GAME IMPROVEMENT ELITE JONATHAN WALLET Jonathan Wallett is a certified and qualified Sport Psychology expert and an Ad- vanced Member of the British PGA. He is the Director of the Elite Coaching Golf Academy, based at the Evian Masters Training Centre in France and Lakelands , Australia. This article has been adapted from his Elite Performance Workbook Series. For further details, please visit www.elitegolfproducts.com

Do you hear every small sound when you are trying to concentrate on a shot? Are you burdened with anxiety about where your ball will go every time you strike it? In an exclusive three-part Asian Golf Monthly series, Jonathan Wallett, Elite Per- formance coach of the Elite Coaching Golf Academy at the Evian Masters Training Centre in France, discusses the importance of good concentration in golf and re- veals strategies designed to help you focus better. In the first of the trilogy, Wallett explains how you can learn to develop a Zen-like focus when you’re on the course.

t a recent teaching conference of more than 1,000 golf coaches in America, the attendees were asked to write down what they considered to be the most Aimportant mental skills in golf. Over 90 per cent cited concentration and focus. Jack Nicklaus, the best player in the history of the game with 18 professional Major champi- onships to his name, would agree. He once said: “I was blessed with the ability to focus intensely on whatever I’m doing right now, free of dis- tractions and to the exclusion of whatever else might pre-occupy me.” The obvious question, therefore, is why concentration and focus aren’t taught more av- idly in the golfing world? Be truthful: How many lessons have you had in learning to develop your concentration? How much of your practice time do you spend on improving your focus? If you are like most players, the answer will be almost none. So what exactly do we mean by the term concentration? Concentration is simply the ability to de- vote one’s undivided attention to something. Concentration is not something that you can force. It ‘flows’, just like a river. Total con- centration occurs when you become absolutely absorbed in the moment of what you are doing. You lose track of time, and everything seems effortless. Players describe it as a mystical state where everything feels effortless. Some refer to it as ‘being in the zone’. When you’re on the , it’s the ide- I was blessed with the ability to focus intensely on what- ever I’m doing right now, free of distractions and to the ex- clusion of whatever else might pre-occupy me.” -Jack Nicklaus

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al state, as a variety of Major cham- pions can attest. Here are a couple of examples: Key Points Swede Helen Alfredsson birdied Concentration is simply the ability to the last two holes in regulation for a place one’s undivided attention on some- round of 63 to qualify for a play-off in thing; the 2008 Evian Masters. She then bird- Everyone can improve their ability to ied the first two extra holes to beat concentrate. Work on it as you work on Choi Na-yeon and Angela Park and other areas of your game, like your swing claim the title. “When you’re really or putting stroke. playing that well, you don’t realise the In the penultimate instalment of this score. You’re in the golf shot, but the three-part series in the September edi- sense of past or failure doesn’t exist. tion of Asian Golf Monthly, Jonathan Wal- You’re right here,” she explained. lett discusses the ‘Five Key Elements of the Zone’. went to a similar place when he fired a closing 64 to win the 1993 British Open. In the wake of his victory he was quoted as saying: develop their ability to focus in tan- “I was hitting the ball perfectly with dem with the development of their every swing. It was like someone had Total concentration occurs when golf game. put the coin in the jukebox and the right song started playing.” you become absolutely absorbed in the How is your concentration? Among an elite handful who are moment of what you are doing. You lose Think back to your best rounds and/ said to have been able to control or best tournaments. How was your the as if it were attached to track of time, and everything seems ef- concentration? What was your inter- a piece of string during the peak of nal self-talk? How did you feel physi- their powers were Ben Hogan, Nick- fortless.” ologically? laus and . Now think back to a poor round Hogan is infamous and revered When Faldo was at the top of the man to usurp Nicklaus at the pin- and/or a poor tournament. How was for his and the amazingly his game in the early 1990s he was nacle of the game. Problem was that your concentration? What was your crisp, repeatable shots it produced. regarded as having as near a perfect the Golden Bear had no intention of internal self-talk? How did you feel Among his peers, he was nicknamed swing as humanly possible. He was stepping down from his lofty perch – physiologically? ‘The Hawk’ because when he played hailed as a ‘golfing machine’ for he at least not in the foreseeable future. It’s well worth analysing the dif- golf he had the same transfixed stare was painstakingly meticulous in ev- Paired together for the last two ferences, no matter how subtle they of a hawk zoning in on its prey. erything he did, from planning the rounds, the duo became so immersed might seem. After all, they could hold There is a story of him compet- shot through to execution. Rarely in their head-to-head contest at the the key to future success. ing in a tournament and his playing could anything distract him. top of the leaderboard that the other As well as being well known for partner made a hole-in-one. When In golf there are literally dozens 80-odd competitors were forgotten. winning eight European Tour Order marking the scorecard, he asked his of players who possess great swings, Great shot was matched with great of Merit titles and performing bril- fellow competitor what his score was yet can only be termed as ‘good play- shot and it was Watson who ulti- liantly in the , as player on that hole! So absorbed was Hogan ers’. With a good swing and great con- mately prevailed with two rounds of and captain, Colin Montgomerie is in his own cocoon of concentration he centration you can become a great 65 compared to the 65, 66 by Nicklaus. famous for being easily distracted by had not even noticed a hole-in-one. player. Those that happen to have Both men relished the battle in spectators, guilty of coughing, mov- Nicklaus joined the PGA Tour as a been blessed with a great swing and which they were totally focused. ing or taking a photograph at an in- 22-year-old in 1962 and hunted down great concentration are golfing icons Even though he had to settle for sec- opportune moment. Those that happen to have been Arnold Palmer to win that year’s US such as Hogan, Nicklaus and Faldo. ond place, to this day Nicklaus still Yet generally it’s only when Open, his first Major. His long, straight A common denominator, or criti- describes it as one of his most memo- things are going badly that he’s dis- and powerful hitting became a hall- cal success factor, in all great perfor- blessed with a great swing and great con- rable tournament experiences. tracted. When he’s playing his best, mark of his success. Indeed, such was mances is that the player at that time external distractions are not an issue. centration have become golfing icons.” the prowess of his long game that was totally focused and immersed Montgomerie could certainly Nicklaus was able to scale the peaks in what he or she was doing. Great Can you learn to concentrate, have benefited from a better under- ‘This is a fast putt, be careful not to golfer. Concentration is one of the with a short game regarded as ordi- shots and great performances do not standing and refining of his ability three-putt’. critical success factors which separate nary by some observers. occur when you are distracted or en- or is it a God-given talent? to stay on track when things were Here’s a question for you. If you the good players from great players. Nicklaus was known as the ‘Golden gaged in heavy self-talk. Just as a player can grow and de- not going perfectly. Perhaps it could could learn to improve your concen- Focus is a phenomenon, not just in Bear’, partly for his blond crop of hair, Who can forget the famous ‘Duel velop his or her golf swing, so they have helped him to secure that elu- tration and focus by a minimum of 25 golf but in other sports and, of course, and partly for the relentless ‘glare’ he in the Sun’ in the 1997 British Open at can learn to improve and refine their sive Major victory that he so craved. per cent, how would that affect your life as well. had in his eyes when competing. Turnberry when Nicklaus, the world ability to concentrate, and get ‘in the But how about you? Are you results or scores? The ability to ‘place one’s undivid- It was not dissimilar with Faldo. number one for the previous 15 years, zone’. Concentration is a skill, and distracted by the smallest sound or The point is that everyone can ed attention on something’ is a pre- So intense was he when he played that was paired with the pretender to his like all skills can be learned and de- movement? Are you distracted in- learn to manage distractions. Im- requisite for any elite performance. many of his rivals said ‘it was like playing throne, Tom Watson? veloped. Every player should pay re- ternally through negative thoughts proving your concentration is a re- Focus is the vehicle for excellence or on your own when paired with Faldo’. Watson had been widely touted as spect to its importance, and look to or doubts? ‘Don’t hit it left OB’, or: alistic and achievable aim for every outstanding performance.

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