Scragger,

I'm having the same chat with my brother at the moment.

He played with me on Saturday in the same round. He proper lost it when he 4 putted from 8 feet. Putter went flying and everything!

He said to me that he has to do that to get it out of his system rather than keep it bottled up so it affects the next 5 holes. I understand that approach, so the next step for him is not letting it bother him in the first place.

Seve Ballesteros said of a 4- putt once: "I putt and miss. I putt and miss. I putt and miss. I putt and make".

He was the best short game exponent around and practiced every day to play for a living. If he can have that attitude about a 4 putt, then the guy who plays once a week on his local course can.

The difference in the long term is also association. Turns out my brother had remembered the 4 putt but forgotten the fact hat he put 2 balls OB off the 10th tee. He forgot it because he was cool about it. He remembers it now I reminded him but the difference is that there is no emotional attachment.

It's just a golf shot.