Sport Psychology of Hilton Head

02/02/2025

MY CHRISTMAS OFFERING WAS SO SUCCESSFUL, I THOUGHT I WOULD EXTEND THE INITIATIVE INTO THE NEW YEAR:

Whether it's a Mother's Day, Fathers Day or birthday gift for a golfer you know, please consider "GOLF: The Mental Game." We all know that golf is played on a six-inch course -- between the ears -- and spring is the ideal time to get to work on it.

Read the description and reviews on Amazon, one of which graciously called the book, "The gold standard of the mental game." And even if you are not a golfer, a student in my class once exclaimed, "This stuff is all about life!"

If your golfer is a budding star and too young to read it, please read the book yourself and teach the child in terms they will understand. Just like when you sing, you pray twice; when you teach, you learn twice.

Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with PrimeTry Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery

19/10/2024

"Life Isn't Fair ... and Sometimes It's in Your Favor" is the title of my latest column out today in the Florence Morning News. Attached below is the submitted copy for your easier and more complete reading.

LIFE ISN’T FAIR … AND SOMETIMES IT’S IN YOUR FAVOR

Dr. Tom Dorsel, Ph.D.

I’m lying half-asleep in bed of a Thursday night, when I remember that I need to record an important college football game for Saturday. So I drag myself out of bed and head for the TV, pull up the game and set it to record.
In the process I notice that a baseball game is on right now. Although a fervent Reds fan in my youth, going all the way back to Big Klu and Frank Robinson as a rookie, I have not paid much attention to baseball since the glory days of the Big Red Machine with Johnny Bench and Pete Rose, rest his recently passed soul.
Anyway, seeing a game is on, it occurs to me that it is the post-season, but I don’t even know what stage of the post-season it is. I was kind of wide awake now, so I clicked on it and up comes the Mets and Brewers game, and it is in the 9th inning, the only time I would even consider watching a baseball game.

The Set Up
Low and behold, we’re in Milwaukee, it is the top of the 9th, the Mets are at bat and two runs down to the Brewers. Now I still don’t know if this game means anything in the overall scheme of things, but a runner is on first with one out. I look all over the TV screen for where things stand, but all I can see is balls, strikes and outs, some analytics about who is likely to win at this point in the game, and how fast the pitcher’s ball speed is.
Suddenly, up in the right hand corner of the screen, I see it is a “Wild Card” game, the Mets and the Brewers are tied, 1-1, in the 2 out of 3 game series, meaning this is a do or die game — one of them is going home after this inning.

The Game
Back to the “action,” a bit of an oxymoron for baseball. Two guys hit singles and are on first and third, with an out sandwiched in between. A slugger comes to the plate, some guy I have, of course, never heard of, and he hammers a 1-out homer to right field for the Mets to go up 3-2. A player after him gets a single. That guy moves to second, is brought in by another single, and then the side is finally retired with the score now 4-2 in favor of the come-from-behind Mets.
But it is not over. The Brewers first two batters produce a single and a strike out, so it’s 1 out and a man on first. Next batter slashes one just to the left of second base where the Mets shortstop makes a sensational grab on maybe one bounce. He is deep enough in the infield that second base is virtually right between him and first base. He waves off the second baseman, makes a mad dash to second, and in one motion steps on the bag and fires a bullet to the first baseman for an inning-ending, game-ending, series-ending double play.

The Aftermath
Of course, the Brewers’ fans are stunned. They were already ordering plane tickets to go to the Division Series in Philadelphia. Meanwhile the Mets were having their little private celebration in the middle of the infield, thankfully all vertical, chest-bumping and bear hugging, rather than another turnoff that drove me from the game — rolling all over the field in a pileup that was sure to one day break a couple of arms and legs and smother the guy on the bottom, leaving you without 3 stars to play the next game.

The Irony
The upshot of all this is that it was so unfair. Here I am, a guy who had not watched an inning of baseball all season, gets up out of bed and turns on the TV, just happens on this baseball game, and ends up seeing what might be the most exciting ending of a ball game in the 2024 post-season … and he only has to suffer one inning to do it!
It was totally unfair. This moment belonged to a stalwart baseball fan, and I stole it from him. But, I’m going to store this away for one of those times when I find myself saying that life is unfair and always against me. No, not always! There was that winner-take-all Mets-Brewers post-season game that I caught in the decisive 9th inning back in 2024. Didn’t even have to watch the 0-0 boredom of the first 8 innings. Just one action-filled, exhilarating 9th inning, one moment in time, as Whitney Houston might have sung. Life was good — luck, and even unfairness, was for a moment on my side.

Dr. Tom Dorsel is a clinical/sport psychologist practicing in Pinehurst and Hilton Head. He quit baseball at an early age to play golf and ultimately wrote his classic book, “GOLF: The Mental Game.” He can be reached on Facebook or through his website, Dorsel.com.

07/10/2024

Pictured here is daughter Gina with her golfing partner at an Atlanta fundraiser, Takeo Spikes — Auburn linebacker who was a first-round (13th overall) draft pick by the Bengals in 1998 and an All-Pro, among other accolades.

Playing right behind them was Warrick Dunn, first round (12th overall) pick in the 1997 draft out of FSU. Gina was able to tell Dunn she was just at the FSU game where Warrick was honored on Saturday, successfully rooting home her alma mater, Clemson. Gina’s husband, Carter, is an FSU grad.

16/09/2024

From the Family News Network, here is the "Player of the Week."

12/09/2024

"Why Notre Dame Persistently Gets Upset" is the title of my newspaper column out today. I will include the text below for your convenience.

WHY NOTRE DAME PERSISTENTLY GETS UPSET

Dr. Tom Dorsel, Ph.D.

One might say that Notre Dame’s upset at the hands of Northern Illinois was predictable, considering losses to Marshall and an 0-11 Stanford team in 2022, and a similar fate from teams like South Florida, Tulsa and Connecticut in years past. Here are some factors to consider regarding why this keeps happening:

Other Team’s Perspectives
First let me submit that vastly underdog teams come into Notre Dame Stadium fired up and ready to play out of their minds for this likely once-in-a-lifetime chance to beat the iconic Fighting Irish. It doesn’t matter whatever happens for the rest of their lives, if they win they will be able to forever say, “I was on the team that beat Notre Dame.”
These underdogs are focused, living in the moment, not worrying about their record or a national championship. They have one goal in mind — beat Notre Dame! And when they find out that mere humans are across from them at the line of scrimmage, they smell blood and it’s “game on.”

Notre Dame’s Perspective
I am wondering if the Notre Dame football team might sometimes suffer from a kind of group complacency, even a sense of entitlement that they deserve to win, and it is thus a fait accompli: “We are Notre Dame, and nobody is supposed to beat us.” Like Mike Tyson said, “Everybody has a plan (or expectation) … until they get punched in the face.”
This superiority mindset can also get ND into a cocoon of self-sufficiency, where they think they can go it alone without the necessary help of valuable outside resources, such as sport psychology. Some mental and emotional coaching might have been a great help in preparing not only for Texas A&M, but also for Northern Illinois.
It is worth noting that Knute Rockne collaborated with Coleman Roberts Griffith (the founder of American Sport Psychology) beginning in 1924, and we know the Rock was legendary for his psychological ploys and motivational pep talks.
Legacy is important at ND, and every coach wants their own. Rockne, however, did not seem to worry about his legacy being diminished, even if Griffith were acknowledged for his contribution.

The Portal
The Portal doesn’t seem to be working for Notre Dame. ND spends the off-season touting the pipeline of multi-star QBs it has recruited out of high school. Then it goes out to the Portal and buys one, and this stranger comes in and bumps the guys who have been competing for the job for maybe two or three years.
Why would any high school QB want to go to ND and wait for his chance, when they face the possibility of being overshadowed by a one-and-done QB from the Portal? It would now seem that the way to get to play QB at ND is to go to another school and play immediately, have some standout years, and then transfer to ND through the Portal.

Lack of Innovation
The intense scrutiny from the administration, alums and the media makes it hard to do much that is truly innovative, creative and non-traditional at Notre Dame.
For example, there have been numerous times in past years, where key players could have been moved around to entirely new positions, so as to get the most talent on the field at the same time. Riley Leonard (as Tyler Buchner before him) seems better suited at running back (like a Christian McCaffrey), which would allow Steve Angeli or C.J. Carr to offer a more traditional passing attack. As a bonus, ND could have two quarterbacks on the field at the same time, thereby allowing for some innovative play calling.
Consider that when Ara Parseghian inherited a 1963 Fighting Irish team that went 2-7, the first thing he did was to move players around (most notably Alan Page, from fullback to defensive end), which allowed Parseghian to turn his inaugural 1964 ND team into an immediate 9-1 near national champion.

Salvaging the Season
The defense seems to be under pretty good control. But Notre Dame needs to go back to the drawing board on offense, make some radical changes without fear of failure, and tell the football world we simply put the wrong team on the field to start the season. Here is our real team, so judge us with this squad and game plan going forward.
Then the team has to prepare and play like their hair’s on fire, if they have any hope for the playoffs. They have to realize that every game is a big game, because that is how the players on the other side of the ball are looking at it and are going to play it.
ND’s opponents are going to play like it is the last game they will ever play. And if they win, they are going to brag about it for the rest of their lives. Do we really want to give them a chance to do that, not to mention remember it for the rest of our lives ourselves?

Dr. Tom Dorsel is Professor Emeritus of Psychology, a Notre Dame graduate, a clinical/sport psychologist and author of “GOLF: The Mental Game.” He can be reached on Facebook or at Dorsel.com.

11/08/2024

With the U.S. Open in the rear-view mirror, Pinehurst can now get back to being … well, just Pinehurst. And being “just Pinehurst” is like witnessing American golf wake up

10/07/2024

Attitude is always a challenge for developing players, and it was on full display in a recently televised PGA Tour event. As the tournament unfolded, I texted my sport psychology

27/06/2024

"Should I Follow My Junior Golfer or Stay Home?" is the title of my recent column in Junior Golf USA. I am including the submitted text below for your convenience.

"SHOULD I FOLLOW MY JUNIOR GOLFER OR STAY HOME?"

Dr. Tom Dorsel, Ph.D.

It is to be expected that you want to follow your junior player because you are truly interested, want to show support, be a silent cheerleader, maybe even keep some stats; not to mention that you have invested a lot in your player’s development.
At the same time you are unsure of how your presence might affect his or her play: Do I make him nervous, is she looking over her shoulder to see how I react, could I be a distraction, might they be playing to me, rather than to the course?
The short answer to this dilemma is to say that all players are different. Some thrive on parental attention, while others are threatened by it.
In my case as a junior golfer, I did not want my parents around. My mom was not inclined, anyway, and my dad made me self-conscious and nervous that he would be critical. It got kind of comical in that he would hide in the bushes, peek out of locker room windows at nearby holes, or watch with binoculars from a distance. And all the while, I would be looking around for him. Somehow we survived.

Suggestions for Resolving This Touchy Issue:

DISCUSS IT. Have a frank discussion with your players, assuring them that your sole concern is for them to play well, because you know that is what in important to them. Since they might be hesitant to come right out and tell you to come or not to come, you might have to listen with a third ear, pay attention to their non-verbal, and, in effect, read between the lines to pick up any vibes regarding how they feel about your attending or not attending.
You can also test your impact out based on how they play related to your presence or absence. If you see a consistent pattern, that should be a big clue as to what you should do.

PATIENCE. Whether you are following the round or waiting back home, ease into the discussion of the round afterwards. For example, if you are riding home in the car, bring up other aspects of the day’s event, rather than diving right into an analysis of how your junior played.
The ideal would be if the child brought the round up, thereby giving you an opening to explore further. If the child played well, it is not much of an issue as to how the conversation goes. But if the child played poorly, the fog of competition could turn into a storm, if approached too soon or too aggressively.

POSITIVITY. You can hardly go wrong by starting with the positive: “That was some shot you hit on #12 — tell me what your thought process was. And you really hit your drives well today — were you doing something in particular to create that?”
Here’s a radical idea: Don’t even bring up the troublesome aspects of the round, if they don’t bring it up themselves. At least, wait until tomorrow or the next day or even till before the next tournament; or just let them work it out themselves or with their coaches.

DRAMA 101. When a junior is putting on dramatic displays during their round, like shows of temper or disgust, I sometimes wonder if they are trying to communicate something to the parent in the gallery. Such behavior might follow from the child complaining to the parents that they are having trouble with, for example, pitch shots. Then during the next tournament, when the child muffs a pitch shot while the parent is watching, they turn and show their anger to the parent as if to say, “See, I told you so.” It’s almost like, in some strange way, the player is blaming the parent for not having done something about it when the player previously warned the parents of this.
Such behavior would seem less likely to happen if the parent were not around. I mean, most juniors don’t like to act immature in front of their peers (not to mention tournament officials). On the other hand, they know they can get away with it with their parents, since parents can’t disassociate themselves from their sons and daughters.

Happiness Through Involvement

Of course, the main objective is for family members to grow closer due to golf. If golf is driving a family apart, parents alone have the ability to take themselves out of the equation. As much as a parent might want to be involved, sometimes the loving thing to do is to “let go, while remaining available.”
I’m reminded of Henry David Thoreau’s prescription for happiness (or, in this case, involvement): “Happiness (involvement) is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more it will elude you. But if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.”.

Dr. Tom Dorsel is a clinical/sport psychologist working out of both Hilton Head and Pinehurst. He is the author of “GOLF: The Mental Game,” and can be reached on Facebook or at Dorsel.com.

By Dr. Tom Dorsel, Ph.D. It is to be expected that you want to follow your junior player because you are truly interested, want to show support, be a silent cheerleader, maybe even keep some stats; not to mention that

22/06/2024

"Blessed be Donald Ross, Pinehurst and the US Open" is the title of my latest column out today. As usual, I will include below the submitted text to supplement the incomplete newspaper clip.

"Blessed be Donald Ross, Pinehurst and the US Open"

Dr. Tom Dorsel, Ph.D.

Yes, blessed be all the above, for due to them the pros also struggle, just like us. Don’t you just love to see the pros get into the same predicaments as us when we play this maddening game. We get stuck in the wire grass, and so do they. Our balls roll off the green into unpleasant areas, and so do their’s.
Frankly, I’m a bit worn out with 350 yard drives that then get another 50 yards of roll, leaving the pros with a lob wedge into 500-yard holes. At least once per year, let the pros get their comeuppance and play with all 14 clubs. Let golf come back down to earth, where it originated.

What is it about Pinehurst #2?
First of all, one might have asked, “Whom do you want to win the US Open this year?” My answer is: “The Course.” And it did, hands down. I want to see the pros really struggle and suffer like the rest of us golfing schmucks at least once per year.
Why is Pinehurst #2 such a great course that has this effect? Because it requires precision. All you have to do to beat Pinehurst #2 is hit your tee shots precisely down the middle of the fairway, your approach shots precisely to the middle of the green, and your putts precisely the correct speed and line.
Pinehurst #2 is unrelenting, unforgiving, unapologetic, uneverything that the players experience at other Tour stops. It is old golf, the way the game started, the way it looked back then, except the fairways are better (if you can stay in them), and the greens are smoother (if you can stay on them), not to mention that in hot climates they are now made of grass, rather than sand.
Pinehurst #2 is a throwback to what Donald Ross intended golf to be. He wanted you to have to hit a good shot in order to succeed. If you didn’t do it on your first try, he gave you a second chance to hit a good shot from the swale or sandy area where you ended up. If you failed again, you’d still get another try; but you won’t finish the hole until you hit a good shot of some kind.

Pinehurst #2 is for Pros and Amateurs Alike
Another part of the genius of Donald Ross is that what is frustrating for the pros is an opportunity for amateurs. The pros rely on their skilled chipping ability, which often doesn’t work from the collection areas around the domed greens. But those same swales give amateurs, who are not so adept at fancy chip shots, a chance to putt up on to the green, a somewhat easier shot. The pros often resort to putting from the swales, too, but they might not be much better at it than the amateurs, since they don’t do it very often.
Now, I’m not out to attack the pros or wish them pain and suffering, just because they have become super-human golfers. I just want to see their normal humanity periodically. I want them to play a truly tough course, I mean tough for them, not just tough for you and me. I know how I handle adversity, for better or for worse, and I want to see how the best in the world handle it.
It will be a treat to see them breathe a sigh of relief, knowing they got away with one when they make a scrambling par, needing a 15-foot putt to do it. We can identify with seeing the pros make double bogey and move on quietly, receiving some consolation in knowing that most other players will be experiencing the same phenomenon; so the tournament isn’t necessarily over for them.

In a Nutshell
I like to see the pros really struggle once per year. Again, it’s not that I wish them any particular misfortune or unpleasantness. It’s just that I like to see golf put back into a realistic perspective — one that the average golfer can identify with, and the non-golfer can witness in order to appreciate just how diffiuclt golf is.
So, blessed be Donald Ross, Pinehurst #2 and the US Open, where it is not the falshy birdie-eagle-birdie finish that wins the tournament, but more a matter of the last one standing, the warrior knocked down but not out, the survivor, bloodied by the wire grass, humiliated by the domed greens, covered with sand and sweat, who hangs in there till the bitter end and rises above the rest.
Sunday’s exciting finish demonstrated this perfectly when it came down to approach shots from the harrowing native area, a 55-yard sand shot that nobody had gotten up and down all week, and 4 very short putts between the contenders in the closing holes, the last one being the only one made, and that made all the difference.

Dr. Tom Dorsel is a clinical/sport psychologist working out of Pinehurst and Hilton Head. His best-selling book is GOLF: The Mental Game, and he can be reached on Facebook or through his website, Dorsel.com.

12/06/2024

Straight from the US Open in Pinehurst, here is what it was like of a Monday evening during tournament week. One click on the link below and your are there.

By Dr. Tom Dorsel, Ph.D. Arriving in Pinehurst, I set out Monday night to get the pulse of The Village — the quaint town center of the bigger area know as Pinehurst. The Village is a beautiful little collection of

08/06/2024

Want to know what it is like on TV? Read below about my time in the booth. I am attaching below the submitted piece for your convenience.

"Johnny Miller, Ian Baker-Finch and Me: Say What?"

Dr. Tom Dorsel, Ph.D.

In 1996, a very gracious Tommy Roy, NBC Sports golf producer, then and now, allowed me to come along with NBC to the Bay Hill Invitational and witness, as a sport psychologist, what went into a golf telecast. The memories have never faded.

Saturday with a Pro Football Star

On Saturday I went around with Bob Trumpy, the Pro Bowl tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals, who reported from the 13th tower.
The first stop, however, was Arnie’s Cabin where Bob secured an autograph from The King on a poster of Arnie waving farewell to the British Open from the Swilcan Bridge at St. Andrews.
In between Arnie’s Cabin and the 13th tower (a rather primitive, tent-like structure, I might mention), we stopped by the NBC trailer where I talked at length with the likes of Dave Marr and Roger Maltbie, two other very accommodating gentlemen. As I remember it, Dan Hicks and Gary Koch were both just breaking in with NBC golf coverage that very weekend.

Sunday with Two Legends

Sunday brought even more surprises with my being assigned to 1976 British and 1973 US Open Champion, Johnny Miller. Johnny and I rode around in a cart all morning, as Johnny made his rounds preparing for the afternoon telecast. He was so relaxed, joking with the players and later sitting on the edge of the 3 story “sky-tent” behind the 18th green, legs dangling over, carrying on jovial conversations with the early finishers down on the green below.
When the telecast was about to begin, Dick Enberg arrived to do the play-by-play, while Johnny sat next to him providing the color commentary. Now what is not realized by most TV viewers is that both Dick and Johnny were TV viewers, themselves. For most of the tournament, they sat with their backs to a modest open-air window in the tower overlooking the entire 18th hole. From their chairs behind a desk, they focused on three TV monitors displaying the action around the course. Makes sense when you think of it — you can’t see the whole course from behind the 18th green!
Anyway, they positioned me in a chair next to the monitors, such that I was like a 4th monitor and their only live audience, other than a few staff members. Now that was certainly a privilege, but it presented a responsibility, too. You see, each time Johnny Miller would make a humorous comment, he would look at me, as an audience of one, to see if it was funny! Not that he actually needed any support, but I thought to myself, “I better laugh, or he might lose his confidence.” So, I spent the afternoon laughing, as Johnny winged it with no notes, and Dick methodically hammered out the play-by-play with the help of many notes provided by staff.

The Heritage — 2024

It took over a quarter century for yours truly to get back in the 18th Tower, but that was the case during this year’s 2024 RBC Heritage Classic, thanks to another gracious golf personality, CBS announcer and 1991 British Open Champion, Ian Baker-Finch.
Ian and I had communicated for several years about sport psychology and its application to golf telecasts, and he kindly made use of a few of my ideas on air. We had tried to meet up at Harbor Town for some years, but Covid, travel schedules, weather, etc. all prevented it until this year when we got together on Saturday morning of The Heritage.
At 10:30 Ian rolled up in his cart at an appointed meeting place and told me to jump in. First it was to the 18th tower, where considerable changes have occurred since 1996. The perch is now a pretty solid building, even if temporary. The picture window looking down the 18th fairway is more panoramic. And, of course, the television and computer technology is far advanced from back then.
What hasn’t changed is that Jim Nance and Trevor Immelman are still sitting with their backs to the 18th hole, and still watching TV monitors, like Enberg and Miller did. But now the reporters covering certain holes are also looking at TVs in the same building, rather than being on location in towers out on the actual holes. Computer technology has replaced the handing of paper notes from staffers to the announcers.
Leaving the tower we went back to Ian’s cart and took off around the grounds to see the media center, the player workout facilities, etc., all the while mingling with the crowd. At one point we saw a young lady walking the opposite direction from us and carrying a large container to the concession stands near the 18th green. She had a long way to go and was struggling to get there. Without hesitation, Ian asks her if she needed some help. Not waiting for an answer, he makes a U-turn, tells her to throw the container on the back of our utility cart and jump on for the ride. When we get there, Ian doesn’t just drop her off at the entrance, but rather weaves his way to the back of the compound, so she doesn’t have to struggle with her burden any further than necessary.
It should come as no surprise that, when I asked Ian about the secret to longevity in the broadcasting profession, he said, “It’s no secret, and its the same for every profession: Be a team player, be nice to everybody, and leave your ego in the locker room.”

Conclusion

So there is a snapshot of two rare personal experiences. Names change, as well as the technology; but the basic circumstances and the gracious personalities remain the same. It is also heartening to know that nice guys still exist, particularly in a world of celebrities where pomposity and arrogance seem to be the rule, rather than the exception.

Dr. Tom Dorsel is a clinical/sport psychologist working out of both Hilton Head and Pinehurst. He is the author of “GOLF: The Mental Game,” and can be reached on Facebook or at Dorsel.com.

24/05/2024

"Golf Can Learn From Baseball." Check out my latest brief article and play golf like all-star Pete Rose, rather than the legendary Babe Ruth.

Many junior golfers seem to think that golf is a home run derby, when it is really a singles-hitter’s game.  Take a lesson from Pete Rose whose goal was to become the first $100,000 per year singles hitter in baseball, which was a handsome sum, back when a dollar was a dollar.