Physical self-efficacy and amateurs' performance on the golf course

This study examined the relationship of amateur golfers' perceptions of their perceived physical self-efficacy to their performances on the golf course. Ninety-one amateur golfers completed two questionnaires and a participant profile. The perception of their physical ability in general was measured by the Physical Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Perceived Golf Ability Questionnaire was developed to assess their perceptions of golfing self-efficacy. Respondents were asked to play 15 consecutive golf games and record their scores on an especially designed detailed scorecard. The participants' data were divided into five levels of performance based on their handicap indexes. It was hypothesized that players having greater skills (low handicap indexes) would have higher general perceived physical self-efficacy, than those having lesser skills (high handicap indexes). It was also hypothesized that the more golf-specific self-efficacy measure would be a better predictor of performance on the golf course. ANOVA and hierarchical regression analyses were employed to determine the predictive values of the two measures of perceived physical self-efficacy of actual golf performance. The general physical self-efficacy measure did not predict performance whereas the more golf-specific measure was a significant predictor of performance on the golf course. The ability of specific items of the golf self-efficacy measure to predict performance of various shots in golf was also examined