Do you still play your best despite your ranking?
How is your confidence affected when you are not favored to win or place highly?
Ranking matters little when you are on the golf course. You are playing against the golf course, not other golfers’ ranking. Winning a tournament or placing in the Top 10 is earned during the round, not awarded for past play.
Playing well demands high confidence. Even if you are playing the top-ranked golfer in the world, you can still shoot your lowest score, but it requires trust in your skills and focusing on one shot at a time.
A golfer who responded to our Golf Mental Game Survey asked the following question:
“Is there anything I can do to stay confident when I play in tournaments against highly-ranked golfers? When the competition is tough, I play my worst golf. I get distracted by how well the golfers in my group are playing, and I feel more pressure to keep up with them.”
Many golfer’s confidence rises and falls according to the level of their competition.
When you play against lower-ranked opponents, you feel less pressure. You feel confident knowing you can compete, win, or finish in the Top-10. Your swing feels comfortable, and you trust your ability to make shots.
A mistake doesn’t throw off your game because you are confident you can hit a recovery shot. When you are confident, you give yourself the opportunity for peak play.
Unfortunately, many golfers get in trouble when they focus on the record or ranking of opposing golfers.
You believe you won’t play well because of who you are playing against.
In this mindset, you talk yourself out of playing well. You believe your opponents will outplay you from the first swing. You begin to compare yourself to their ranking and quickly lose confidence.
It’s not your ability that holds you back; it’s your faulty assumptions and expectation that you will play poorly.
The reality is that no matter who you play against, you can play at your peak.
Their game has no impact on your performance. If you maintain a high level of confidence and focus on your game, you may indeed play at your peak and earn a top finish.
At the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur, Trevor Gutschewski beat favored Blades Brown in their Round-of-32 match.
Despite Brown being the top seed and ranked No. 3 according to the Junior Golf Scoreboard, Gutschewski never trailed in his match.
After the match, Gutschewski comments that he isn’t fazed by rankings or the accolades of other players.
GUTSCHEWSKI: “I don’t really feel like an underdog at all. I mean, I think my game is just as good as anybody else out here. If I play well, I can hang with anybody.”
To play to your potential in golf, you must allow yourself the opportunity to perform freely. This involves staying mentally engaged and steering clear of self-doubt that can hinder you from playing at your peak.
Before a tournament, it is important to be mentally prepared. One way to mentally prepare is to ask yourself the following questions:
- “What should I focus on to play my best?
- “What should I think about to be on top of my game?”
- “What will I do if my focus drifts?
Always remember that you are playing the golf course and not trying to beat other golfers. Focus on your game plan and not what others are scoring.
Related Golf Psychology Articles
- Remaining Calm After a Bad Golf Shot
- Golfers Who Are Intimidated By Their Competition
- How to Follow Up a Low Round
- Subscribe to The Golf Psychology Podcast on iTunes
- Subscribe to The Golf Psychology Podcast on Spotify
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