Sport psychology is about understanding how our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours interact with performance in sport, and how sport itself can influence mental wellbeing. For golfers, this means recognising that your focus, confidence, emotions, and routines can be just as important as your swing mechanics or putting stroke.

Golf is unique, it’s slow-paced, highly technical, and gives you lots of time to think. That thinking time can be helpful for planning and decision-making, but it can also invite frustration, nerves, or overthinking if not managed well. Sport psychology helps you train your mind the same way you train your body: learning how to channel emotions productively, reframe unhelpful thoughts, and build behaviours that support consistent performance.

Ultimately, sport psychology helps golfers develop resilience, focus, and confidence so they can perform at their best under pressure, whether that’s stepping onto the first tee, bouncing back after a bad hole, or holding their nerve over a short putt to win.

Reflective Questions:

Have you ever had your mind wander during a round? How did it affect your performance?
What emotions do you find hardest to control on the course (e.g., frustration after a bad shot, nerves on the first tee)?
Why do you think golf is sometimes called “90% mental”?

Short video accompanying the above: