Mental Skills for Golf

Self-Talk: The Power of Positive Thinking ©

By Betsy Shoenfelt, Ph.D.

We constantly talk to ourselves, whether we realize it or not. Most of us don’t do this out-loud, but we are continually thinking and evaluating. This is called "Self Talk" and is a very important influence on our behavior. Positive self-talk is key for successful athletes. Positive self-talk leads to confidence. Winners tell themselves "I can do it. I can prevail in this situation." Replace negative self-talk with positive self-talk to develop confidence.

What do you tell yourself in a tough situation on the course? Do you think - "This is awful; I can't stand this; I will never be able to hit the ball from here; this just isn't fair; I am such a loser to have hit that shot"? These are examples of negative self-talk. Negative self-talk stems from: (a) awfulizing - thinking in terms of how bad or tragic the situation is; that you cannot tolerate the situation; (b) thinking in terms of absolutes - always/never, total failure/complete success rather in terms of degrees; or (c ) condemnation of others (or yourself). Negative self-talk prevents you from being effective. It is not rational or realistic and causes the golfer to doubt their ability, which leads to tentative performance, which leads to more poor performance, which leads to further self-doubt. This is the "downward spiral." To stop and reverse the downward spiral, the golfer must stop negative self-talk and replace it with positive self-talk.

Positive self-talk focuses on what you can do, what is right about this situation. Tell yourself - AThis is a difficult shot, but I can make it. I don’t like this lie but I can deal with it. This is not fair, but life is not fair and I can deal with it."

To gain perspective on your golf game, ask yourself "What is the most awful thing I can imagine happening?" What did you think of? Most people think of a tragic accident where a loved one is hurt or killed. That is truly an awful event. Then ask yourself "If that is 100% bad, then how would I rate missing the shot, hitting a ball in the sand, loosing a hole in match play?" Unfortunately, we may encounter some truly awful situations in our lives. Even our worst play on the golf course is not that awful compared to a truly awful event.

Save awfulizing for truly awful events. When talking to yourself about a tough situation substitute emotionally cool words such as "bad, inconvenient, or hassle" for emotionally hot words such as Aterrible, horrible, or awful." If the ball goes in the sand, don’t think "Oh no, this is terrible. I can't win if I am in the sand; this will absolutely ruin my game. I know I am going to loose." Instead, use positive self-talk and think "I don't like the sand, but I hit out of the sand as well as anybody, and I can deal with it. I can recover from this. I can cope with this situation and still have a good round."

Analyze your own self-talk on the course. Negative self-talk is a habit developed over time. It likewise takes time (days or even weeks) to learn to replace negative self-talk with the productive habit of positive self-talk. Instead of focusing on the negative (i.e., what you can't do or what is wrong), focus on the positive (i.e., what you can do; what you want to do; what is right). Not only will this focus on success, it will build confidence and positively impact your golf game.

© Dr. Betsy Shoenfelt is a sport psychologist on the faculty of Western Kentucky University and a member of the Middle Tennessee Chapter of EWGA. She may be reached at betsy.shoenfelt@wku.edu or at 270-745-4418.