Test: Anxiety and Worry

Your Ideal Performance State (IPS) can be described as the mental and physical state that you need to be in to perform at your highest level. This is what has been called “the zone” by many athletes. Being in the zone is related to the level of arousal – the energy or tension the athlete feels. When this arousal is too high, the athletes make mistakes and performance deteriorates. When this arousal is too low, things don’t come together and performance suffers (Orlick, 1986).

Knowing your competitive self. Think of your all-time best golf round/competition and answer the following questions keeping that game experience in mind. You can score from 1 to 10:

• How did you feel just before that golf round/tournament?
• What were you saying to yourself or thinking about before the start of the first tee?
• How were you focused during this tournament/ round (i.e., swing thought, opponent, your score, etc.)
• Now think of your WORST round/tournament and answer the following questions keeping that in mind. How did you feel just before that golf round/competition?
• What were you saying to yourself or thinking about before the first tee?
• How were you focused during this golf round/competition (i.e., swing thoughts, score, etc.)?
• What were the MAJOR DIFFERENCES between your thinking (or feelings) during
  these two golf rounds/ competitions (i.e., best and worst)?
• What were the major differences in your focus of attention during these two golf rounds/
  competitions (i.e., best and worst)?
• How would you prefer to feel just before an important golf round/ tournament?
• How would you prefer to focus your attention during an important tournament /golfround?
• Is there anything you would like to change about the way you approach golf?
• What can you do to stay in, or get back into, your Ideal Performance State?