How to be an imperfect winner on the golf course?
Did you ever notice how many winning performances were imperfect performances? While amateurs and aspiring pros work diligently to be "perfect" in every way, the truth is that the performance of champions is generally NOT perfect. Take a look at old tapes of golf's U.S. Open Championships, British Opens or the Masters Tournaments for example. You'll see shots flying all over the course. You'll see missed putts, drives landing off the fairways and approach shots going into bunkers and water. Baseball players are considered a success when they get hits three out of 10 times at bat. Perfection? No. A .300 batting average is considered a lofty feat in baseball. Great pitchers don't throw perfectly all the time either. They can miss their targets, give up home runs and walk opposing batters and still win ball games! Shaquille O'Neal and Tim Duncan, two of the NBA's best big men can't shoot free throws very well, they miss jump shots and throw poor passes at times, too! The best shooters in the league strive for a 50 percent shooting percentage from the field. Perfection? No. The top tennis players in the world commit unforced errors and double faults during competition, and they still win. What is the point of all this? The point is that people who become winners do not do so because they've attained perfection. They become champions because they can work with imperfection better than others. Perfection is not the key to winning. Sure, players STRIVE for perfection, but it's working with the reality of imperfection that brings you to your better performances. At times, golfers fall into the perfection "trap" when preparing for competition. They try to be so perfect in everything they do that they wind up trying too hard and scoring poorly. After a while, if they are smart, they realize that perfection is not the goal. Imperfect golfers playing imperfect rounds have won many championships. The key is being "perfect" within your "imperfection"!