What was the switch that flipped in Rory McIlroy between his heart-breaking loss during the final round at The Masters and his incredible record-breaking championship win at the US Open? We want to know and he’s not sharing.
Who didn’t feel sick watching this extraordinary young man fall apart during his final round at Augusta. Our hearts ached and our skepticism grew. What’s going to happen to him? Will he be okay? How can anyone bounce back from that? Rory is every mother’s son. He’s the son father’s feel proud to share moments with. Rory’s is barely 22 and we had just experienced his childhood dream being ripped out of his hands and into the headlines.
So how did Rory make such a dramatic change and come back with a sweet vengeance? This was a sweet passionate revenge that had little to do with technical ability. (You were highly talented and technically skilled at Augusta.) Between Augusta and the US Open Greedy Williams Limited Jersey , what did you do to settle your mental and emotional score and take back control?
Here’s my take – Rory flipped out! He flipped out of the upheaval, hype and beliefs that could have lingered and festered for months. He flipped into knowing how to tame and train his B.E.A.S.T. ™ As a sport psychology and ELITE Performance Expert, I train my pro and aspiring pro athletes exactly and specifically how to do just that.
The BEAST I’m referring to consists of fear David Njoku Limited Jersey , frustration, anxiety, stress Myles Garrett Limited Jersey , crappy thoughts and false beliefs. It is the lack of a pre-determined personal playbook to manage your mind and emotions on demand, at critical moments and under extreme pressure.
Left unmanaged you get results like Augusta. All your skills, talents and training are eaten up as the BEAST takes a bite out of your performance Nick Chubb Limited Jersey , your career and sometimes even your legacy. When you tame and train your BEAST you get results like the US Open! Rory – Rory – Rory!
Here’s what I notice watching Rory’s spectacular performance on Sunday.
B in BEAST represents your Beliefs. Rory could have easily bought into the hype that his performance at the Master’s should fester and grow. That bouncing back after such a devastating loss takes time. He could have easily created an excuse that he’s young and he’s not expected to win a major at his young age. Or that he crumbles during final rounds. Any or all of these beliefs would have brought about much different results at the Open.
Beliefs are sneaky and extremely powerful. Here is a scary and also useful fact. We act according to what we believe and what we believe may not actually be true! What you believe about yourself, the situation, your clubs Denzel Ward Limited Jersey , the ball you use, the course or hole has a powerful influence on your performance … and you may not even be aware of the underlying sneaky belief that is waiting to take you down.
Though you may not be aware of the underlying belief, you are painfully aware of are the results they produce. Rory saw the results of his beliefs at Augusta. Sometime between Augusta and the US Open he recognized Baker Mayfield Limited Jersey , reframed and re-enforced a new belief. A belief he chose. What we all witnessed was the result of his new belief during a several exhilarating days of play at the Open.
E is for your Emotions. Emotions don’t care how talented, technically skilled or smart you are. They don’t care if you’re a rookie or a seasoned player. They rear their ugly hear at the most critical moments and create extreme pressure. They partner with fear, frustration Jarvis Landry Limited Jersey , anger and anxiety. Even the best can lash out or lash in. Case in point is HenrikStenson on the 15th hole of the final round. He smashed his club into the ground, broke the shaft and cut his hand. Beside that he just looked childish with his caddie attempting to bandage him up. Every golfer is going to miss at some point. It’s how you deal with those misses that makes all the difference.
When you are stressed you literally can’t think straight. Your muscles tense up and your performance suffers. With heart pounding, palms sweating and your mind fogging up Odell Beckham Jr Limited Jersey , you can kiss your score good-bye. You can go from hero to zero in a heartbeat.
Rory learned from his implode at Augusta. At the Open, did you notice how he truly enjoyed every moment? He was taking one day, one hole and one stroke at a time. He conserved his energy Jim Brown Limited Jersey , relaxed and ensured his resilience. He stayed loose and grounded. Then there were the congratulatory hand slaps with his caddie, even laughing out loud at times. That boyish smile came out as he walked from hole to hole. Small hand gestures of acknowledgement and appreciation to the gallery added to his feelings of joy and gratitude. He still stayed focused while he gave himself permission to be happy. This is a ‘state of emotion’ that kept his mind clear and his body responding to his every wish. It also creates confidence, trust and the ability to commit to his shots.
A in BEAST is for the 5-A’s
This is a ClearEDGE Method™ to stay focused on results so can play at your competitive best consistently and outplay your competition. Great golfers would never think about entering into a tournament without a plan. They know how they are going to play the course as well as each individual hole. Every aspect of their game and equipment is analyzed and scrutinized. So why would you ever think of going into something so important without a pre-determined plan on how exactly and specifically you will stay focused when you are ticked off Bernie Kosar Limited Jersey , upset and completely frustrated? A plan allows you to quickly recover and move to a state of confidence, clarity and consistency.