A Simple Mental Strategy for Consistently Excelling at High‑Level Golf
Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz recognize that delivering high‑level performance consistently—avoiding the influence of a single mistake—is challenging. A core principle among elite players is maintaining composure and staying “even‑keeled” across rounds. This mindset distinguishes solid professionals from merely talented amateurs in both senior circuits and casual play.
What defines consistent excellence?
During the most recent episode of the GOLF Subpar Podcast, Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz responded to a Subpar Hotline query posed by college coach Ethan Blair, revealing a singular mental technique that helps them maintain control on the golf course. At its heart, the approach is simply to narrow your focus.
“One thing I’ve always done is I feel like every round is broken down into 18 tournaments,” Knost said. “It’s just like, that hole you’re on, what’s the best way to play this hole? Once it’s done, it’s over. We’re onto the next one. That’s the way to stay absolutely even‑keeled out there. Because as much as we get angry, and we all have, there’s nothing you can do about that last shot you messed up. When you look at Scottie Scheffler, it’s why he’s the best. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Tuesday at Royal Oaks slapping around his boys or Sunday at the Masters; whenever faced with a shot, the priority is understanding what the shot demands, what needs to be done, and then executing it.”
“Our college coach used to say: No matter what is happening out there, it’s never as good as you think it is, and it’s never as bad as you think it is when it’s going bad,” Stoltz said. “I think that when I played my best golf. It’s small goals. It’s aim small, miss small. Your mind can start to wander, and you get so far ahead of yourself. Just keep it as simple as: If it’s a 200‑yard par‑3, just hit the green or let’s get a birdie look here. OK, you pull that off, and you go to the next hole and just, let’s put one in the fairway here. Just small goals. Break it down. It makes it a lot easier to not get ahead of yourself.”
Watch the full conversation with Knost and Stoltz on the GOLF Subpar Podcast via YouTube.
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