I sat down with the founder of charity Generation Next Robert Jones Black, as well as Duke collegiate athlete Pheobe Brinker and Taylor Roberts, Florida collegiate athlete, to discuss mental health for golf athletes. Generation Next Project’s mission is to provide mental health awareness and support for young golfers.
As the expert Clinical Psychologist on the Generation Next team, I wanted to talk with athletes who have experienced the mental health effects of high-pressure, competitive golf. Phoebe and Taylor emphasize the importance of leaving perfectionism behind because golf isn’t a game of perfection. Their passion for mental health awareness inspired them to create a tournament for youth golfers called The Impact Cup. The Impact Cup was a smashing success! All fundraising proceeds went to Generation Next Project which we used to promote social-emotional learning curriculums in schools, as well as, AGA Leadership Links which teaches high school kids how to be exemplary stewards of their community.
On this podcast, we also discuss the value of redefining personal success and the importance of taking a break when you need it. Success shouldn’t be attached to outcome, rather it should be defined and measured by aspects you can control. It should relate to your intrinsic passion for sport and your dedication to improvement. This mindset allows you to focus on what really matters, which in the end will lead to higher quality performance.
It can be helpful to reframe the way you think about your performance by replacing negative self-talk with patience and a growth mindset. Many golfers find the EMDR tapping technique beneficial for calming the mind and re-centering your focus. EMDR tapping involves stimulating the right and left sides of your brain through simple actions like tapping your knees in an alternating pattern. Give this technique a try and schedule a consultation with me for mental game support and techniques.