Why Your Golf Game Needs More Than a Swing Coach: Mental Skills, Mindfulness, and the Power of the Mind w/ Doc Gary Sailes

If you’ve ever hit every shot perfectly on the range and then watched it all unravel during your tournament round, this post is for you.

In a recent episode of the Birdie on One Podcast, I had the privilege of sitting down with Dr. Gary Sailes—a seasoned sport psychologist who’s worked with NFL athletes, NCAA programs, and now focuses exclusively on golf. Our conversation was a masterclass in mental performance, and his perspective couldn’t be more relevant for today’s athletes—especially golfers.

Whether you're a weekend warrior or a serious competitor chasing your next personal best, golf psychology and mental skills training might be the missing piece in your performance puzzle.

Golf Is a Mental Game—And It’s Time We Treated It Like One

Dr. Sailes doesn’t mince words: “The difference in physical skills is this much—the difference in mental skills is this much.” And any golfer who’s battled the yips, spiraled after a bad hole, or tried to force a “perfect” round knows how true that is.

At No Bunkers No Bogeys Golf Club, we hear it all the time from members: “I can hit every shot in practice, but something changes when I’m in competition.” That “something” is your mindset—and it’s trainable.

Embrace the Shanks (Yes, Really)

One of my favorite takeaways from our talk was Dr. Sailes’ radical idea that you have to learn to love the shanks. Not just tolerate them. Love them.

He puts it like this: Golfers who try to play “perfect golf” set themselves up for anxiety and disappointment. Instead, embracing mistakes—truly accepting them as part of the game—actually improves your recovery, focus, and enjoyment. There’s even a physiological reason: accepting mistakes lowers cortisol and boosts serotonin, helping you bounce back faster after an errant shot.

And that mindset? It’s not just helpful for golf. It’s powerful for anxiety management and emotional resilience in life, too.

Mindfulness Isn’t Woo—It’s a Mental Skill

If you’ve been skeptical about mindfulness, Dr. Sailes rebrands it with a term you might like better: discipline thinking.

Golf mindfulness doesn’t have to involve incense or mantras. It can look like refining your pre-shot routine, using breathing techniques to reset between holes, or practicing “course management and self-management”—his simplified formula for staying mentally present.

He even draws connections between pre-shot routines and meditation practices, explaining why so many dominant golfers (including Tiger Woods and top LPGA players) have backgrounds in cultures or practices that emphasize mindfulness.

Built-In Resilience: A Nod to Underrepresented Golfers

As a Black sport psychologist myself, I was especially moved by Dr. Sailes’ reflections on how athletes from marginalized backgrounds often show a remarkable kind of resilience. When you’ve spent a lifetime managing discomfort, navigating bias, or learning to thrive in spaces not built for you—you carry a mental edge that’s worth celebrating and strengthening.

That ethos aligns deeply with our mission at No Bunkers No Bogeys Golf Club—where we believe that golf should be a joyful, welcoming space for everyone, especially those who’ve felt left out.

Wins and Lessons: The Only Two Outcomes

Dr. Sailes sums it up beautifully: “There are only two things—wins and lessons.” That’s the foundation of a champion mindset. Every round, every shot, every rough patch is an opportunity to grow—not a reason to quit.

This philosophy isn’t just good golf psychology—it’s good life psychology. When we can shift from distress to eustress (positive, challenging stress), we become more coachable, more consistent, and more fulfilled as athletes and people.

What This Means for Your Game

If you’re ready to stop sabotaging your game with unrealistic expectations, if you want to build a mind stronger than your muscle, and if you’re tired of feeling like your mental performance is holding you back—there’s work you can do.

Work that’s grounded in research. Work that prioritizes joy, not just outcomes. Work that helps you fall in love with your game again.

And we’re here to help.

At No Bunkers No Bogeys Golf Club and through my private sport psychology practice, we support athletes just like you—whether you're battling performance anxiety, chasing competitive goals, or looking to reconnect with the fun of the game. Golf mindfulness and mental skills training aren't just tools to lower your handicap. They're tools to elevate your entire experience.

Final Thoughts

My conversation with Dr. Sailes reminded me just how powerful this work is—not just for our scores, but for our spirits. If you’re curious to go deeper, listen to the full episode of the Peace & Performance Over Everything Podcast here:🎧 Listen Now on YouTube

And if you liked what you heard, hit that subscribe button and follow the podcast. We’ve got more incredible conversations coming your way.

Let’s keep building minds as strong as our swings.

Peace,

JJ