The Effects of Psychological Skills Training on Putting Performance and Competitive State Anxiety in Adolescent and Amatuer Golfers
Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Mental toughness is one of the most important determinants of successful performance in golf. Psychological skills training is an approach commonly used to improve mental and physical performance in athletes. However, compared to professional and elite golfers, adolescent and amateur golfers may lack access to resources that facilitate coping with the psychological nature of the game or help improve competitive performance. Therefore, the first aim of this thesis project was to synthesize the existing evidence on the effects of self-talk psychological skill training on putting performance in amateur golfers through a systematic review and meta-analysis. The second aim was to (1) assess the feasibility and acceptability of a two-week intervention of either self-talk training or imagery training in adolescent and amateur golfers, and (2) examine the preliminary efficacy of the intervention on putting performance and competitive state anxiety. A systematic search of PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Google Scholar was conducted in April 2025. Among the seven included articles, there was a statistically significant effect of self-talk training on putting performance improvement in amateur golfers. The standardized mean difference of 1.00 indicated a relatively large intervention effect among published articles for self-talk training compared to comparison/control groups. These findings suggested a high and beneficial effect of self-talk training on putting performance improvements in amateur golfers. In the experimental study, sixteen participants (ages 16 to 24 years) were randomized to self-talk or imagery training. Feasibility, acceptability, and fidelity measures were collected throughout the study. Putting performance and competitive state anxiety were measured at baseline and following the one-week intervention. Overall, there was high feasibility and acceptability of the intervention across both groups and several measures. No effect was found for preliminary efficacy on putting performance or competitive state anxiety. Collectively, these findings highlight the continued need for better access to psychological resources across all populations in golf to improve mental and physical performance.
DOI: 10.7275/58684
Author: Fisher, Megan
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7223605656