Developing Your Mindset for High-Performance Golf
Pressure is a privilege, post-shot routines, and the pygmalion effect
Worry
Worry, at its core, is the repetitious experience of a mind attempting to generate a feeling of security about the future, failing, then trying again and again and again — as if the very effort of worrying might somehow help forestall disaster. — Oliver Burkeman
It’s difficult to “shut off” or “move on” from a shot when our mind is trying to generate a feeling of security about the future.
Skilled golfers must plan and train for the ability to focus and refocus rather than engage in a constantly “switched on” state. — Thomas Davies
This requires a well-structured post-shot routine.
The golfer should undergo a post-shot routine to “put away” a shot (be it good, bad, or indifferent), enter a period of relative relaxation, and then later switch back on for the next shot. — Thomas Davies
Pressure is a privilege
[Billie Jean] King soon began to see that the same principle that pressure is a privilege, applied to all kinds of situations, and that her anxiety was a sign of her motivation to succeed.
Great moments carry great weight — that is what pressure to perform is all about. And though it can be tough to face that kind of pressure, very few people get the chance to experience it. — David Robson
Facing high-pressure situations is a prerequisite for all aspiring elite performers.
Your ability to thrive under pressure is influenced by your:
Mindset/attitude toward pressure
Perceived ability to deal with pressure
Cognitive reappraisal is a way of shifting our mindset/attitude toward pressure.
It is the attempt to reinterpret an emotion-eliciting situation in a way that alters its meaning and changes its emotional impact.1
If you see your anxiety as debilitating and performance-reducing, you reinforce the expectation that you are already at a disadvantage and that you are going to fail — and the brain responds by preparing the body for danger and potential injury.
But if you see the racing heartbeat as a sign of energy for an important and potentially rewarding event, you reaffirm the idea that you have everything you need to thrive. — David Robson
Pressure training is a tool that influences our perceived ability to thrive under pressure. This topic was discussed in great detail with William Low.
Resonance frequency breathing (RFB) is another “tool” at our disposal to deal with the psychophysiological symptoms of pressure and anxiety. See my two-part interview with Dr. Richard Gevirtz to learn more about RFB.
Importantly, our perceived ability to deal with pressure matters.
You may have the “tools” but if you don’t feel you are able to use them, then you will perceive pressure as a threat, thus inducing anxiety.
Pygmalion Effect
When we expect certain behaviors of others, we are likely to act in ways that make the expected behavior more likely to occur — Robert Rosenthal
This is called the pygmalion effect.
Coaches should reflect on how their expectations of students could be impacting a golfer’s development.
A teacher's expectations can positively or negatively influence a child's academic performance. If, for whatever reason, a teacher decides that a pupil is less able, they will, quite unwittingly, place brakes on that pupil's development, irrespective of the child's actual ability.
Indeed, and unfortunately, the research suggests that these losses in performance may be more drastic than the brain gains that come from a teacher's positive views. — David Robson
We all have our own biases and unique background that shape our worldviews and coaching styles and preferences.
It is scary (for me at least) to recognize that an individual’s development can (at least in part) be influenced by my expectations of them.
An understanding of the pygmalion effect should make coaches realize just how powerful and life-changing their role can be.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnsys.2014.00175/full#:~:text=In%20particular%2C%20cognitive%20reappraisal%20is,Gross%20and%20John%2C%202003).