Most of the time the BBC news journalist and presenter Naga Munchetty is mad about golf, but it’s tough when enthusiasm wanes, although she won’t let the game beat her! Here's a sneaky peek at her latest W&G column...
Most of the time the BBC news journalist and presenter Naga Munchetty is mad about golf, but it’s tough when enthusiasm wanes, although she won’t let the game beat her!
Below is an extract from Naga Munchetty’s column in the March/April issue of Women & Golf magazine.
"It will come”. This is a phrase that I started using last year with genuine enthusiasm. Every time I scuffed an iron shot or my drive wasn’t quite the shape I was after, I was convinced that the practice and focus I was applying to improve my game would mean that the shots and the golf I wanted to play would come. By the end of last year I would be repeating that phrase halfheartedly, often with my head hanging down and my shoulders well and truly slumped.
Last year I achieved a long held ambition - I became a single-figure golfer. I’m still there, but I also lost something - my oomph, my hunger and my temper. With the latter I don’t mean that I was found smashing clubs into the ground, I mean that I was so fed up, that I couldn’t even be bothered to lose my temper. Now that is scary. I was so frustrated with playing tired and unfocused golf that I couldn’t muster the energy to get angry about it. All I would do was mutter, “It will come”, even though most of the time I didn’t believe it.
I understand that I sound like a bit of a spoiled brat. I get to play a lot and the weather was pretty good for golfers last year. However, my joy of the game comes from hitting a sweet shot, knowing that I can “up and down” most of the time, and as a result, winning. I really was not enjoying being trepidatious about what was about to happen to my trembling ball each time I took a swipe at it.
It was a hard slump to pick myself out of. I’m sure there are golfers who sympathise and have struggled with similar emotions.
If you would like to know how Naga is trying to bring the oomph back into her game and read other similar columns and features, the next issue is on sale on Friday 6 February.
Or click here to subscribe and enjoy W&G delivered to your door
