the simplicity of it and I believe its meaning can transcend from decluttering your belongings into any area of life and in particular to the golf course.
So, take a day off from the practice ground, make a brew and sit back and read how you can spark more joy out on those fairways.
1. Practice Gratitude
Yes, it’s a cliche, but there is a reason why the benefits of practicing gratitude are so widely touted as being beneficial.
Practicing gratitude puts you in the frame of mind of being more positive, which can only be a good thing when playing such an unpredictable game. Having the opportunity to get outside and make time for yourself to do something you enjoy is a wonderful thing and something all of us golfers should be grateful for.
2. Declutter Your Golf Bag
We’ve all fallen foul to the forgotten squashed banana at the bottom of our golf bag, but how many of us carry things we don’t need such as old scorecards, sweet wrappers, broken tees, empty suncream tubes and so on. Having an organised golf bag and knowing exactly where everything is will promote a feeling of being organised and in turn calm. There will be no more rummaging to find that one sharpie in the bag, everything will be to hand and easily accessible.
3. Talk About The Lucky Shots
Golf is a game of mistakes and that results in golfers looking for any way they can to make mistakes not of their own doing. So, if that means terrible bounces, uneven greens and unlucky lies in grand retellings of around, all the better!
However, I believe the ‘I was unlucky’ mindset does us a disservice when it comes to accepting the ups and downs of the game. People who look for luck not only tend to be more lucky but are more resilient and likely to bounce back when things don’t go their way and who doesn’t need more luck on the course.
4. Treat Yourself
One of my favourites! Yes, money can’t buy happiness but…it can buy shiny new golf toys and who doesn’t like a new club or gadget. You don’t have to even spend that much. Simply treating yourself to a new glove or towel can be all you need to feel that bit fresher when out there. Spend your money where you spend your time, so investing in a hobby you are passionate about is always money well spent.
5. Try Something New
Too scared to hit your 3-wood off the fairway or lob a ball over the bunker? Why? What are you scared of? You’ve already seen yourself thin it through the back, or fail and splat your ball short in the bunker. We all hit bad shots, but the only way you get better is to try new things to level up your game. You have to be brave and take the learning curve of getting it wrong a few times, that’s how your body learns. The satisfaction you will get from mastering a new skill will be worth all the initial pain.
6. Learn to Laugh Off Your Bad Shots
I talk about this a lot to my students, as there is a big difference between trying to do your best and what you can do, acting entitled that should be able to play perfect golf. Golf doesn’t care how important or well respected you are off the course; it will humble you like it does everybody else. So, you can either laugh or cry about the bad shots because you are going to hit them and the only thing you can control is how you react. Choose laughter and a simple, 'Oh well, never mind,' will always serve you better than huffing and puffing.
7. Keep A Golf Journal
I’m not suggesting you go full Fitzpatrick and start recording every shot you hit, as Sweet Brown said “Ain’t nobody got time for that!” A few lines on your rounds and practice sessions about what went well and what could have gone better is all it needs for you to start building a picture of your tendencies and where you can improve. Writing things down is a powerful tool when it comes to differentiating what we think we do and what we actually do. Striving for consistent, marginal gains is what will move the needle towards lasting progression.
8. Practice Your Putting
My dad without question is one of the best putters I know from 10ft, and the simple reason is because when he lived in Army barracks he was obsessed with practising his putting with a simple putting machine, you know the one that pops the ball back to you and costs under £15. Every day he’d watch TV and putt, putt, putt. Thousands of reps has made him a deadly putter! He didn’t have to drive anywhere, exert massive energy or spend lots of money, a smoothish carpet and a putting machine was all it took.
You don’t need even need to do that much, 10 putts a day to a coin or tee peg will quickly compound into making you feel more confident and let’s face it, it’s on the greens that scorecards are made and matches are lost. Practicing your putting is the ultimate golfing life hack to enjoy the game more.
9. Set Yourself Up For The Win
How many of us run out the door and up to the first tee not knowing if we have got everything, we need let alone water and a snack. We are all busier than ever and surrounded by constant distractions which can make it hard to take the time to prepare properly for a round. The simple act of doing so can have a huge impact on your enjoyment of the game.
To me, being out on the golf course is like being on a plane. Once you are buckled up and in the air, there is nothing else you can do but try to enjoy the flight, but isn’t that flight more enjoyable if you’ve got a comfy neck pillow and a good book. The same goes for a round of golf, so take the time to clean your clubs, pack some nice treats, hydration and any other kit you might need to get the most out of that day on the course. Being prepared will install a feeling of peace, which can be no bad thing during your round.
10. Wear Sunscreen
Perhaps not the finishing tip you would expect for sparking joy but Baz Luhrmann’s 1999 spoken word hit full of life advice titled ‘Wear Sunscreen,’ is as sound advice now as it was then.
When it comes to hobbies, golfers are considered one of the most at-risk groups for getting skin cancer due to being so exposed to the elements for a prolonged period. It’s not a fun or exciting thing to talk about, but less fun would be to go through a diagnosis and difficult procedure. Prevention is definitely better than cure, so slap the sunscreen on to put your mind at ease so you can concentrate on enjoying your game to the full!
You will find many of the above tips share a common theme to spark joy which is to do things that bring you more peace and calm out there. Ultimately, it’s about increasing the fun and enjoyment you can experience playing golf, which is something not talked about enough in my opinion, after all isn’t that why we play this crazy game!
