Building confidence is a journey, not a destination — just ask Tiger Woods.
Confidence takes many forms, but in golf basically there are only two forms — true confidence and false confidence many golfers project to mask their insecurities during a round.
When it comes to confidence, one thing is certain: truly confident golfers always have the upper hand over the doubtful and those in two minds.
Your golf mentality has a powerful effect on your ability to succeed on the course and to be able to come in with good scores.
A recent study by the University of Melbourne showed that confident people went on to earn higher wages and get promoted more quickly than anyone else.
I’m wondering if we can relate this also to golf!
Learning to be confident on the course is clearly important, but what is that truly confident golfers do that sets them apart from everyone else?
Here’s a list of characteristics I’ve noticed through my years of coaching:
Golfers who brim with confidence derive their sense of pleasure and satisfaction from their own accomplishments. Confident golfers don’t pass judgment on others.
Research conducted at the University of California in San Francisco shows that the more difficulty that you have saying no, the more likely you are to experience stress, burnout, and even depression.
Perhaps more importantly is that golfers who possess confidence listen more than they speak and when they do speak, they speak with certainty.
Confident golfers are not afraid to be wrong and like to challenge themselves and compete, even when their efforts yield small victories.
When they are receiving attention for a golfing accomplishment, they quickly shift the focus to all the people who worked hard to help get them there.
When confident golfers see an opportunity, they take it instead of worrying about what could go wrong.
Insecure golfers constantly doubt their ability on a pending result, while confident golfers, on the other hand, aren’t worried about an upcoming tournament.
Confident golfers know that asking for help on their game won’t make them seem weak or unintelligent. They know their strengths and weaknesses, and they look to others to fill the gaps.
Out of Bounds: Constipated golfers ‘Don’t Give A Crap.’