Welcome

Welcome to issue number 42 of The 3 Minute Golfer. This FREE, weekly publication is here to help every golfer improve their mental game and their personal wellbeing. 

Over the next few newsletters, we will take a deeper dive into some of the performance challenges faced by the predominant mental styles.

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In this issue:

• Smokey and the Mental Bandit

• Wellness Tip – Good Neighbours are Good for Your H …

• Mental Demons Q+A

• In Person Events - Book The 3 Minute Golfer

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Smokey and the Mental Bandit

Way back when, in newsletter 6, we introduced the Smokey mental style. The player with “the mindset of hitting the ball as hard and as long as they can.” Their style often matches the “personality traits of assertive people, with a higher need for aggression, but not always in a negative sense.”

Smokey is the embodiment of every golfer who steps up to the tee with bold intentions, only to find their ball veering off into the rough way too many times. Smokey’s experience isn’t just about the spectacle of long, wild drives, it’s about the mounting mental weight that comes with repeatedly missing the fairway and having to plot yet another escape from the trees. While the big swings may look dramatic, what often goes unnoticed is the psychological strain that accumulates if the wayward shots become habitual. A burden that can quietly steal confidence and enjoyment just like a bandit.

Smokey believes the driver is not a club but a personality statement. One that says, “I shall now attempt to dent the horizon.” But while the ball does travel breathtaking distances, it can easily do so in the wrong direction…and missing the fairway too often creates a mounting mental toll for an errant Smokey. Just as it does for everyone who spends too much time recovering from behind trees.

The Cycle of Missed Fairways…For the Smokeys that hit too many balls offline, and every other golfer that watches their ball consistently disappear into the rough, the pattern is familiar…an ambitious drive, a hopeful glance, and then the sinking realisation that another extraction is required. The culprit is often a technical flaw. Maybe a rushed takeaway, poor alignment, or inconsistent tempo. What starts as a single misstep can quickly become a recurring theme. The more this cycle repeats, the more recovery shots become the norm and the more the brain starts to worry.

The Growing Mental Toll…Repeatedly finding yourself in the rough is a mental marathon. Each recovery shot demands creativity and hope, but over time, the emotional fatigue sets in. Smokey’s belief in the miracle shot…punching through a gap or threading the needle from behind a tree, slowly gives way to self-doubt and mounting frustration. The fairway, once an inviting target, starts to generate hesitation and fear. Research in golf psychology points out that persistent technical issues and the stress of constant recovery play can lead to increased anxiety, loss of focus, and even burnout.

Research…has found that golfers who repeatedly engage in recovery play experience significant mental fatigue, which negatively impacts both decision-making and swing execution. (Smith et al. 2019) While unresolved technical flaws, leading to errant shots, are closely linked to declines in self-confidence and increased frustration…with the ongoing stress of recovery play diminishing overall enjoyment of the game. (Baker and Young, 2021) So, the more time you spend hacking out of trouble, the heavier the mental load becomes. Without intervention, be it technical coaching or mental skills training, the cycle can spiral, making golf less a game and more a grind.

More on the Cycle…The link between poor performance, unaddressed technical issues, and decreased confidence operates as a cycle. Technical issues cause the problem, leading to a loss of confidence, causing diminished belief in your ability, avoidance of the challenge at hand, further reduced confidence, distracting negative thoughts and anxiety. All consuming valuable mental space and impairing decision-making.

Breaking the Cycle…If you are an errant Smokey or an errant Smokey sympathiser, because you have been their yourself, your only way out of the cycle is through consciously tackling your technical flaws using coaching, video analysis, or structured practice…whatever works best for you. Equally important is developing some mental coping strategies and realistic self-talk to lighten the psychological load. As research suggests, balancing technical improvement with mental resilience is key to building confidence and enjoyment.

See the References Here.