Kate Krueger in Conference tournament at Lochland Country Club. Photo by Daemyn Broxterman.
A bad hole can change a golfer’s score, but for Hastings High School golfers Kathryn Krueger and Lillian Jensen, it does not have to change the rest of the round.
Krueger, a freshman and one of the top varsity golfers, has placed second at conference this season, shooting a 78 only six over par. As she competes at the varsity level, she has also learned that success does not mean every shot goes as planned.
“Stay positive and get it back on other holes. There is a lot more golf to play,” Krueger said.
When a shot does not go as planned, Krueger takes a deep breath and refocuses on the next shot. She said staying focused is one of the hardest parts of golf because every shot requires concentration.
“You really have to lock in for every shot,” Krueger said.
For Jensen, a senior, staying focused throughout a tournament can be difficult because of the length and repetition of the game. Instead of allowing a bad hole to affect the rest of her round, she tries to learn from the mistake and move forward.
“Reflect and revise,” Jensen said.
Jensen said one of the biggest challenges is avoiding her accumulated score and focusing too much on previous mistakes.
“I would say [in] certain tournaments there is always one thing that isn’t your best throughout the whole tournament and you have to stay strong through the repetitive disappointment,” Jensen said.
Krueger uses what she calls the “reaction box” to manage frustration. She allows herself to react to a shot while she is still in the box, but once she leaves it, she moves on.
“I have learned not to get upset after a bad shot,” Krueger said. “There is this thing called the reaction box that I think about a lot. It’s where if you have a box around you, you can react to that shot when you are in the box, but once you leave it, you can’t get upset or frustrated over it.”
While golfers may compete individually during tournaments, Jensen said her teammates remain part of her mindset even when they are not playing alongside her.
“I don’t see my teammates very much at all during tournaments, but I’m always thinking of them and rooting for them,” Jensen said.
Jensen said her approach to mistakes has changed as she has gained experience. Rather than becoming overwhelmed by a bad shot or hole, she has learned to view mistakes as part of improving.
“I would say I went from being too stressed out to recognizing mistakes is what the game is all about and you can only go up from there,” Jensen said.
For Krueger, the mental side of golf is just as important as what happens with the swing.
“Golf is just as much mental as it is physical,” Krueger said.
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