The influence of instructional self-talk, motivational self-talk and music on golf performance

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of functional self-talk strategies and music on golf performance and drive accuracy. Specifically, all three cognitive techniques were self-determined in order to investigate whether performance could be maximised. Ten low handicap golfers completed a first round acting as a control to provide a baseline. Following an educational session, the golfer’s then proceeded to complete an experimental second round, whereby GPI (Golf Performance Index) score and drive accuracy were recorded. A repeated measure ANOVA revealed that no significant difference was found for functional self-talk and music, however visually it could be seen that both types of self-talk lowered GPI scores in comparison to the control, therefore improved performance. Instructional self-talk, motivational self-talk and music conditions were all additionally found to improve drive accuracy in comparison to the control rounds, indicating the strategies effectiveness. Descriptive data furthermore revealed that self-selected self-talk accommodated each individual’s personal needs which may have contributed to improve performance. A link was also discovered between the three experimental conditions and an increase in self-confidence. The results found in the present study supports the effectiveness of functional self-talk, and presents evidence explaining why self-talk may be beneficial to golfing performance.