The Relationships between Coaches’ Leadership Styles, Competitive State Anxiety, and Golf Performance in Korean Junior Golfers

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine whether Korean junior golf coaches’ leadership styles affect athletes’ competitive state anxiety before a game as well as their performance. In the Multidimensional Model of Leadership (MML), Chelladurai and Saleh (1980) identified five aspects of leadership behavior in coaching: training/instruction, democratic behavior, autocratic behavior, social support, and positive feedback. A survey was conducted with junior golfers participating in the 23rd Korean National Middle and High School Championship. Data from 216 questionnaires were used in the analysis. Multiple regression analyses were run on the data, revealing the following results. First, training/instruction and social support of coaches decreased cognitive anxiety before the game, whereas autocratic behavior increased it. Second, training/instruction and positive feedback of coaches increased self-confidence before the game. Third, training/instruction of coaches increased golf performance, whereas autocratic behavior decreased it. Finally, cognitive anxiety of golf athletes was found to reduce golf performance, whereas self-confidence increased it. Consequently, this study may deliver sport administrators and parents with understanding of how coaches’ leadership styles could influence on junior golfers’ psychological state and golf performance.