Golf Psychology – Keep it simple
Having just watched an incredible victory by Ted Potter Jnr at Pebble Beach I began to reflect on how often golfers who have performed poorly for a long time often spring out of the pack to win. I wonder if there is anything for us to learn from them.
Here is my opinion. Feel free to make up your own minds.
Ted Potter Jnr, or The Wizard as he is known, once missed 24 straight cuts.In 22 events on the Web.com Tour in 2017, Potter earned a total of $207,368. He’ll take home a little over $1.3 million alone by winning the 2018 Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
There was no indication that he was going to play so well and win although he has won at every level he has played at. His swing was not perfect neither was his physique. By all accounts he is a shy man. He said that he was simply focusing on one shot at a time down the stretch. This may be an old cliché, but when your mind is dreaming up all kinds of scenarios it’s a great skill to be able to direct its attention where you want it. His demeanor all week seemed very relaxed and controlled.
That’s what I learned from the Wizard. He kept doing his own thing no matter the circumstances . He trusted himself. He wasn’t trying to do anything complicated. Simply focus on each shot, give it his full attention and accept the outcome. Simple but very effective.