Bounce Back
 

Before hitting the ball after the disaster in the woods, The Pro had Fred take five deep abdominal breaths and visualize the next shot landing in the center of the green. By the time he took his shot he was relaxed and feeling good. To Fred's delight his ball came to a stop five feet from the hole. The Pro patted him on the back and then said:

“We all have negative emotions and should not pretend we do not have them. Fighting them is fruitless. The best way to deal with anger and fear is to notice them, ask what we need to learn from them and then let them disappear. It is how we bounce back that counts the most. One key to our capacity to bounce back is our level of physical fitness. We should seek to replace negative emotions with positive emotions that energize optimal performance. When you feel invigorated, confident, challenged, joyful and connected you will perform better. When you feel depressed, hopeless, defeated you will perform poorly. So learn to bounce back.”

 

13 of 18