Frequently Asked Questions Regarding The Mental Golf Workshop™ Profile

Question #1) "How can I best use the information in my report?"

We recommend this progression for best results.

  • 1. Review your profile with a highlighter and pen or pencil in hand. Highlight key points and make notes in the spaces provided as you review your report.
  • 2. Screen your highlighted items and notes for the key points you (and perhaps your instructor or coach) feel will most help you improve your performance. Transfer these points to index sized cards you can put in a plastic bag and keep in your golf bag.
  • 3. Take just a few minutes before you play and before your practice sessions to review your index cards. This awareness and repetition is the key to sustained improvement.
  • 4. Remember that the mental game is usually the catalyst for converting improvements you’ve made on the physical side of your game – in mechanics, equipment and fitness – into actual improvement on the scorecard.

Question #2) "Will I need help in interpreting my profile results?"

The profile is easy to understand and built for self-coaching for players of all levels and all ages. For example, hundreds of youngsters have received profiles through the AJGA and had great success working on their own with the profile.

With that said, we also highly recommend reviewing your profile with your instructor or coach. The old saying, “Two heads are better than one,” certainly applies when it comes to improving your performance.

Question #3) "Will the profile point out my mental game strengths and weaknesses?"

Your report describes both the potential strengths and weaknesses of your mental game style. One of the most important keys to sustained improvement is to understand the strengths of your mental style and then use them to your best advantage. Your report also points out the potential weaknesses of your particular style and gives you customized strategies for improving in those areas.

Question #4) "How can answering so few questions generate such an accurate profile?"

The DISC system is a very accurate model for measuring human behavior. This is why DISC is perhaps the most popular profile system used for coaching people to higher levels of performance in the workplace. While many DISC systems use only the four basic styles – D, I, S or C – the more sophisticated DISC programs use “combination” styles. We chose this more sophisticated approach for the golf profile and this added flexibility contributes greatly to the accuracy of the golf profiles. Much time and effort went into converting traditional DISC language into meaningful golf terminology so the reports present an accurate picture of the person as a golfer.

Question #5) "After reading the profile, how much should a player attempt to change his or her mental approach?"

The best answer is, "it depends." The profile is designed to help players understand and adjust their styles rather than expecting them to make drastic changes in their golfing personalities.

For examples, players with Steady mental golf temperaments like Fred Couples, Retief Goosen, and Ernie Els should not try to make a big shift to a more aggressive Dominance style just so they would appear to be “more competitive.” Clearly, these great champions know how to use their steady and persistent temperament to their best advantage.

On the other hand, players with Dominance style golf temperaments like Tiger Woods and Morgan Pressell would not do well trying to play with a far more relaxed style like the players mentioned above.

Some of the best success stories with our profile have come from golfers who’ve read their reports and realized just how much they have to work with without trying to make big changes in their mental golf personalities. This frees a player up to go ahead and use what strengths they already have to their best advantage.

Question #6) "Is there a best style?" or "How do I compare to the best style?"

Obvious questions might be – “What is Annika’s DISC style?” or “What is Tiger’s DISC style?” One might think, “They’re the best players so they must have the ‘best’ mental golf style.” Actually, DISC Mental Golf styles are quite different. To their great advantage, both received wonderful mental coaching in their youth from mentors who clearly understood their natural mental traits and coached them accordingly – Annika had Pia Nilsson and Tiger had his Dad.

The truth is there isn’t any one best style. We strongly recommend not trying to “change” yourself into some imaginary “best” mental golf style. You’ll enjoy the game more and play better by learning to use your own style to your best advantage like Annika and Tiger have – than by trying to change to an imaginary “best” style. Here are just a few examples of how the mental styles of eight Hall of Fame players contrast with each other:

  • Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite played together as juniors and as college teammates but had quite different learning styles – Kite fairly analytical while Crenshaw learned more by feel and instinct. The legendary Harvey Penick coached both of these future Hall of Famers according to their individual mental styles rather than trying to make either conform to a “best” mental style.
  • Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros – Two great European Ryder Cup players with very opposite mental styles. Faldo – quite analytical and precision-minded while Seve was at the other end of the spectrum – a creative, “see the shot and hit it” type of shot-maker. Neither would have been great trying to use the other’s style and many experts feel that Seve’s dramatic fall from greatness coincided with him becoming far more analytical with his mechanics.
  • Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson caddied together as youngsters but had very different golfing temperaments. Hogan was very driven, stoic, and task-oriented while Nelson was more outgoing and relaxed. Each used his own mental style to his best advantage and became two of the greatest players of all time.
  • Nancy Lopez and Annika Sorenstam – the dominant LPGA Tour players of the last two generations had very different golf temperaments. Nancy is outgoing and openly emotional while Annika is more into herself and reserved with her emotions. Different golfing personalities – both great champions.