Many shots are spoiled at the last instant by efforts to add a few more yards.
Bobby JonesRead
As I see it, the thing that hurt my putting most when it was bad, was thinking too much about how I was making the stroke and not enough about getting the ball in the hole.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Overthinking can hinder performance; focus on the goal instead.
Bobby Jones reflects on the tendency for over-analysis to negatively impact performance in golf. He suggests that the pressure of focusing too much on technique and mechanics can prevent one from achieving the fundamental goal, which in this case is getting the ball in the hole. The quote emphasizes the importance of maintaining a clear vision on the objective rather than getting lost in the details.
Themes
FocusPerformanceOverthinkingSuccessGoal
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about sports performance.
More from Bobby Jones
All quotes →There isn't a hole out there [Augusta] that can't be birdied if you just think. But there isn't one that can't be double-bogeyed if you stop thinking.
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The real way to enjoy playing golf is to take pleasure not in the score, but in the execution of strokes.
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The 'enemy' in golf is tension.
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Golf is a game that is played on a five-inch course
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He [the golfer] must have the courage to keep trying in the face of ill luck or disappointment, and timidity to appreciate and appraise the dangers of each stroke, and to curb the desire to take chances beyond reasonable hope of success.
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