When You Feel Hesitant, It Might Be a Sign to Stop

"On days when you feel hesitant, choose the lower risk option"

At the driving range in the morning

On Monday mornings, the driving range is a little quiet.

Perhaps because the fatigue from the weekend's round still lingers, there are fewer people standing at the hitting bays.
Only the dry sound of balls being struck echoes here and there in the wide space.

The air is still chilly, and there is a slight tension in the hands gripping the club.

On such a morning, I slowly swing my iron while thinking about the day's lessons.

What kind of students will come today?
What are they struggling with?
What kind of shot are they feeling hesitant about?

When I think about that, a certain phrase suddenly comes to mind.

When you hit while feeling hesitant, it usually doesn't go well.

This is something I have witnessed many times on the course.

"Maybe I can make it" leads to big mistakes

It happened during last week's round lesson.

Mr. I, a man in his 50s, is in his second year of playing golf.
He is usually the type to carefully choose his shots, but that day, his expression changed slightly at the tee shot over the pond.

There was a pond in the direction of the green.
The wind was slightly against him.
It would feel great if it reached. But if it went even slightly to the right, it would go into the pond.

Mr. I looked back and forth between the pond and the target direction several times, then said this.

"Coach, do you think I can make it...?"
There was hesitation in the tone of his voice.

I didn't answer immediately, but asked back.
"Mr. I, what do you think?"

Then, Mr. I smiled a little and said,
"I have a feeling that maybe I can make it... but..."

That "but" might have already been the answer.

Even so, Mr. I picked up his driver.
The moment he set up, I could see his body stiffening slightly.
His takeaway was also more awkward than usual.

At the moment of impact, the clubface was slightly open.

The ball flew out to the right and was sucked straight into the pond.

Ah...

Mr. I looked up at the sky.
I understand that feeling all too well.

That shot wasn't just a technical mistake.
It was a shot he forced himself to swing through while still feeling hesitant.

When hesitation arises, it is a sign.

In golf, there are many moments that require a decision.

Should I go over the pond?
Should I lay up?
Should I aim over the bunker?
Should I aim directly for the pin?
Should I be satisfied with the center of the green?

At those times, hesitation can arise in your mind.

But I don't think that hesitation is just indecisiveness.

Hesitation is a sign your body is giving you.

It might be a little difficult for me right now.
I haven't fully read the wind.
The lie is worse than I thought.
The image of success is still faint.

Hesitation arises because something is bothering you.

If that's the case, ignoring that hesitation and just swinging away is closer to recklessness than courage.

When you feel hesitation.
It might be a signal to try stopping for a moment.

Even instructors feel hesitation.

To be honest, I was bad at this myself.

When I was young and competing, even if I hesitated about whether to attack or not,

If I back down here, I lose.
It's uncool to run away.
This is the moment to go for it.

Those kinds of feelings always came first.

And then, I hit the ball while still feeling hesitant.
I slice it wide.
I hit it into the pond.
And from there, I rack up a big score.

I have had that experience many times.

Back then, I thought that attacking was a sign of strength.
But now, I see it a little differently.

Truly strong people are those who can stop when they feel hesitant.

People who can look at their own state honestly and say,
"I'll go with this today,"
are the ones who end up with a good score in the end.

"Choosing low risk" is not uncool.

When you first start playing golf, you might feel that making a safe choice is "running away."

But that is not the case.

Stopping a potential double bogey at a bogey.
Laying up short when you might hit it into the pond.
Choosing the wider part of the green when you want to aim for the pin.

That is not running away; it is a decision to protect your score.

It is not just flashy nice shots that make golf better.

A shot that avoids a big mistake.
A shot that places the ball in a spot where the next one is easy to hit.
A shot that keeps your mind from being disturbed.

Those kinds of quiet shots help the entire round.

Rather than flashy attacks, quiet judgment.
I think that, too, is adult golf.

One thing I want you to try starting today

In today's round or practice, I want you to ask yourself just one thing.

"Am I feeling hesitant right now?"

If you feel even a little bit of hesitation, try choosing the safer option.

If you are afraid of hitting over the pond, lay up to the fairway in front.
If you are hesitant about hitting over a bunker, aim away from the pin toward the wider part of the green.
If you are uneasy with a long iron, use a shorter club to carry the ball to a place where the next shot is easier.

You don't have to force an attack.
With just that one choice, the atmosphere of your next shot will change.

I'm glad I decided against it.

When you can think that, there should be a part of you that feels a little relieved.
That feeling of relief is, surprisingly, often close to the right answer.

Those who know hesitation are the ones who improve

On the next hole, Mr. I had a moment where he felt a little hesitant again.

This time, he didn't force the shot and chose the safe fairway side instead.

Teacher, I chose the safe way this time.

He smiled a little bashfully.

The ball he hit went straight to the middle of the fairway.
From there, he calmly made his approach and finished with a bogey.

After finishing the hole, Mr. I said,

Somehow, this felt better.

Those words left a deep impression on me.

Hesitation is not a bad thing.
Hesitation arises because you are facing your shots honestly.

Don't ignore that hesitation; listen to it properly.
Just by doing that, golf becomes a little easier.

Monday morning.
In the cool air of the driving range, someone is quietly growing today as well.

Have you had any shots recently that you hit while feeling hesitant?
If you have a shot where you think, I should have gone with the safe option back then,
please let me know in the comments.