As a coach specialising in optimising performance, my goal is to help golfers unlock their potential on the course. Here, we explore a range of techniques and strategies that can enhance your emotional and physical state to achieve peak performance. Let’s delve into a captivating concept known as Alter Ego Effect. This powerful approach leverages imagination, self-talk, and body language to tap into your reservoir of abilities and character traits. Whether you’re a weekend player or a seasoned professional golfer, embracing your golfing alter ego has the potential to revolutionise your game.
Understanding the alter ego
The notion of an alter ego may initially bring to mind superheroes from books. It’s actually a genuine and highly effective tool in sports psychology. In his book The Alter Ego Effect, Todd Herman explores how creating an alter ego enables individuals to embody themselves in any given situation. What does it mean to have an alter ego?
In life, we assume roles that demand varying aspects of our personalities. For example, you might be warm and affectionate with your family while needing to adopt seriousness, focus, and competitiveness on the golf course.
Your family persona won’t be of help when it comes to performing at your best in a golf tournament. The concept of the Alter Ego Effect involves identifying the role you want to portray and creating a representation that serves as a gateway to accessing the desired qualities and characteristics during your performance.
Let’s take public speaking as an example. Would you rather come across as confident, authoritative, and engaging or timid, fearful, and withdrawn? By embracing an alter ego that embodies the traits you desire, you can tap into those qualities within yourself. This isn’t about pretending to possess skills you lack; it’s about transforming how you perceive yourself internally. Actors frequently employ this technique by utilising their imagination, body language, and facial expressions to convey the emotions of their characters. In this vein, adopting the role of your ego can evoke genuine feelings of confidence, focus, and determination.
Separating your player persona from personal identity
The practice of having an alter ego to optimise performance is well established in sports. Athletes such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Kobe Bryant and many boxers adopt their alter egos during competitions. This distinction between their performance self and their everyday self may explain why top athletes are able to enjoy successful careers. They have the ability to transform into their alter ego, their performing version of themselves, regardless of any obstacles or distractions.
This detachment helps minimise self-awareness and self-doubt, enabling you to concentrate on your performance. Once you step onto the golf course, you embody your performer self from fears and worries.
Discovering your alter ego
To tap into the potential of your golfing alter ego, begin by recognising who you are when you exhibit your golf skills. What qualities and characteristics define you during moments of peak performance? Take some time to contemplate your values and player philosophy, such as confidence, focus, resilience, enthusiasm, positivity, optimism, and displaying body language.
Once these attributes are identified, it’s time to find an alter ego that embodies them. This could be a real-life sports icon, like Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan; it could be an animal symbolising the strengths you desire; a character; or even a combination of words along with a person or animal. For instance: “I possess the toughness of Rory McIlroy.”
Activating your alter ego
Now that you have defined your alter ego, it becomes crucial to activate it whenever you step onto the golf course. Think of it as putting on your “game face”. Just like how Superman changes in a phone booth, you need action to transition into your alter ego. It can be as simple as putting on your golf cap, shirt, shoes or glove.
Incorporate the activation of your alter ego into your daily routine. By doing this, you’ll create a state of mind that boosts confidence, freedom and success. It’s a physical cue that signals to your mind and body that it’s time to perform.
Remember….
The Alter Ego Effect is a tool that allows you to tap into a version of yourself when it matters most. It’s not about pretending to be someone you’re not or faking your skills; it’s about embracing your champion. Elite athletes recognise the significance of this concept. By adopting an alter ego for golfing, you can enjoy advantages.
As a mental performance mastery coach, I encourage you to explore and embrace your ego and witness the transformation it can bring to your golf game. The ability to perform at your peak is already within you — it just needs unlocking. So step onto the course and activate your alter ego. Let the champion within you shine brightly.
Anwar Wahhab is a Mental Performance Mastery Coach and a Bioprint practitioner. You can reach him at
anwarwahhab@awefitness.com