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Welcome to issue number 36 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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In this issue:

• The Domino Effect…When One Hole Changes Everything

• Wellness Tip – Brain Food for Golfers and Everyone

• Mental Demons Q+A

• In Person Events - Book The 3 Minute Golfer

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The Domino Effect…When One Hole Changes Everything

Imagine you’re on the tee of a long par-4, you hit it straight and long and you’re thinking “I could be the next Tiger Woods.” Then your approach to the green finds the sand, you take two to get out, then four putt….and suddenly you’re thinking “Maybe I should just play mini-golf.” The absurdity of one swing turning your internal narrative from “champion” to “loser” is at the heart and start of the Domino Effect.

Every golfer has experienced how a single disastrous hole can turn a promising round into an existential crisis? The Domino Effect in golf is where one small disaster can start an unwelcomed chain reaction. It's the reason you can go from potential club champion to searching for your last golf ball behind a tree, all in the space of 15 minutes.

It starts innocently enough…a shanked tee shot, a duffed chip, maybe a putt that goes too far past. One bad hole and, suddenly, you’re questioning your grip, your stance, and possibly your life choices. The confidence crash arrives swiftly, opening the door for a string of double bogeys or worse. You’re not just playing golf anymore…you’re surviving an emotional avalanche.

This is where your inner monologue ramps up. One moment it’s your supportive mate, the next it’s a relentless critic. The difference between bouncing back or spiralling down is determined by how the little voice inside your head reacts…it can either talk you off the ledge or push you right over. 

Going Both Ways

Having said that, the Domino Effect works both ways. Hit your approach shot close or sink a clutch putt and you’re suddenly strutting like a pro. That one good hole can boost your confidence, put a swagger in your step, and set you off on a run of pars and birdies. 

Every golfer has a story about “catching fire”…hitting a purple patch where every shot finds the sweet spot, and even the wind seems to cheer you on. 

So, what’s are the psychological chain reactions? First, you miss a shot you thought you’d make. That bruises confidence. With this mini-injury to your psyche, your next swing becomes tentative. Tentative swings lead to marginal contact. Marginal contact leads to worse outcomes. Worse outcomes further damage confidence. Rinse and repeat to suffer the infamous ‘hole after hole after hole’ spiral.

But flipping the script…suppose on hole six you hit a great iron shot right at the flagstick for a two-putt birdie. Suddenly your confidence rises, your grin widens, and your playing partners raise their eyebrows in admiration. You’re riding high. On hole seven you nail another drive. On eight you hole a decent putt. On nine you maybe flirt with birdie again. You’re not just playing well…you’re in the groove, and the momentum is growing.

In these good-hole sequences, confidence is feeding performance, just as in the bad sequence confidence is being eroded. The concept of positive momentum is described in sport psychology as a boost in confidence, focus, energy and performance after a positive event. 

The link between self-confidence and sport performance has been established in meta-analysis that shows higher confidence tends to correlate with better performance. (Lochbaum, M., et. al., 2022) Also, the phenomenon of “psychological momentum” has been studied where athletes are often believed to build momentum after successes and lose it after failures. (Briki, W., 2017) 

Pro Tips: Breaking Bad Momentum and Building Good

If you feel the dominoes wobbling, take a deep breath, smile, and maybe tell your inner self to calm down. Try resetting your routine, drink some water, admire the scenery, or crack a joke with your mates. Celebrate small wins, focus on the next shot, and don’t let one rough hole rent free space in your head. The comeback starts with a single good swing.

Reset After Every Shot, Not Just Every Hole…Treat each shot as an independent event. Use a post-shot routine where once the shot is done, good or bad, you go through a brief mental reset.

Use Deep Breathing to Stay Calm…Before each shot, take a deep breath to calm the nervous system. A Long exhale equals a lower heart rate, and a relaxed body equals better tempo.

Stick to a Solid Pre-Shot Routine…A consistent routine builds trust and consistency, even under pressure. Walk into every shot the same way…practice swings, visualisation, alignment. This anchors your mind, keeps emotions in check, and ushers in the confidence that comes with familiarity.

Use “Neutral Thinking” Instead of Positive Thinking…If you just chunked one into the sand, then saying “I’m amazing” to yourself isn’t going to help. Try “That was a bad shot. Let’s see if I can make a good swing next.” Don’t catastrophise or lie to yourself. Focus on process, not emotion.

Set Process Goals, Not Score Goals…Focus on shot quality, not the scoreboard. Instead of “I need par here,” think “smooth tempo, trust the swing.” It pulls pressure off the outcome and onto things you can control.

Visualise the Recovery, Not the Collapse…After a bad hole, picture what a good recovery looks like. See yourself playing the next few holes calmly and confidently. Imagine how good it will feel to bounce back.

Accept That Golf Is Built to Break You…You will have bad holes. Even pros triple bogey. Accept it. Laugh it off. Swear at your ball under your breath if needed but then move on. You can’t control the last hole, but you can control your mindset for the next.

Act Like You're Playing Well, Even If You Aren't…Body language can reverse engineer confidence. Walk tall, swing smooth, don’t rush or mope. Confidence isn’t always felt…it’s often acted into existence.

Embrace the Ride…The domino effect is part of the wild, unpredictable beauty of golf. Every round is a rollercoaster, sprinkled with both triumphs and tantrums. So, embrace the ups and downs, have a laugh, and remember…next hole, next chance.

See the References Here.