In short, yes. Studies* show that having the self-confidence to wear head-turning apparel on the golf course also builds inner golf confidence, turning negative thoughts into positive ones.
Sigmund Freud, someone who knew a thing or two about psychology, used this to his advantage off the tee. He said: “A certain degree of neurosis is of inestimable value as a drive, especially to a psychologist.”
Other than that he didn’t really have a lot to say about golf, just relationship stuff … but he was a sharp dresser and would have loved R&A.
But clothes, Shakespeare once said, ‘maketh the man’. And, certainly, a person’s mind is less likely to be on golf if they are naked – so R&A gear surely helps you concentrate.
The legendary storyteller and former Tory MP, Gyles Brandreth, made his name by wearing outlandish and bright jumpers – and he was one of the most confident characters around, though his short game still requires some work.
And has there ever been anyone more apt to talk on the subject of fashion than Oscar Wilde? The famous dandy and popular playwright preached: “If one is to behave badly, it is better to be bad in becoming dress” – so even if your golf game is behaving badly on the day, at least, with Royal & Awesome, you’ll still look the part.
*Studies carried out during the Open Championship 2015 in the Jigger Inn, St Andrews.