Psychological Characteristics and Their Relation to Performance in Professional Golfers
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This study investigated the psychological characteristics of professional golfers and their relation to golf performance. The aims of the study were (a) to provide descriptive data on professional golfers, (b) to test possible differences between successful and unsuccessful players and (c) to estimate whether psychological characteristics could predict golf performance. The data were collected from 41 male professional golfers the day before an official competition. Results revealed that players who made the cut were characterized by higher scores on performance-approach goal, cognitive and somatic anxiety, relaxation strategies, attentional control, emotional control and lower score on performance-avoidance goal. Subsequently, a multiple regression analysis revealed that higher cognitive anxiety, more frequent use of relaxation strategies and emotional control strategies were associated with better player’s ranking at the end of the competition.
Bois is with the University of Pau and Pays de l’Adour, Laboratoire d’Analyse de la Performance Sportive Département STAPS Quartier Bastillac 65000 Tarbes, France. Sarrazin is with the University of Grenoble, France. Southon is with the French Golf Federation, Levallois-Perret, 92 300 France. Boiché is with the University of La Réunion, France.
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