Author Archives: Joan

If frustration with your golf game turns into anger, your situation will become worse. Anger is only a temporary motivator resulting from a fear of failure. Anger releases the hormone adrenaline causing your muscles to tighten. Tight muscles produce a … Continue reading →

It has been my pleasure to share my insights into the mental game of golf from decades of research and personal experience from competing in national and international amateur women’s golf championships. The information I have written about is entirely … Continue reading →

“Don’t Forget to Breathe*  Most golfers say that they do hold their breath when they are swinging. Pay attention to how you breathe. Holding your breath causes more tension, which inhibits your smooth motion. Less tension creates faster club head … Continue reading →

Do you remember being distracted from your shot preparation, telling yourself that it won’t bother you, and then missing the shot or putt because you lost focus? And then afterward telling yourself you should have backed off and started again? … Continue reading →

“Others talking (maybe even in whispers) while I’m hitting a drive. Unfortunately, I experience this as a courteous dismissal of me, and it affects my self-confidence. Once, I said to them, ‘Mind if I golf while you talk?’  They laughed … Continue reading →

“The Yerkes-Dodson Law*  The time-tested Yerkes-Dodson law developed by psychologists Robert M. Yerkes and J. D. Dodson in 1908 dictates that performance increases with physiological or mental arousal, but when the levels of arousal become too high, performance decreases. When … Continue reading →

The golf season is well underway with Pro-Ams and charity tournaments being held weekly. When you compete in these kinds of tournaments do you get nervous worrying about how you will play, how you will look to others in your group, and feel … Continue reading →

Playing “start and stop” golf becomes a mental problem when it affects your attitude. Your attitude about the situation will affect your emotions. It can cause annoyance in the same way as waiting in a slow-moving grocery line or stop-and-go … Continue reading →

“The Psychological Fear of Anxiety* Life is full of choices. On the golf course, we have a multitude of choices as every golf shot is different. Most people are afraid of making the wrong choice. Some people become frozen, afraid … Continue reading →

It’s the first warm, sunny day of spring. The grass on the golf course is growing. The greens and fairways are a bright green color. The daffodils and tulips have rapidly broken through the surface of the earth and are bursting … Continue reading →