Jack Nicklaus has never been a fan of mental coaches. I need to be more careful. Though my golf game has never needed one, my owner game has searched a few out; when I need to survive those days when it’s snowing in late April! On the tour, there are more players with sports psychologists than there are players without. The detractors make a valid point:
“Does a sports psychologist make you play good, or does he or she make you feel good about playing bad”?
Interesting premise? One of the Tours elite who chooses not to have a mental guru in his entourage said this, “I don’t need to pay someone to tell how good I am, I know how good I am”. Are those the words of the truly conceded, I think you could make an argument that he is just telling us the facts? This player is a top 20 player in the whole world, there are only a few who are statistically better than him. It makes sense he is at his capacity with confidence.
Do You Need Mental Coaches?
If the best in the world need help, what about you and your Saturday morning foursome? Do you ever wonder what it might be like to have someone sorting the piles of garbage in your brain? Could a sports psychologist make you a better player? I would love to see what they might be able to do for someone who spends their round getting in their own way. Who will be the guinea pig? Where do you find these mental coaches? How much would it cost? What would be the return on investment? Remember, even if you don’t play good, rumor has it you’ll feel much better about playing bad.
In conclusion, as for my mental game…I still feel bad when 120 league players get washed away! I’m mentally weak.
