Golf is a game of skill, strategy and mental fortitude. Thinking about mindset and how it can be used in learning can have a big influence on results. The psychologist Carol Dweck first recognised the difference between a fixed and a growth mindset.
What is a fixed mindset?
A fixed mindset is the belief that abilities or intelligence are static, that you are either good at something or you are not. This mindset often leads to:
Avoidance of Challenges- Fearing failure, a person is likely to avoid certain challenges as they may uncover perceived limitations.
Giving Up Easily - When faced with hurdles a person is likely to give up rather than persist.
Ignoring Feedback - Constructive criticism can often be interpreted as an attack on character.
Feeling threatened by the success of Others - rather than being inspired by others a fixed mindset may lead to envy or inadequacy.
What is a growth mindset?
A growth mindset in contrast is the belief that abilities can be learnt, intelligence can be cultivated and skills can be nurtured through hard work, resilience and dedication. This mindset often leads to:
Embracing Challenges - Challenges are seen as an opportunity for growth and individuals lean into the challenge to seek improvement.
Persistence - Individuals persevere through set backs in the pursuit of the learning process.
Learning from Criticism - Constructive feedback is used a tool for growth and can be used to enhance performance.
Inspiration from the success of Others - Being inspired by others success can motivate us to try and emulate that success in ourselves.
How to gain a growth mindset
Here are strategies for cultivating a growth mindset to help you improve your golf and gain more success.
1.) Embrace Challenges, get used to getting out of your comfort zone to seek out change and growth.
2.) Change your self talk, replace negative self talk with positive affirmations.
3.) Celebrate effort, not just results. Move away from the outcome and focus on the hard work put into improvement you seek.
4.) Learn from failures. Analyse errors and what you can learn from then to upskill yourself.
5.) Seek Feedback. Actively look for constructive feedback to gain continuous improvement.
Next time you are on the golf course, practicing at GOLFONTRACK or having a coaching session employ a growth mindset and see where it takes you!
Find a better way to learn.
Tom and John
Golfontrack
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