Quiet the Mind — Online Golf Psychology Coaching
Calm under pressure isn’t luck. It’s trainable. I coach adult golfers (18+) in the US & UK to build a system the brain trusts: state control, clear decisions, and one-shot intentions that hold when it matters. Live online via FaceTime/WhatsApp.
What Is Golf Psychology Coaching?
When pressure rises, your body doesn’t follow what you know — it follows what it trusts. Golf psychology coaching teaches your nervous system to trust the right things: a steady physiology, clean attention, and a single, simple intention for the next shot. Instead of juggling tips, we build behaviours your brain can run on the 72nd tee.
The work is practical. We use breath pacing to steady arousal without going flat. We set exteroceptive anchors so your attention lands on the world — not the noise in your head. We compress the pre-shot into a repeatable sequence. And we change the way you debrief so confidence grows from evidence, not mood.
The goal isn’t to feel perfect. It’s to stay organised when golf gets loud and fast.
Why Work With a Mental Golf Coach (Not Just a Sports Psychologist)
Sports psychology can be useful, but it often stays abstract — confidence, visualisation, positive talk. On the course you need something simpler and harder-wearing. I translate psychology into one behaviour per shot and a single way to measure progress after the round.
What This Looks Like
- State before strategy: steady physiology first (4–6 in, 6–8 out; soft jaw; peripheral vision).
- One intention: a shot-specific cue that survives walking, setup, and swing.
- Decision frame: target → window → speed → commitment. Ten seconds, not theatre.
- Post-round audit: what held, what collapsed, and one intention for tomorrow.
The result is a simpler game that repeats. You stop burning attention on anxiety management and execute behaviours you’ve rehearsed — then move on.
Evaluation That Finally Matches the Course
Most “evaluations” stop at mechanics. I evaluate how you perform: what your attention does under stress, how your routine shifts, and where your identity tightens. We line up mechanics, state, and decisions so the version of you on grass matches the version on the range.
What We Measure
- State markers: breath cadence, grip tone, micro-tension (eyes/jaw), pace between shots.
- Attention drift: whether it collapses onto swing thoughts, outcomes, or other people. We anchor externally.
- Decision frames: whether club/target/speed choices shift when the round leans.
- Shot intentions: how often you truly commit to one intention — and how fast you switch when context changes.
- One-page evaluation summary (state, attention, decisions)
- Personalised pre-shot compression (10–15 seconds)
- Pressure-ladder plan (range → on-course constraints)
- Post-round audit template (identity language)
Live Online Coaching (FaceTime / WhatsApp)
Most of my coaching is online with golfers across the US and Europe. We meet live — no waiting for clips or delayed feedback. All you need is a phone tripod and earbuds. I can see your routine, hear your breath, watch your pace, and coach you in the moment while you hit.
How a Live Session Runs
- We set a single session goal (e.g., first-tee state or decision frames).
- You hit; I observe behaviour and language; you get one change at a time.
- We stress-test with constraints (club choice, window, time cap).
- You leave with a two-line plan and one drill for the week.
Online is exactly as effective as in-person for performance psychology because we’re training behaviours, not camera angles.
The Toolkit I Use
1) Breath Pacing You Can Keep
Quiet rhythm you can maintain while walking, deciding, and swinging (typically 4–6 in, 6–8 out through the nose) with a soft-jaw cue. This steadies physiology so your brain stops searching for certainty.
2) Gaze & Exteroception
Between shots, broaden vision to the horizon to down-regulate. At address, anchor to one dimple cluster or target window. Attention lands on the world, not internal chatter.
3) Decision Frames & Shot Intention
Every shot runs through a minimal frame: target → window → speed → commitment. Then a single intention that lives for ten seconds. Simple enough to survive stress.
4) Pressure Ladders
We build tolerance progressively: low-stakes range constraints → time caps → consequence games → on-course assignments. You learn to step into pressure.
5) Post-Round Identity Work
Three questions: what behaviour held? what collapsed? what’s the one intention for tomorrow? Confidence grows from evidence.
What Changes When You Do This Work
Elite Amateur
Collapsed on the first tee, rushed pace, over-controlling rehearsals. We rebuilt pre-shot compression and one intention per shot. Result: steadier front-nine scoring and fewer doubles when the round leaned.
NCAA Player (US)
Range swing didn’t transfer. We removed outcome talk and added pressure constraints. Result: tighter dispersion under tournament pace and improved scoring average.
Committed Club Golfer
Chronic score-chasing and self-attack. We replaced expectation with standards and rewrote post-round language. Result: more playable misses, more enjoyment, steady handicap movement.
Names withheld for privacy. Outcomes are representative of the process when followed consistently.
How This Differs From “Mental Tips”
- No slogans: behaviour-level, measurable changes only.
- No theatre: pre-shot in 10–15 seconds, then swing.
- No identity collapse: we measure strike intentions and behaviours, not mood.
- Transfer first: if it doesn’t work on grass, we don’t keep it.
Golf psychology coaching should feel simple. When it does, your golf speeds up, not slows down.
Build a System Your Brain Trusts
- Quiet the Mind, Lower the Score — Book (the philosophy behind this coaching: identity, attention, and transfer)
- When Understanding Isn’t Enough (why emotion resists change — and how acceptance unlocks it)
- Mental Golf Coaching for US Golfers (how we work across US time zones)
- Why Your Golf Swing Feels Right but Looks Wrong (align perception with biomechanics)
- Consistency in Golf: Misunderstood (aim for playable patterns, not perfection)
- First-Tee Nerves: A 90-Second Reset (biology over bravado, practical reset)
Programme Structure
- Discovery Call (15–20 mins): goals, constraints, schedule. Adults (18+) only.
- Evaluation Session: observe state, attention, decisions while you hit. Identify one smallest change.
- Weekly Focus: a single behaviour with clear standards and a small pressure ladder.
- Review & Adjust: track what held under pressure. Progress when evidence is there.
FAQs
Is this only psychology? Do you change my swing?
We may adjust how you aim, choose windows, or pace your routine, but I won’t rebuild your swing over the phone. I make your current skills available more often — and help your technical work transfer to the course.
How soon do results show up?
Many players feel calmer after the first session. Durable change arrives as you repeat behaviours under mild pressure each week. The timeline depends on how consistently you do the simple work.
Do you coach juniors?
No. Coaching is for adults (18+) only.
Do you coach teams and coaches?
Yes. I run group sessions and shared language frameworks for college teams and academies so everyone pulls in the same direction.
What do I need for online coaching?
A phone, a tripod (or bag stand), earbuds, and some balls. FaceTime or WhatsApp works globally. Most ranges are fine; back-garden nets also work for routine and decision training.
Ready to Play With a Quiet Mind?
If you’re done chasing swing thoughts and want a game that holds under pressure, let’s build a system your brain trusts. Coaching is available in the US & UK — live online. Adults (18+) only.