PLAYBOOK: Conquering Performance Anxiety – Fueling Success in Junior Golf Development and Competition

a. Why It Matters

Performance anxiety is common in junior and collegiate golf—whether it's the first tee jitters, fear of failure, or pressure to impress coaches and parents. Left unmanaged, it can sabotage performance, stall development, and steal the joy of competition. But when you learn to overcome it, you unlock freedom, confidence, and the ability to perform under pressure.

Overcoming performance anxiety leads to:

• Improved Focus – Anxiety clouds judgment. Calm creates clarity.

• Stronger Confidence – Conquering nerves builds belief in your preparation and ability.

• Consistent Performance – Reducing emotional spikes leads to steadier rounds.

• Better Enjoyment – When you aren’t playing scared, you play free.

• Increased Growth – You stop avoiding challenges and start embracing them.

The best golfers aren’t fearless—they’ve learned to face fear and perform anyway.

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b. How Do I: Model It – Celebrate It – Cultivate It

Model It:

• Acknowledge Nerves Are Normal – Great coaches and leaders don’t hide nerves—they normalize them and show healthy ways to cope.

• Show How to Breathe & Reset – Model deep breathing, visualization, and routines under pressure.

• Compete Often – Don’t avoid pressure—lean into it by playing in events that stretch your comfort zone.

Celebrate It:

• Recognize Growth Moments – Celebrate when a player tees off confidently, sticks to their process, or recovers from a nervous start.

• Highlight Effort, Not Just Outcome – A strong mindset is more valuable than the scorecard when it comes to overcoming anxiety.

Cultivate It:

• Train with Pressure – Use time limits, competitive drills, or consequences during practice to simulate nerves.

• Develop a Pre-Performance Routine – Build a repeatable mental and physical routine to create familiarity and calm.

• Journaling & Reflection – Help athletes track when anxiety appears, what helps, and what doesn’t.

• Teach Mindset Anchors – Words like “I belong,” “I’m prepared,” or “Play with peace” become anchors in tough moments.

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Pulse Check: Gauge Your Performance Anxiety Mastery

Consider how true these are of you:

1. I recognize when nerves show up and know how to manage them.

2. I use a pre-shot or pre-performance routine to calm myself.

3. I’ve learned that fear is part of competition—and not a reason to panic.

4. I play with freedom, not fear of making mistakes.

5. I embrace pressure moments and see them as opportunities to grow.

6. I’ve practiced competing under pressure during training.

7. I can reset quickly if I feel anxious or overwhelmed.

8. I remind myself of truth, not lies, when I feel nervous (e.g., “I’m ready” vs. “I’ll choke”).

Score Yourself:

• 7–8 True: You’re winning the inner game—your ability to perform under pressure sets you apart.

• 4–6 True: You’re developing tools—keep practicing your mental reps to conquer fear.

• 0–3 True: Performance anxiety may be limiting you. It’s time to build your mindset muscle.

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Performance anxiety doesn’t have to control you. With the right tools and mindset, you can turn nerves into fuel. You were built to rise in pressure moments—believe it, train for it, and step into it.