{"id":8357,"date":"2017-08-17T19:58:25","date_gmt":"2017-08-17T19:58:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/?p=8357"},"modified":"2025-06-09T08:06:20","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T12:06:20","slug":"how-fear-paralyzes-golfers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/","title":{"rendered":"How Fear Paralyzes Golfers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8365\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Fear-in-Golf.jpg\" alt=\"Fear in Golf\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Fear-in-Golf.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Fear-in-Golf-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Golfers_Who_Choke_Because_of_Fear\"><\/span>Golfers Who Choke Because of Fear<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Article Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/#Golfers_Who_Choke_Because_of_Fear\" >Golfers Who Choke Because of Fear<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/#Have_you_ever_been_overwhelmed_by_thoughts_such_as\" >Have you ever been overwhelmed by thoughts such as:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/#Overcoming_Fear_During_a_Round_of_Golf\" >Overcoming Fear During a Round of Golf:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/#Golfers_Mental_Edge\" >Golfer&#8217;s Mental Edge<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>How many times has fear ruined a round of golf for you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Have_you_ever_been_overwhelmed_by_thoughts_such_as\"><\/span>Have you ever been overwhelmed by thoughts such as:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8220;I\u2019m afraid of missing this putt.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;I\u2019m afraid of shooting bad round.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;I\u2019m afraid of losing the lead.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;I\u2019m afraid my short game will be horrible just as it has been in practice.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;I\u2019m afraid my coach will be mad at me if I keep playing poorly.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;I\u2019m afraid of chocking.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Fear<\/strong> is the biggest obstacle to <strong>peak performance&#8230;<\/strong> Fear leads to worry and worry leads to playing it safe&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, &#8220;play it safe&#8221; option is really no option at all if you want to play your best golf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To illustrate this point, let\u2019s examine the case of Jen W., a sophomore collegiate golfer&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Jen W. is the top golfer on her team and ranks just outside the Top-10 in her conference.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Jen W. has the talent to crack into the Top-10 but in tough matches, she gets over-anxious and misses easy shots that she would normally make.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Jen becomes so tight that she consistently leaves putts short.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Jen <strong>fears<\/strong> she will not live up to her potential and she is afraid of letting her coach down. These fears eat at her.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Jen realizes her fears are keeping her from her potential and knows she needs to do something in order to regain her <strong>confidence<\/strong> and play at her peak under pressure.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many golfers experience similar fear when playing but elite golfers do something about their fears in order to play at their best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Albane Valenzuela, the No. 3-ranked amateur player in the world, admits that fear has held her back in the past, especially in match play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Valenzuela, who played in the final of the 117th U.S. Women&#8217;s Amateur Championship, said she is trying to focus on her game instead of giving into fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>VALENZUELA<\/strong>: <em>&#8220;Sometimes I would approach [match play] with some fear, but I now realize that fear doesn\u2019t bring you anything. The best defense is to attack, so that\u2019s what I keep telling myself.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The way to alleviate <strong>fear<\/strong> and <strong>anxiety<\/strong> is to go for your shots instead of choosing to play it safe. That\u2019s correct, playing <strong>aggressively<\/strong> trumps fear and allows you to <strong>focus<\/strong> on your game rather than worrying about outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is a classic book, &#8220;Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway,&#8221; that espouses the virtues of pushing past fear. Each time you act in the face of fear, you make it easier to do it the next time and you build a strong habit for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Overcoming_Fear_During_a_Round_of_Golf\"><\/span>Overcoming Fear During a Round of Golf:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Follow Valenzuela\u2019s lead and make the conscious choice to go for your shots instead of allowing fear to win out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Use a cue word or words, such as, <em>&#8220;Be aggressive,&#8221; &#8220;Attack,&#8221; <\/em>or<em>, &#8220;Go for it,&#8221;<\/em> to remind yourself to <strong>stay aggressive.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you find your mind wandering to the land of &#8216;What If,&#8217; use your cue words to bring you back to what you need to do at that moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;Feel the fear and do it anyway.&#8221;<\/em> And learn how to play composed and confident golf with &#8220;The Golfer&#8217;s Mental Edge.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Golfers_Mental_Edge\"><\/span>Golfer&#8217;s Mental Edge<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/golfers-mental-edge20-medium.png\" alt=\"The Mental Edge for Golfers\" class=\"wp-image-13572\" style=\"width:228px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/golfers-mental-edge20-medium.png 360w, https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/golfers-mental-edge20-medium-270x300.png 270w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 360px) 100vw, 360px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s the <em>big sign<\/em> that <strong>your mental game is the weak link<\/strong> in your golf game? When you can\u2019t play consistently as well as when you play a practice or casual round\u2013or your <strong>range game<\/strong> is way better than your game on the course. If you suffer from <strong>lack of focus, low self-confidence, poor composure or other mental game obstacles on the course<\/strong>, you can\u2019t reach your true potential in golf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The<em> Golfer\u2019s Mental Edge 2.0<\/em> Audio and Workbook program is ideal for any <strong>amateur, collegiate, junior, and tour professional golfer.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Golf coaches and instructors<\/strong> would also be wise to teach \u201c<em>The Golfer\u2019s Mental Edge 2.0<\/em>\u201d principles to their players. This program is perfect for any golfer who wants to improve performance and consistency by managing their mind better on the course.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-b9073d7f\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-45db0ee8 gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/golfers-mental-edge-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-3478a453 gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/collections\/for-specific-sports\/products\/golfers-mental-edge-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Golfers Who Choke Because of Fear How many times has fear ruined a round of golf for you? Have you ever been overwhelmed by thoughts such as: Fear is the biggest obstacle to peak performance&#8230; Fear leads to worry and worry leads to playing it safe&#8230; Unfortunately, &#8220;play it safe&#8221; option is really no option at all if &#8230; <a title=\"How Fear Paralyzes Golfers\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about How Fear Paralyzes Golfers\">Sport Psychology Article&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8366,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56,142],"tags":[1080,1081],"class_list":["post-8357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-golf-psychology","category-sports-psychology-tips","tag-fear-in-golf","tag-playing-aggressive-golf"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.5.2 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How many times has fear ruined a round of golf for you? Fear is the biggest obstacle to peak performance. Fear leads to worry and worry leads to playing it safe\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Patrick Cohn\"\/>\n\t<meta name=\"keywords\" content=\"fear in golf,overcoming fear in golf,golf psychology,playing aggressive in golf,playing aggressive golf\" \/>\n\t<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"generator\" content=\"All in One SEO Pro (AIOSEO) 4.9.5.2\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sports Psychology Articles | Sport Psychology Articles for Athletes, Coaches, and Sports Parents\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Fear Paralyzes Golfers | Sports Psychology Articles\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How many times has fear ruined a round of golf for you? Fear is the biggest obstacle to peak performance. Fear leads to worry and worry leads to playing it safe\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/blue-logo-512.png\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:image:secure_url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/blue-logo-512.png\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"512\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"512\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-08-17T19:58:25+00:00\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-06-09T12:06:20+00:00\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PeakPerformanceSports\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PeakPerformanceSports\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@PeaksportsCoach\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"How Fear Paralyzes Golfers | Sports Psychology Articles\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"How many times has fear ruined a round of golf for you? Fear is the biggest obstacle to peak performance. Fear leads to worry and worry leads to playing it safe\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@PeaksportsCoach\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/blue-logo-512.png\" \/>\n\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"aioseo-schema\">\n\t\t\t{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"BlogPosting\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\\\/#blogposting\",\"name\":\"How Fear Paralyzes Golfers | Sports Psychology Articles\",\"headline\":\"How Fear Paralyzes Golfers\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/author\\\/doccohn\\\/#author\"},\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2017\\\/08\\\/Fear-in-Golf1.jpg\",\"width\":150,\"height\":150,\"caption\":\"Fear in Golf\"},\"datePublished\":\"2017-08-17T19:58:25-04:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-09T08:06:20-04:00\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\\\/#webpage\"},\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\\\/#webpage\"},\"articleSection\":\"Golf Psychology, Mental Performance Articles, Fear in Golf, Playing Aggressive Golf\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\\\/#breadcrumblist\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog#listItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\",\"nextItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/category\\\/golf-psychology\\\/#listItem\",\"name\":\"Golf Psychology\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/category\\\/golf-psychology\\\/#listItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Golf Psychology\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/category\\\/golf-psychology\\\/\",\"nextItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\\\/#listItem\",\"name\":\"How Fear Paralyzes Golfers\"},\"previousItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog#listItem\",\"name\":\"Home\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\\\/#listItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"How Fear Paralyzes Golfers\",\"previousItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/category\\\/golf-psychology\\\/#listItem\",\"name\":\"Golf Psychology\"}}]},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Peak Performance Sports, LLC\",\"description\":\"Sports psychology coaching, articles and tips for athletes, coaches, and performers excel in sports.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/\",\"email\":\"coach@peaksports.com\",\"telephone\":\"+14079091700\",\"foundingDate\":\"1996-08-01\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"value\":5},\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/cropped-2022-Logo-Ball-Blue.jpg\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\\\/#organizationLogo\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Sports Psychology for Athletes\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\\\/#organizationLogo\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/PeakPerformanceSports\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/PeaksportsCoach\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/sportspsychcoach\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tiktok.com\\\/@peakperformancesports\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/MindsetForSports\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/author\\\/doccohn\\\/#author\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/author\\\/doccohn\\\/\",\"name\":\"Patrick Cohn\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/patrick-cohn-mental-coach-web-sq.jpg\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/PeakPerformanceSports\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/PeaksportsCoach\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/sportspsychcoach\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tiktok.com\\\/@peakperformancesports\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/peaksports\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/MindsetForSports\"],\"description\":\"Mental Performance Coach Dr. Patrick Cohn has helped athletes for over 30 years enhance their performance. Dr. Cohn earned a master's degree in sports psychology from CSUF and a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, specializing in Applied Sports Psychology. Today, he is the president and founder of Peak Performance Sports, LLC in Orlando, Florida, where his team offers mental performance coaching to individual and team athletes. He works with high-profile teams and athletes, such as the Miami Dolphins, NASCAR winners, NHL players, NFL players, National Motocross champions, and PGA Tour professional golfers. Visit full bio&gt;&gt;\",\"jobTitle\":\"Master Mental Performance Coach\",\"alumniOf\":[{\"@type\":\"EducationalOrganization\",\"name\":\"University of Virginia\",\"sameAs\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.virginia.edu\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"EducationalOrganization\",\"name\":\"California State University\",\"sameAs\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fullerton.edu\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"EducationalOrganization\",\"name\":\"University of Buffalo\",\"sameAs\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.buffalo.edu\\\/\"}],\"knowsLanguage\":[\"english\"]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\\\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\\\/\",\"name\":\"How Fear Paralyzes Golfers | Sports Psychology Articles\",\"description\":\"How many times has fear ruined a round of golf for you? Fear is the biggest obstacle to peak performance. Fear leads to worry and worry leads to playing it safe\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/#website\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\\\/#breadcrumblist\"},\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/author\\\/doccohn\\\/#author\"},\"creator\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/author\\\/doccohn\\\/#author\"},\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2017\\\/08\\\/Fear-in-Golf1.jpg\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\\\/#mainImage\",\"width\":150,\"height\":150,\"caption\":\"Fear in Golf\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\\\/#mainImage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2017-08-17T19:58:25-04:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-09T08:06:20-04:00\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Sports Psychology Articles for Athletes\",\"description\":\"Sport Psychology Articles for Athletes, Coaches, and Sports Parents\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/#organization\"}}]}\n\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro -->\r\n\t\t<title>How Fear Paralyzes Golfers | Sports Psychology Articles<\/title>\n\n","aioseo_head_json":{"title":"How Fear Paralyzes Golfers | Sports Psychology Articles","description":"How many times has fear ruined a round of golf for you? Fear is the biggest obstacle to peak performance. Fear leads to worry and worry leads to playing it safe","canonical_url":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/","robots":"max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1","keywords":"fear in golf,overcoming fear in golf,golf psychology,playing aggressive in golf,playing aggressive golf","webmasterTools":{"miscellaneous":""},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/#blogposting","name":"How Fear Paralyzes Golfers | Sports Psychology Articles","headline":"How Fear Paralyzes Golfers","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/author\/doccohn\/#author"},"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Fear-in-Golf1.jpg","width":150,"height":150,"caption":"Fear in Golf"},"datePublished":"2017-08-17T19:58:25-04:00","dateModified":"2025-06-09T08:06:20-04:00","inLanguage":"en-US","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/#webpage"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/#webpage"},"articleSection":"Golf Psychology, Mental Performance Articles, Fear in Golf, Playing Aggressive Golf"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog#listItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog","nextItem":{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/category\/golf-psychology\/#listItem","name":"Golf Psychology"}},{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/category\/golf-psychology\/#listItem","position":2,"name":"Golf Psychology","item":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/category\/golf-psychology\/","nextItem":{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/#listItem","name":"How Fear Paralyzes Golfers"},"previousItem":{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog#listItem","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/#listItem","position":3,"name":"How Fear Paralyzes Golfers","previousItem":{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/category\/golf-psychology\/#listItem","name":"Golf Psychology"}}]},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/#organization","name":"Peak Performance Sports, LLC","description":"Sports psychology coaching, articles and tips for athletes, coaches, and performers excel in sports.","url":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/","email":"coach@peaksports.com","telephone":"+14079091700","foundingDate":"1996-08-01","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","value":5},"logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/cropped-2022-Logo-Ball-Blue.jpg","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/#organizationLogo","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Sports Psychology for Athletes"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/#organizationLogo"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PeakPerformanceSports","https:\/\/x.com\/PeaksportsCoach","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/sportspsychcoach\/","https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@peakperformancesports","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/MindsetForSports"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/author\/doccohn\/#author","url":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/author\/doccohn\/","name":"Patrick Cohn","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/patrick-cohn-mental-coach-web-sq.jpg"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PeakPerformanceSports","https:\/\/x.com\/PeaksportsCoach","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/sportspsychcoach\/","https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@peakperformancesports","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/peaksports\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/MindsetForSports"],"description":"Mental Performance Coach Dr. Patrick Cohn has helped athletes for over 30 years enhance their performance. Dr. Cohn earned a master's degree in sports psychology from CSUF and a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, specializing in Applied Sports Psychology. Today, he is the president and founder of Peak Performance Sports, LLC in Orlando, Florida, where his team offers mental performance coaching to individual and team athletes. He works with high-profile teams and athletes, such as the Miami Dolphins, NASCAR winners, NHL players, NFL players, National Motocross champions, and PGA Tour professional golfers. Visit full bio&gt;&gt;","jobTitle":"Master Mental Performance Coach","alumniOf":[{"@type":"EducationalOrganization","name":"University of Virginia","sameAs":"https:\/\/www.virginia.edu\/"},{"@type":"EducationalOrganization","name":"California State University","sameAs":"https:\/\/www.fullerton.edu\/"},{"@type":"EducationalOrganization","name":"University of Buffalo","sameAs":"https:\/\/www.buffalo.edu\/"}],"knowsLanguage":["english"]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/","name":"How Fear Paralyzes Golfers | Sports Psychology Articles","description":"How many times has fear ruined a round of golf for you? Fear is the biggest obstacle to peak performance. Fear leads to worry and worry leads to playing it safe","inLanguage":"en-US","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/#website"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/#breadcrumblist"},"author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/author\/doccohn\/#author"},"creator":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/author\/doccohn\/#author"},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Fear-in-Golf1.jpg","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/#mainImage","width":150,"height":150,"caption":"Fear in Golf"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/#mainImage"},"datePublished":"2017-08-17T19:58:25-04:00","dateModified":"2025-06-09T08:06:20-04:00"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/","name":"Sports Psychology Articles for Athletes","description":"Sport Psychology Articles for Athletes, Coaches, and Sports Parents","inLanguage":"en-US","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/#organization"}}]},"og:locale":"en_US","og:site_name":"Sports Psychology Articles | Sport Psychology Articles for Athletes, Coaches, and Sports Parents","og:type":"article","og:title":"How Fear Paralyzes Golfers | Sports Psychology Articles","og:description":"How many times has fear ruined a round of golf for you? Fear is the biggest obstacle to peak performance. Fear leads to worry and worry leads to playing it safe","og:url":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/","og:image":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/blue-logo-512.png","og:image:secure_url":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/blue-logo-512.png","og:image:width":512,"og:image:height":512,"article:published_time":"2017-08-17T19:58:25+00:00","article:modified_time":"2025-06-09T12:06:20+00:00","article:publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PeakPerformanceSports","article:author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PeakPerformanceSports","twitter:card":"summary","twitter:site":"@PeaksportsCoach","twitter:title":"How Fear Paralyzes Golfers | Sports Psychology Articles","twitter:description":"How many times has fear ruined a round of golf for you? Fear is the biggest obstacle to peak performance. Fear leads to worry and worry leads to playing it safe","twitter:creator":"@PeaksportsCoach","twitter:image":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/blue-logo-512.png"},"aioseo_meta_data":{"post_id":"8357","title":"How Fear Paralyzes Golfers | #site_title","description":"How many times has fear ruined a round of golf for you? Fear is the biggest obstacle to peak performance. Fear leads to worry and worry leads to playing it safe","keywords":[{"label":"fear in golf","value":"fear in golf"},{"label":"overcoming fear in golf","value":"overcoming fear in golf"},{"label":"golf psychology","value":"golf psychology"},{"label":"playing aggressive in golf","value":"playing aggressive in golf"}],"keyphrases":{"focus":{"keyphrase":"","score":0,"analysis":{"keyphraseInTitle":{"score":0,"maxScore":9,"error":1}}},"additional":[]},"primary_term":null,"canonical_url":null,"og_title":null,"og_description":null,"og_object_type":"default","og_image_type":"default","og_image_url":null,"og_image_width":null,"og_image_height":null,"og_image_custom_url":null,"og_image_custom_fields":null,"og_video":"","og_custom_url":null,"og_article_section":null,"og_article_tags":null,"twitter_use_og":false,"twitter_card":"default","twitter_image_type":"default","twitter_image_url":null,"twitter_image_custom_url":null,"twitter_image_custom_fields":null,"twitter_title":null,"twitter_description":null,"schema":{"blockGraphs":[],"customGraphs":[],"default":{"data":{"Article":[],"Course":[],"Dataset":[],"FAQPage":[],"Movie":[],"Person":[],"Product":[],"ProductReview":[],"Car":[],"Recipe":[],"Service":[],"SoftwareApplication":[],"WebPage":[]},"graphName":"Article","isEnabled":true},"graphs":[],"defaultGraph":"","defaultPostTypeGraph":""},"schema_type":null,"schema_type_options":null,"pillar_content":false,"robots_default":true,"robots_noindex":false,"robots_noarchive":false,"robots_nosnippet":false,"robots_nofollow":false,"robots_noimageindex":false,"robots_noodp":false,"robots_notranslate":false,"robots_max_snippet":"-1","robots_max_videopreview":"-1","robots_max_imagepreview":"large","priority":null,"frequency":"default","local_seo":null,"seo_analyzer_scan_date":"2025-08-16 01:45:04","breadcrumb_settings":null,"limit_modified_date":false,"reviewed_by":null,"open_ai":"{\"title\":{\"suggestions\":[],\"usage\":0},\"description\":{\"suggestions\":[],\"usage\":0}}","ai":null,"created":"2020-12-21 15:06:14","updated":"2025-08-16 01:45:04"},"aioseo_breadcrumb":"<div class=\"aioseo-breadcrumbs\"><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\" title=\"Home\">Home<\/a>\n<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb-separator\">\u00bb<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/category\/golf-psychology\/\" title=\"Golf Psychology\">Golf Psychology<\/a>\n<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb-separator\">\u00bb<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb\">\n\tHow Fear Paralyzes Golfers\n<\/span><\/div>","aioseo_breadcrumb_json":[{"label":"Home","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog"},{"label":"Golf Psychology","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/category\/golf-psychology\/"},{"label":"How Fear Paralyzes Golfers","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-fear-paralyzes-golfers\/"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8357","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8357"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8357\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}