Fear vs Desire on the Course

Here’s a fun bit of golf psychology that goes all the way back to Sigmund Freud.

Freud believed almost all human behavior comes down to two things:

Seeking pleasure (going after what we want)

Avoiding pain (staying away from what we don’t want)

It’s called the pleasure/pain principle — and it shows up on the golf course every single round.

The best players? They think in terms of what they want:

“I’m going to hit a little draw starting at that tree.”

“This putt is rolling gently into the front of the cup.”

“Smooth tempo, smooth swing.”

Clear, positive pictures.

The rest of us? We too often think in terms of what to avoid:

“Don’t go left.”

“Don’t leave it short.”

“Stop swinging so fast.”

The problem is, your brain doesn’t really process “don’t” — it still sees the negative picture. And when fear is steering your thoughts, your swing almost always suffers.

So here’s the key:
Next time you play, focus on creating pictures of the shots you desire, not the ones you fear. It’s easier on your nerves, builds confidence, and (over time) leads to lower scores.

Freud was onto something — and your golf game can prove it.

->How to hit every golf shot