Fear of Loss

Fear of loss is an effective psychological weapon. Do not let your brain perform this dark art on you.

Remember when your mum would say “if you don’t eat your dinner you’ll get no pudding”? She was using the fear of loss to make you eat your dinner.

In sport, we cannot use quite the same parallel. Sure, if you’re not the fastest runner you won’t win the race – this might motivate you to run as fast as you can, but it won’t guarantee you a result.

In a sport like golf, the final result is not what you should be focusing on during play.

Focusing on the winning post in a 100m sprint might be a suggested strategy, but in a round of golf lasting for several hours you need to stay in the moment, focussing on each shot – one at a time.

The minute you begin to fear loosing your brain is in completely the wrong place. You have:

• Shifted your focus from the present to the future (the final result)

• Engaged in negativity – allowing doubt to enter your head

• Become stressed about the possible outcome of a shot or match.

Fear of loss can occur through:

• Embarrassment

• Letting your team down

• Pressure of the environment

• Criticism

• Loss of Status

• Low self-esteem

• Self-consciousness

• Repercussions

• Peer pressure

• Desperation to win

• Doubt

You must learn to cope with the realities of competition in order to become a winner.

1. It is highly unlikely you will win everything

2. Loosing does not make you a lesser person

3. Do not try to impress others

4. Believe in your ability

5. Play for yourself not others

6. Set realistic goals

7. Develop an level-headed optimistic attitude

8. Always look for positives that might enhance future performance

9. Remember – YOU ARE ONLY HUMAN

(Also see Human Factor)