Photo Credit: Keith Allison

We’ve all experienced that feeling — you’re playing well and in contention for a win or your best score and out of nowhere, a wild shot appears which awakens self-doubt and then snowballs into a complete loss of confidence. Instead of seeing the target, you begin to only see the trouble and play not to make mistakes. Your hands start to shake and your legs go weak. Your previously clear mind starts racing and focusing becomes difficult, leading to poor decision making and confusion. You lose confidence in your swing and feel like the ball could go anywhere.

When this happens, the results on the course can become disastrous. Just take a look at his quote from someone who knew a little something about the game:

Confidence is the most important single factor in this game,” Jack Nicklaus once said.

So how do we overcome the fear and self-doubt that can rear its ugly head at any time during a round and quickly restore natural balance? As a mental game coach, I get asked this question often. This article will show you how to prevent any loss of confidence and keep your emotions in check.

Choose to be confident

Is confidence solely based on past performance? No, I don’t believe it is. Yes, when we play well we have more positive memories to recall in pressure situations, but what most amateurs don’t understand is that you have complete control over whether to be confident regardless of past performance. If you believe that confidence is based only on past performance, then you’re basically saying that you’re only as good as your last round, which puts an awful lot of pressure on your game. It’s basically saying that unless you’re playing well, you’re not building confidence. Performance-based confidence is called “external confidence” and it’s not the sort of long-lasting confidence which will get you to your full potential.

Enduring confidence is built from the inside out. It’s process based, not results based. It’s called “internal confidence” and it’s all about having faith in what you already have, not how well you hit the last shot or played during your last round. To continually develop internal confidence and bounce back from the knocks that the game of golf brings (to us all), try the techniques below. All have been proven to work by players of all levels, but try each of them and decide what is best for you.

Become totally absorbed in your routine

The pre-shot routine is great for restoring calmness to your game. If you practice a good routine, it should be a meticulous sequence of positive steps. Concentrating on these steps will distract you from any fears and doubts, keep you in the present and thinking positively.

Positive self-talk

You’ll be very surprised at the power of self-talk and how it can affect your mood. Next time you hit a bad shot, think about what your best friend or spouse would say to you instead of beating yourself up over it. Always tell yourself you are a good player, even if you aren’t feeling like it at the time. Remind yourself that we all make mistakes, which if you learn from them (after the round), will take you to the next level in your game.

Develop an attitude of gratitude, not entitlement

I remember Dr. Gio Valiante talking about working on this with Justin Rose ahead of his U.S. Open win last year. What this means that you develop the attitude that golf owes you nothing and you’re not entitled to play every shot well. Instead of getting frustrated by bad shots, immediately think of something you are grateful for to lift your spirits and put the game in perspective.

Recall positive experiences

When you need to turn it around, recall times when you were playing really well and picture the shots you hit. The idea here is that you lift your mood with positive imagery. Fred Couples says that before every shot, he pictures the best shot he ever hit with whatever club he’s holding.

Reframe negative emotions

Nerves and doubt are a great opportunity to improve your mental fortitude and create a positive experience. To begin with, nerves should be welcomed as it’s when you’re nervous that you’ll play your best. Nerves heighten your senses and give you a little extra juice than when you’re cozy in your comfort zone. Next time feelings of doubt and fear arise, consider it an opportunity to prove to yourself that you can roll with the punches and overcome adversity like the best players in the world.

Acceptance

As a part of your pre-shot routine, include a phrase that sets the expectation that “although you have a positive intention for it, even the very best miss the target from time to time, and if you do, you’re a good enough player to recover.” This could also be something like, “Is this possible?” and respond to yourself by saying “Yes, I believe it is.” Even saying this to yourself will make missing the fairway or green easier to deal with. Nothing is certain in golf and that’s why we love it.

Modelling/Notice your posture

Good players have a swagger about them on the course. They project confidence in their demeanor that positively affects their mood. Imagine your favorite tour player and emulate his swagger and confidence as he walks between shots. Notice whether you are looking down at the grass in defeat or holding your gaze up at flag level with a feeling of self-belief.

Play your “go-to” shot

If you’ve practiced correctly, you should know your “go-to” shot that you can comfortably pull off no matter what the situation. For example, it might be a high fade. So when you’re feeling under pressure, go to this shot.

Adjust your risk appetite

When you’re deciding on the shot to play, think about the riskiness of it in terms of a red, amber and green. If you’re not feeling so confident, it might be a “red” shot, in which case you’ll make your target a little more conservative than you would on a “green” when your confidence is high.

I’d love to get your feedback on these techniques, so please leave comments! If Jack Nicklaus is right (and he does know a little about golf) then through building internal confidence, you’ll get closer to your potential with every round.