Those who can recover enjoy golf more than those who never falter

Strength is the ability to recover

It is not those who never falter who are strong, but those who can return to their own rhythm even after they have faltered.
When playing golf, there are moments when these words slowly sink into your heart.

That heavy atmosphere after an OB

The course in the morning.

As you set up for your tee shot, the cool air brushes against your cheeks.
A thin morning mist drifts over the fairway, and the distant trees are hazy and pale blue.

In the silence, you swing the club up.

And then—the white ball disappears in an unexpected direction.

Beyond the white OB stakes.

The words "Why..." well up from deep within your chest.
Even though the feel of the club still lingers in your palms, you don't know what went wrong.

Even when you stand at the next tee, you cannot get that last shot out of your head.

I understand that heaviness well.

The feeling of "Why"

Many people who have just started golf find it very difficult to compose themselves after an OB or a trouble shot.

The more you think, "I have to move on," the more you replay that last shot in your head over and over again.

Even when you step into your next address, your body is stiff.

The anxiety that "I might do the same thing again"
adds unnecessary tension to your swing.
And then, you falter again.

When you falter, the faltering doesn't stop.

This negative cycle is something everyone experiences if they keep playing golf.
It doesn't matter if you are a beginner or a veteran.

I think that is just the kind of sport golf is.

That is precisely why "how you recover" becomes so important.

To be honest, even I can't stop myself once I start to fall apart.

Even now, my heart still wavers when I hit an OB.

When I was younger, I would get a double or triple bogey on the hole after hitting an OB.
The feeling of 'I'm done' and the feeling of 'I have to do something' would swirl in my head,
and I would play like a completely different person for the rest of the round.

Even though I knew it was important to reset, I couldn't do it.

The more I told myself to, the more my body would tense up instead.

I experienced that dilemma many times.

Once, a senior golfer told me this:

'You can't eliminate mistakes. Build a version of yourself that can recover even after falling apart.'
I remember the tension leaving my shoulders when I heard those words.

Instead of aiming to be someone who never makes mistakes,
aim to be someone who can reset and set up again even after a mistake.

I realized that was okay.

The 'way to recover' a student showed me

During a round with a male student, there was a situation where he hit OB three holes in a row.

Even from the outside, it was a pretty tough situation.

Normally, your face would stiffen. You'd talk less. You'd become afraid of the next tee shot.
But on the fourth hole's tee ground, he took one deep breath.

Then, he took one practice swing and quietly stepped into his address.
The ball he hit was the best drive of the day.

I asked him after the round,

'How did you manage to reset your mindset?'
He smiled a little and said this:

'I'm not trying to reset. I think of every three holes as a different game and try to enjoy it.'

I was a little surprised when I heard that.

'It's okay to fall apart. Don't dwell on it, just enjoy the next scene.'
I truly took my hat off to that clarity.

The meaning of the phrase 'Strength is the ability to recover'

There is no one who never falters.

Even the most advanced players hit bad shots sometimes. They hit out-of-bounds shots. Their scores can get messy.

However, I believe that strong people are not those who never falter, but those who can return to their own rhythm even after they do.

Rather than desperately trying to change your mindset,
'It's okay to falter. I just need to hit the next shot carefully.'
Thinking this way strangely helps your body relax.

Take a breath, and set up again.

That is all you need to do.
'I can start fresh again.'

Those who can hold onto that feeling will enjoy golf for a long time.

To the extent that you have experienced faltering, your ability to recover grows little by little.
I feel that the depth of golf lies in things like that.

Please try just one thing starting today.

The next time you hit an out-of-bounds or trouble shot during a round.

After you hit, while still holding your club, try exhaling slowly just once.

You can even say 'huff' out loud.

Drop your shoulders once, then lift them back up.
Feel the grass under your feet before you start walking to the next spot.

That is all that is needed.

You don't have to try to switch gears.
You don't have to try to forget.

'Once I take a breath, I can hit again.'

As you learn that feeling with your body, your falters will gradually become shallower.
It is practice to gradually cultivate a self that can recover.

Even if you falter, you can stand again.

A fairway at dusk.

Under a madder-red sky, someone is setting up for a tee shot.
They had to take a mulligan on the last hole. A bit of frustration still lingers.

But now, their steps are quiet, and their address is relaxed.
The club cuts through the air, and the white ball is drawn into the evening sky.

No one is immune to falling apart.
But it is fine to be someone who can properly recover even after a setback.

The next shot can always be a fresh start.

The golf of someone who knows this possesses the strength to bounce back time and time again.

What was the moment you felt that you were able to recover after falling apart?
Please do share your story in the comments.