Does Your Personality Affect Your Golf?

Peter Drucker recommended in his Harvard Business Review Classic, ‘Managing Oneself’…

I think this applies on the golf course and well as in your everyday life.

Measuring Personality

Measuring personality (psychometrics) dates back to the early Greeks but it is only very recently that psychologists, management theorists and councillors have agreed on what can be measured and its effects on you.

Personality is typically defined as the unique and enduring collection of attitudes, motivations, feelings, behaviours, talents, and strengths that make each of us who we are. Psychologists define personality as: “The particular pattern of behaviour and thinking that prevails across time and contexts, and differentiates one person from another. Personality arises from within the individual and remains fairly consistent throughout life”.

There are many different personality traits that can be reliably measured and directly impact an individual’s life choices and work performance. Personality traits influence the types of work people are good at, and the work environments they are successful in. They can also influence your behaviour on the golf course.

No Reason To Be Nervous!

Mention personality types and people get nervous. Instantly there’s a fear that if we start answering quizzes and questionnaires on what we’re like, all the careful work that we’ve put into our outward appearance will be uncovered. And if it’s not a fear of exposure that besets people, it’s a fear of being boxed in. “I’m an individual, how can I be put into a box with a whole bunch of other people?”

Yet of all the techniques we use to help people understand the achievements and challenges in their working lives, increasing their awareness of their personal style (or type) and preferences is one of the most powerful.

Does Your Personality Show Up On The Golf Course?

Your personality weaknesses tend to show up more when you’re playing golf because of the stress you put yourself under. It’s not the game that makes you stressed, it’s the stress you put on yourself, which is how your personality reacts to your game. It’s often not your strengths that affect you the most when you’re playing golf, it’s your personality weaknesses.

Your personality is the foundation for everything you do. It is the reason that you are the person you are. As it turns out, your personality type is directly correlated to your business achievements, and how you manage stress when you’re playing golf.

The key to managing your golf is in understanding your strengths and your weaknesses. Most high performers know their personality type. Almost ninety percent of Fortune 500 companies and MBA programs use personality type testing to help people reach their potential.

Knowing Your Personality Will Help You Understand Your Golf Game

We are all a blend of four personality styles (Driver, Promoter, Supporter or Analyser – most people are a combination of these). When blended together in varying percentages, these four personality styles make us who we are. These styles define the way you act, think, learn, socialise …and play golf!

Just as many people shift styles in their work lives depending on the task at hand, golfers often do the same thing with their games. There isn’t any one best style. Many great champions have excelled with very different golfing personality styles.

Knowing your personality can help you understand the following in golf:

• How stress affects you on the golf course
• How knowing your personality makes you a better player
• Tolerance for playing with, and getting along with others
• How to Improve your mental game
• How long or short your attention span might be
• How long or short your temperament “fuse” might be
• Course management strategies
• Practice strategies

Knowing your personality strengths and weaknesses will make you a better player.

Here are the characteristics of each personality styles. Which style are you? Most people

are a blend of all four, with one or two that are most dominant.

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THE DRIVER PERSONALITY STYLE

Direct, Decisive, Driven

Drivers are strong willed, practical, and decisive. They are action oriented, and results driven. Drivers are assertive and they like to tell others what to do. Drivers prefer situations that are task- rather than relationship-oriented.

Drivers are entrepreneurial and are most comfortable when they are in control. They are competitive, thrive under pressure and can often be confrontational. They exude energy, move faster, speak louder and certainly decide quicker. They are less emotional and more in control of their feelings and responses than other styles.

As a DRIVER you are concerned about RESULTS!

• You enjoy challenges and competition.
• You trust your ability to produce results.
• You make decisions quickly.
• You enjoy solving problems, getting things done, and achieving goals.
• You want to be in charge. (You dislike being told what to do!)
• You set high standards for performance (your own and other people’s).
• You are willing to take risks, challenge the status quo, and break the rules.
• You are impatient with people who waste time.
• You value “telling it like it is.”

You are energised by…

• Being in charge
• Working in a fast-paced, results oriented environment
• Taking on new opportunities and challenges
• Having the authority to determine how things are done
• Being able to advance in your career

You lose energy when you…

• Are questioned or overruled
• Perform routine, predictable tasks
• Are closely supervised or micromanaged
• Can’t affect the outcome
• Have limited access to resources

At your best you can…

• Get things done, either by yourself or as a group leader.
• Be bold and adventurous.
• Mobilize people to solve a problem, confront an enemy, or achieve a goal.
• Be a pioneer, a crusader, or a leader

THE DRIVER PERSONALITY STYLE ON THE GOLF COURSE

• Strong desire to succeed and win
• Not intimidated by a difficult course
• Will pay the price to reach their goals
• Desire to improve quickly
• Doesn’t procrastinate when making changes
• Always looking for a competitive edge

But…

• Might try too hard and create excessive tension or stress
• Is often motivated to try so many things, doesn’t fully develop anything
• May have a short fuse!

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THE PROMOTER PERSONALITY STYLE

Influential, inspirational, enthusiastic

Promoters are expressive, emotional people who use their intuition to make decisions. They are very approachable, warm, competitive, and fast paced. Promoters like to form relationships and they make great diplomats. They believe that cooperation is the best way to achieve results.

Promoters are terrific in teams and group activity, often wanting to be the leader, because they have excellent leadership skills. Promoters have great people skills and like to tell others what to do. When given the choice, they prefer to work with other people rather than alone. They consider power and personal recognition as very important.

As a PROMOTER you are concerned about COMMUNICATION, PEOPLE & IDEAS.

• You see the “big picture” and you can be inspirational.
• You trust people and enjoy bringing out their best.
• You are optimistic, charming, and outgoing.
• You are a “people person.”
• You enjoy meeting new people, working with others, and networking.
• You tend to ignore the rules (since you don’t think they really apply to you).
• You dislike details and you can be scattered
• You are energized by working with people and you energize any group you work with.
• You are a consummate communicator.
• You enjoy telling stories and tend to exaggerate!

You are energised by…

• Working with people in a fast-paced, varied environment
• Being in the spotlight (not necessarily being in charge)
• Tackling new projects and learning new things
• Gaining public recognition
• Initiating change and being able to be creative

You lose energy by…

• Being around negative, cold, or pessimistic people
• Performing routine, detailed tasks
• Being held to rigid schedules
• Working alone
• Feeling left out
• Being criticized in public

At your best you can…

• Communicate a vision, mission, or goal in a way that inspires others to adopt it and work toward achieving it.
• Be enthusiastic and creative.
• See the best in others and help them believe in their abilities.
• Be a visionary, motivator, and a catalyst

THE PROMOTER PERSONALITY STYLE ON THE GOLF COURSE

• Is energized and enthusiastic
• Always upbeat with a can-do attitude
• Optimistic that today is the day it will all come together!
• Enjoys socializing with other players on the course
• Willing to try a variety of different shots to find the magic bullet

But …

• May try too many risky shots just for the challenge of trying them
• Can be distracted by being overly engaged with the social aspects of the game
• Can go overboard trying too hard leading to letdowns when the game shifts

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THE SUPPORTER PERSONALITY STYLE

Supportive, stable, steady

Supporters are at ease with people, fitting comfortably into most situations. They are law abiding and tend to be more factual than intuitive. They’re great at organising and have a talent for logistics. Supporters love their family and friends and stay in contact with them frequently. They do not believe in instant success but that you have to work in order to achieve. Whilst they don’t see themselves as set in their ways they dislike sudden changes.

Supporters work hard at not letting others down. They are conscientious people who will drop everything to assist a fellow worker. They are willing to volunteer their time to assist the needy and are often the unsung heroes. They are friendly people, easy going, who get on well with and are liked by most people.

If you are a SUPPORTER personality style, you are concerned about RELATIONSHIPS and PROCESSES

• You are a good listener and a team player.
• Your goal is to help people.
• You are sympathetic, friendly, and supportive
• You dislike conflict and sudden change.
• You are loyal.
• You are patient. You stick with a project from beginning to completion.
• You respect the way things have always been done, and you are slow to change.
• You work hard — often behind the scenes — at creating a stable, harmonious environment.

You are energised by…

• Cooperating with others
• Working in a stable, harmonious environment where you can complete one task at a time
• Being recognized for your loyalty and service
• Having clearly defined — and unchanging — rules and expectations
• Working with a small group of people where you can develop relationships

You lose energy by…

• Dealing with sudden, unexpected change
• Being around competitive, aggressive, and confrontational people
• Being pressured to make decisions or implement change
• Seeing other people get the credit for your hard work
• Being judged unfairly

At your best you can…

• Reconcile factions, calm tensions, and stabilize unsettled situations.
• Be patient and persistent.
• Be a dependable and hardworking team player.
• Be a peacemaker, and a calming influence.

THE SUPPORTER PERSONALITY STYLE ON THE GOLF COURSE

• Relaxed and usually able to maintain focus on the game
• Is patient and persistent with themselves and others
• Doesn’t expect miracles overnight
• Can focus on course management
• Doesn’t mind practicing

But …

• Might not have the required sense of urgency to improve
• Sometimes lacking in motivation to set ambitious improvement goals
• Might get lazy and be too relaxed

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THE ANALYSER PERSONALITY STYLE

Conscientious, careful, accurate

Analysers strive for accuracy. For them, details and facts are most persuasive. They are not very relationship orientated nor are they highly expressive or fast paced. Analysers like to be more in control and less emotional and focus on tasks rather than people. They tend to be perfectionists and can be quite hard on themselves. Often, they like to be alone rather than in a group. Despite their solitary nature they are loyal and very supportive. It is important to Analysers to know exactly what is required of them and what the rules are. They want to get it right the first time and hate having to do things over again. They are loyal, supportive and are good problem solvers.

If you are an ANALYSER you are concerned about QUALITY and ACCURACY. 

• You want to be right.
• You prefer to work alone.
• You research every aspect of a situation
• You don’t make decisions quickly.
• You value your reputation for being accurate and logical.
• You like systems and procedures that produce consistent outcomes.
• You look for what could go wrong.
• You read the fine print. You are a stickler for detail.
• You have very high standards, especially for yourself.
• You can be a perfectionist.

You are energised by…

• Having access to information and data
• Having time to investigate the problem, formulate a plan, and carry it through to completion
• Being dealt with in a reserved, business-like manner
• Being recognized and rewarded for specific accomplishments

You lose energy by…

• Dealing with sudden or abrupt change
• Being required to socialize, to deal with emotionally charged situations, and to disclose personal information
• Lacking the time to process information or to evaluate consequences • Working in a system that lacks quality control or safety regulations
• Being criticized by people who don’t understand the situation

At your best you can…

• Be fair and objective, not letting feelings or personal biases get in the way of doing the right thing.
• Ask the right questions.
• Maintain high standards in spite of pressures to compromise values or the quality of work.

THE ANALYSER PERSONALITY STYLE ON THE GOLF COURSE

• Wants to get every shot right
• Will pay attention to coaches and instructors
• Is conscientious and wants to be properly prepared before every game
• Is analytical and able to understand the game intimately
• Once they ‘get it’ – they really get it!

But …

• May be too much of a perfectionist
• Will worry too much about doing something wrong
• Hesitation may get in the way of improving actual results
• Can go overboard and want to know everything all at once!
• Constantly ‘tinkering’ with their swing!

Next steps

Like to try golf journaling for yourself? Ready to take your golf game to the next level? Explore our Oneday Golf Journals HERE.