“My son gets so angry on the golf course that he cannot perform in competitions”. “My daughter gets so nervous when other people are watching her play that her game completely falls apart”. “My kid hits it so well on the range, and then hits it all over the map in a tournament”. These are the kinds of comments that I often hear from parents of junior golfers. Do these kids need a golf psychologist? No. Nobody needs training on the mental part of the game. I take the word need very seriously. I believe we need air and water and sleep and food. I certainly wouldn’t suggest that anyone needs mental training, anymore than I would suggest that anyone needs golf lessons or physical training. What I would say, however, is that I have yet to encounter any player who couldn’t benefit from proper mental, technical, or physical instruction. Thus, I believe any junior golfer could benefit from mental instruction. Most people simply don’t understand what this training is or how it works.

This golf tip was contributed by Jeff Troesch. Jeff was the previous Director of Sports Psychology for the David Leadbetter Academies. As an internationally recognized expert in the field of mental skills training and performance enhancement, he now consults with several touring professionals and amateur players - assisting them in the creation of optimal training plans and developmental strategies. Jeff is a co-author of a new book called, Golf Training for Juniors.