This past weekend's action at The Presidents Cup was again a great testament to the talent that exists on the PGA TOUR. The final margin of victory for the United States squad was not really indicative of the great competition that took place and all the players should be commended on their performance and their composure as they represented themselves, their teams, and their respective nations. And of course, let's give the United States Team their due credit for their very impressive victory over a tremendously talented International Team.
As I watched the action unfold, I was struck by how often we see spectacular shots in these international team competitions. Watch any Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup and you'll see such a plethora of tremendous golf on any given day. I'd say significantly more than a typical PGA TOUR tournament. Why is that? And moreover, how can that translate over to you, for your weekly round?
Well, to answer the first question, we see more incredible golf shots during these competitions because they are played within a match-play format. No matter what happens while playing in match play, the worst thing that can happen from a bad swing is the loss of a hole. Whether you make a par and your opponent makes a birdie, or your opponent makes a par and you make a 12, the result is the same - the loss of the hole. That's it. You're only 1 down, no matter how you got there. Thus, the ramifications of a bad swing are less severe and it frees the player up to play in a more relaxed and still focused manner.
Take for example the likely "feel good" story of the event, the big story outside of the U.S. team having their first win on foreign soil since 1993. Mike Weir, with the expectations of an entire nation on his shoulders, had already had a tremendous Presidents Cup (leading the International Team in points for the week), but still had the daunting and unenviable task of taking on the world's no. 1 player -- Tiger Woods -- in the Sunday singles.
How can you gameplan to take on a player like Tiger Woods? Mike had the perfect strategy: You don't. The beauty of match play is that you can play your game, the way you want to play each shot, and not worry about the negative consequences of a bad swing like you would in medal play. Remember, the worst result of a bad swing is being one down, not a round-crippling triple bogey or something possibly worse.
I worked some with Mike Weir when he was a student/player at BYU. I can tell you that he is blessed with a tremendous amount of focus on the golf course. What a great advantage that is for him, particularly in match play. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep up with Tiger's drives, and he knew that his selection for the team was still a topic of discussion, and he knew that all of Canada was watching his every move this week - but none of these things affected him as he knew what he had to do to play his best golf on Sunday. And he did. He didn't lose his focus amid all the hype around him, he didn't change his game based on what Tiger was doing. He played each hole the best way he could and dared Tiger to make enough birdies to beat him. And Tiger didn't.
And this leads to this week's "A Lesson Learned." I am confident that almost all golfers would score better if they could approach their round with a match-play mentality regardless of what format they are playing. The one difference being, make the golf course your opponent, not another player.
The next time you play a round of golf, take your handicap and play the golf course in a series of "matches." I'd suggest breaking up the round into a series of six three-hole matches, playing the course based on your handicap, and not concerning yourself with what other players in the group are doing.
For example, say you make bogey on the first hole of your round. You get a stroke on the hole according to the handicap, and thus, you've now pushed the hole. On the second hole, a par three, you now make a birdie without getting a stroke. You are now 1 up on the course. One hole no. 3, you make a bogey on a par five, but you get a stroke, and you push the hole. You have now won your first match. And then you need to forget it and move on to the next match. Don't think of the consequences or the results of those first three holes. They are over now.
What this will do is free you from the pressure of "protecting a score" and allow you to make more confident, relaxed golf swings. Without fretting over a big number on any one hole (and thus, wrecking your chances for the next few holes) or getting caught thinking ahead to a particularly difficult shot, you are forced to concentrate more on the present. The end result will be lower golf scores.
In essence, this is promoting a more aggressive way to play. But please keep in mind, I'm not promoting a reckless way to play. If you normally don't hit driver on a particular hole because of the tight landing area, you should still hit the club you feel the most confidence in that will put you in the fairway. But your approach in swinging that club should be on hitting the fairway, not the potential ramifications of missing the fairway.
The bottom line is, most golfers would benefit as much, if not more, from altering their mental approach to the game instead of constantly tweaking some technical aspect of their swing. This is an effective way of doing just that.
Now there is a caveat I need to mention. If you are playing medal play as most players do, you still have to count all your swings. I don't think your playing partners will appreciate you picking up a 10-footer saying "it's good, I already lost the hole to the course."
But by adopting this approach, you will have an opponent who's score you already know on each hole. By playing to beat (or push) that score, you'll find that your scores will drop. By forcing yourself to stay in the present while you play, you are enhancing your concentration on the task at hand, not wasting valuable mental time on shots or holes out of your control at that point. And by dividing up your scorecard into separate matches, you are freeing yourself to make more relaxed, confident swings without allowing a potential bad shot wreck an entire round.
I hope by adopting this mindset, you'll find your time on the course more enjoyable and your scores more to your liking. Good luck!
Mike Malaska is one of the most sought after and well-respected golf instructors in the world. Malaska has been honored and featured by virtually every form of golf media including being named one of Golf Magazine's Top 100 teachers every year since 1996, named among Golf Digest Magazine America's 50 Greatest Teachers since 2000, and Golf World Business Magazine's "Who's Who in the Future of Golf Instruction" in 2000. Malaska was the 1996 Utah PGA Section Teacher of the Year and has been a featured lecturer/presenter for the PGA's Teaching and Coaching Summit, for Golf Magazine, and for the The GOLF Channel. He has also distinguished himself as a top player competing in several PGA TOUR events, the 1982 and 1986 U.S. Opens, and the 1988 PGA Championship. He currently serves as the Worldwide Director for Nicklaus Golf Acadamies. You can reach Mike or read more about him at his website: www.malaskagolf.com.
