| One of the key success factors for better golf | | | | they both seemed to be playing their mental golf |
| psychology is learning to unconsciously play one | | | | one shot at a time. |
| shot at a time - "in the moment", "in the zone" or | | | | You could see that focus in the way that Benn |
| "in the now." This applies equally to every shot | | | | calmly holed a series of difficult recovery putts to |
| you play whether it's on the practice ground, in a | | | | keep things going in the first 9 holes on Sunday. |
| friendly game or in the most important round of | | | | However, he didn't seem to be "trying" to keep |
| your golf career. Playing "in the now" means that | | | | things going and just seemed to be playing each |
| you're protected from any poor, indifferent shots | | | | shot on its merits, while disregarding the shots |
| and ill-judged shots that went before. It also | | | | that had gone before, good and bad. He also didn't |
| means that you're protected from future | | | | look like a man who was getting ahead of himself. |
| uncertainties and expectations. | | | | He just seemed to be focusing on playing his |
| Now, why am I talking about this today? Well, isn't | | | | shots and letting the score just happen. Even the |
| the world's golf press just amazing, if a little | | | | final result didn't really faze him, judging by his |
| predictable? They watch Benn Barham score a | | | | comment afterward, when he said, "I'm very |
| fourth round 69 for a phenomenal total of 19 | | | | happy with the way I have played but |
| under par and then say that he failed. They focus | | | | disappointed to finish second." |
| their attention on his few bad shots, like his drive | | | | Rafael certainly looked to me like he was doing |
| down the last hole, "that cost him a birdie." If he'd | | | | the same thing and he confirmed it afterward |
| played and scored as well as he did and then won, | | | | when he's quoted as saying. |
| they'd be talking about his amazing success and | | | | "It's just amazing - I played the best golf of my |
| probably knocking Rafael Cabrera Bello's | | | | life and I can't believe it, I was so far back at the |
| disastrous failure. | | | | start of the final round that I wasn't thinking |
| Now I'm not taking anything away from Rafael. | | | | about winning. I just tried to play a shot at a time |
| He played remarkably well, scoring an 11-under | | | | and it worked out really good." |
| par round of 60 to beat Benn into second place in | | | | So how do I play each shot "in the now", I hear |
| the Austrian Open by a single shot. I read | | | | you asking? Well, I'll be talking a lot more about |
| somewhere that it's one of only 13 rounds of 60 | | | | that in future articles. For now, here's a simple |
| in the history of the European Tour. Darren Clarke | | | | suggestion that will bring most people abruptly |
| has had two of those, so Rafael's one of only 12 | | | | "into the now." Just imagine that the shot you are |
| phenomenal golfers to achieve that level. | | | | about to play is the last golf shot you will ever |
| What's more interesting, especially to me as a | | | | play. There's no point in thinking about the next |
| golf psychologist watching every shot of their final | | | | shot, as there isn't going to be one. Just make |
| rounds, is that they both played to the best of | | | | the best you can of this one last shot. Make it a |
| their ability on the day. It was just that Rafael | | | | shot to remember. You wouldn't want to mess |
| scored even better than Benn's 63 in the opening | | | | up your last ever shot by trying too hard, now |
| round on Thursday. What's also interesting is that | | | | would you. |