Dr. Bobby Low, mental performance coach for BYU athletics, helps some of the most physically talented human beings in the country reach their maximum potential.
In addition to eight other programs at BYU, Dr. Low serves as the mental performance coach for the BYU men’s golf team.
Golf is not just a difficult sport physically, but also mentally.
Golfers generally perform on their own throughout the several-hour-long event, and negative thoughts can begin to creep in between each shot.
A bad shot can lead to several more that begin to pile up.
For the BYU men's golf team, it’s a matter of taking it shot by shot; not worrying about the last or the next shot, but instead staying in the present.
“Whatever shot I’m playing, that is the most important shot right now for the whole entire round,” said Dr. Low.
We’re grateful to have so many amazing resources at BYU, like our Director for Mental Performance, Bobby Low🤙 pic.twitter.com/8Ppw94ux2Z
— BYU Men's Golf (@BYUmgolf) February 9, 2026
Dr. Low was previously an athlete at BYU himself and participated on the men’s track team as a pole vaulter.
It was his time at BYU that inspired him to work with athletes and their mental performance.
“I was doing all the physical stuff, but ultimately I still would find myself struggling,” said Dr. Low. “I’d find that I’d have self-doubt, that my thoughts would just get distracted, my emotions would get out of control and they would derail my performance.”
The mental performance coach that Dr. Low met with at BYU to help him was Dr. Craig Manning, who has been at BYU since 1997.
Dr. Low is now one of Dr. Manning’s colleagues.
“I went and started to meet with him and he started to teach me how to control my mind,” said Low. “I went from being a struggling athlete to an NCAA All-American and then had a three-year professional career.”
Following his professional career, Dr. Low began working with Olympians who were medalists at the 2012 London Olympics.
His research consisted of following 14 different athletes who had won gold, silver, and bronze medals.
Dr. Low then began noticing success patterns.
“They exhibited and demonstrated mental strengths when they needed to, but the biggest thing I found was they had an incredible ability to navigate critical moments,” said Dr. Low. “They were able to stay more focused in those moments and they were able to stay more composed in those moments.”
His research was then used to help track and field athletes in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in their performance.
Transitioning to BYU, Dr. Low still helps track and field athletes and is a coach for all the other running sports. He also works with football, men’s volleyball, women’s basketball and women’s soccer.
Yet with all the sports that Dr. Low helps with, he still manages to form deep, personal relationships with students.
“He comes and talks to our team once a week, and I think the big thing about that is he knows us personally and we also all meet with him individually,” said BYU golfer Simon Kwon. “He knows everyone is different mentally, everyone has their own process.”
With each athlete, Dr. Low recognizes how physically talented each individual is.
His strategies help athletes to perform at the level that they have put in the work to be at.
“By using the mental side and controlling your mind, I can only get whatever good physical skills that you have out there,” said Dr. Low.
Dr. Low’s main message for the BYU men’s golf team is to always stay in the present.
With golf allowing so much time to think, it can lead to breakdowns that result in poor performance.
Therefore, staying in the present can be a mental advantage.
“We talk a lot about being in the present and not being carried away about the future or the past,” said BYU golfer Tyson Shelley. “We want to take it one shot at a time.”
“The main thing that I have taken in is just staying where your feet are and staying present,” said BYU golfer Peter Kim. “Focusing on proactive thinking, instead of reactive thinking.”
Serving as the mental performance coach at BYU has been a rewarding experience for Dr. Low.
Working with students gives him the unique opportunity to watch athletes come and go and grow into unique athletes.
“It’s super fun for me to watch them develop their physical skills, but one of the most rewarding pieces for me is when a kid comes back and they’re like, ‘Hey, remember what we talked about last week? I went and did that and it totally worked and I set a lifetime best,’” said Dr. Low.
The work of a mental performance coach can oftentimes fly under the radar and not receive much attention for the work that they do.
However, many professional athletes have begun speaking out on the importance of mental health and its ability to affect one's level of play.
Simone Biles, Kevin Love, and Naomi Osaka have all been very vocal in their advocacy for mental health awareness in sports.
Philipe Coutinho chorou no vestiário durante o intervalo da partida contra o Volta Redonda.
— DataFut (@DataFutebol) February 18, 2026
O jogador ficou ficou abalado com as vaias e xingamentos da torcida vascaína. A decisão de sair não foi apenas por conta disso: A situação emocional do Coutinho piorou depois da final da… pic.twitter.com/jv3IJc5YFC
“We’ve made significant progress just over the last 10, really 20 years, and our field has grown significantly and grown fast,” said Dr. Low. “BYU is obviously aware and they’re investing a ton in providing this service to players here. We’re probably one percent in terms of programs that are investing in the mental side for all athletes.”
Mental health and mental performance are both topics that are becoming increasingly less taboo within athletics.
Mental health challenges are very real not just for athletes, but for everyone.
“The mental health challenges out there in the world are very, very high. So in terms of need, there are a lot of people out there that need help when it comes to significant mental health challenges,” said Dr. Low. “So I've always loved helping people there. I will always do that. I will do that forever.”