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The Golfer's Mind
The guru who has been keeping golfers keen on the green for more than 20 years now presents a quick reference guide to the sport's most important mental elements.
192 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
July 17, 2017
As an average golfer (handicap 15 as we stand) there remain plenty of technical challenges for me to conquer in my quest to reduce the number of times I hit the ball each time I take to the course. It's a very technical game, full of challenges surrounding such mysteries as alignment, tempo and club head speed. But it’s also a sport that plays on the mind – actually it plays on the mind in a big way. Maybe that's because there are long pauses in action: in a four hour round I might hit the ball 80 or 90 times, that means that for the vast majority of the time I’m doing something else, I'm ‘thinking’ about hitting the ball. It can twist you up.
I was gifted this book by my brother – a fellow golf struggler – and though I'm not normally a fan of self help manuals I immediately knew there could be something useful here for me. It's broken down into a series of sections, each focusing on a particular scenario that’ll be familiar to all golfers. It's a quick read, at only about 150 pages. Each section is followed by a quick reference summary page listing the main points discussed.
Another sport I've dabbled in – long distance running – also has a significant mental element to it but in that case it's all about resilience and the ability of the mind to ‘switch off’ the messages you're receiving from your body demanding that you slow down or stop. In golf it's rather more complex. Dr Bob Rotella has worked with a number of top golfers and sports teams and has been employed by a some large corporations as a performance enhancement consultant. A good deal of what he says feels highly logical. Yes, there are some sections that offer insights that don't feel as though they’d make a significant difference to my mental approach, but there are some gems here too. I’ll probably take away a handful of tips that might just allow me to shave a shot or two here and there. They've given me a methodology to address my approach when things aren't going as well as I’d like, but also some pointers which might allow me to clear some baggage from my mind when it’s all going unexpectedly well.
As British cycling guru David Brailsford says, it's all about the marginal gains. This is a book that is worth considering if you've not previously delved into this area of sports performance enhancement of if, like me, you've sometimes struggled with nerves or negative thoughts creating an unwelcome impact at key moments.
I was gifted this book by my brother – a fellow golf struggler – and though I'm not normally a fan of self help manuals I immediately knew there could be something useful here for me. It's broken down into a series of sections, each focusing on a particular scenario that’ll be familiar to all golfers. It's a quick read, at only about 150 pages. Each section is followed by a quick reference summary page listing the main points discussed.
Another sport I've dabbled in – long distance running – also has a significant mental element to it but in that case it's all about resilience and the ability of the mind to ‘switch off’ the messages you're receiving from your body demanding that you slow down or stop. In golf it's rather more complex. Dr Bob Rotella has worked with a number of top golfers and sports teams and has been employed by a some large corporations as a performance enhancement consultant. A good deal of what he says feels highly logical. Yes, there are some sections that offer insights that don't feel as though they’d make a significant difference to my mental approach, but there are some gems here too. I’ll probably take away a handful of tips that might just allow me to shave a shot or two here and there. They've given me a methodology to address my approach when things aren't going as well as I’d like, but also some pointers which might allow me to clear some baggage from my mind when it’s all going unexpectedly well.
As British cycling guru David Brailsford says, it's all about the marginal gains. This is a book that is worth considering if you've not previously delved into this area of sports performance enhancement of if, like me, you've sometimes struggled with nerves or negative thoughts creating an unwelcome impact at key moments.
July 27, 2023
What a gem this book is. I’ve been playing golf since taking lessons in grade school and I wish I had known of this book when it came out twenty years ago. I love playing but have never been very good, but back when I was younger and half-way decent I used to say that if I had a sports psychologist playing with me to talk me off the ledge when my mental game collapsed I would’ve been a bit better and enjoyed the game more. I typically start a round stress-free and relaxed, enjoying just being out and sometimes even killing it like the Bishop in Caddyshack, but all it takes is a bad hole and I feel the doubt and anxiety take over my brain. My confidence drains away, self doubt takes over, and every shot becomes a mental struggle. Getting over this kind of mental block is one of the issues Dr. Bob Rotella addresses in this fantastic little book. I’m not surprised that a number of professional golfers have been advised by the author. What is that old saying? The most difficult distance to master in golf is the one between your ears. I have found this to be 100% true.
This is a thin book with twenty-nine short chapters with great advice applicable to a number of different situations in golf and approaches to take to stay positive. Examples of chapter titles are: A Golfer's Sense of Self, How Memory Works, Staying in the Present, Anger and Acceptance, Trust, Butterflies, Patience, Visualization, and The Myth of the Killer Instinct. He also addresses the proper mental approach to tee shots, approach and chipping, and putting. He covers it all. At the end of each chapter he has the main points summarized in short sentences which aids in remembering them. There is nothing in here about physically improving your swing or putting, that’s on you. That's what your golf pro is for. The doc is here to explain to you the golfer’s mind and how to use it to your advantage rather than having it be your foe.
The book is also full of interesting and entertaining anecdotes from his career as a golf psychologist.
A minor gripe I had is that it feels like it’s written for players better than myself. I’m a bogie golfer and he addresses what a golfer can do to get the bad taste of a bogey out of their system. Hell, half the bogies I get I’m OK with. Could’ve been worse, one poorly executed shot per hole is acceptable to me at this stage in my life.
I think any golfer will find this useful and recognize themselves in some or many of the issues he addresses. Playing against some of these courses is hard enough without having to battle your inner demons, too. I think this book will help me.
This is a thin book with twenty-nine short chapters with great advice applicable to a number of different situations in golf and approaches to take to stay positive. Examples of chapter titles are: A Golfer's Sense of Self, How Memory Works, Staying in the Present, Anger and Acceptance, Trust, Butterflies, Patience, Visualization, and The Myth of the Killer Instinct. He also addresses the proper mental approach to tee shots, approach and chipping, and putting. He covers it all. At the end of each chapter he has the main points summarized in short sentences which aids in remembering them. There is nothing in here about physically improving your swing or putting, that’s on you. That's what your golf pro is for. The doc is here to explain to you the golfer’s mind and how to use it to your advantage rather than having it be your foe.
The book is also full of interesting and entertaining anecdotes from his career as a golf psychologist.
A minor gripe I had is that it feels like it’s written for players better than myself. I’m a bogie golfer and he addresses what a golfer can do to get the bad taste of a bogey out of their system. Hell, half the bogies I get I’m OK with. Could’ve been worse, one poorly executed shot per hole is acceptable to me at this stage in my life.
I think any golfer will find this useful and recognize themselves in some or many of the issues he addresses. Playing against some of these courses is hard enough without having to battle your inner demons, too. I think this book will help me.
October 30, 2018
I just finished reading The Golfer's Mind. This was a fantastic book that had a lot of amazing tips that I know for sure would help any athlete that is having issues with there mental game. I suggest reading this book no matter what because even if you are in the best mind set ever it has some really good tips that could help everyone. I never thought that reading a book would make such a huge difference on how I approach my game. This book for sure has made me think differently about myself and my game. As most people think this game is all about mechanics. As in alignment, posture, setup, back swing, follow through, grip, and how there downswing affects everything. Most of the people that think this way are wrong. Yes, you have to know most of the fundamentals to be good at golf. I am just saying the better mind set you have and the more positive you are going into your round you will probably improve your score by at least three shots. I know this sounds crazy but I know from experience that the more relaxed you are throughout your round you are going to play much better than if you go into it with the worst mindset possible. A few good tips for higher handicappers. Yes, you are going to hit more shots throughout the round. From being around this sport so long I know that when you aren't playing well you start changing a lot of fundamentals. Sometimes there is a problem with your swing but most of the time it is all in your head. Next time you start hitting the ball bad just take a second and think about how your attitude is. I bet you that you are thinking to much about what is going on and not staying in the moment. One of my biggest suggestions is to stay in the moment with every shot you hit. My dad is the one that introduced this book to me. He wanted me to read it so that maybe I would start thinking differently about the shots I hit and how to control my head during big tournament rounds. This book has changed so much for me. I think every golfer should read this. If you execute what Bob says you will go into every tournament with the best mind set possible. I hope that this book works for you the way it did for me!
July 25, 2025
Listend to the (abridged) audio book first, then read the full book. This is easily in the top three or four best books on golf I've read. Simply excellent.
October 5, 2021
Bobby Jones, the golfing great, is credited with saying, "golf is a game that is played on a five-inch course - the distance between your ears." Indeed, golf is as much mental as it is physical. No one knows this better than author Dr. Bob Rotella, who spent two decades as Director of Sports Psychology at the University of Virginia. "The Golfer's Mind" is a practical handbook on how to handle the psychological aspects of the game. Rotella's pithy advice is laid out in 29 brief chapters. Learn the principles outlined here, and your will maintain a positive, constructive attitude even on those days when your drives slice, your putts fall short, and your game goes to hell. I've been reading this book slowly, over the course of two weeks, and I am already enjoying the game more than ever.
November 5, 2018
I love Bob Rotella approach to teach golf and quieting the mind. It's almost like Buddhism and golf combined.
January 27, 2025
I enjoyed this one a little more than Golf is not a game of perfect. Both books really address the mental aspect of the game - but this one boils it down into bite-size succinct pieces. I also like that this book addressed putting a little more, between the two, Golf is not a game of perfect is something you would read leisurely, whereas golfer’s mind is something you can read before an important game or tournament.
January 24, 2021
A much needed attitude adjustment
I’ve read this book several times. Every time I do, I drop 8-10 strokes. I recently read it again prior to a tough gross play match to a golfer whose handicap was 4 strokes lower than mine. I won 2 up on the 18th. I know this book helped get those hardest 6” where they needed to be.
I’ve read this book several times. Every time I do, I drop 8-10 strokes. I recently read it again prior to a tough gross play match to a golfer whose handicap was 4 strokes lower than mine. I won 2 up on the 18th. I know this book helped get those hardest 6” where they needed to be.
October 2, 2017
Very short book. I took a snippet out of here, but felt that the other book I read from Bob about your short game had far more to offer. One idea to take out of here, is that when you are chipping, your goal should not be to get it close, but rather, to hole it.
July 1, 2023
It's more about how psychology is used to help professional golfers, but there's enough info to engage a club player like myself. A lot of the content is self explanatory but it's all well categorised. Worth a read.
July 15, 2025
Solid tips and advice on how to improve the mental aspect of your golf game. I’ve read this slowly to give myself new thoughts with each round and have felt a noticeable improvement in my enjoyment of the game since starting the book.
August 19, 2019
Not as good as "Golf is not a Game of Perfect", but still a very good read.
September 1, 2019
I do NOT play golf; however, this succinct take on the mental game is great and so relevant to me as a competitive equestrian!
May 13, 2020
really enjoyed it. gave me lots to consider to improve and add to my satisfaction out on the course.
March 8, 2024
Bob! You rock!
January 23, 2025
Extremely helpful
July 17, 2025
Great book. I listened to it on audio narrated by Rotella.
December 25, 2023
After reading ‘Golf is not a game of perfect’ and loving it I was eager for more.
I really felt this was a repeat of the first book in terms of its content but a more disjointed version of it.
There really seemed to be no structure to the chapters. Perhaps ordering chapters from ‘things to consider pre game’ (practice/mindset before comps etc) to ‘in game’ (it’s trials and tribulations) to ‘post game’ might have made more sense to me personally. The jumps of focus from chapter to chapter were hard to understand.
The content still remains good and anything golf is good to read but I’d recommend ‘Golf is not a game of perfect’ by the same author over this which is fantastic.
I really felt this was a repeat of the first book in terms of its content but a more disjointed version of it.
There really seemed to be no structure to the chapters. Perhaps ordering chapters from ‘things to consider pre game’ (practice/mindset before comps etc) to ‘in game’ (it’s trials and tribulations) to ‘post game’ might have made more sense to me personally. The jumps of focus from chapter to chapter were hard to understand.
The content still remains good and anything golf is good to read but I’d recommend ‘Golf is not a game of perfect’ by the same author over this which is fantastic.
May 9, 2016
If you are looking to get into a strong golfer's mindset, read this book. This does not have steps on how to become a better golfer physically. Rather, it instructs the readers on how to handle every gold match mentally. Rotella focuses on staying focused and positive on the course, instead of taking every mistake to heart. So much of golf surrounds whether or not a golfer is able to focus throughout his or her game. Rotella will help revolutionize your golfing mindset through this book. It will make you more present in the game, and therefore more consistent in every swing. Definitely pick up this book before your next game!
February 24, 2016
Classic Rotella- Key points for serious golfers and life: 1. You cannot control all of your shots, but you can control your attitude; 2. €œYou don'€™t bounce back by dwelling on your mistakes€; 3 œGet out of the results and get into process.€
June 19, 2023
A quick motivational read. He provides some amazingly simple but deep suggestions on how to play better. I won’t spoil it for you. However, he will challenge you to get out of your own way. He list 10 suggestions at the conclusion of the book. I plan on implementing the suggestions this week.
March 14, 2009
Good psychology lessons for the one that wants to improve! Now if only I could do it....!
January 24, 2016
A must read at the beginning of golf season. 10 commandments are a great refresher and reminder that will add enjoyment to your game.
May 9, 2024
Great help for the mental side of the game! Some really good tips!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews