Finding my feet in a new career isn’t all plain sailing, but I’m enjoying every minute, writes Chris Paisley
For the last 11 years, this column has been about my life on tour — the travel, the grind, the highs and lows. While I’m no longer living week to week in that world, golf is still very much at the centre of my life – it just looks a little different now.
Coaching has become my passion. I feel like I’m exploring a few different paths at the moment – in-person coaching; online work through Skillest; and performance coaching with juniors, elite amateurs, and touring professionals.
I’m slowly figuring out what works best for my players and for me. The in-person side has been building momentum, helped largely by word of mouth, which is always encouraging. There’s something very rewarding about seeing players improve, enjoy the process, and tell others about it.
The transition from playing professionally to coaching hasn’t been without its challenges. One of the biggest adjustments has been learning not to take things for granted.
As a player, there are so many concepts, habits and assumptions that feel obvious after years at the top level. For club golfers – and even elite amateurs – they’re not. I’ve had to slow down, avoid skipping steps, and get much clearer in how I communicate ideas. This is a skill in itself and I feel like I’m improving at it quickly.
Meanwhile, the Golf IQ performance coaching programme is still very much in a trial phase. I’m working with players ranging from ambitious juniors to touring professionals, refining how I help them practise smarter, recognise patterns, and use their time more efficiently.
One recent highlight was watching Jess Baker secure a category 16 card at Ladies European Tour Q School. I’ve been working with Jess for a little while, and while the hard work is hers – along with her coach (my brother, Andy) – it was incredibly satisfying to see her apply some of the strategies we’ve discussed. Watching leaderboards from the other side, and rooting for someone else rather than worrying about my own score, was a very different feeling!
Alongside all this, I’m still playing a lot of golf, and that feels important to me. I don’t want to lose touch with the playing side of the game. I feel like I’ve played quite a lot of golf and I’m shooting some great scores.
What’s struck me is how freely I’m playing. Unsurprisingly, my scores have improved. I see the shot, try to hit it, and move on… Good or bad, there’s no emotional hangover. That freedom – the ability to accept bad shots without spiralling – is something I’m trying to pass on to my players. If you could sell that mindset in pill form, you’d be a rich person.
I don’t feel a strong pull back to playing full-time at the moment. I’m enjoying being home more, spending time with the kids, and building something new. I’m still very much in the game, just in a different way, and right now that feels like exactly where I should be.
