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The
U.S. Open's Mental Test
Before the U.S. Open in 2000, Davis Love III
explained in an interview that, "A U.S. Open is not only just a golf test; it's a mental
test and you try to win that battle. It comes down to scrambling,
who can get the ball up-and-down and make putts and be patient."
Tiger Woods
has observed for an U.S. Open that, "Usually right around par wins, and you just need
to hang in there. And most of the players don't have that ability
to hang in there, to swallow your pride and hit shots that you don't
normally hit, because you're used to making birdies and having to
win. Most of the players either haven't learned that, or aren't
willing to change from the birdie mode."
Why is it so
hard for seasoned professionals to be patient and learn from the
past? The reason is because your mind is programmed to repeat your
past behavior. Plus, your negative emotions distort your ability
to reason and play havoc with your ability to perform.
Let's assume
you are a professional golfer playing in the U.S. Open and you are
at par after the second round. Would you be willing to keep plugging
away and be happy to continue making par? Or, would you be tempted
to take a risk and go for a birdie once in awhile? Chances are you
would lose your patience and go for it.
If you went
for it and made a birdie, chances are you would feel pretty confident
and go for it again. Eventually, Old Man Golf would catch up with
you and you would pay the piper with a double or triple boogie or
worse because of the severe penalties for making a bad shot on a
U.S. Open course, especially in 2000 at Pebble Beach.
Then what would
you do? Would you wise up and be content to go back to making par?
Or, would you be upset with yourself and take more risks to make
up for losing ground? This is only a small snap shot of what goes
through the minds of many of the professionals playing in the U.S.
Open.
The mental test
at the U.S. Open is having the humility and patience to play for
par for the entire four rounds. If you had the talent and were playing
in the U.S. Open, would you be able to pass this mental test?
P.S. It seems
this tip only applies to the rest of the field that Tiger Woods
left in his dust.
If
you have not read "The Mental Keys To Improve Your Golf", you will
benefit greatly from my book by seeing the whole picture instead
of just pieces contained in my mental tips.
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