How mental performance coaching can transform your game – with mental performance coach Chris Kirkland
Technical skill alone doesn’t guarantee success on the golf course – what separates the best players is their ability to handle pressure, maintain focus, and execute their gameplan when it matters.
As a mental performance coach, I help golfers bridge the gap between their technical ability and performing under pressure. My role is to ensure that when players step onto the course, they’re not just physically prepared, they’re mentally equipped to perform their best.
Working with elite juniors through to winners on tour, I’ve helped players find greater clarity in their processes and routines while developing a sense of balance between on-course performance and off-course wellbeing. Working collaboratively with players and coaches, my approach to player development is holistic – combining technical precision with mental resilience.
Every golfer has unique learning styles, thought patterns and emotional triggers. My skill – having spent 30 years in education environments – is aligning the mental and technical sides of learning and performance so players can play with confidence and clarity. This includes integrating mental strategies into technical practice, ensuring players understand not just what to do, but how to apply it effectively under pressure. We also use performance data and psychometric assessments to identify specific physical and psychological performance gaps. From there, I design player-centred performance improvement plans that target confidence, focus and mental consistency. For example – if first tee nerves are an issue, I’ll introduce breathing, visualisation and confidence-anchoring techniques to help players start strong while working alongside their swing coach to ensure swing mechanics are solid.
Tournament golf is where emotions, focus and decision-making are tested the most and it’s essential players have mental strategies that help them perform with calm confidence in high-pressure moments. Work in this area can include simulating pressure scenarios in practice to prepare for competition intensity, building resilience routines that help players reset quickly after setbacks, and developing post-round reflection processes that turn challenges into learning opportunities. Paired with technical feedback, this ensures the mind and body are working in sync.
Every golfer also faces moments of frustration and how they respond to these separates the best players. Based on work with individual players, some might need support on staying mentally engaged for all 18 holes, staying present, avoiding the trap of replaying past mistakes or worrying about future shots, and/or using self-talk strategies that align with swing cues and technical processes.
All of this work prioritises long-term mental resilience over short-term performance – building a mindset to sustain success, prevent burnout and facilitate growth. My mission is simple – to help players perform with confidence, composure and clarity no matter the conditions.
