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Feeling intimidated on the golf course — by a tough hole, a big hitter, or a dominant playing partner — is more common than you might think. Golf coach Kathy Hart explores why intimidation is actually a choice, and how shifting your thinking can help you play with more confidence and calm. This is a thoughtful, honest conversation that will resonate with golfers of all levels.
Kathy Hart – Game Improvement
In this video, Kathy Hart breaks down the psychology of golf intimidation, separating it into two distinct types: fear of a situation, such as a difficult hole or shot, and feeling less than when playing alongside others. She argues that intimidation is never a fact but always a thought — and that recognising this gives you the power to change it. It is a perspective that could genuinely transform how you approach your next round.
Key Takeaways
Holes and shots are neutral facts
Holes and shots are neutral facts
Describing a hole as intimidating invokes an emotional response that works against you — instead, focus on the facts, such as the fairway width or the distance to the pin, to keep your brain calm and clear.
Feeling intimidated by others reflects your thoughts about yourself
When a playing partner makes you feel less than, it is not their behaviour that creates that feeling — it is your own thoughts about your worth and confidence, which means you have the power to change them.
Confidence is the antidote to intimidation
Building genuine inner confidence — not arrogance — means you can allow others to be who they are without feeling threatened, and play your own game from a more settled, self-assured place.
Next time you feel that knot of intimidation on the course, pause and ask yourself: am I actually afraid, or do I feel less than right now? This video is well suited to any golfer who has ever shrunk under pressure, played tentatively around stronger personalities, or talked themselves out of a shot before they have even taken it.
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