Show Notes
David Charlton hosts the Demystifying Mental Toughness podcast with his colleague and a fellow competitive amateur golfer, Colm O'Donoghue today. Colm discusses his journey from playing golf as a child to returning to the sport in his mid-20s, driven by an interest in the psychological aspects of golf. He shares his struggles with perfectionism and the importance of maintaining a present-focused mindset. Together they talk about a case study of a young golfer, who excels in match play but struggles with stroke play due to focusing too much on the score. Colm and David emphasize the importance of a pre-shot routine in maintaining his focus and staying present, which can help manage his arousal levels, in turn, lowering his scores. Key Learning Points: · Trying to play perfect golf and focusing too much on the score can impact enjoyment of the sport. · Colm explains the difference between match play and stroke play, emphasizing the reset nature of match play and the need to focus on the process in stroke play. · Self-awareness is critical, recognising and being able to reset when you are ahead of yourself and predicting future holes, shots or score and identifying when you are stuck in the past, dwelling on mistakes. Connect with David Charlton Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN Podcast Episodes To Help Golfers Focus On The Process Ep243 David Charlton - How I Would Help Rory McIlroy Win The British Open Ep099 Trevor Jones - How to Deal with Overthinking on the Golf Course Ep167 Karl Morris - How To Manage Your Emotions To Improve Your Golf #BITESIZE Other Valuable Resources To Help Children, Young Golfers, Parents and Youth Sport Coaches Youth Sports Psychology Library Conversations With Kids Ideas Frequently Asked Questions - Sport Psychology for Children and Parents Resources To Support Golfers So That They Focus Better Frequently Asked Questions on Golf Psychology and Golf Mental Skills Golf Psychology and Mental Skills for Golf Library Control Your Thoughts on the Golf Course Play Your Best Golf More Often
More from Demystifying Mental Toughness
To end a recent series on the coach-athlete relationship, in this bonus episode of the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast, David Charlton is joined by Dr John Perry, Head of Department of PE and Sports Sciences at the University of Limerick, researcher, former coach and performance analyst, to explore how coaches can better support athletes through the lens of mental toughness.
In this episode David concludes the eight-part series exploring the coach–athlete relationship by focusing on a powerful concept within the Challenge pillar of the 4Cs model of Mental Toughness, learning orientation. Learning orientation reflects how willing athletes and coaches are to reflect on mistakes, setbacks and difficult experiences in order to improve. Without this mindset, progress in sport can stall and with it, challenges become powerful opportunities for development.
Description Today, David Charlton explores another dynamic within the coach–athlete relationship: differences in risk orientation (a sub-measure of Mental Toughness). He discusses a common scenario in sport, a coach who prefers structure, routine and predictability working alongside an athlete who thrives on experimentation, creativity and challenge. While structured environments can provide stability and clarity, athletes high in risk orientation often crave variety, stimulation and opportunities to explore different solutions.
In this episode of the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast, David Charlton explores an often overlooked aspect of confidence in sport, interpersonal confidence. He discussed a common dynamic seen in sporting environments: a coach with very high interpersonal confidence working alongside an athlete who struggles to speak up. Highly confident coaches often communicate clearly and persuasively. They lead conversations, provide direction and bring strong conviction to their coaching. Yet when this confidence dominates the interaction, quieter athletes can become increasingly passive, hesitant and disengaged.
Today, David Charlton explores a powerful but often misunderstood dynamic in sport: the highly confident coach working with an athlete who lacks confidence in their ability.