Mindset

First off, sorry for the delay today. Sometimes life gets in the way.

Now, let’s get into it, shall we?

A few things happened this week which got me thinking. First, I received an urgent call from an old colleague in need of some swing help. Second, a client has been working hard the past few weeks to gain speed back in his swing. Third, Rory McIlroy spoke to the media about the US Open at Pinehurst. None of these seem to have anything in relation to each other, but they actually do have one big thing in common. Mindset.

Mindset is vitally important in learning, practicing and playing golf. How you think, self-talk and commit to improvement help create the right mindset.

Let’s start with my old colleague. He currently plays 3-4 times per month. His practice and playing time are limited. When he does play, he has seen both his distance and accuracy decline. He had been trying to self-diagnose to a degree as he felt the issues were caused by a poor transition into his lead leg. However, he also realized something else in his swing could be causing his poor weight shift which is why he reached out to me. Immediately, I saw an issue in his backswing which contributed to the poor weight shift. This needed to be corrected first. We spent the next hour just focused on this one issue in the backswing. By the end of the hour, his ball striking, shot dispersion, weight shift and distance started getting better. We never once focused on anything but his backswing issue, and he started feeling like he was moving freer just by starting to correct one issue.

This is an example of the right mindset. He knew there was an issue. He thought he knew what the issue was but decided he needed another set of eyes because what he thought might not be correct. He also knew there was no point in trying to work on any other swing flaws until the backswing was fixed. Don’t be afraid to seek help and get a lesson(s). When getting lessons, don’t get upset if your coach only focuses on one or two things in an hour-long lesson. You need to master the one change before moving on to another issue.

The speed training client I mentioned is older and had both knees replaced a year ago. He was always a shorter hitter but is a very good player. He felt he was losing too much distance recently and needed to get some speed work. He plays 3-4 rounds per week. For the past several weeks, he has been committed to speed training. His max speed is already up a few miles per hour, but the first few rounds he felt like he wasn’t swinging any faster. He didn’t mean this as, “I don’t think this is working.” As with anything in golf, taking something new from practice/training to the course takes time, and he understands this is part of the process. This week he texted me and said everything is starting to gel. His carry distances were up. His contact was more solid. He felt his on course clubhead speed (normal speed) was up.

He has the right mindset in that he is committed to the process and is willing to put in the work. In just a few weeks, he is already seeing results. He is starting to see he can gain speed even as an older player. There will be valleys and plateaus, and he is aware these will occur. He is committed to the process and is putting in the work.

Finally, there is Rory McIlroy. Rory spoke with the media for the first time since the US Open at Pinehurst. He said some very interesting things. I want to focus on the thought process he discussed with the par putt he missed on the 72nd hole. That miss cost him the US Open.

He explained he was aware of what Bryson DeChambeau was doing behind him on the 72nd hole, and it factored into his thinking. Rory added he was probably too aware. In my opinion, I believe he means he allowed it to create the wrong mindset. Being aware of where DeChambeau had hit his tee shot is not the issue. The issue isIt what Rory did with that information. McIlroy allowed knowing DeChambeau was in trouble off the tee create the wrong mindset. Here’s why.

McIlroy’s putt was a tricky left to right putt. Seeing DeChambeau in trouble, McIlroy decided he needed to be cautious with the putt. He explained the putt could easily go well past the hole if he missed. Perhaps 7-8 feet past the hole. As a result, he putted defensively and missed. His mindset caused him to putt defensively so as not to lose. He was focused on the speed of the putt in regard to missing the putt. I do believe he needed to be aware of being overly aggressive with the putt, but his thought process should have been focused on getting the speed of the putt correct in order to make the putt. Making the putt would have put a ton of pressure on DeChambeau. This would have been the right mindset.

In contrast, DeChambeau later said knowing bogey forced a playoff took some of the pressure off the bunker shot. He could play a shot with low risk and great reward. He had the right mindset prior to hitting an insanely difficult bunker shot. As a result, he hit one of the all-time great bunker shots, made the putt and won the US Open. He played to win. He focused on what he needed to do to win the tournament. Had Rory made his putt, the pressure on DeChambeau would have been numbing. Perhaps he would have still hit a great shot, but we’ll never know.

Having the right mindset is crucial in golf. Whether it involves making swing changes, practice or playing the game, the right mindset allows for improvement and good play on the course.

As always, be thankful when you get to play this amazing game. Be grateful for every shot. Appreciate every moment on the course. Now, go golf!