Mental Game

Confidence Calibration

Trust the shots you have actually earned.

Why it matters

Confidence and ability should match. Too little and you lay up from distances you make; too much and you attempt shots you hit once in five. Both cost strokes, and the second costs more. The point is not to be confident — it is to be accurate about what you can actually do.

How to do it

Count what you make in practice, by distance and by shot type. Real numbers, written down.
Attempt in a round only what you make in practice at a decent rate. For most shots that means better than half.
Know that your numbers drop under pressure, so keep a margin rather than throwing to the edge of your range.
Build confidence by widening the range in practice, not by attempting more in rounds.
Review it honestly every month. Ranges move in both directions.

Common mistakes

Judging your range by your best ever shot.One success is not a rate. Your range is what you do most of the time, which is a much shorter distance.

Laying up from distances you reliably make.Under-confidence is also a leak. If the numbers say you make it, take it.

Treating confidence as something to talk yourself into.It comes from repetitions you have actually done. There is no shortcut and pretending there is produces the overestimate.

Key points

Only attempt shots you make in practice.
Confidence comes from reps, not hope.
Know your real range under pressure.

The drill

Drill · Know your real numbers — 20 putts each at 20, 25, 30 and 35 ft (80 total). Eighty putts, four numbers, written down. The distance where you drop below about half is where "run it" stops being correct. Most players find that line is considerably shorter than they had been playing as though it was, and knowing it changes decisions immediately.

Watch: Five Tips to improve your Shot Selection! | Disc Golf Beginner's Guide — DynamicDiscs