Golf is a game of inches. The most important are the six inches between your ears, Arnold Palmer once said. Yet many players overlook the mental side of the game, even as they invest in equipment, training aides and lessons for their next Myrtle Beach golf trip.
That’s a mistake, according to Josh Nichols, host of “The Mental Golf Show” podcast and author of the “Mental Re-Grip” newsletter. A former collegiate player at Appalachian State who reached the finals of the 2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, Nichols now helps lead the charge in helping golfers develop a strong mental game.
“I can’t take it from the range to the course – I’ve heard that phrase more times than I can count,” Nichols says.
This common refrain stems from a fundamental truth about golf: our psychology drives everything.
“You could have as good a swing as anybody, but if your mind is holding you back, you can’t access that skill you’ve worked so hard to develop,” Nichols said.
The Myrtle Beach Challenge
For golfers heading to Myrtle Beach after a long winter break, Nichols identifies a particular mental challenge: the excitement-rust combination.
“You’re coming out of winter, it’s finally warm, you get to see sunshine and actually hit a golf ball outside,” he says. “The excitement is overwhelming, and expectations are really high, but that combined with a lower level of play to start – that’s a tough combo.”
The mismatch between expectations and reality often leads to frustration, especially when golfers respond by trying to “fix” their swing mid-round or making an emergency trip to the PGA Superstore for new equipment.
A Better Approach
Instead of fighting early-season rust, Nichols suggests embracing a different mindset: “My game is not perfect, it doesn’t need to be perfect, and I don’t need to play perfectly tomorrow. What I need to do is be present, enjoy myself primarily, and play the game I’ve got.”
He advocates for what might seem counterintuitive – accepting the possibility of poor play.
“Get the most out of your ugly game,” he advises. “That’s actually a more rewarding experience.”
An acceptance-based approach is a sustainable form of confidence.
“People think confidence is ‘I know I’m going to play well today,'” Nichols explains. “That sounds good, but really it’s fragile, because you don’t know if you’re going to play well. If you go in saying, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to play today – it might go great, it might go really bad – but either way, I’ll be okay,’ that sets you up to handle anything.”
As you prep for your next Myrtle Beach golf trip, consider packing not just your clubs and shoes, but also a healthier mental approach. That mindset adjustment might be the most important upgrade you can make to your game.