By Ben Esposito, Professional Golfer & Founder of In The Golf Zone
Oftentimes, there is anticipation after a round, especially after difficult rounds, about how a junior golfer stacks up on the leaderboard. Today, in a world driven by social media, college announcements, digital leaderboards, and a growing number of junior rankings whose formulas we may never understand, a junior golfer sees the score next to their name as a gauge of the quality of their game. For especially passionate and committed golfers, this score can be directly tied to their identity, self-esteem, and self-worth.
The first problem with this line of thinking is that results and performance are actually not always the same, especially since there is so little we actually have control over on the golf course. You can use a ramp to roll the same putt multiple times, and sometimes it doesn’t go in. The wind can shift, and the ball doesn’t always bounce in the direction it is going. Therefore, first, a player must start to evaluate the quality of the factors they can control: their process, commitment, and emotional management. Outcomes are not always in your control. Being overly results-focused can take a player away from their process, commitment, and what they can control.
Another way to constructively track improvement outside of score is to examine the quality of shots and build on what a player has done well in a given round. Ask yourself, are you hitting good quality putts in the center of the face, but they just aren’t going in? If so, no need to blame yourself.
Also, the tendency to compare oneself to others, rather than setting a personal improvement standard, tends to create a negatively skewed player perspective. First of all, there is not a golfer in the world who leaves a course without thinking they left something out there (even PGA tour players shooting 61). It is only human nature to compare yourself to others when your name is on the leaderboard. This leads to disappointment on days when that standard isn’t met and unnecessary pressure.
However, what many fail to realize is that such comparisons can actually put a cap on a player’s potential. If a golfer is only striving to beat certain players (even those that are top-ranked) or shoot a specific number, it still puts an artificial ceiling on their performance. This is still true even if the goal is ahead of the typical result. A player with this mindset will, at best, reach the level of those in their artificially created comparison class. Who is to say their true potential with the proper focus isn’t actually above that?
It is much better to approach all of this from a growth mindset instead. I was told by my coach growing up Cheryl Anderson, “golf is a marathon not a sprint”. Personal improvement and commitment should be celebrated and encouraged. Randy Smith, Scotty Scheffler’s coach, said that he was always working towards “not being the best player right now but the best player when you are 25”. Safe to say that has worked out well for Scotty.
Balance in life is a valuable skill, and it’s never too early to develop it. Finding joy in other outlets can actually enhance your commitment to your craft. In sports, I understand the risk of injury and the importance of not overloading on a long list of extra activities to achieve specialization in golf. Still, there should be something else in a player’s life. I suggest a creative outlet or something outside of golf that’s fulfilling. Since we don’t see inside the ropes with pros, it can always seem that the PGA Tour is full of tunnel-vision golfers. However, with a bit of information, gained behind the scenes from speaking with players/caddies, or listening to more informal golf podcast interviews, you begin to learn that many players have something outside of golf that piques their interest. Some examples directly from the PGA Tour include: fishing, music, painting, collecting, landscaping, playing other sports, attending other sports, podcasting, digital content creation, volunteering, writing about sports, golf course architecture, and hands-on work (including Legos).
As for the parents, patience is key. Your golfer is definitely concerned about performance. Keep the conversation constructive and focused on improvement. Ensure the conversation moves beyond blame or excuses from either side as quickly as possible. Fun is essential and should always be emphasized, but that doesn’t mean a parent takes a nonchalant care-free attitude. The emphasis should be on intrinsic motivation as well as learning. There is nothing wrong with creating a game plan post-round of what a player can change in practice. Items like entering stats (even if the player wasn’t satisfied with performance) can be an excellent foundation for an improvement game plan. Try to come up with a list of 3-5 specifics to work on (not “everything”) and have an honest conversation about what your player is doing to work on these areas now. With enthusiasm, understand any adjustments that need to be made.
To continue this conversation with me or learn more in detail how to help your junior golfer make practice adjustments, manage their emotions, and collaboratively work with them to help them in their journey, book a free consultation for your junior golfer today at inthegolfzone.com!
Ben Esposito
Professional Golfer | Founder of In The Golf Zone | Mental Performance Coach
4077040247 | inthegolfzone.com | ben.espositogolf@gmail.com
