Mental Game Quiz

Is your knowledge of the mental-game based on Fact or Fiction? Take this 10 question Quiz to find out!

True or False

1. Talking through a shot out loud is more effective than having the conversation internally. True or False

2. Improving consistency is an excellent goal to have.True or False

3. Positive self-talk consists of simply using positive statements such as ‘I’m going to play well today,’ or ‘ I know I can do this.’ True or False

4. On a scale of one to ten the optimum arousal level for golfers is 4 to 6. True or False

5. When learning a new motor skill it's more effective to visualize the proper performance than to watch someone model the correct performance for you. True or False

6. While raising the bar is a good way to stretch our performance, there are times when it's better to lower our bar of expectation. True or False

7. It's possible for more than one player to be in the zone during the last few holes of a tournament even though only one person can be declared the winner. True or False

8. Self-fulfilling prophecies can be positive or negative. True or False

9.The key to mastering a shot is repetition. True or False

10. Process goals lead to higher performance than either outcome goals or a combination of process and outcome goals. True or False

See answers and explanations below

 

 

 

 

 

Answers

True 1, 4, 6, 7, 8

False 2, 3, 5, 9, 10

 

How Do You Rate?

9 - 10.... Fantastic! Your answers are based on fact.
7 - 8 ..... Fair but be sure to always question your sources.
1 - 6 ..... Oh oh! Be careful of the advice you give and take.

 

Explanations

1. Talking through a shot out loud is more effective than having the conversation internally.

True. According to Win Wenger, Ph. D., author of The Einstein Factor, when we talk out loud through a difficult situation as opposed to mulling it over internally we create a feedback loop. The sound goes out. It's then heard by our own ears and fed back into our brain causing reinforcement for the original thought. Using a caddie as a sounding board for our thoughts is a similar technique that focuses our decision-making.

2. Improving consistency is an excellent goal to have.

False. The word ‘consistent’ is not very specific and for that reason does not meet the criteria of being specific when setting goals. If you insist that consistency is your goal take the time to define precisely what you mean by ‘consistent.’ Ideally use a number in your definition.

3. Positive self-talk consists of simply using positive statements such as 'I'm going to play well today' or 'I know I can do this.'

False. Positive statements or affirmations do work but they aren't the only effective form of self-talk. Another very valuable but often-ignored technique is the use of questions to which there are only positive answers. For example, instead of saying ‘I’m going to play well today,’ a smart competitor might ask herself, ‘What do I have to do to play well today?’

Both statements and questions should be used in order to maximize performance.

4. On a scale of one to ten the optimum arousal level for golfers is 4 to 6.

True, according to Deborah Graham and Jon Stabler, authors of The 8 Traits of Champion Golfers. By contrast archers perform better when their arousal level is low and football players perform better if their arousal level is on the high side.

5. When learning a new motor skill it's more effective to visualize the proper performance than to watch someone model the correct performance for you.

False. Watching someone model an action for you is more effective than simply trying to visualize yourself completing the task. An even more effective approach is to combine watching and visualizing.

Reference:
Nilam Ram; S. M. Riggs; S. Skaling; D. M. Landers; P. McCullagh, A comparison of modeling and imagery in the acquisition and retention of motor skills. Journal of Sports Sciences, March 2007, Vol. 25, Issue 5, p. 587 – 597.
Although many researchers have examined the effects of imagery and/or modeling interventions, it is unclear which of the two interventions is more effective. In two experiments, novice learners assessed over multiple trials of a free weight squat lifting or a stabilometer balancing task were given modeling, imagery, a combination of modeling and imagery, or control interventions. Group differences indicated, in general, that groups receiving modeling (modeling, combination) evidenced a more appropriate form than groups that did not receive modeling (imagery, control). When apparent, these differences were already in place after the first of several interventions. Practical implications are that even a single bout of modeling can have immediate beneficial effects on movement form (Experiments 1 and 2) and outcome (Experiment 1).

6. While raising the bar is a good way to stretch our performance, there are times when it's better to lower our bar of expectations.

True. Goal research has shown that an important key to achievement is to match our challenges to our skill set. This means that at times we need to raise the bar but at other times we need to lower the bar.

7. It’s possible for more than one player to be in the zone during the last few holes of a tournament even though only one person can be declared the winner. T or F

True. A zone state is an indicator of relative, rather than absolute performance. This means that more than one person may be extending himself or herself and reaching a new level of performance. This is a valuable concept to understand when evaluating our development.

8. Self-fulfilling prophecies can be positive or negative. T or F

True. Self-fulfilling prophecies are tools some people use to direct themselves toward a desired goal and people who aren’t using them often aren’t too concerned. However, a simple statement such as ‘I’ll never learn to hit shots like the pros do,’ is actually a negative self-fulfilling prophecy and can have a more detrimental effect than you may realize. It’s worthwhile to take the time to understand self-fulfilling prophecies and make sure the ones you use are positive rather than negative.

9. The key to mastering a shot is repetition.

False. Repetitive practice is important but if that were the only criteria for success there would be a one-to-one relationship between the number of hours spent on the range and performance. Obviously that’s not the case. According to Maria Montessori, the famous childhood educator, learning is a three-stage process of a) absorbing, b) connecting and c) applying.

One reason why adults progress slower than children do is that when they practice they tend to hit the same shot over and over without experimentation. This style of practice is an example of jumping to the third stage of learning without creating a solid foundation for development.

Children, on the other hand, intuitively spend much of their time playing games against themselves and others. In the course of experimenting, testing and exploring, they absorb and connect large amounts of information, which are stage one and stage two processes.

So the key to mastering a shot is to go through all three stages of learning rather than repeating what you already do without new input because that method involves an unbalanced amount of time in the applying stage.

10. Process goals lead to higher performance than either outcome goals or a combination of process and outcome goals.

False. Many people are afraid of outcome goals but research shows that our goals should be a combination of process, benchmark and outcome goals.

If we consider a variety of possible outcomes and seek out the one we would most like to have happen we have a better chance of reaching our goals than if we simply say we are going to try to do our best.

That being said there's an optimum time to think about each type of goal. It's best to consider outcome goals well in advance of an event and process goals during the event.