OB Sports Golf & Leisure

OB SPORTS GOLF & LEISURE x SUMMER 2016 x obsports.com l FROM THE PROS A s a collegiate golfer at the Uni- versity of Houston in 1993 – I later transferred to UCLA – I was not only given the opportunity to compete and succeed on the highest level, but also to fail or play poorly on a grander scale. I struggled with failure and not playing as well as I thought I should and could. As a benefit of being on the team, I was afforded the privilege of speaking with Dr. Fran Pirozzolo, a leader in, among other things, sports psychology. At the time, Dr. Pirozzolo also was as- sisting the Houston Cougars, Oilers and Astros. One day I called Dr. Pirozzolo after a difficult and frustrating 36-hole first day of a college golf tournament. I was distraught and had lost my confidence. We spoke for about 10 minutes, dis- cussing my career, personal life, and goals. Dr. Pirozzolo then asked me a few pointed questions. Could I control the outcome of a par- ticular golf shot or just the effort put forth to prepare for the shot and the athletic movement to hit it? The answer was clearly only the effort. He asked me if I used my imagina- tion before I swung to see the shot in my mind's eye going toward the target as I intended? I answered honestly that when things got tough during a round I focused more on the possible negative results – like hitting an errant shot into a hazard – and not positive results. Finally, he asked if I had a "realistic expectation" of my performance. I didn't. I hadn't even thought about it. After discussing it, we agreed that my goals internally weren't in line with my skill set at this juncture in my career. I was a little skeptical, but the next day I went out and convinced myself that Dr. Pirozzolo's advice would make a difference. And it certainly did. I stood on the 18th tee at one-under par with my team needing a good score from me. I had tripled the hole the day before, after hitting into the water twice. But this day, with a positive mental approach and good focus, I made a par and my team won. From that day for- ward I had "realistic expectations." BLAST FROM THE PAST T hroughout my golf career, I have had hundreds of lessons and read all kinds of instruction books. I've been around a lot of top instructors, but the tip I always remem- ber came from a bunker clinic I did with nine-time major champion Gary Player. After going through the basic greenside sand set up, he would always say, "Light the match, Derek." What Gary meant was to slide the club aggressively through the sand like it was metal and you were trying to cre- ate a spark. By doing this, you will properly accelerate the club through the shot. During the motion, make sure you keep the knees bent and swing confidently, aim- ing at a spot about 2 inches behind the ball. – By Derek Nannen, Director of Instruction at the Eagle Mountain Golf Academy in Arizona. SHORT SHOTS KEEPING IT REAL n SETTING REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS AND GOALS IS KEY TO PEAK PERFORMANCE BY eric lohman eric lohman is the pga general manger at monarch beach golf links in dana point, calif. in some cases, the club head accelerates past the ball.

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