1. Don’t be seduced by results
You are out there to play the course. Just relax and play your game. Be less bothered about what your opponent is scoring. The moment you dwell on the number of shots you will need to oust your opponents, especially during tournaments, you have lost it.
2. The worst thing you can do for your prospects of winning is to get down when things don’t go well. If you start feeling sorry for yourself or thinking the golfing gods are conspiring against you, you’re not focused on the next shot.
Beat them with patience. Every time you have the urge to make an aggressive play, go with the more conservative one. You’ll always be okay in a tournament if you are not thinking that the rough will be thicker, the pins will be tougher and the greens will be faster. The moment you get impatient, bad things happen.
3. Embrace your golf personality: Some players, especially great ones like Peter Akakasiaka, Ralph Iyonagbe and Kingsley Oparaku, love to socialise on the course; others like Ochei Odoh and Olopade keep to themselves. The key is to find what works best for you. The toughest players, mentally and emotionally, don’t talk to anyone when the game is on. They will simply tell you they don’t have time to chat because they have an ongoing dialogue with themselves.
4. Have a routine to lean on: Follow a mental and physical routine on every shot. It keeps you focused on what you have to do, and when the pressure is on, it helps you manage your nerves. A pre-shot routine can help you win.
5. Find peace on the course: When you practise hard and admit to yourself that you really want to win, it’s easy to build up a tournament into something so huge that you can’t play. You become a panicked practiser and try to perfect every area of your game. You get yourself so tied up in knots it’s ridiculous. The golf course has to be your sanctuary, the thing you love, and you can’t be afraid of messing up.
6. Test yourself in Strokeplay: Be a big believer that Strokeplay is real golf. There are a lot of people who are good in matches but can’t play a lick at stroke play. But most guys who are good at Strokeplay also thrive in matches. When you have to count every shot, it’s a tougher game. Too often guys go out as a foursome and play ‘our best ball against your best ball’. That has its place, but Strokeplay makes you mentally tough
7. Find someone who will believe in you: The greatest thing that can go for you is to believe in other people’s merit. You can see people doing things they can’t see themselves doing. Every champion needs that.
8. Ignore unsolicited swing advice: If you feel comfortable with a swing, no matter how ugly the swing is, go with it. The moment you change swings because someone, especially an amateur, asks you to, you can never feel comfortable with any swing.
