Golf Anxiety Explained - Is A Fear Of Success Holding You Back?

Anxiety is a complex emotional state associated with heightened physiological arousal. Despite its generally negative connotation, the impact of golf anxiety on performance can vary, resulting in positive, negative, or negligible effects. This variability is contingent on factors related to both the athlete and the specific task at hand.

Two years ago, I participated in Open Qualifying at Lindrick Golf Club. Despite a successful practice round the day before (I shot level par), things changed drastically on the day of competition. Despite arriving well-prepared and feeling good during my warm-up, I stepped onto the first tee and my arms suddenly felt heavy and numb. I lost control of my swing and started with a double bogey. Reflecting on this, I realised that my nervousness stemmed from a fear of success rather than the more commonly perceived fear of failure.

A fear of success closely parallels a fear of failure and can manifest in similar ways. This fear is diverse, ranging from feeling undeserving to the anxiety that achieving success sets a new level of ongoing expectation. In the context of golf, the fear of success may manifest as a reluctance to achieve short and medium-term goals due to the perceived pressure and heightened expectations for long-term objectives. This can lead to self-sabotage, procrastination, indecision, negative self-talk, doubts and a diminished motivation to pursue goals. The ultimate result is that it can undermine your confidence and reduce your level of performance.

Individuals may even abandon challenges well within their capabilities due to the fear of potential consequences. Overcoming such fears requires staying present, focusing on immediate goals, and fostering positive perceptions of success. Cognitive-behavioural techniques, such as writing, visualising, and talking, are effective approaches to modifying thought patterns and behaviours associated with the fear of success. These methods facilitate the transformation of negative thoughts into positive actions, ultimately enhancing a golfer's mental resilience and performance.

Golf Anxiety Explained: Practical Steps

Answer These Questions 

You can highlight the potential outcomes of success and counter negative thoughts with some simple mental game tips, like responding to a set of simple questions. Engage in this exercise by writing detailed answers to the following:

• Why is the successful achievement of this goal crucial to me? 
• Do I believe in my ability to attain success in this goal? 
• What is the worst-case scenario if I achieve this goal? 
• How will my coach, friends, and family react if I achieve this goal? 
• How committed and motivated am I to pursue it? 
• Do I genuinely believe I deserve success in this goal?

Identify all the positive statements from your responses and compile them into a list. Keep this list accessible, reading it whenever the fear of success arises, placing this in your car glove box or even your golf bag.

Using Visualisation 

Reduce fears by visualising success and its associated positive elements through the following exercise:

• Sit in a quiet room, close your eyes, and envision successfully achieving your goal on the golf course. 
• Focus on the positive feelings associated with this achievement, replaying them until negative thoughts dissipate. 
• Consider the positive impacts of achieving your goal on your life, concentrating solely on the favourable outcomes. 
• Train your mind through consistent visualisation, understanding that this may require ongoing effort as your fear of success evolves.

Positive Internal Language

Overcome internal conflicts by steering your self-talk in a positive direction:

• Recall recent internal conversations about your golf in practice and/or competition, balancing positive and negative thoughts (create a self-talk sandwich – 1 positive, 1 negative, 1 positive).  
• Craft a concise, positive phrase to counteract negativity (e.g., "I can make this shot, I have done it so many times before"). 
• Close your eyes, visualise accomplishing the aim, and reimagine the positive feelings associated with success, this is especially helpful prior to hitting your shot - as part of your pre-shot routine. 
• Incorporate the positive phrase into your internal dialogue, reinforcing your commitment to achieving your goal. 

Combining self-talk, visualisation, and writing techniques to effectively combat fears is incredibly powerful. The potency of these positive approaches grows with repetition, ultimately helping you overcome fears and achieve success. This is just like making a swing change, it takes time and hard work to make change.