Want to improve your performance on the putting green? It could be as simple as visualized the hole a few sizes larger than it really is.
That’s according to Purdue University, which found that golfers were 10 percent more likely to hit their targets when they believed – with the help of an optical illusion – that the holes were bigger.
So do bigger holes equate to bigger confidence? That’s what researchers think.
“We know that how people perceive the environment affects their ability to act in it, such as scoring a basket or hitting a baseball,” said Jessica K. Witt, an assistant professor of psychological science, in a Science Daily report. “Now we know that seeing a target as larger leads to improved performance. More work is needed to better understand this effect, but we think the perceived increase in target size will boost confidence in one’s abilities.”
Turns out, golf is a mental game after all.
Want to take a look at the study? Here’s a link to Science Daily.