Photo: PGA TOUR
Every amateur golfer knows the feeling. You’re out on the golf course, things are going well. Then, a miss. Another miss. You feel your body tense as, in an attempt to “fix” the problem, you start “trying” to play golf instead of playing golf. You recall your lessons, you go into mechanical mode, and inevitably, start self-destructing.
No matter what’s in your bag, a big part of your golf game is right between your ears.
If it provides any consolation, even the pros can let their heads get in front of their game, evidenced by the insights they shared at the 2016 AT&T Byron Nelson Golf Tournament.
Bowditch: Sometimes Working Too Hard on a Golf Swing Works Against You
Take reigning champ Steven Bowditch, who after his win at the Nelson, put so much pressure on himself to make it to the Presidents Cup that he went into overdrive. More pressure and working harder on his swing did not produce more wins. Quite the opposite.
“I started working really hard on my golf swing; shouldn’t have. That took away from my short game, which is really my strength,” Bowditch said. “Once you don’t get up and down for par, all of a sudden, the momentum swings.”
Even though Bowditch had five (yes, you read right), root canals, and has been playing with a wrist injury, he refuses to use any of that as an excuse. In fact, the biggest demon well may be a lack of confidence that inherently follow a few not-so-stellar rounds.
“I’ve had a few injuries, but everyone is out here playing on injuries. It’s not an excuse for the way I’ve been playing. Just terrible form right now and lack of confidence,” Bowditch said. “But, I do feel like it’s starting coming back around. Hopefully, when I tee off on Thursday, I can really get that confidence back by just the buzz I’ll have on the first tee. You know, getting introduced and seeing Ms. Peggy (Nelson). It’s always great to have a cookie or two to start the day.”
And hopefully, a great round to follow.
DeChambeau: You Can’t Just Be a Technician
Newly minted pro Bryson DeChambeau is known for applying physics to his golf, from club length to a belief that proprioception is the key to a repeatable swing. He works with equipment manufacturers on building devices and apps that help people register their grip pressure through impact. Something, he says, that could create a putting model that allows players to understand, on any given putting surface, what the trajectory of the putt could be.
Byron Nelson defending champ Steven Bowditch with Peggy Nelson.
Heady stuff.
But, even for someone with such a highly developed left brain, DeChambeau knows golf isn’t just a well-oiled, mechanical process. Far from it.
“You can’t just be this technician. You still have to be able to play out there,” he said. “The science and technology aspect is more of an additive rather than a substitute. Most people think you’re either technical or feel oriented. If you’re thinking along those lines, you’re really limiting yourself in today’s world. “
Like the rest of us, DeChambeau can become his own worst enemy on the course.
“I feel like those last couple of weeks where I missed the cut by one or two could have been easily taken care of had I just stayed a little bit more in the moment, focused on, ‘Hey, this is just another golf shot,” he said. “You’ve got to perform your absolute best and not let the previous shot affect you. Had I done that, it would have definitely helped my chances more. You learn from those mistakes.”
His goal? Take the opportunity for what it’s worth and try to do his best, without putting stress or pressure on himself.
“It’s still tough for me because I’m an emotional kind of guy, and I try to take the emotions out of it,” DeChambeau said. “I’m not perfect. Nobody is perfect. I think once I understand that and say, ‘It’s okay to mess up a little bit, it’s okay to fail,’ I won’t worry about things as much as I have been these past couple of weeks. It’s when you have doubts in your mind, that’s when you start having bad shots.”
Spieth: Get Back to Positive Self-Talk
Even Jordan Spieth is not immune to the negative self-talk on the course. As this hometown hero prepares to take to the tee box at the TPC Four Seasons, Las Colinas, he’s focused on staying positive and getting back to having fun.
“When I say get back to having fun, it’s not I’m still not going to get frustrated with myself, because that’s healthy—you should,” Spieth said. “If you don’t execute a shot that you feel wasn’t all that hard to execute, there should be some frustration, but no lingering or negative talk. Eliminating that is what I’m really talking about.”
Spieth also readily admits that, this week, playing in front of the hometown crowd, at a tournament he especially wants to win, makes it harder to stay positive when shots go wrong. But, he’s up for the challenge.
“I have to focus on being positive, because I could hit either extreme this week, trying so hard to play so well in front of so many friends and family. If you’re not quite doing it, which I haven’t in the past four years, it can be tough to hold it together,” he said.
But, Spieth has a plan.
“If I can engage with my friends and family and maybe smile more, it’s only going to help me on the course,” Spieth said.
Great golf lessons from the pros—that have nothing to do with the swing at all.
