Abstract
Based on regulatory focus theory, it has recently been shown that a regulatory fit enhances performance for nontop athletes in football and basketball. In the present research, we extend this research to top athletes and a task involving minimal muscular effort—putting in golf. We measured the chronic focus of 30 of the best German golfers (average handicap [HCP] 0.76) and experimentally manipulated the focus of a putting task staged on an outdoor putting green. Results showed that regulatory fit, when the golfers’ chronic focus matched that of the task, improved putting performance by close to 20%. Attentional and motivational mechanisms are discussed as potential explanations. A practical implication is that expert golfers should actively build a regulatory fit between their chronic focus and task framing.
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