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Issue 29 - Noise...What Noise?
The 3 Minute Golfer
September 06, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes
Welcome
Welcome to issue number 29 of The 3 Minute Golfer. This FREE, weekly publication is here to help every golfer improve their mental game and their personal wellbeing.
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Noise…What Noise?
Have you ever stood over a short putt, feeling like it’s practically an inch away, only to lose concentration and miss the hole because you were distracted by a passing cart, a chirping bird, or your partner rummaging through their bag?
As golfers, we have an uncanny ability to be hyper-alert to absolutely any sound or movement in our vicinity. Yet, ironically, most golfers could probably drain a short putt in the middle of Times Square, on New Year’s Eve, if they had to. So, what’s the secret? How do you block out the entire universe for the two seconds it takes to focus and hit the ball?
If you’ve ever been to a LIV Golf event, you might have noticed it’s not your grandpa’s sleepy Sunday PGA broadcast. Instead of hushed commentators whispering like they’re talking in a library, LIV tournaments sound more like someone is accidentally hitting shuffle on a DJ’s playlist during every backswing. And the players, play on regardless because their neurological systems have been re-tuned by their current golf environment to block out the noise and concentrate fully on their shots.
For the LIV golfer it seems a case of “noise…what noise?” For golfers on the other professional tours and, for most club golfers, noise can still be an easy distraction and a convenient excuse.
Sounds That Distract
Have you ever wondered which noises top the distraction charts…here are the top 7.
Sudden Human Sounds…Like a cough, a sneeze, or a well-intentioned yet ill-timed, “You’ve got this!”
Talking or Whispering…People talking normally can be highly distracting. Whispering can be even more disruptive because it's harder to pinpoint and seems secretive or intentional.
Mechanical Clinks and Clanks…A golf cart starting, stopping or moving, course maintenance machines, or the dreaded rattling of golf clubs in the bag.
Electronic Notifications…Phone dings and buzzes are immediate magnets for your attention (Tsal & Shalev, 2016).
Personal Triggers…Anything that has emotional significance to you. Maybe you really hate the buzz of a distant leaf blower or your ex-partner’s ringtone. The second you hear it…your focus is gone.
Cameras…The click of a shutter or the beep of a video recording starting during your swing can be a big distraction. Even the sound of someone adjusting a camera or phone is problematic.
Nature Sounds…While nature is usually calming, unexpected natural noises can disrupt focus…like birds chirping, trees rustling, dogs barking from nearby homes, or sudden wind gusts.
Number 8 is not a noise, but Sudden Silence can produce the same neurological distraction. Interestingly, if there’s a noticeable hush right before your swing, it can change your focus and break your rhythm. As one LIV golfer once remarked…“It’s like raising kids, when there’s always screaming in the background, your brain just adapts. The real problem is when it goes quiet. That’s when you worry.”
Why So Easily Distracted
Your Brain’s Superpower and Weakness…is to be hyperalert. Your Sympathetic nervous system is finely tuned to scan for noises that represent possible danger…which works well when you need adrenaline to escape a life-threatening situation, but not so well when you’re mid-swing and you hear a twig snapping. Your neurological system responds with reflex fright, sensing a predator in the woods. Your conscious brain can logically think through most situations but can’t process fast enough to calm you in the moment of a sudden noise. Research shows that unpredictable sounds, like a sudden cough, tend to distract more than predictable, constant background noise (Smith, 2019).
Your Internal Monologue…can also be a co-conspirator in the noise game. It can be eerily silent until you have to make a crucial shot…then suddenly, you’ve got a chorus in your head shouting, “Don’t chunk it! Everyone’s looking!” The more you listen to that inner commentary, the easier it is for random external noises to join the party.
Pro Tip…Embrace the Noise
One Mental Trick…is to accept the noise rather than fight it. Think of it like the white noise machine you might use to fall asleep…it’s just there, humming along. Some golfers even hum or recant a steady mantra during their pre-shot routine to create an internal “sound bubble” that blocks out everything else.
Practice Noise Mitigation…by asking your playing partners to talk, move and make noises during your shot. The more you become accustomed to noise while hitting the better you will learn to concentrate and block out everything else.
Scan Your Environment…before each shot, taking in all the surrounding noises and telling yourself they are an integral part of the game to help golfers concentrate better.
Choose a Single Focus…on one small detail, like a mark on your ball and stick your entire mind to it, block everything else out…and never waver.
Trust Your Swing…to deliver the best outcome in any environment by dialling down your senses and letting all your previous practice and experience do it’s thing. Acting without thought is part of being in the flow state of optimal arousal.
Remember…the world doesn’t stop for your backswing, but your mind can learn to keep you focussed regardless of cart clatters, random sneezes, or questionable ringtones. When you embrace the distraction and turn it into background music, you might just find that all noise is good noise…as long as you choose to hear it that way.