Knock down That Flagstick
Tom Watson's only win at the U.S. Open in 1982 amazes everyone.
Nicklaus, playing two groups ahead of Watson in the final round, charges into a share of the lead with five consecutive birdies. When Watson reaches the par-3 17th, the two are tied, but Nicklaus is safely in the clubhouse at 4 under par and 284. Watson hits his tee shot on 17 into the deep rough. He faces an almost impossible shot downhill on an extremely fast green, sloping down to the Pacific Ocean.
Nicklas, in the clubhouse, is aware of Watson's terrible predicament. He appears confident. Is he on his way to an unprecedented fifth U.S. Open? Watson, and his caddy, Bruce Edwards, a close friend, stand in the tangled grass.
Edwards says, "Get it close." Not likely. Not from that stuff, and with no where to land the ball. Not on Sunday. Not with the U.S Open at stake.
Watson smiles and replies: "I'm not going to get it close. I'm going to hole it."
The caddie pulls the bag away, thinking, "Yeah, right, just make a 3 and let's win it on the 18th."
Watson punches the chip shot out of the tangled mass. Amazingly, it hits the flagstick and drops in the hole, giving him a near-miraculous birdie... and the win. Watson also birdies the 18th, giving him a winning margin of two.
There is a simple mental toughness lesson in Watson's story: on the golf course, you want to be very target-oriented. Often the target is the hole itself. If you're the kind of person who responds to an aggressive thought, you can say to yourself, 'Knock down that flagstick!'
When it comes to your mental game, nothing beats simplicity. When you're feeling pressured, get the target down, and everything else will take care of itself.
Nicklaus, playing two groups ahead of Watson in the final round, charges into a share of the lead with five consecutive birdies. When Watson reaches the par-3 17th, the two are tied, but Nicklaus is safely in the clubhouse at 4 under par and 284. Watson hits his tee shot on 17 into the deep rough. He faces an almost impossible shot downhill on an extremely fast green, sloping down to the Pacific Ocean.
Nicklas, in the clubhouse, is aware of Watson's terrible predicament. He appears confident. Is he on his way to an unprecedented fifth U.S. Open? Watson, and his caddy, Bruce Edwards, a close friend, stand in the tangled grass.
Edwards says, "Get it close." Not likely. Not from that stuff, and with no where to land the ball. Not on Sunday. Not with the U.S Open at stake.
Watson smiles and replies: "I'm not going to get it close. I'm going to hole it."
The caddie pulls the bag away, thinking, "Yeah, right, just make a 3 and let's win it on the 18th."
Watson punches the chip shot out of the tangled mass. Amazingly, it hits the flagstick and drops in the hole, giving him a near-miraculous birdie... and the win. Watson also birdies the 18th, giving him a winning margin of two.
There is a simple mental toughness lesson in Watson's story: on the golf course, you want to be very target-oriented. Often the target is the hole itself. If you're the kind of person who responds to an aggressive thought, you can say to yourself, 'Knock down that flagstick!'
When it comes to your mental game, nothing beats simplicity. When you're feeling pressured, get the target down, and everything else will take care of itself.
If you are thinking to yourself "I really, really need to get the mental part of my game handled"...
Then YOU'RE RIGHT.
You certainly do need to get it handled.
You need to learn how to become mentally tough on the golf course RIGHT NOW.
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