 Does it sometimes feel that no matter how
many lessons you take or how much practice
you put in, you still aren’t progressing as
quickly as that other player that you know?
That player at the fitness center seems to be
getting stronger more quickly, and/or those
players whom you used to beat are now beating
you regularly. How do these situations
impact and effect your motivation? The
answer is up to you.
Ego vs. Task Motivation
There are two major categories of motivation:
ego orientation and task orientation.
Ego Orientation
Unfortunately for many of us, we typically
measure ourselves and are measured by others
through ego orientation. This involves
comparing ourselves to others around us.
One danger in this is that no matter how we
measure ourselves, we can nearly always find
someone who is doing it better, more
efficiently, or more effectively. Even the
best golfers can find themselves getting
distracted by the progress of others. This
can result in a significant drain on the
player’s desire and motivation.
Ego-oriented thinking is characterized by
thoughts like: “I’ll never catch up with him
no matter how hard I try”, and “Look how much
farther he hits the ball than I do”, and “She
has more opportunity to practice and train
than I do, I’ve got no chance against her”
and “I’m so much better than that guy, how
does he beat me in this tournament.”
In junior golf, there are many examples of
situations where a young person may have more
success simply because of physical growth
differences. These physical differences will
eventually even out over time. For a while
though, those who have not caught up
physically with the “early bloomer” may feel
significantly inferior, and constantly be
concerned about not being good enough. This
is because they are in a constant comparison
to someone bigger, stronger, or more
skilled. On the other hand, these “early
bloomers” face the challenge of staying
motivated to give 100% effort in training,
despite the fact they are winning nearly all
of their competitions and/or are the biggest
fish in their respectively small pond. Some
of these young golfers are initially
successful in spite of poor work habits
and/or inefficient developmental training
procedures. Regularly, when the rest of the
pack begins to catch up (as they often do)
far too many of these players struggle with
the challenge of staying ahead of the pack
and some suddenly drop out of the game.
From a course management perspective, many
people get out of their game plan because of
an emphasis on what other players are doing,
or what they perceive other players are
doing. Examples would be: “Gosh, he’s going
for the Par-5 in two, maybe I should
too”, “I’ve got to make birdie on this hole,
because it’s an easy hole for everyone, and I
can’t just make a par or I’ll fall behind
them” or, “she’s making every putt she’s
looking at, maybe I’ll be a little more
aggressive with my stroke to make some
too.”
Ultimately, this kind of thinking can lead
players to do things such that they are not
playing to their strengths and/or making
decisions that are unwise.
Task Orientation
Fortunately, there is the alternative option
of task orientation. Task orientation, in
contrast to ego orientation, is simply
motivation to achieve excellence at a
particular task. The emphasis here is pursuit
toward the reaching of one’s own goals. How
other people are doing doesn’t matter. It
only matters how I’m doing.
Some ways to become more task oriented are
things like: setting personal progress goals,
developing specific plans of action, and
creating personal measurements by which to
chart growth. Examples of task-orientation
thoughts are: “I’m going to make sure and go
through my set-up checklist before I hit any
shot today on the course”, “I’m going to
execute my game plan just like I set it up in
the practice round, unless course conditions
dictate some adjustments”, or “I’m going to
continue to work hard on getting stronger
through my fitness program and not worry if
he’s stronger than I am or not. I can’t do
anything about what the other guy’s doing.”
Knowing that “I’m getting better every day”,
and/or “I’m 50% of the way towards my goal”
help players stay on task and help them
remain motivated to fight through the natural
challenges that are faced by anyone working
hard to reach their potential.
In the end, it is normal to measure ourselves
by looking at the others around us. The
challenge is to give that type of measurement
less power, and to give more weight to the
process of “me getting better every day.” If
you are a player striving for excellence,
create more powerful, personal, and deep-
rooted goals. These will keep you motivated,
help you stay on track, and put the emphasis
on the things over which you have influence
and control.
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