The essence of mental toughness for everyday golfers

If you have been reading this column regularly, you’ve probably noticed that, over the past seven months, I have focused a number of my topics on the critical mental aspects of playing your best golf all the time. Specifically, I have covered the 14 fundamentals that I believe comprise mental toughness for golfers.

These 14 skills are: positive attitude, ability to adapt, concentration and focus, self-discipline, work ethic, perseverance, relaxation, visualization, imagination, patience, achievement motivation, clear thinking, emotional control and strength of character.

There are more aspects to mental toughness, but these are the most important. On March 23, I made a presentation to the annual meeting of the PGA of America Sun Country Section in which I introduced my 14 fundamentals of mental toughness; it was well-received.

We also have to understand exactly what mental toughness is. One of my favorite “Yogi-isms” is, “Half the game is 90 percent mental.” That applies to both learning golf and playing the game. My definition of mental toughness is, “that complex of skills, actions and mentality which promotes high performance.”

Other descriptions of mental toughness in sport include, “that measure of individual psychological resilience and confidence that accompany success,” and “that set of mental attributes which helps a person cope with difficult situations.” In any event mental toughness is a psychological construct with clear measurement criteria. After years of debate about the validity of mental toughness, the U.S. military confirmed and validated the psychometrics.

One of the reasons the men and women professional golfers on tour have their own personal sport psychologists is the priority of being (and staying) mentally tough amid the pressures, demands and emotional roller-coaster of tournament play. For average recreational golfers, the demands may not be as stressful, but being a strong competitor results in a more satisfying game of golf. To that end I share some observations and advice.

Over the years I have noticed that one of the main things everyday golfers have great difficulty doing is detaching themselves from outcomes (shot, score, round) and committing fully to the process that produces calmness, steadiness and trust.

Results matter, but one should not be so enamored with outcome that it blurs everything else. When you stand over the ball in the fairway do you consciously trust the club in your hand, your chosen aim and your swing? I didn’t think so. Lack of inner trust comes from hidden nervous tension, with the deep worry “what will happen?”

When pressure mounts in competition (even for a few dollars or “bragging rights”), reacting to it is emotional. However, responding to pressure is deliberate and intentional. That big difference is where mental toughness lives.

React also means “recoil.” Respond is an “answer.” Your brain follows patterns. If you repeatedly react with panic, frustration or self-doubt, that becomes your default setting. But if you respond by practicing calm focus and solution-based thinking, that choice becomes automatic.

Golf urges us to learn from our mistakes. Some golfers fail to do that. It’s why golf is a lifelong work-in-progress. Once we learn how to hit a golf ball, the challenge takes over. In my presentation to the PGA group I urged them to apply these ideas to their teaching. 

Remember, mental toughness is not a personality trait. It is built and trained. It is grown and strengthened much like you develop physical endurance. That’s why the military became so interested in the details, theory and nuances of mental toughness.