In my experience, the most important mental skill
for a golfer to have is confidence. What exactly
is confidence, and why does it come and go seemingly
for no apparent reason? Why is it that many golfers
can hit the ball well or chip and putt well when
they practice, but when they go out on the course,
it all falls apart?
I believe confidence is a direct result of preparation
and experience. Confidence is not some mystical
belief that cannot be substantiated by tangible
evidence. Confidence is knowing you can do something
because you have done it before, or at least you
have simulated doing it in practice enough times
that you just know you can do it again in competition.
Once a golfer has executed a shot successfully
in competition, he then has a real and powerful
experience to recall for future shot confidence.
“The Confidence Cycle” provides
a great way to build confidence into your game.
All successful golfers practice this way, whether
structured in a formal approach or instinctive.
There are four steps to the confidence cycle.
STEP 1: TECHNIQUE
Many golfers practice technique exclusively. They
are constantly working on positions, moves, pivots,
etc., based on who is winning currently on the
tour or the latest trend of swing style. However,
good technique is an absolute if you are going
to play golf with confidence consistently. So
your technique must be attended to in every practice
session.
Technique by itself will give you some confidence
out on the course, but what usually happens when
you hit a few poor shots is that you will then
believe that it is your technique that caused
the poor shots. You then spend the rest of the
round thinking about and working on your swing.
When you practice technique, evaluate your success
or failure by whether you achieve the move or
position in your swing and not by where the ball
goes.
STEP 2: SKILL
Once you have done some work on your technique,
you should then practice skill. Skill is practicing
a particular shot repetitively. An example might
be a 5-iron fade shot. After practicing your skill
shots, your confidence level will be higher with
that particular skill, and you will play golf
with a higher level of confidence.
STEP 3: TEST
Testing a shot involves focusing on a target and
a goal and using your preshot routine on every
shot. Many golfers avoid testing because they
believe that it can damage their confidence as
it exposes their inability to hit shots when it
counts. However, testing is vital in every practice
session.
Examples of some basic and effective tests are
the three-in-a-row tests. Hit three shots in a
row with a 5-iron through a 10-yard gap. The first
two might seem easy, but the third shot will feel
much more like the pressure you feel out on the
course. If you miss, start again and continue
with this test until it is complete.
If you cannot complete a test after a few attempts,
go back a step and practice the skill a few more
times with no measurable pressure and then try
the test again.
STEP 4: COMPETE
After completing the three-in-a-row tests, you
should be ready when you approach this shot on
the course. Simply remind yourself that you’ve
hit this shot three times in a row during practice,
and you can certainly do it again.
Competing with confidence is the final hurdle
to becoming a confident golfer. When you can successfully
execute a shot on the course after taking yourself
through the confidence cycle in your practice
program, you will have achieved absolute confidence
in that skill. Remember, confidence is a direct
result of practice and preparation.
