Q. Is there a relationship between personality and golf performance?
A. Yes, most of us play golf in the same manner that we live our lives. The good and bad personality traits that direct our daily lives have the power to lead to success or failure on the golf course, as well as in the work place and in our personal lives.
Q. Why do some golfers – independent of ability – experience success in the face of adversity on the golf course, while others self-destruct?
A. As golfers, we are vulnerable to feelings of frustration, anger, anxiety and excitement, all inherent to the game. If your nerves, anger, or attitude are impeding your ability to play to your potential, you must learn to control the negative thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors if you wish to improve your game.
Q. Can we learn more about ourselves through golf?
A. Of course. Golf provides a wonderful opportunity to explore your inner feelings of motivation, expectation, and self-worth.
Examples:
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The golfer who feels severe anxiety on the first tee might also feel intense anxiety before a job interview.
The golfer who throws a club after hitting a ball into the water might be the same person who slams doors after an argument with a spouse.
The golfer who rebounds from a bad shot with a positive attitude, is likely to be one who rationally and productively deals with a set-back in his business.
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Much of the way we live our lives and the way we view ourselves can be demonstrated out on the course.
Q. I am a beginner. Would I benefit from your Mastering the Mental Game programs, or are they only for advanced players and touring professionals?
A. Golfers of all skill levels experience a wide variety of different emotions that need to be managed while out on the course. In addition, all golfers can benefit from learning effective strategies and techniques to help them increase their confidence, concentration and focus – for an entire round, rather than simply for a series of shots or holes. Regardless of your skill level, the basic fact that golf is very much a mental game suggests that, if you have a sense of mastery over your thoughts and emotions, you will play better golf and enjoy the game more.
Q. What is it about golf that gets so many people “hooked” on it? In other words, what makes golf so unique?
A. The primary source of golf’s uniqueness is the role of Intermittent Reinforcement. Golf is an activity that offers intermittent reinforcement – rewards don’t come with every shot, every hole, or every round. You are rewarded with feelings of pride and accomplishment when you hit a long and straight drive down the fairway, chip in from off the green, or manage to play well throughout an entire round. But, not every shot nor every round will go your way, so you are constantly seeking and waiting for that intermittent positive reinforcement. It is a powerful concept and a powerful draw to keep you playing and returning to the game. In addition, for people who have achieved at a high level in their everyday lives, golf can be an addictive sport, as high achievers love activities that are difficult to master.
Q. If the mental game is so important, why is it that many golfers don’t pay much attention to it, or even acknowledge its importance?
A. Many golfers who wish to lower their scores address only swing mechanics and playing strategies, and fail to acknowledge the importance of mental game mastery. This is due to the fact that many people are not fully aware of how powerful our mind is with respect to golf, or for that matter, the role our mind plays in how we conduct our lives. As a result, many golfers find it simply more fun to “beat balls” than learn more about the cerebral aspects of the game.
And, even when golfers become aware of how much of a “mental game” golf is, they often do not know specifically how to capitalize on the power of their minds, with respect to performance.
Q. Will I learn more about myself through this program?
A. Absolutely. Because golf is played with the same body and mind that lives and directs the rest of your life, the qualities of your personality and temperament we address in this program will not only improve your golf game, but positively impact your life off the golf course. While you work on eliminating or tempering those negative qualities, you can become a better golfer and a better person as a result of the same process.
Q. I have been playing for years, yet still have trouble managing my anxiety on the course, which costs me several strokes per round. Is this something that I will naturally get over at some point, or will I have to simply live with it?
A. Stress and anxiety are the most insidious and common causes of poor performance and a self-destructive round of golf. Although it is a fact that everyone experiences anxiety, not everyone experiences it to the same degree of severity. What determines quality of life, as well as the quality of our golf game, is the extent to which you manage stressful situations and keep negative responses to a minimum.
Golf has the potential to be a very anxiety and stress-inducing sport. When you care too deeply about successfully executing a shot – whether it is because you define your self-worth by your performance and need to prove to yourself that you are a good golfer, or because you are worrying what people will think about you if you hit a substandard shot – intensity can build to a level that conflicts with the relaxed states of mind and body that are so critical to the tempo and flow of the golf swing.
Feeling anxiety on the course means that you care about what you are doing and you want to be successful. The opposite of this would be not caring about what you are doing, or the whether the outcome is a success. If you experience absolutely no anxiety, you would be in a bored, unmotivated, lethargic state that by no means promotes optimal performance. The key is to find a healthy balance, between paralyzing anxiety and a bored, flat state. Understanding how and why you react to anxiety is the first step, followed by, more importantly, learning effective strategies and techniques to manage your stress and anxiety.
Q. I am an experienced golfer and have been stuck on a plateau for years. I am aware of the importance of the mental game and have read several articles on this aspect of the game, but it doesn’t seem to help. How can your program help me?
A. Magazine articles and anecdotal conversations with fellow golfers regarding the mental game are often helpful, but, since the messages behind them were not designed specifically for you, there is a good chance that they may not address your particular problem(s) in a manner that works for you.
Our Mastering the Mental Game programs will teach you effective strategies and techniques – each one based on your personality, temperament, and learning style and each one directed at your specific areas in need of improvement.
Q. Can I address my swing and my mental game with you?
A. Yes. All sessions are conducted by Katherine Nino, PH.D (c), LPGA, who combines her extensive golfing background as a competitive player and teacher with her professional training and education in psychology to create a unique performance enhancement program for golfers of all playing levels and abilities. These programs can be combined with any instructional program or private lesson format, incorporating the mental game and its practical application on the golf course and practice tee.
