Developing Confidence in the Classroom

Long before we head to the practice range or the first tee, I usually start my mental game sessions sitting down with my golfers and I try to find out as much as I can about how they feel about competition, playing against and with others, what they have accomplished in the past, and how they deal with pressure. This oftentimes leads to a fascinating discussion of past events and gives me a good insight into the psychological profile of the person.

During this session, we will discuss their belief system and what it will take for him or her to get better. I will ask them if they truly believe in their talent and what they feel they need to do in order to get better. But, the most important question we will go over is: "What are you willing to do or work on in order to improve your golf game?" When I can get a positive response to this question is when we start to discuss basic and applied strategies.

So, the first question you have to ask yourself: "What am I willing to do or work on in order to improve my game?"

If you don't know where to start, you may want to start by examining your attitude or even ask some of your consistent playing partners to describe your attitude. What you may find may not always meet your taste, but at least you are getting some feedback and hopefully it will be honest and sincere. Oftentimes, when we take the time to sit back and reflect on what it is we want, we don't really have a definitive answer. But if we think about what it is we don't want and move the other way, we often get to where we want to go in the end.