Golfers Who Choke Because of Fear
How many times has fear ruined a round of golf for you?
Have you ever been overwhelmed by thoughts such as:
- “I’m afraid of missing this putt.”
- “I’m afraid of shooting bad round.”
- “I’m afraid of losing the lead.”
- “I’m afraid my short game will be horrible just as it has been in practice.”
- “I’m afraid my coach will be mad at me if I keep playing poorly.”
- “I’m afraid of chocking.”
Fear is the biggest obstacle to peak performance… Fear leads to worry and worry leads to playing it safe…
Unfortunately, “play it safe” option is really no option at all if you want to play your best golf.
To illustrate this point, let’s examine the case of Jen W., a sophomore collegiate golfer…
Jen W. is the top golfer on her team and ranks just outside the Top-10 in her conference.
Jen W. has the talent to crack into the Top-10 but in tough matches, she gets over-anxious and misses easy shots that she would normally make.
Jen becomes so tight that she consistently leaves putts short.
Jen fears she will not live up to her potential and she is afraid of letting her coach down. These fears eat at her.
Jen realizes her fears are keeping her from her potential and knows she needs to do something in order to regain her confidence and play at her peak under pressure.
Many golfers experience similar fear when playing but elite golfers do something about their fears in order to play at their best.
Albane Valenzuela, the No. 3-ranked amateur player in the world, admits that fear has held her back in the past, especially in match play.
Valenzuela, who played in the final of the 117th U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, said she is trying to focus on her game instead of giving into fear.
VALENZUELA: “Sometimes I would approach [match play] with some fear, but I now realize that fear doesn’t bring you anything. The best defense is to attack, so that’s what I keep telling myself.”
The way to alleviate fear and anxiety is to go for your shots instead of choosing to play it safe. That’s correct, playing aggressively trumps fear and allows you to focus on your game rather than worrying about outcomes.
There is a classic book, “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway,” that espouses the virtues of pushing past fear. Each time you act in the face of fear, you make it easier to do it the next time and you build a strong habit for the future.
Overcoming Fear During a Round of Golf:
Follow Valenzuela’s lead and make the conscious choice to go for your shots instead of allowing fear to win out.
Use a cue word or words, such as, “Be aggressive,” “Attack,” or, “Go for it,” to remind yourself to stay aggressive.
When you find your mind wandering to the land of ‘What If,’ use your cue words to bring you back to what you need to do at that moment.
“Feel the fear and do it anyway.” And learn how to play composed and confident golf with “The Golfer’s Mental Edge.”
Learn Proven Strategies to Perform with Confidence!
Do you suffer from fragile self-confidence after missed hits, playing with strict or high expectations that undermine confidence or the inability to play freely and relaxed on the course?
If you suffer from lack of focus, low self-confidence or other mental game obstacles on the course, you cant reach your true golf potential…
What are mental game customers saying?
“My confidence level has never been higher! I can’t tell you how clearly I was able to think during all four rounds of tour-school. The simple game plan you gave me really focused me. My confidence level has never been higher during a tournament. No matter how much pressure was on, I was able to control my thoughts and execute. Thank you Dr. Cohn!”
~Patricia Baxter-Johnson, LPGA Tour
“I would like to thank you again for our last mental coaching session, which did offer me yesterday my personal best round ever! On a golf course where I had never scored better than 77, I scored a 73 in competition. I cannot believe the incredible inner work this simple session has produced on me and I would like to thank you again for that.”
~Emmanuel Grizaud, Amateur Golfer
“I have spent hundreds to dollars on clubs, putters, etc. always looking for answers. But I knew this was not going to work because I have some internal issues I had to deal with on the golf course. Working with Dr. Cohn on mental game by far is the best investment I have made. I have some great tools to work on to see my mental game improve. I feel better now than I have ever have on the golf course and I thank you so much for helping me with the positive mental direction.”
~Sean McQueary, Amateur Golfer
“I want to tell you how much I appreciate all your help. You have made an enormous amount of difference in my game. I feel much better because of your help; I don’t feel the tension like I did before. You should feel very good about what you do for people—it is truly a gift!. I know my students and myself have benefited enormously from Dr. Patrick Cohn’s teaching.”
~Jim Dahline, PGA Professional
Boost Your Self-Confidence And Focus With Expert Mental Game Coaching!
If you’re a top performer during practice but find yourself under-performing in competition, the most likely culprit holding you back is your mental game.
Master mental game coach Dr. Patrick Cohn can help you overcome your mental game issues with one-on-one personal mental game coaching.
You can work with Dr. Patrick Cohn himself in Orlando, Florida or via Skype, FaceTime, or telephone. Call us toll free at 888-742-7225 or contact us for more information about the different coaching programs we offer!
What are our mental game coaching students, parents and coaches saying?
“The mental side is everything in golf—the ability to see your shot or line and trust that you can hit that shot or putt. Dr. Cohn has helped me trust my game and putting stroke.”
~Frank Lickliter, PGA Tour, Nike Tour Winner
“To play well, you have to believe you can play well. Confidence goes a long way in golf. Patrick has developed a great system for helping me improve confidence and my overall mental approach to golf.”
~Brian Watts, 11-time Winner on the PGA Japan Tour
The “Golfer’s Mental Edge is a winning mental game program! Dr. Cohn’s program keeps you POSITIVE with your thought process, FOCUSED on what you can control on and off the course, and DECISIVE with the shot you are about to hit! I use his methods in my own game and share them with my students. Thanks, Dr. Cohn!”
~Curtis Way, MGCP
“Dr. Cohn has helped me improve confidence and build a consistence pre-shot routine that helps me stay confident, and learn how to play one shot at a time during competition. He also taught me that I don’t have to hit every shot perfect to score well.”
~Brian Belden, Winner 2003 AJGA Steel City Junior Classic & Marsh Junior at Hawk Pointe