Golf Shots Don’t Care About Your Feelings

This week on Those Weekend Golf Guys, John sat down with coaches Joe Bosco and Jeff Smith to talk about junior golf — or, more accurately, the emotional minefield junior golfers have to tiptoe through while Mom and Dad hover like they’re coaching the Ryder Cup team.

Joe and Jeff didn’t hold back. They said a lot of kids aren’t struggling because of their swings… they’re struggling because they’re carrying around their parents’ expectations like a 40‑pound tour bag. One bad shot and the kid’s not even mad at themselves — they’re bracing for the look from the sideline. Nothing kills performance faster than that.

Joe shared one of his favorite mental tricks: the “detachment mechanism.” Kid hits a bad shot, instead of melting down or apologizing to the gallery of parents, they simply say, “Isn’t that fascinating.” Boom — emotional reset. No shame, no panic, no identity crisis. Just curiosity and a chance to move on without dragging the last shot into the next one.

Jeff jumped in with another reality check: social media has completely warped what young golfers think “normal” looks like. They see nothing but hole‑outs, perfect swings, and trophy photos. Nobody posts the chunked wedges, the three‑putts, or the triple bogeys that built character. So kids start thinking they’re failing when they’re actually just… playing golf.

The guys wrapped it up with the message every junior golfer — and every parent — needs tattooed on their golf bag: your score is not your identity. Kids need room to grow, screw up, learn, and enjoy the game without feeling like they’re auditioning for their parents’ approval. Support them, don’t script them.

And of course, the show closed with the usual reminders to subscribe, leave a review, and for the love of golf, let the kids have some fun out there.