Let’s talk about confidence.

There’s a difference between confidence and self-confidence. Confidence is not always available to us, but self-confidence is and good golfers and high performers know how to build it and protect it. Confidence is having a feeling or belief that you can do something well or succeed at something. 

When you play a sport, especially golf, this is not always a constant. You may feel I’m 0.1 day with your chipping, but the next day, your touch is off and the club feels like a sledgehammer in your hands. Many golfers allow their confidence to ebb and flow with how they play.

 High performers and good golfers know that confidence can come and go, but self-confidence is always available to them. 

Self-confidence is confidence in oneself and in one’s powers and abilities. 

Let me give you an example. I don’t know how to ride a unicycle. I have zero confidence in it. I know if I muster the courage and try I can figure out.  I will fall down. I might get hurt. I’ll get back up. I’ll fall down and I will keep going until I learn how to ride a unicycle. Even if I fall down a few times after I’ve learned how to stay up. 

I have a hundred percent self-confidence that I will figure it out, have my own back, not beat myself up and not quit until I succeed. Even though I lack confidence in the skill. 

High performers understand that self-confidence is an emotion that comes from how they choose to think about themselves. 

Therefore, they protect that dialogue. 

 They know that the opposite of self-confidence is doubt. So they practice building the muscle of making decisions. Being decisive and keeping their word to themselves . 

When their shot-making is off, they don’t make it mean a thing about their ability or their potential. 

They protect and maintain their belief in themselves to figure it out. 

So, if you want to start building your confidence, don’t knick away at it by saying negative things to yourself. Be really good at making decisions, have your own back and keep your word to yourself. And your confidence will grow. 

All right?  

You got this.