A Champion's Heart

Just what is so special about the heart of a champion? After Lance Armstrong finished his last triumph on the Champ d'Elysee there was much talk about how Mr. Armstrong's actual heart was bigger than normal, thus allowing for more blood to be distributed to his body during peak performance demands. Do all champions have larger hearts? No, probably not. But, in any event, it would be a useless concern for those of us that are endowed with only normal sized hearts, because we still aspire to perform like champions. So, is there any hope for us? Of course!

But, rather than ask a question of physics and physiology, as golfers, let's consider what it might mean to play with the "heart of a champion." Let's put aside the physical heart and look into the meaning of the metaphor, "heart." To define heart in this manner, we need only consider all the adjectives or modifiers that usually describe a champion's performance, words like; passionate, determined, gutsy, fearless, unwavering, unconditional or perhaps, uncompromising. Think about all the times when you have referred to someone's performance and described it "full of heart." What have you recognized in their behavior or demeanor that has made such a strong and definitive impression?

A champion's performance is visible for all to see and admire, but what is not obvious is the more personal, underlying motivations that "drive" the player to excel in the way that they do. We could say, this is really the "heart" of the matter. Perhaps the vital question is always, one of "intention." Not, the intention such as "a plan" or a set of "hopes," but a question of powerful and uniquely personal inspiration that combines vision, motivation, desire and will to excel at something. This intentionality is often deeply intertwined in the fabric of our life's history and is often expressed with or without our even being very aware of it. But, for champions, this intention is an underlying force of their dedication. It is very much a primary force in their lives.

What is it? Can we buy it, drink it, inject it? No! But, maybe then, certain special people are just born with it? Yes, but...all of us are born with it as a fundamental power of our lives. Recognizing, accepting and harnessing that power is key to how great champions create extraordinary results in any game. For you and me, the process is just as simple. But, if it isn't happening naturally already, then work must be done to access and then direct that power towards the important goals and ambitions of our lives.

Now, to golf. On a golf course, there are 60+ times when you must ask yourself a simple question about intention, "what do I want?" Most often, this seems like such a ludicrously simplistic question. Of course, we all want to put the ball in the hole with the fewest strokes. If only it were that simple! But, it is! To have the best chance of putting the ball in the hole, you must constantly eliminate anything that would be in the way of the ball going into the hole.

What? Hold on, now. Such gibberish! Most people would think this is nonsense and I know it sounds like it. But, your suspicions, cynicisms and doubts are typical of the sort of things that are in the way of the ball! Test yourself. Go out on the putting green, stand over your next important putt and focus on doubt, mistrust and uncertainty and watch how far off-mark your putt will be. Or, stand on the tee with a new, expensive ball and and only think about how the spectators are going to judge you if you slice into the water or top the ball into the rough in front of you. What will happen?

Herein lies one of the keys to the intention game; you are the boss! It is your choice to play. It is your vision that compels your desire. It is your mind that focuses on either what is important or on all the other distractions. It is up to you to decide how serious you will be about the perfection of your play or how accepting you will be of the inevitable failures. It is up to you to put in the practice hours, hire the coach, buy the appropriate equipment, understand the slope challenges and all other aspects of the game. In all regards, you're it!

Champions get this. That is why they are so often described as totally committed and passionately dedicated. This emotional and mental state is no accident. They are clear. They are free. They are true to themselves. And, they are present and engaged with their lives' commitments. We can all learn from their example because we all have the same abilities and the same capacities. We may never equal their accomplishments or reach their level of performance, but we all have the chance to live and to excel with the passions and the whole hearted enthusiasm that is our birthright.

Ryder Cup Players Balance the Mental Game and the Emotional Game

Was this cool, or what? What a tremendous display of sport; great physical skills, extraordinary mental concentration and tremendous emotional passion, all displayed on a golf course. Are these guys that good?!

Who ever said that to play well you had to control your emotions? This weeks exhibition of world class competitors has given us all a lesson in as an aspect of the mental game that generally is oversimplified and subsequently misunderstood.

Let's consider: on a golf course, we often hear simple commands like, "don't be too emotional" or "control yourself." What are the common methods we employ to "control" our emotions? Usually we mandate a blanket condemnation of having, or displaying any emotion, so we try to hide or mask our real emotional reactions to events. Sometimes this method leads us to act unemotional or "cool," almost as if we didn't want to care too much. Another common response is to manhandle emotions, as if packing them down within so they don't appear on the surface, thus convincing ourselves that our emotional state is no longer relevant. Or, if all else fails, we'll avoid the issue entirely by ignoring, denying, pretending or distracting our attention. All these methods are commonly used to seemingly minimize the emotional impact on our golf game, as if, emotions are harmful.

However, did you see these guys this week at Valhalla? Their emotions were explosively evident for all to see. No one was hiding anything! Even as viewers, we rode a roller coaster of emotions as we followed the play from group to group, hole to hole, day to day. But, it was the players that demonstrated such skill at playing with passion. All the elements for a great game were in place; a trophy to win back, a humiliating trend to reverse, captains' picks with controversy, the world's top player absent, a tough, but beautiful course and home town boys playing in front of fired-up home town fans. This was a time to be emotional!

Here is a simple mental game analysis of what was clearly visible for everyone. The players that continued to play well, played with an ideal mixture of attributes. Most importantly, they honestly accepted the emotion-laden environment in which they played. They didn't fight it or try to defend themselves from the surrounding mood and noise, they surrendered to it and became part of it, ie; Anthony Kim becoming a constant cheerleader, revving-up the crowd on his way to the next tee. But, never letting go of their real intentions, they let their authentic determination guide them through the distractions.

But, with some notable exceptions, the competitors managed to neutralize the physical consequences of such intense passions, allowing them to regain composure when necessary. Moments of emotion was punctuated with moments of deep breathing, closed eye visualizing and even stepping back away from putts or tee balls to assure greater inner calm. Most importantly though, most of the US players were genuinely enjoying the experience. They had fun! Sure, there was tremendous pressure. Sure, there was a lot at stake and lots of people watching every move, but players managed to retain a healthy perspective on the event, allowing them to balance intense concentration with great swings of excitement.

Simply, golf is an ideal reflector of our human tendencies. More players were successful in this really intensified, emotional and pressure-packed contest by accepting, embracing if you will, the environment just as it was, as opposed to trying to find a way to control it. Acceptance allows you the freedom to flourish. Opposition traps you into a stressful battle. The Ryder Cup only magnifies this dynamic and makes it more important how each player "handles" their emotions.

Imagine yourself in this situation and how you might habitually react and how you might otherwise respond to the pressure. Maybe, all you'll need to do in the future is to remember Boo Weekley as he rode off the first tee with his driver under his legs, galloping off to the quest of his life.

Daily Golf Thoughts about Life

A thought a day! I was asked recently to identify the key thoughts that exemplify the value of studying the mental game of golf. That doesn't sound like too tall an order, so I enthusiastically embarked on writing two sentence capsules of mental game topics. After thirty keypoints, I thought I might have something. After forty-five points, I became a little more concerned as to how deep the well could be. At forty-six, I was sure there wouldn't be much more left to haul out of my well. I considered throwing the shovel down the hole.

But, as I uncovered just a few more jewels of insight, I began to consider that golf really does present an abundance of parallels to life, revealing endless lessons. The well was deep! And herein, was one of the mental game keys: Be open to discover what you don't already see. An open mind encourages an open heart. An open heart allows the body to be naturally relaxed and poised to act. A free and loose body is essential to a powerful and balanced swing.

Consider: every stroke offers an opportunity to learn. The flight of the ball has built-in feedback value. It can tell you much about how you hit the ball. Rather than react in judgment and emotion, use the ball flight as a learning tool. Direction, spin, loft and distance are all produced by your swing mechanics and perhaps even your mental attitude. For example; I might slice hook a drive simply because I am trying too hard to smash a long ball like my playing partner just did. Or, perhaps I have subtly allowed my grip to slip over time, leaving my clubface open at contact with the ball. But, I must be willing to learn from the information, not just react.

What am I really talking about is essentially, an "attitude," a basic way of viewing or a stance from which you react to the world. One fundamental aspect of a sound mental game is having an attitude that nourishes openness and sustains a genuine enthusiasm for playing the game. You are not born with an attitude, you develop one. All of us interpret everything that occurs within a round of golf. What is crucial is the effect of that interpretation on our mood or our emotional and physical temperament.

It turns out that after reflecting on this life phenomenon, suddenly I began to discover still more mental game thoughts for golf. Maybe it is really is all about "attitude?" My goal: one a day, for a year - only 294 left to go!