CONFIDENCE IN GOLF — Where Does It Come From?
G'day golfers.
I was listening to a podcast by Mark Manson recently called Solved, where he dives deep into the psychology of confidence. It got me thinking straight away about the weekend warriors I see on the coaching tee every week.
I have clients come to me all the time who have a bizarre split in their game. They are completely confident with a driver in their hand, or they putt the lights out, but put them in a greenside bunker and they absolutely fall to pieces. They have zero confidence and they cannot chip to save their lives.
They read the self-help golf books and think they can just positive-think their way out of the sand. They stand over the ball, try to manifest the perfect splash, and then blade it straight into the lip.
Here is the blunt truth: positive thinking without a solid foundation is absolute rubbish.
CONFIDENCE COMES AFTER EVIDENCE
The science is pretty clear on this. You do not get confident and then get good. You get evidence, and the confidence follows.
If your brain has failed to get out of a bunker on the last 15 attempts, you are kidding yourself if you think a few deep breaths and happy thoughts will suddenly fix it. Your brain has solid, undeniable evidence that whatever you are currently doing does not work.
The problem is that you cannot read the label from inside the jar.
You might swear black and blue that your ball position is perfect, your alignment is spot on, and you are doing everything right. But when an external set of professional eyes watches you, or you see yourself on video, you realise your perception is miles away from reality. The gap between feel and real in this game is massive.
HOW TO BUILD ACTUAL EVIDENCE
If you are terrified of a specific shot, stop trying to fake your confidence and go get a professional to look at your setup and concepts.
Once a coach points out the actual flaw, you can start putting in the correct reps. That is what practise is actually for. When you finally learn you need a big follow-through to get the sand out of the bunker, and you successfully execute it 18 out of 20 times in training, your brain acquires new evidence.
You start building a bank of memories where you actually got the job done. That is where confidence is born.
WHAT REAL CONFIDENCE LOOKS LIKE
Real confidence on a golf course is not about getting everything right all the time. Perfection is a myth.
True confidence is knowing that even when things go wrong, you have the tools to handle it. If you mess up a bunker shot, you know exactly why you messed it up, you know how to adjust, and you confidently step into the next one knowing you can fix it.
Stop trying to fake it. Do the work, get the right feedback, and build the evidence.
Book a ‘Play with the Pro Experience’ today so I can guide you in the right direction.
WATCH IT ON YOUTUBE
LISTEN ON SPOTIFY
Ready to Break Your Bad Golf?
Stop guessing and start playing scoring golf.
If you are on the Gold Coast and ready for a real on-course diagnosis, come and see me at Emerald Lakes GC. We will stop the guessing and start breaking bad golf.
Right now is the ideal time to join our 9 Shots Lower in 9 Weeks program.
Why 9 Shots Lower Works
The 9 Shots Lower program is designed to do more than just give you great information. It’s built to lock in the right habits with:
A clear 9-week structure
Weekly feedback and accountability
Ongoing support so improvements actually stick
If you want faster, more reliable results — this is the program that delivers them.
Click here to learn more about my Breaking Bad Golf programs.
-
The Gold Coast offers a range of options including Emerald Lakes, Palm Meadows, Hope Island, Southport, and Coolangatta-Tweed. Paul Williamson provides personalised on-course coaching that goes beyond traditional lessons, covering skills, strategy, and mental game in real playing conditions.
-
One-hour lessons provide quick tips but rarely translate under course conditions. Paul’s on-course coaching uses 9-hole assessments to build a tailored plan that actually drops strokes from your scorecard.
-
Paul Williamson, a PGA Professional with 30+ years’ experience, provides personalised on-course coaching at courses around Carrara, Hope Island, Robina, Southport, Coolangatta-Tweed, and the broader Gold Coast.
