Confidence is essential, regardless of your given area of expertise. Great basketball and futbol players, bowlers, car drivers, and even painters, have the confidence it takes in order to be the best at their jobs. The same can certainly be said for professional golfers, and if you hope to become one, then you need to build your confidence levels to an all-time high. This is critical if you hope to overcome the many challenges that you'll face on and off of the golf course. Four major factors come into play when it comes to building confidence; practice, weather condition preparation, tournament play, and making tough shots.
As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, and this definitely applies to the game of golf. In order to become better, you must put in the practice. So, does this mean that a couple of driving range visits per week will get the job done for you? Sure it does, if your main goal is ti improve in a few key areas for better weekend play. However, professional golfers take practice to a whole new level. They play multiple course styles, and they play at least 3 to 4 times a week in order to keep their game tight.
Weather conditions and the ways in which golfers cope with them, have the potential to make or break a golfer's spirit. Rain causes the most problems for golfers. While play will be suspended during a tournament during a down-pour, the greens and fairways will still be wet, thus slowing down the ball once it hits the ground after a shot. Faster playing conditions are prevalent in more arid environments. The key is to practice during each type of condition so that you are ready for what mother nature produces. The fall and spring seasons tend to give golfers the most weather trouble due to unpredictable patterns.
A major confidence-builder is to play as many play-for-pay tournaments as possible. It takes special skill and determination to earn your PGA tour card, but you can start to make money on a pro circuit by playing local tournaments. Every professional golfer got his or her start somewhere, and they played as many tournaments as they could so that they would be ready. Once you win a couple of smaller tournaments, your confidence will become sky-high. Just placing in the money is a huge feat as well.
Tough shots give all golfers trouble, and practicing them will give you confidence. Make sure to practice hitting out of tough bunkers and over water hazards. If you do, then you'll know exactly what actions to take when the time comes for you to dominate a tournament.