Which Came
First?
When it's self-confidence, it's
not a chicken or egg question
by Dr. Rick Jensen
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The debate may never
end. Similarly, which comes first, confidence or success? Does one
have to be confident to succeed on the golf course? Or is confidence
simply a product of successful play?
By definition, confidence is "assurance of one's own ability."
This definition, therefore, implies that a player has a realistic
understanding of his or her ability. Unfortunately, observations such
as positive thinking, cockiness, and aggressive play are often
mistaken for self-confidence. Simply because players act "as if" they
are confident does not mean they are. A player who fires at pins,
brags about his/her accomplishments, and walks with a swagger, is not
necessarily confident.
Ask yourself &endash; what things are you truly confident
about? What one thing could you go do right now and feel 100%
confident in your ability to perform? Play the piano, knit a sweater,
coordinate a charity event, facilitate a meeting, or negotiate a
business deal? As you will begin to see, confidence is related to the
task in which a person is involved and the experience the person has
with that task.
An individual can be extremely confident about one thing and
not at all with another. Why? Why is it that a person can run a
Fortune 500 company or be responsible for thousands of employees and
yet, exhibit very little confidence over a 6-foot putt to win $10?
Research suggests that there are a number of factors that can
influence an individual's personal perception of self-confidence.
These factors include successful performance, vicarious experience,
verbal persuasion, and emotional arousal. Of these four factors,
successful performance appears to be the most critical. The question
becomes, "How can we get someone to experience successful
performance, particularly if he or she is just learning a skill in
golf and has little confidence that he/she will succeed?"
Here is my recommendation &endash; develop achievable and
measurable practice goals and put forth the effort each day to
achieve these goals. Once achieved, increase your goals to a higher
standard, and continue to work hard toward achieving yet another
level of nperformance.
For example, let's assume that you are trying to become a more
confident putter. As we've discussed, we know that confidence is
derived primarily from successful performance. Thus, it is critical
that during practice, you experience measurable success in your
performance. You do not have to wait to see if your putting improves
on the golf course. Instead, create several measurable drills that
you can do each day to improve your putting. You may begin by hitting
10 four-foot putts in a row without a miss. Note how many
attempts/misses it takes before you finally make 10 consecutive
putts. One week later, raise your standard to 20 four-footers in a
row. Continue tracking how many attempts it takes you to succeed. In
several months, you may be hitting 50 four-footers in a row on your
first attempt. Now that's "successful performance" and that is how
confidence is built.
Your experience of setting achievable and measurable goals and
then doing the necessary work to achieve them is what builds
confidence. By setting milestones for achievement in practice,
continually raising your standard, by Dr. Rick Jenseand putting forth
the effort to experience success, you create your own
confidence-building program.
So, the answer to the chicken or the egg question seems to be a
bit easier as it relates to confidence. Successful performance
precedes self-confidence.
Dr. Rick Jensen is President of the Performance Enhancement
Center of Boca Raton and the Director of Sport Psychology at the
Academy of Golf, PGA National Resort and Spa. He works extensively
with touring pros on the PGA, LPGA, Nike and Golden Bear Tours, and
is a frequent lecturer at golf clubs nationwide. He can be reached at
561-852-3603.
