Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) Approach in Recreational Golfers

Although gaining popularity in the field of sport psychology, there is little empirical support behind the MAC approach. Moreover, none of these studies have examined the effectiveness of the MAC approach when applied to recreational or non-competitive athletes. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of the MAC approach on recreational golfers. Nineteen participants were randomly assigned to either the MAC treatment or control condition. Participants completed baseline and post-intervention golf performance tasks, as well as measures of mindfulness, flow, thought occurrence, and anxiety. Results showed that compared to the control group, the MAC treatment group exhibited significant increases in levels of mindfulness, and a trend towards significance in levels of flow. However, no significant changes were found on the golf performance tasks in the MAC and control groups from baseline to postintervention. Several potential explanations for these findings are discussed, as well as directions for future research.