The Mental Game Myth of ‘Getting Out of Your Own Way’ in Golf.

Why it’s not just a mindset... and why that matters in golf (and life).

You’ve probably said it. After a tournament round that didn’t go your way. After flushing it on the range but falling apart on the course. After watching another opportunity slip through your fingers, wondering.... “Why do I keep getting in my own way?”

It’s a phrase we use all the time, often as much off the course as on it!

On the surface, the phrase makes sense, "get out of my own way".... but have you ever stopped to ask what that actually means?

What Does This Mental Game Myth Actually Mean In Golf Terms?

“Getting out of your own way” is shorthand for a few familiar ideas:

• Stop overthinking

• Trust your swing

• Let go of fear

• Get into the flow

Those ideas are great… in theory... but in practice? That phrase can feel more like a vague telling off than a useful strategy. It doesn’t tell you how to actually do any of it, and it certainly doesn’t account for everything happening under the surface.

Why It’s So Hard to Do

Your thoughts, your expectations, your beliefs, your identity as a player... these things make up the path you're walking. You can’t just step aside and let someone else hit the shot. You are the golfer so rather than getting out of your own way... you need to become the way.

When a client says something like, “I know I can play better, I just don’t do it when it counts,”  I know we’re not dealing with swing mechanics. We’re dealing with mindset, pressure, and internal wiring.

Take Lee - a scratch player I've worked with recently. He had the skills and he’d often beat tour pros in casual rounds. However, the moment he was teeing it up in competition, something shifted. When we started working together his words to me were: “It’s like I go into self-sabotage mode. I just want to get out of my own way.”

Over our sessions together we dug deeper, it turned out he wasn’t just battling nerves. He was carrying a belief that if he didn’t play well, people wouldn’t respect him... not just as a golfer, but as a person. So every shot became a test of self-worth... no wonder he tensed up!

Once we addressed the real issue (his need for external validation) his game changed. Not overnight, but through consistent reflection, mindset work, and learning to back himself no matter what the scorecard said.

The beauty is, a lot of this work can be done away from the course, in everyday life. Lee juggles work and family life (as do many amateurs and teaching professionals), so my coaching is all about working with the time you've got... you've just got to show up for that time.

The Real Work Behind the Myth

Here’s the simplified concept: “Getting out of your own way” actually involves stepping into a stronger version of yourself... not stepping aside.

That process usually looks like:

• Understanding your fears and overcoming them – What are you afraid will happen?

• Rewriting beliefs – Beliefs feel like facts, but they're not.

• Building self-trust – Through process-focused goals, not just results.

• Redefining success – So it’s not just about scores, but growth, effort, and freedom.

  
  

This isn’t 'mindset fluff' - technical term ;) It’s the mental game most golfers never look at properly. It's also the way you positively transform your game, your life... and yourself.

If this article struck a chord with you, regardless of your level of golf, you'd likely get a lot out of mental performance coaching. I offer free 30-minute consultation calls where we can talk through what’s really going on beneath the surface of your game. These calls are designed to help you understand what the next step forward could look like if you were to take a mental performance journey. Click here to book a free call