Mental Toughness Training for Golf
How would you describe yourself as a golfer? Do you see yourself as a mentally tough golfer?
- A player who quickly rebounds after a bad shot or round
- A grinder who pushes stays focused when they don’t have their ‘A’ game
- A golfer who works hard to improve their physical and mental game
- A player who learns from mistakes and uses lessons to future rounds
Or do you see yourself as mentally weak?
- A golfer who unravels under pressure
- A golfer whose emotions take over after a mistake
- A player who gives up if their ‘A’ game just isn’t there early in the round
- A player that allows a bad round to negatively affect the way they practice
If you are not sure, rate your level of mental toughness on a scale from 1 to 10…
Would you rate yourself on the high end of the scale (7 or above) or would you rate yourself on the lower end of the scale (3 or below)? Maybe you rate yourself in the middle on the mental toughness scale (4 through 6)?
Mental toughness is the core characteristic of successful golfers. Mental toughness is as sought after as top of the line golf clubs, but it is much more valuable.
A question regarding mental toughness was recently asked by a young golfer in our Mental Game of Golf Survey:
“How can I become a mentally tough golfer and not fall apart after I double bogey an easy hole early in a round?”
Your quest for mental toughness is shared by many golfers and rightly so. Mental toughness is the difference-maker.
Surely, there have been times when you felt on top of your game through the first few holes in a round. Then, somewhere in the middle of the round, you triple-bogeyed a hole that you usually birdie.
You felt intense emotions stir, especially since you’ve played that course on a regular basis and never triple-bogeyed on any hole on that course. You could feel your game slip away from you as if there was nothing you could do about it.
Golf is a game that requires mental toughness. Every shot will NOT go according to plan. Golf is a challenging game and, at times, a maddening game. That is the reason your mental game is so important.
If you take time to start a mental toughness training program, you will increase your mental toughness and become better equipped to handle adversity and improve your game.
Xander Schauffele, the 2017 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, describes himself as a mentally tough golfer and a player who never quits. Mental toughness is the characteristic that has given Schauffele an edge in tournaments and helped him win four PGA Tour titles.
SCHAUFFELE: “I always felt like I was mentally tougher than the other kids. I always wanted it more. I was sort of this grinder who would never quit.”
Mental toughness is important and worth the time to train that aspect of your game. If you want to be a mentally tough golfer, you have to start a mental toughness training program. You owe it to yourself to be the best golfer you can be.
Mental Toughness for Golfers
Avoid hurting your confidence by dwelling on mistakes… Learn from your mistakes and losses. Losses are never fun, but those losses can provide valuable lessons that build mental toughness.
Uncover the lesson and how to grow and learn. Apply those lessons to your practices so you can be better the next time in competition.
When you learn and grow from adversity, you build mental toughness.
Related Golf Psychology Articles
- Are You a Mentally Tough Golfer?
- Do You Mentally Prepare for Tough Conditions?
- What is Mental Toughness in Golf?
- Subscribe to The Golf Psychology Podcast on iTunes
- Subscribe to The Golf Psychology Podcast on Spotify
Golfer’s Mental Edge 2.0
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