Friday, October 10th marked World Mental Health Day, a reminder of how vital it is to take care of our minds as much as our bodies.
In golf – where focus, confidence, and composure can determine the outcome of every round – mental health and preparation play a crucial role. At the Jason Floyd Golf Academy, we understand that performance isn’t just about swing mechanics or physical training; it’s also about maintaining a strong, balanced mindset both on and off the course.
This month, we sat down with our Mental Performance Team to discuss the connection between golf and mental wellbeing and to gather some practical advice for players preparing for tournaments or navigating the ups and downs of the game.
Q&A with the Mental Performance Team
- Why is mental health and mental preparation so important in golf?
Golf is a pretty unique sport for a few reasons, but what really stands out is how long the rounds are and how individual the game is. Players spend a lot of time in their own heads between shots, and it’s so important that this is a healthy place to be, not just for performance, but for overall wellbeing too.
- How can golfers manage pressure during competition rounds?
We encourage our players to be as proactive as possible. The preparation starts from how they train and prepare, instilling good processes and routines in low pressure rounds so they can trust it when the pressure arrives. Then we encourage them to A.C.T. This stands for accept, centre, and trust. We encourage them to embrace the pressure and the emotions that come with it, centre themselves in the present moment through techniques like breathing, and trusting the processes they’ve worked on in practice.
- What strategies do you recommend for bouncing back after a poor shot or hole?
Again, we really try to have the players be more proactive than reactive. We encourage our players to expect setbacks to happen and focus more on being ready to adapt than going out and hoping a setback doesn’t come. Alongside a preshot routine we also encourage our players to have a post shot routine that allows them to accept poor shots as helpful feedback and refocus on the next one. Having an organised process like this in place helps minimise the more impulsive emotional responses and help them bounce back faster.
- How important is goal setting for mental performance, and how should players approach it?
We encourage all our players to set goals, whether that’s long term goals or just goals for a tournament. Most of our students are looking to go to college in the U.S which requires certain boxes to be ticked, both on and off the course. This isn’t easy and often requires a lot of planning, time, and effort to ensure they reach the college requirements both golf wise and academically, goal setting can be a great tool to help them guide these plans.
- How can golfers support their teammates and friends who may be struggling mentally?
The first step is simply letting them know you’re there for them. Often, someone who’s struggling just needs reassurance that they have support. A simple “Hey, how are you really doing?” can go a long way. You don’t need to have the answers, just listen without trying to fix things or give advice right away unless they ask for it. Sometimes the best thing you can do is simply spend time with them, invite them to hit balls, grab food, or even just have a quick FaceTime chat. Small gestures like that can make a big difference and remind them they’re not alone. Fortunately our players have access to ourselves and the team to have a more trained ear to talk to.
- What small daily habits can help players strengthen their mental resilience?
Personally, I think self-awareness is key. We encourage players to use things like meditation and journaling to get to know themselves better and start noticing the patterns in how they think, feel, and react on and off the course. Then, with the help of a coach, they can use that insight to manage themselves more effectively, building habits that create positive momentum and having a plan for the situations that tend to slow them down.
What a lot of people get wrong is thinking resilience is something you can just force or fix overnight. That might work for a short while, but it’s not sustainable. We try to take a longer term approach, learning about yourself without judgment and using that information to keep improving over time.
Final Thoughts
At JFGA, we’re proud to support our players both on and off the course. Remember to check in with yourself, keep a positive mindset, and never underestimate the power of mental preparation in your performance journey. Taking care of your mental health is just as important as perfecting your swing.