THE FINE LINE OF GREATNESS

During my college years I played on the golf team at Coastal Carolina University. 


I had the pleasure of being the teammate of some amazing players. These included: 

• 5-time PGA Tour winner and current #7 in the world Dustin Johnson
• Nationwide Tour player Zack Byrd
• European Tour player Alvero Velsco, and 
• 2002 British Amateur Champion Alejandro Larrazzabal. 

Those are currently the most notable players from my days at Coastal, but all the guys on the team had amazing potential to become players on the PGA tour or European Tour. So, what was the difference and what really does it take? 

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I vividly remember in my third year at Coastal that the weather was terrible out. Golf practice was cancelled, so we met at our Coach's office and headed to the 'Prince' building where we gathered in a lecture hall; coach, the teacher, and us, the students. It was a pump you up/wake you up type of speech. I don't remember all of it, but there was one point that I will never forget. Coach was a bit intense at times as the guys would probably agree with and the talk that day was no different. At one point during this lecture, he asked, "which of you think you can play on the PGA Tour?" All of us put our hands up. Then he said, "in all likelihood, maybe 3 of you have a chance" (there was 11 on the team at the time). This was not a 'shoot your dreams down' speech, but more of a 'how much do you want it' speech. 


He went on to ask questions like, 'would you want to have a putt to decide if you can pay your mortgage, or put  food on the table?' These types of questions (for me) put into perspective the game, commitment, confidence and toughness that was needed to make it. There are currently 2 players from that speech that are on tour and one other that is on his way to making it.


So what do these players have that made the difference? Well in my opinion, an amazing amount of confidence, an inner belief that they would make it, absolutely zero doubt and 100% focus on achieving their goal. 


I am guessing that this may not be the first time you have heard you need those traits to make it on tour. But during my time playing with Dustin, his confidence in himself never wavered. If he shot 79 or 65 his attitude may have changed slightly, but the score never dictated his confidence. 




Here is Dustin's scoring average and tournament stats from his years at Coastal.

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Stats from Golf Stat


Season    Tourn   Rds.   Avg.     VS      National    Low          In.     Par or      Fin.      Wins       Best
                                     score     par      Rating         Rd.        60's    Better     Pct.                       Fin.
2003-04   10    30.0     75.60      3.70        660          70         0             3       52.7%       0        T6                                                                             
2004-05  13   39.0     72.21      0.44        28           64         8            21      89.1%         1          1


2005-06   13    40.0      71.80     0.03        22            66         10          23      87.3%       3           1


2006-07   14    43.0      70.40    -1.00         7             66         16          33       91.8%      4            1




As you can see from the stats he continued to improve each season and with that became one of the best players in the nation.




How do we build confidence and why is it so important in golf??


When I look closer at the players who have made it, I see a couple things in common...




1. One dream.


It was almost a program in their mind. Dustin had no idea what he would be doing if he wasn't on tour. I saw this in those players that made it. NO other option. This is what they were meant to do. All it is, is a choice; a decision to not worry about what other people think. Or maybe at that time, it was unrealistic, but it was a choice, with no plan B. If this happens, your focus will become much clearer on the path to success. 

This is a great interview that shows the 100% focus. Right at the end of the interview, Dustin is asked what would he be doing if he wasn't on the PGA Tour. His answer, "I have no idea." 

2. Protecting their game.


What does that mean? By no way do I mean they didn't change or improve their swings and games, but they protected their feeling. They may have made adjustments to be more consistent, but to me, they never lost their feel. They had almost a stubbornness to change. They always wanted to be in control of what they were doing. They protected their game. They were able to use this to continue to improve, without taking any major steps back. It is important through any change in your swing or game to be in control of what you are doing. Your swing-feel should always remain intact, thus giving you confidence that you are in control of your game. 





3. Taking the good and not the bad.


My great buddy Christian Smith and I talked about this the other day. Christian was on the team with me at Coastal and is currently a Mental Conditioning Coach at IMG Performance Academy in Florida. He is amazing when it comes to the mental game, so taking the good without the bad. What I mean by this is they always took or saw the positive. Say for example, the score for the day wasn't as low as they wanted, they didn't let this affect their confidence. They would actually use the good shots to build confidence. I remember almost doing the opposite, I was so intent on improving. Most of my focus was on things I needed to improve, as opposed to, what I was doing well. I was actually reducing my confidence, not increasing it. A practical way that Christian teaches to his students, is for them to write down their best shot they hit in every round. This helps them replay it in their mind and build inner confidence. 


4. Routine.


Here is a couple swings from Dustin, pay attention to the 2 taps with the club to the grass then he pulls the trigger.

Routine is so key in golf because it is something you control and can repeat every time. As Christian once said, "if you asked a golfer, 'are you nervous about your routine?' The answer is always 'no'." Being in control of something in golf is very important for confidence because there are so many aspects you cannot control.




5. Be an athlete, not just a golfer.


I know there are some players on tour that are not in the best shape. But, lets take a look at the top 10 in the world (as of February 28th, 2012):

1.  Donald - 9.13
2. McIlroy - 8.60 
3. Westwood - 8.17
4. Kaymer - 6.02 
5. Stricker - 5.80 
6. Simpson - 5.14 
7. Johnson - 5.11
8. Scott - 5.05
9. Mahan - 5.03 
10. Day - 5.01

There are some great athletes in this group. Why is this so important for confidence? To me, the training that they are doing is setting them apart - not only physically, but the mental edge they have knowing they deserve it more that any one else. Because they are working harder and are sharper than everyone else is a huge confidence builder. Below is Dustin going through an extreme tough move in his workout, but it is not a secret why he hits it so far (strength, coordination and mobility).

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To wrap it up.                                                                                        


I remember playing with Dustin for the first time, we were both around par and Dustin said to me pretty much out of the blue, 'if I make a couple putts, I'll shoot under par every round.' This to me was an over-the-top statement from a freshman to make and I was caught a bit off guard. Under par every round.... really?! But all it was, was a deep down belief in his game. Looking back, why not think like that?! That thought could be the most important difference-maker in getting you to the next level.

What do you think is the best way to build confidence in golf?