Lesson 1 of 5
What To Do
In competition it is easy to get pulled into what everyone else is doing. Your partner bombs it 40 yards past you, someone is two under through six, a buddy is needling you on the tee. None of it changes the shot in front of you. Your opponent is the course and par, not the people in your group.
JJ learned a phrase while working with one of his Ohio State golfers: "fake it till you make it." You can learn to be mentally tough in sport and life, but it takes a conscious effort to change the way you think and behave. Act the way you want to become. Every word and behavior you show needs to line up with the player you want to be. Before you know it, you will say those words and act that way naturally.
How To Do It
Step 1: Play against par
Before the round, decide that your only opponent is the course. Compare yourself to par on each hole, not to the scores in your group. In match play, it still helps to play the course first and let the match come to you.
Step 2: Do not watch their swings
Watching a partner with a fast or quirky swing can creep into your own tempo. Look at the ball flight for line if it helps you, but keep your eyes off their swing. Use their turn to look at your target and plan your shot.
Step 3: Pick how you want to act
Write three words that describe the competitor you want to be, like calm, confident, patient. Then write what that looks like: how you walk, how you react to a bad shot, how you talk to yourself.
Step 4: Fake it till you make it
On the course, act like that player on every hole, even when you do not feel it. Shoulders up, steady walk, same routine. Be aware of what you are saying and how you are acting. The feeling follows the behavior.
Step 5: Do it every day
JJ says do this every day from this point forward. Write your words down and read them before you play. The more often you act like that player, the sooner it stops being an act.
Everything you save here is stored in My Playbook.
When To Use It
- When you are paired with someone better or longer than you
- When you notice yourself checking other scores
- Any time you do not feel confident but need to act it
Common Mistakes
- Trying to match a longer hitter off the tee
- Watching a partner's swing and picking up their tempo
- Waiting to feel confident before acting confident
- Letting needling or small talk change your routine
Practical Exercise
Become That Player
Use this on the first tee and any time you feel pulled into someone else's game. Breathe in for 4 and stand tall. Hold for 4 and say your three words in your head. Breathe out for 4 and let the other players fade out. Hold for 4 and look at your target.
Pattern: 4-4-4-4 seconds, 2 cycles. The voice counts each second for you.
Ready
Takeaways
- Your opponent is the course and par
- Do not watch your partners' swings
- Act the way you want to become
- Fake it till you make it, every day
- The feeling follows the behavior
Reflect
Use It Next Round
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