The Firecracker Golf Tournament
Day 6 from “The Golf Hall of Shame” by Bruce Nash and Allan Zullo
The Golf Book Club: Every day, we share a mental game lesson inspired by great golf books—stories and strategies to help you think better so you can play better.
Do you get distracted by external factors and push a putt? Or get distracted by negative self-talk and pull a drive?
If your powers of concentration let you down on the golf course, it’s okay. You’re not alone.
Studies have documented our loss of focus as a society. Our attention spans are shrinking. Modern technology has trained us to be distracted.
But here’s the good news: It’s easier than you think to get your concentration back online.
“It takes some of the stuffiness out of golf.”
The Firecracker Tournament was held in Spokane, Washington from the 1940s through the 1970s. Though an amateur event, it was the ultimate test of concentration. Players who were easily distracted never made it off the first tee.
As you set up over the ball, people rang bells, played sirens, threw firecrackers during your backswing and shot bottle rockets during your follow-through. In one afternoon, a million firecrackers burst, banged, fizzed and flashed.
Even your playing partners were encouraged to launch surprise attacks. Cherry bombs exploded and Piccolo Pete’s whistled as you tried to sink that par-saving putt.
One of the officials said, “The Firecracker Tournament takes some of the stuffiness out of golf. Players are too touchy and temperamental about the least bit of noise.”
He was right.
If you survived the front nine, you found yourself playing better. Why? Because your powers of concentration are adaptable. Players learned to tune out the loud pyrotechnic distractions.
3 simple strategies.
Here are three normal strategies that psychologists say will improve our focus.
Play when your concentration is at its best. Some of us think better in the morning, others are more focused in the afternoon. When possible, work with your brain’s natural tendencies.
Start with mindfulness. Take five minutes at home or in the parking lot. Breathe deep, relax your body, visualize your best shots, and repeat your mantras. Those five minutes can set the tone for the next four hours.
Chew gum. Believe it or not, chewing up sends more oxygen to your brain which improves concentration. Don’t like gum? A light snack can provide the extra energy your brain needs to stay focused.
Football player Mike Hawkins said, “You don’t get results by focusing on results. You get results by focusing on the actions that produce results.”
I would have loved to play in the Firecracker Tournament.
While not as flashy or exciting, the three strategies offered today can help us focus on the golf course. We’ll be less vulnerable to external distractions like noise and movement, and less susceptible to internal distractions like doubt and negative self-talk.
A little more focus can not only save a few strokes, it can help us be more productive at work, school and home as well.
That’s all for now. Tomorrow, we’ll get a new perspective on a very old strategy. Until then, keep imagining what’s possible.
Today’s Photo
Denarau Golf & Racquet Club in Fiji
