How Mindset, Biomechanics, and Coaching Transform Golf Performance – An Interview with Kelly Sotiere
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
Kelly Sotiere is a PGA Golf and mindset coach, Founder of an innovative technical-mental teaching methodology that helps individuals identify and understand their natural operating profile, analytical, emotional, or sensory, to optimize their full potential. By combining psychology, biomechanics, and golf swing mechanics, her approach guides individuals toward greater self-alignment, personal fulfillment, and sustainable excellence both in everyday life and in sporting performance.
Kelly Sotiere, PGA Golf Coach and Mindset Coach
What inspired you to combine golf coaching, biomechanics, and mindset training into one methodology?
I have always been passionate about science, mathematics, and physics. At the same time, I have an insatiable curiosity to continuously educate myself across the different fields of human performance and well-being. My goal is to provide every player with the most personalized approach possible, helping them gain a deep understanding of how they function outside of golf, on the golf course, and especially under the pressure of competition.
How do you identify whether a player is analytical, emotional, or sensory, and why does that matter for performance?
Throughout our coaching sessions, I identify whether a player primarily operates from an analytical, emotional, or sensory mindset. I do this by observing their language, the way they process the information I provide, and how they apply it both in their daily life and in their sport.
From there, my role is to help the player become aware of their natural way of functioning through greater self-knowledge. I then guide them in learning how to intentionally switch between their three "brains", the analytical, emotional, and sensory systems, at the right moment, whether in everyday life or during athletic performance.
By developing this flexibility, players learn to make the best use of their abilities in every situation. Most importantly, they build and maintain strong self-esteem regardless of the outcome, whether they perform at their best or experience setbacks.
What patterns have you noticed in athletes who improve quickly once they understand their natural operating profile?
The athletes who improve the fastest are those who measure their development every day, not only as athletes, but also as individuals. They are driven by a genuine desire to grow and evolve for themselves, whether by developing aspects of their personality, improving specific areas of their performance, refining an attitude, or mastering a movement. They are structured, autonomous, and consistent in their daily routines, regularly seeking feedback and measuring their progress, regardless of whether they are performing at their peak or transitioning toward the next stage of their development. This is all my job about, helping them to keep taking feedbacks on themselves and so anticipating the next steps of their career they want to reach.
The athletes who progress more quickly than other ones have a clear understanding of what they need (the What?), why certain approaches work, or do not work, for them (the Why?), and as a result, they focus on the quality of their work rather than simply the quantity (the How?).
They know where to direct both their intention and their attention. Above all, throughout their careers, they remain coachable, open to learning, adapting, and continually improving.
Why do you think mental performance is still treated separately from technical coaching in many golf programs?
I believe that mental performance coaching is becoming an increasingly important part of athletes' daily training environments. More and more golf academies and universities are integrating mental performance coaches into their programs.
However, I also believe that the technical and mental aspects of performance are still too often treated as separate disciplines. Athletes themselves (and some coaches), especially young players, tend to evaluate their level of play and their confidence almost exclusively through the technical quality of their performance. The common belief is, "I played well because my technique was good." While technical execution is essential, genuine self-confidence and, more importantly, healthy self-esteem are built on much more than technical performance alone.
This is where my role as a coach becomes an educational one. From a very young age, I help players understand the importance of well-being, self-awareness, and personal development as fundamental pillars of long-term athletic performance. My objective is to teach them that performance is not simply the outcome of technical ability but the expression of a well-balanced and self-aware athlete.
What are some of the biggest mistakes parents make when supporting young competitive golfers?
One of the most common mistakes parents make with young golfers is comparing them to others, "That player hits the ball further than you," "He/She is getting better results," "He/She qualified for that tournament, and you didn't.", etc. Comparisons like these can unintentionally shift a young athlete's focus away from their own development.
Childhood and adolescence are critical stages in the construction of identity, not only as athletes but also as young boys and girls. During these years, it is essential for parents to help their children stay focused on their own journey, encourage open conversations, and help them put words to their emotions, thoughts, and experiences.
Parents can become invaluable partners in the coaching process. They can support the quality of daily practice, reinforce the tools and routines introduced by the coaching team, and provide the stability that young athletes need to thrive. This includes creating a consistent balance between school and sport, maintaining structured training habits, supporting healthy sleep and nutrition, encouraging emotional stability, and helping monitor the routines and performance systems that allow the athlete to continue developing with confidence.
When a player is struggling with confidence, where do you usually start the coaching process?
I begin by asking questions that allow me to assess the athlete's level of self-awareness, their beliefs, core values, intrinsic motivations, and long-term life vision. This first stage helps me understand not only who they are as an athlete, but also who they are as a person.
I then evaluate the athlete's level of autonomy, how they gather and interpret information, how well they understand themselves within their sport, and how capable they are of managing their own development. I also find it valuable to explore the relationship between their attitude and confidence in sport and the way they approach challenges in their everyday life, as these two environments often mirror one another.
The next step is to identify the athlete's strongest mental skills, the areas that need further development, and to design an individualized training cycle. Rather than focusing on weaknesses alone, I build the program around the athlete's existing strengths to accelerate progress in the areas that require improvement.
From that point onward, the work becomes highly personalized. Depending on the athlete's needs, we integrate relaxation techniques, thought management strategies, and methods for handling both internal and external distractions. My primary objective is to strengthen self-esteem, because lasting self-confidence can only be built on a solid sense of self-worth. In other words, there is no sustainable self-confidence without strong self-esteem.
What practical changes can golfers make to perform more consistently under pressure?
Mental training must become part of the athlete's daily routine, not something reserved for competition. Golfers should practise the tools that work best for them both on and off the course. Through relaxation, meditation, breathing exercises, and visualization, they train their brain every day, not just when they play golf.
Together, we build a personalized mental toolbox that the player can use in every aspect of performance. This includes their pre-shot routine, where they learn to regulate their focus and emotions before every shot, as well as their practice routines. They learn how to monitor meaningful performance statistics, recreate pressure situations during training, reset mentally between shots on the golf course, objectively evaluate the quality of a shot without judging themselves, and accept and adapt to how they are performing on any given day.
Finally, stepping outside the comfort zone during practice is essential. Training should expose both the brain and the body to the same physical, emotional, and cognitive demands experienced during competition, under pressure. By consistently recreating tournament-like situations in practice, athletes become more adaptable under pressure and ultimately raise their level of performance.
How did growing up in a male-dominated golf environment shape the coach and leader you are today?
I believe that growing up playing golf shaped many of the qualities that define me today. It taught me to be resilient, to pursue my goals even when the journey is difficult, to constantly push beyond my limits, and to develop a strong sense of intrinsic motivation.
As a businesswoman now working in the golf industry, I have always been driven to distinguish myself, not to compete with others, but to prove to myself, and to others, that competence has no gender. A woman can have her own vision of learning, coaching, and performance, provided she has a clear understanding of why she does what she does. For me, that purpose has always been to become highly professional, technically knowledgeable, and genuinely valuable to the athletes I work with.
When I was younger, I adopted a rather masculine image because I believed it would make me appear more credible to clients. Over time, however, I learned to embrace my femininity within my profession. Today, I am proud to be fully aligned with who I am and with what I want, I am able, to bring to others. The TaylorMade Women Advisory Board, a group of European Ladies ambassadors for TaylorMade brand made up of professional golfers and coaches, of which I am a member, has further strengthened my vision of professionalism and femininity through the game of golf. We are all on our own life journey.
Expressing my feminine qualities in my work creates positive connections with people from all backgrounds, bringing patience when it is needed, playing an educational role with young athletes, and connecting with female players (from juniors to professional athletes) through empathy and sensitivity. Ultimately, coaching is about understanding people, about creating a strong relationship before it is about improving performance.
If every young athlete could learn one lesson about performance and self-belief early in their journey, what would you want it to be?
My message is simple, be yourself and stay grounded. Focus on your own path, not someone else's. Pursue your dreams with purpose, and stay curious about understanding yourself, because self-awareness is the foundation of lasting success.
When you are grounded, in both your mind and your body, you are able to stay fully in the present moment. You respond to challenges instead of reacting to them. When your mind is present and aligned with your body, your athletic movement becomes freer, stronger, and more efficient. That is where true performance begins.
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