Why is Golf So Hard?

Golf is a game of perfection – every shot counts. Every shot has to be hit perfectly and that is difficult to do. Being capable of staying mentally positive and getting out of bad situations – creating shots – leads to an excellent golf round.

As soon as disappointment and anger grip the golfer because of a bad shot, it escalates to more bad shots. Golf is hard because it is a game of precision and mental focus – everything must be done right.

That challenge can make people fall in love with golf if perfection, overcoming poor shots, and turning them into good shots is the ultimate goal. Golf is also hard because it takes stamina in order to put different shots and strokes together to deliver a great round of golf. A golfer has to be able to play for 4 hours, hit 72 shots in 18 holes, to play for par.

The golfer must be diverse in the shots used during a game: tee-off, fairway shots, bunker shots, putting and chipping. How can golf be hard if it is a game of hitting a stationary ball? Well, there are clubs and they are basically flexible sticks with a small contact surface at one end.

During the down-swing, it is difficult to make corrective actions compared to, as an example, hitting a tennis ball that bounced high or low and adjustments can be made on the follow-through. One hopes to connect well on the clubface with the proper swing plane. Good ball strikers have the ability to consistently swing on-plane which means, the backswing and follow-through are consistent in the arch and the connection to the ball is in the middle of the clubface.

For most people being consistent has all to do with the swing plane. Building that muscle memory is challenging. Golf is a game of consistency – striking the ball consistently while standing at different angles where the foot position is not level. Factors like wind effects the trajectory of the ball. The wind can blow the ball left or right, farther than anticipated, or slow it down and it drops sooner than expected.

Proper club selection is crucial when dealing with wind, elevation, terrain, types of grass, and wet surfaces. Golf can be hard if the golfer’s fitness level is not up to par (pun intended). Being tired or injured could make or break the golf outing. There is a saying amongst die-hard golfers, “it never rains on a golf course”.

The endearing mantra is popular because golfers love the game and will play regardless, but rain plays a factor. Playing in the rain causes clubs to become slippery. Golf balls can skip on the wet grass and because of this, there is less backspin. The mental aspect of the game is probably the number one reason why golf is so hard and the most important part of golf. A successful golfer is mentally capable to handle challenges on the course and stay positive.