...This is the first in a series of articles about our new online mental game assessment...

The Mental Golf Workshop's mental game assessment is the profile used for many years at our Learning Center and TPI.  The profile is online now, providing a fast and comprehensive experience for the player.  The profile provides a thorough and simple game plan to improve your game from practice, playing, working with instructors, and in the gym.  It covers everything you can think of that relates to getting your game better.  It's recently updated with a coaching and fitness section utilized by instructors and trainers.  

Before we begin, we must first understand the DISC personality and behavioral tendencies the profile is based upon.  DISC stands for "Dominance", "Inspirational", "Steadiness", and "Conscientious" . The DISC system uses these "styles" to describe behavioral tendencies.  Based on your answers, your mental golf style might be one of the four basic DISC styles or one of the many combination or "blended" styles used in the system.  No style is better than any other, and every style has potential strengths and weaknesses. The key is to understand your style and how to use it to your advantage.

Dominance

Dominant players are the strong-willed, risk-taking, competitive players.  Example players are Tiger, Phil Mickelson, and Greg Norman.  

Inspirational

Inspirational players are enthusiastic, sociable, and creative.  Example players are Brad Faxon, Rocco Mediate, and Chi Chi Rodriguez.

Steadiness

Steady players are relaxed, even-tempered and patient.  Example players are Retief Goosen, Fred Couples and Ernie Els.

Conscientious

Conscientious players are careful, analytical, and exacting.  Example players are Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus. 

Every DISC Style has potential strengths and weaknesses. A key principle from the DISC methodology is that a strength overdone can turn into a weakness. Dominant players can become too intense.  Inspirational players can become too excited and are unable to focus.  Steady players can become too lackadaisical and are unable to get the competitive juices flowing.  Conscientious players start to over-think and become bogged down with many swing thoughts.

Once we identify the player's style, we can create programs and lessons based on his style rather than a "one-size-fits-all" approach.  I will use certain key phrases and techniques that are specific to the best coaching methods for the player.  For example:  Challenge a Dominant player to hit fades and draws while asking a Conscientious player how he draws and fades it best.  The dominant player will respond with a shot while the Conscientious player will explain how he hits the shot and then executes.   That is how a lesson can be totally different from player to player but most importantly...it's more efficient from player to player. 

I have posted my own profile online now for everyone to view.  I am a combination of Dominance/Conscientious...so I'm a perfect example of the above illustration.  I can walk both lines, but I need to stay more dominant during my time on the course. 

In the next update, we'll go into detail how different styles require different teaching.  If you are interested in taking your profile, log on here and get started.