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I know I usually write about golf and the mental side of performance, but I had to share a great experience I had watching the movie Dark Knight. The next installment in the Batman franchise was an example of intense film making that left me wondering how they did it. In particular I was mesmerized by Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker. I will admit I don’t get to see a lot of movies (I have 3 children); however it was obvious while watching this movie that Heath’s performance was truly a “zone” performance. He became The Joker in his mannerisms, language, and mental state. Heath showed full commitment to the part and stayed focused throughout each scene. He never took a scene off and his ability to transform into this demented character.  Athletes can learn from actors in how they prepare for roles and the similarities of performance and sports. To be in control, focused, and fully committed to the present moment is needed for both to achieve greatness. Look around and if you look closely enough you will find everyday people who are in their own zone of being the best they can be.  

Another weekend of golf and more examples of players not playing well down the stretch. I have the utmost respect for professional golfers and their skill level. What still amazes me is how experienced players still have trouble finishing the job for a win. The Bridgestone WGC showed that Phil Mickelson is still a long way from being the best player in the world. He was given a great opportunity to win his first World Golf Championship event as he held at least a share of the lead the final 4 holes. What did he do? He bogeyed 3 of the last 4 holes to finish 2 shots back of Vijay Singh. He blocked crucial tee shots that all lead to bogies. Working with Butch has improved the look of his swing, yet I still haven’t seen the benefits of the changes when it matters most, at the end of a tournament.

Vijay wanted to give the tournament away as he looked confused and “jabby” over his short putts. Vijay has worked with a “Mental Game Coach” and has mentioned the importance of breathing and calming himself down. Again, getting coached hasn’t lead to mastery. Tiger is the only one who has come close to mastering the game. He has improved in all areas and his mental skills allow his physical skills to go on automatic. Phil and Vijay are as physically talented as Tiger, yet they have mental interference that gets in the way of allowing these high level skills to be shown.

It will be interesting this week of the PGA as the players will be challenged by narrow fairways and slick greens. The time without Tiger was to show the world that other players could also show greatness. Unfortunately, we just get reminded of how difficult the game truly is and how far Tiger is ahead mentally of the competition.

It is never a dull moment when it comes to Michelle Wie. She accepted a sponsor’s invitation into the Reno PGA Tour event this week. What was once excitement for the tour has now turned into a circus sideshow. Don’t get me wrong, I think Michelle Wie is very talented and someday will be a very good player on the LPGA tour; however bouncing all around different tours without ever winning is detrimental to her growth as a player. I respect she likes the challenges that a PGA Tour event holds, yet see is still treating her golf career as a hobby instead of a profession. I work with far too many good players who wish they could get a sponsor’s invite to a PGA tour event. I can guarantee these players are better than Michelle Wie on a course set-up for men.

I wonder what the master plan is for the Wie family. Se needs a consistent, full-time schedule based around the LPGA tour that will allow her to gain momentum throughout the year and get into contention more often. Her attitude during press conferences has slightly gotten better as she matures. Golf is a challenging game at every level and it only get more competitive as the talent improves. Michelle Wie’s talent can no longer be enough to win on the LPGA, she needs to get mentally stronger and execute a plan for an entire competitive year.

This week has been very busy as I got back from Austin, Texas doing some mental game seminars. Even though it is British Open week I was not able to see any of the first three rounds. In fact I really didn’t get to see how the third round finished so I woke up early Sunday morning to find Greg Norman in the lead at the Open championship. Norman was one of my golfing heroes when I was younger. I always enjoyed his go for broke style and was crushed as he lost numerous major tournaments. I have seen most of the top players of the past 20 years in person and to this day Norman was the most impressive ball striker I have ever seen. Fast forward 10 years and Norman finds himself 18 holes away from one of the greatest victories in golf history.

As Norman started the round with 3 straight bogies all the past memories came rushing back to me. I wonder what was going through his mind as his lead was given to Padraig Harrington. I kept rooting for him to muster up some magic, but it wasn’t to be. I hope all the younger players watched how classy Norman was during his pursuit of the Open. He stayed positive and focused on how his mind was clear and life was great. It shows us all how when off course life is good it certainly makes on course performance better.

Now that Tiger has announced he will hang it up for the rest of the year due to injury it gives the other guys a chance to shine. The problem is that the media will continue to say that a tour without Tiger should have an asterisk because the best is not in the field. From a mental game standpoint a PGA Tour player should embrace this time to get noticed. The young players like Anthony Kim, Justin Rose, and Sean O’Hair have the opportunity to be a part of the spotlight and carve out their own identity. There is so much to play for with the British Open, PGA championship, and Ryder Cup that the game will be fine as long as players show signs of greatness. Nobody will ever fill Tiger’s shoes; however fans have become accustomed to great performances from Tiger. The other players will now get the attention if and only if they step it up. It will be interesting if anyone breaks out and turns the media’s buzz from where’s Tiger, to we have a new challenger.

Every golf fan was once again treated to Tiger being Tiger. This time he upped the ante by winning the US Open with major left leg injuries. The pain was evident as the tournament wore on and he winced in pain after hitting certain drives. The mental toughness that he displayed was truly amazing. He willed himself to not only finish the tournament but win the event. Of course I was impressed with Tiger’s ability to play at a high level with the constant pain; however the trait of Tiger that still blows me away is his ability to make the putts he absolutely needs to make. His Sunday putt on 18 proves that when it needs to be done, it is done. Tiger has the talent to keep his focus as the situation becomes more important. Most players will become distracted by what the moment means and not be able to perform at their best.

I just finished reading about the US Open challenge of Tony Romo, Justin Timberlake, Matt Lauer, and the winner of the Golf Digest contest John Atkinson. The challenge was to see if a 10 handicap could break 100 on a US Open course set-up. The results were Romo 84, Timberlake 98, Lauer 100, and Atkinson 114. The three celebrities are all 6 handicaps or below. Atkinson showed that a good player (about an 8 handicap) can’t come close to the world’s best on the toughest set-up. This week the real players will test their skills to see who will win, the course or the player. Unfortunately even the players know the answer. The course will be very demanding and is set-up to have the winning score be even par. The question will be who will overcome the physical and mental demands of playing a course that is borderline unfair? I enjoy how precise a player has to be playing the open, yet when is a course become too difficult to allow a professionals talent to come out. If a player is always protecting against disaster they stop playing at their best. The US Open has taken away the risk/reward shot and replaced it with just a risk shot after risk shot. I hope we see the best bring their game to the toughest test.