What’s Your Golf Mental Mindset Score?

While every golfer has a unique set mental issues to unravel, there is one issue that is foundational.  This involves your mindset, which encompasses your beliefs, attitudes, assumptions, and expectations that shape how you think, feel, and perform on the golf course.  It is essential to determine whether your mindset can be characterized  “process focused” or “outcome focused.”  So, here’s a quick check-up you can do on your own mental golf mindset to see where you stand.  

Be honest! Don’t obsess.

First step: Mark each of the following statements as either True or False for yourself. 

     1)  I’ve learned ways to overcome negative thinking on the golf course.

     2)  I have a definite method to assure that I stay in my tempo on every shot.

      3)  It’s not unusual for me to feel disappointed by my score.
      4)  It’s important for me to look good off the first tee.

      5)  Before the round, I often focus on a score I want to shoot.

      6) I stay positive, without negative reactions, no matter how bad any
           particular shot is. 

       7) I often wonder “Will I drive the ball as long as the other players in my group?”

      8) I can get concerned about what people will think of me if I do not play well.

      9)  I am committed to follow my pre-shot routine on every single shot.

      10) I take responsibility for knowing my mindset before I hit my first tee shot.

       11) I do not compare myself to other golfers.

Second step: Use the scoring key at the end of the blog to convert each of your answers to a +1 or -1, depending on the question number

 My total score is ______.

INTERPRETING YOUR GOLF MENTAL MINDSET SCORE:

·      Minus 4: Call “Golf 911” you need an emergency mental golf intervention.

·      Minus 3, minus 2, minus 1, Zero:  The good news is that you can vastly improve your game with even a small dose of mental golf coaching. Get some help.

·      Plus 1 or 2:  You must be a fairly good player already – a mental golf tune-up will get you to the next level you’re aspiring to.

·      Plus 3 or 4: You’ve had some good coaching in golf and or in life and you’re in a zone where good scores are likely to happen.  You appreciate the joys and challenges of this great game.

·      Plus Five: You are a Zen master of golf.  Please contact me so you can mentor me.

Of course, this is not a validated scientific test.  Far from it.  It’s more of a prop to help golfers learn about and focus on their mindset, which is a fundamental determinant of our game, and, yes, also of our score.

          The mindset that fosters the best golf is predominantly process focused.  Eventually good golfers learn that the way to achieve their objectives is by immersion in their processes.  This can seem counterintuitive because the popular golf culture often encourage us to go for score, distance, and always being “one-up” on other golfers.   The outcome focus is, after all, how new gear gets sold, how ratings go up, and how money changes hands.  Of course, every golfer should get optimal club fitting they can, well as professional input on their swing.  For golfers at every level, immersion in a process mindset will allow for better golf and better scores to emerge.   

A decision to become more aware of and foster the optimal mindset is an essential step to becoming a better golfer.  A deep immersion in process is what ultimately allows us to take better swings without anxiety and to hit better shots under pressure.  Immersion in process can also help us to approach every round as an opportunity to improve our craft.  You can discover or regain your fascination with the game.   

Finally, a wonderful by-product of a process mindset is that each round gives us a chance to be more authentic, more self-aware, and more at peace with ourselves – qualities that will carry over into our everyday life.  

 Scoring Key:

 ·       Score +1 for each TRUE for questions. One, Two,  Six, Nine, Ten, Eleven

·       Score -1 for each TRUE for questions:   Three, Four, Five, Seven, Eight 

If you want to learn more about how to modify your mindset to play better golf, sign up for a “90 Minute Mental Golf Discovery Session” with Dr. Rich, in the “Work with Dr Rich” section.    

          Email Dr Rich with comments or questions

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