About a decade ago, I had the rare—and downright delightful—opportunity to film a Golf Channel commercial with none other than Sir Nick Faldo. As a lifelong fan, I said yes faster than a tap-in putt. We spent the entire day together, and let me tell you: the man is every bit as witty, sharp, and charming in person as he is behind the microphone.
Somewhere between takes, Sir Nick shared a story that completely reshaped how I think about the mental game. When he won the 1996 Masters—yes, that iconic come-from-behind victory—he carried nearly ten mechanical swing thoughts in his mind during the round.
Ten.
As someone who prefers one or two at most, I almost dropped my sandwich. But that was the lightbulb moment:
There is no single “right” way to think on the golf course. The right way is your way.
Sir Nick thrived on multiple swing cues. Others thrive on simplicity. The magic of the mental game isn’t about finding the formula—it’s about discovering your formula. Your mental blueprint is already inside you; you just need to study it.
How to “Be Who You Are” in Your Mental Game
Use this simple process to uncover your personal mental-performance pattern:
1) Revisit Your Best Golf
Think back to two or three rounds where you felt unstoppable—those days when the swing felt natural, the hole looked huge, and the game was just fun.
2) Observe Your Mental Patterns
What was happening in your mind?
Did you play with one clear swing thought—or several?
Did you rotate thoughts between shots, or stick to a steady rhythm?
Were your thoughts technical, feel-based, or tempo-focused?
Small clues here are massive for performance.
3) Model Yourself
Take the mental patterns from your best golf and put them back into your current game. Not Faldo’s pattern. Not your coach’s. Yours. Because at the end of the day, you are your own best model.
Mental toughness and the mental approach isn’t about becoming someone else—it’s about mastering who you already are. Sir Nick proved that on Masters Sunday. And so can you.
About the author: Dr. Gregg Steinberg was voted by Golf Digest as one of the world’s greatest sport psychologist. He has worked with many PGA and LPGA players. To see more articles like this one, please visit the International Golf Psychology Association on-line course at www.masteringgolfpsychology. This course is approved by the PGA for continuing education and if you use the promo code pga89 to get the course for $89 instead of $399. If you want to work on your mental game with Dr. Gregg, please e-mail mentalrules24@msn.com and to see more about him visit www.DrGreggSteinberg.com.
