Beat the golf demons

Your mind controls your best golf game

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Golfing at your best

Mental toughness skills are crucial to escalate feelings of personal control and confidence over performance on the golf course, especially when competition is close. You can condition your mind to handle the pressure and maintain focus on the present shot.

The Problem

“OMG I made so many mistakes the last time. I am so nervous. What is going to make this time any different.”

“What if I start slicing today? What if the other three are so much better?

“What if I don’t bring my ‘A’ game?”

You’ve practiced every swing over and over, and you keep trying to lower your handicap. You are determined to consistently play better, or maybe you are shooting for the big tournaments. But you keep overanalyzing your game. You have that one bad putt and you can’t think of what you need to do to birdie the next one. These are the demons inside of you trying to sabotage you from playing your best round.

Overcome the anxiety and manage the negative thoughts that fuel your fear. Get out of your head! Now it’s time to focus on your mindset as much as you do on your golf swing.

Golf Psychology Coaching

Professional golf players use a system in their rounds to help them concentrate. By following a routine, you are more calm, relaxed, and confident. This allows you to stay focused on the process instead of the outcome.

If you have more control of what you’re doing in the moment, you can better learn how to prepare for challenges that may come up in between holes.

Effective moments that set you up for success include routines before every round and every hole, as well as learning how to refocus in between each stroke. By tweaking your approach with small habits, you can increase the impact of your performance.

Dr. Michelle knows golf and wants you to play better rounds without working harder:

  • Works with all levels of golfers – professional, college, and Q school golfers
  • Was a speaker at the United States Golf Teachers Cup
  • Has published with the Golf Teaching Pro Magazine

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Real results for real people

Case Study: Pro Golfer Plays Like She Practices

THE PROBLEM

Natalie* had been a top ranked college golfer at a Division I school. Immediately after her high school graduation she started Q-School and struggled to play in tournaments. She was stressing about having to support herself financially by playing golf. Much of the time she traveled alone and started feeling very isolated. Her handicap jumped from a +3 to +10 and she developed the yips.

THE SOLUTION

We started by examining Natalie’s golf game. We discussed the change from college to Q-School and the stress about money. She was still doing well in training but just couldn’t play in tournaments like she was practicing. We talked about how that initial stress led to bad scores in her first professional tournament. She freaked herself out and continued playing worse and worse every tournament to the point of developing the yips. In our sessions, we were able to separate her ability from her self-doubt. We worked on developing a practice of leaving it all on the course and reducing her attention on the win by keeping her focus on giving each stroke 100%. We also identified healthier, more sustainable internal motivations (e.g. the way hitting a good shot made her feel) and worked on helping her concentrate on the process versus the outcome.

We meet weekly via Skype to evaluate progress and make adjustments, as well as texting before each tournament.

THE RESULT

In four months of mental coaching, Natalie’s handicap went from +10 to +6. Our work together continues to both fine-tune and address new challenges.

MENTAL TOOLKIT

We developed a personalized mental toolkit for Natalie which included:

  • A way to switch from practice mode to tournament mode.
  • A pre-round routine to get her in an optimal playing space and leave doubts behind
  • A pre-shot routine to allow her to get out of her head and utilize her muscle memory
  • A between stroke routine to let go of the shot that happened, maintain focus and stay present
  • A simulation training program in which anxiety producing conditions are practiced
  • A positive mantra to help reframe negative projections

*Names have been changed to protect privacy.

PERFORMANCE PSYCHOLOGY COACHING

Learn more about Dr. Michelle’s approach and proven philosophy that helps top golfers transform their struggles into outstanding performances and winning trophies. Her process uncovers the root of the problem and empowers golfers to control each unique challenge.

The latest on golf psychology

Read more about the constant challenges that golfers experience and how to better deal with nerves, negative chatter, and basic distractions.

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