A Special Sport Psychologist

Bob Rotella, Author

Golf is Not a Game of Perfect, 1995 

Golf is a Game of Confidence, 1996

The Golf of Your Dreams, 1997  

Plus three more.

In 1995, a special sports psychologist, Dr. Bob Rotella, came into the world of golf and grabbed my thoughts and my feelings. He is now 65 years of age and recently (2023) helped Rory McIlroy get mentally ready for the Masters Tournament.

Among other things, he and I are followers of William James, the great American Philosopher/Psychologist. See note at end of blog. In this blog I will share my perceptions and memories mainly with Rotella’s first book, Golf is Not a Game of Perfect.

If you want a good mental commentary just open the book at random and you will find something of interest on that page. Be clear that you are reading and thinking of more than golf - more like life. What I really love about his writing is how clearly and simply he expresses and conveys the most profound thoughts and beliefs. I really know what he is saying and I can relate to them and think about them.

Sometimes when the topic is putting in golf, you are invited to think about actions in other sports: free-throw shooting, batting, kicking a penalty point. . .  

In Golf is Not a Game of Perfect, you will again meet many of the great golfers of the past; Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Val Skinner, Jack Nicklaus, Nick Price, Tom Kite, Pat Bradley . . . 

Some of Bob’s thoughts that I recall:

“Sport psychology, as I teach it, is about learning to think the most effective and efficient way possible every day.” 

“Free will is the greatest gift anyone could have given us. It means we can, in a real sense, control our lives.”

“Confidence is critical to good golf. Confidence is simply the aggregate of the thoughts you have about yourself.”

In chapter No.1 in his second book, Golf is a Game of Confidence, Bob takes you on a special trip with himself and Brad Faxon. Brad is playing in the final round of the tournament and is trying to play well enough to become a member of the Ryder Cup team. Bob’s ongoing commentary on Brad’s playing and thinking is priceless.      

Watching the movie, The Legend of Bagger Vance, one is reminded about the writings of Bob Rotella. The golfer,  Ranndulph Junah, is encouraged by his caddy, Bagger Vance with these words: “Inside each and every one of us is our one true authentic swing, something we were born with, something that is ours and ours alone.”

William James, American Philosopher/Psychologist

William James is often called the "father of American psychology". He was the first American scholar to be invited to lecture at Oxford University in England. He played a key role in establishing Harvard's psychology department. His views in philosophy influenced his views on psychology, and vice versa. He developed radical empiricism and promoted pragmatism with perception and experience, the kind of thinking  that tests ideas by their results.

A William James thought quoted by Bob on page 35: “People by and large become what they think about themselves.”