The Impact Bag Golf Blog

Golf is a game of nuance, but when all-or-nothing thinking creeps in, it flattens the game into extremes of success or failure. This mental trap shows up when golfers think, “If I don’t shoot my lowest score, I’ve failed.” It’s a perfectionist mindset that leaves little room for progress, learning, or enjoyment.

When golf becomes a constant battle between “perfect” and “failure,” even minor setbacks feel devastating. All-or-nothing thinking can rob you of perspective, confidence, and the ability to appreciate the small victories that make the game so rewarding. Making small improvements over time builds up, but perfectionist thinking can make our game plateau as we never see those small improvements and don’t learn from them. 

Why Does All-or-Nothing Thinking Happen?

Perfectionism and fear of judgment often drive this mindset. Golfers may believe that anything less than perfection reflects poorly on their abilities or character. This pressure to meet an impossible standard makes it hard to see progress as anything but “not enough.” When we evaluate our rounds we tend to focus on the shots that cost us the perfect round of choice, thus clouding all the good that we did. If we naturally flipped post-round evaluation to only look at what we did well, then all-or-nothing thinking would not happen so frequently before, after, or during rounds. 

Strategies to Combat All-or-Nothing Thinking

1. Redefine Success
   Success doesn’t mean playing perfectly; it means playing to your potential on that day. Celebrate small wins, like improved consistency or making smart decisions under pressure.
2. Focus on Progress, Not Perfection
   Instead of comparing every round to your personal best, evaluate whether you improved in specific areas, like hitting more fairways or reducing three-putts. Maintaining your balance or focus. 
3. Set Realistic Goals
   Shift from outcome-based goals (“I must shoot my lowest score”) to process-based goals (“I want to make confident swings and stay focused”).
4. Practice Self-Compassion
   Talk to yourself like you would to a friend. If a friend had an off day, you wouldn’t call them a failure; you’d acknowledge their effort and encourage them to keep going. Think “be your own best caddie.”

On-Course Game: “Mental Score Card”

Objective: Break the habit of thinking only in terms of extremes (success/failure) by recognizing the nuances of each shot.

• Setup: For every shot, look for one thing you did well. It could be assessing the lie, distance or wind, it could be having solid balance, it could be having a clear visualization of the shot. You are looking for one thing you did well.  If you find one thing you did well, then give yourself a point for that shot. At the end of each hole, mark your score against your score for the hole
• Rules: At the end of the round, calculate your Mental Score Card by creating a percentage against your actual score. (I use a percentage calculator for this)
• Reward: You’ll start to see that most holes aren’t “all good” or “all bad” but fall somewhere in between. This perspective helps reduce the emotional swings of all-or-nothing thinking. Soon you will see patterns of what you always do well and what you don’t. This rise in awareness will be the first stage to acknowledging areas you need to improve.

Range Drill: “5 shot Test”

Objective: Shift your mindset from perfectionism to gradual improvement.

• How to Play:
  1. Identify three levels of success for your practice session:
     • Level 1: Basic success (e.g., make clean contact on 50% of shots).
     • Level 2: Moderate success (e.g., hit 3 out of 5 targets).
     • Level 3: High success (e.g., hit 5 out of 5 targets).
  2. Start with Level 1 and work your way up, but celebrate reaching any level, as each represents progress.
• Goal: Recognize that improvement happens in steps, not leaps, and that small wins are meaningful. Gamifying practice like this will set challenges for you, give you targets to beat, and help your practice translate to the course. 

Embrace the Spectrum

Golf isn’t a binary game; it’s a spectrum of possibilities. By letting go of all-or-nothing thinking, you can focus on steady improvement and enjoy the journey. Remember, success isn’t about perfection—it’s about making progress and savoring the process.

Do you struggle with perfectionism on the course? How do you keep your mindset balanced? Share your thoughts in the comments below!