July 2, 2025 11:52 am

I wish I had a pound for every time someone has concluded that they cannot play on the golf course as well as they play on the range. This is one of the three great fears all beginner golfers experience:

1. I can swing great when there is no ball there, soon as you put a ball in front of me it goes to hell
2. I am fine on the golf range but as soon as I set foot on the golf course, I cannot do anywhere near as well.
3. I am fine when I am playing with friends. But if I play with a stranger or I play in a competition, I get freaked out.

The only way to progress through these fears is to keep exposing yourself to them until they are no longer real. In other words, play more golf and then your range game will start to show on the course. Play more competitions and the scorecard won’t freak you out anymore.

Walking the plank

Here’s a good way of understanding and starting to overcome these irrational fears. It is like placing a long plank of wood on the floor and being asked to walk along it. No problem, right? But then imagine placing that same plank of wood between two tower blocks. Suddenly walking on it becomes a much scarier proposition. This new level of ‘exposure’ makes the ramifications of failure are that much greater.

When we fear hitting a golf ball (instead of just swinging), going on to the course (instead of the range) and playing with a stranger (instead of friends) we are putting the plank between the tower blocks.

How about we just leave the plank on the ground? Enjoy your golf – wherever and with whoever you play.

Jon Woodroffe – Master Professional, World of Golf London

Categorised in: Golf Wellbeing, Tip of the month