If you’ve ever chunked a wedge from 30 yards out while holding your “favorite” club, welcome to the golfer club, the one that meets somewhere between frustration and self-loathing, probably near the short game area.
Because here’s the thing: you’d think having options would make you a smarter, more prepared golfer. Like, “Look at me! I’ve got imagination, I’m playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers!” And then… thud. Your ball goes six feet, and you stare at your hands like they just betrayed you. And this is known as the Paradox of Choice, golfer edition.
Too Many Options, Not Enough Commitment
The paradox, coined by psychologist Barry Schwartz, basically says the more options we have, the harder it is to choose, and when we do finally choose, we’re less satisfied. Why? Because we’re busy replaying the other 47 choices we didn’t make.
On the course, this mental buffet plays out constantly. Too many clubs. Too many trajectories. Too many “smart” ideas. You stand over the ball, paralyzed, toggling between thoughts. The brain short-circuits, and the Result? You hit the worst shot of the day, and then spend the walk of shame to your ball wishing you’d “just kept it simple.”
But it’s not just you. This same mind melt happens on tour. That’s why sports psychologists like Bhrett McCabe preach conviction. Not just a decision, but a committed decision. Like, don’t just choose a shot. Choose it like it’s the only shot in the universe. Because if you’re halfway in — guessing, doubting, second-guessing — your body will follow suit. Hesitation is the silent killer of golf shots.
Simplify Your Thinking, Improve Your Swing
Even swing thoughts fall victim to this trap. Dr. Will Wu says focusing on too many moving parts like hips, wrists, backswing, and release all floods the brain. He recommends keeping your thoughts external, like “skip a rock” or “throw the ball.”
And then there’s Scott Fawcett, the guy behind the DECADE system, who’s basically built a playbook for taking choices off your plate. He’ll tell you to forget heroic shots and favor boring, smart targets. Critics say it sucks the soul out of the game, but Fawcett shrugs — because what’s more fun: playing Picasso, or walking into the clubhouse with a personal best?
Tiger’s Nine Windows: Inspiring, But Not for Everyone
He even points to Tiger Woods, the icon of shotmaking, and says, Yeah, maybe we shouldn’t copy that guy either. Sure, Tiger had a “nine-box drill” to master nine different trajectories. But as Wu says, Tiger’s an outlier. Copying his practice is like a weekend guitarist trying to learn Beethoven after seeing Clapton do it once.
So if you find yourself face-to-face with too many choices — club in hand, doubt in heart — maybe the fix isn’t more practice, more thinking, or more gear. Maybe it’s less second-guessing, less overthinking, and a lot more commitment.
