Golf Flow

experiences.
The golfer tests the ideas against present and future experiences and during this phase has an “aha” moment when the ideas crystallize.
Finally, after considering the ideas for some time, the golfer integrates them into his or her belief system. The ideas then serve as the new lens through which the golfer sees the world, interprets experiences, and engages the game.
    The endeavor proceeded that way with Justin. As he began to explore the whys of his golf, I introduced him to the concept of achievement goals. Through the lens of achievement golf theory, he began to see his own mastery and ego tendencies. Consequently, he began to understand his underlying motivations and intentions and thus put some structure on his mind-set and belief system. By working toward becoming a mastery-oriented golfer, he began to untangle the conflict and confusion in his mind. Why? Because after golfers becomes clear about their purpose for playing, then their reactions, focus, and mental clarity fall in line with that motivation.
    I find that few people understand the relationship between their motivations and their thoughts, feelings, and performances. When I explain to athletes the differences between mastery and ego orientations, these relationships often come into better focus. Review the following examples:
    If the reason that you are playing is
to be liked by the people you’re paired with, you’ll be at the mercy of how you think you’re being perceived.
to impress people with your golf game, then you’ll be at the mercy of your score.
to beat a specific golfer, then your mental clarity is likely to fluctuate depending on how you’re playing relative to how they’re playing (talk about uncertainty!).
to make money, then you’re mental focus and intensity will vary relative to how much money you perceive you are or are not making.
to shield yourself from threats to your ego (e.g., self-image), then you run the risk of becoming nervous or angry when your ego is threatened or questioned.
    If, however, your motivation is
curiosity, then you’ll be perpetually engaged in the task.
to grow and evolve as a player, then your experiences will be fully accepted and you’ll remain free.
to enjoy yourself throughout the round and day, then you’ll seek the type of enjoyment on the golf course that makes you mentally free.
    So, you see, a golfer’s motivation is often at the core of his or her mind-set. But it is not just the amount of motivation that is important; it is the quality of motivation as well. Answering the basic question, “Why do you play golf?” can, as with Justin, set in motion the type of belief change required for transformational golf. From there, you can begin a constructive dialogue that quiets your mind or, more accurately, allows your mind to quiet itself and function in a harmonious manner that allows for flow.
    The following week, our second together, as a newly minted mastery golfer, Justin finished 10th at the BMW Championship in Wentworth, England. The next week at historical Colonial Country Club, we began to work toward the mastery golf routine that I teach my players. By doing the preshot and postshot routine, Justin evolved from simply thinking like a mastery golfer to thinking and behaving like one on the golf course. This moment is critical in my process with golfers. Most important for Justin was the ability to accept poorly executed shots and move on with a clear mind as he began to view golf as both a performance with a score and a continual learning process. As he stayed focused on his process that week, he finished next to last in the field for those players who made the cut (T71).
    As with Matt Kuchar’s experience in 2009, Justin’s relatively poor result at the BMW Championship was a key turning point, because it provided him an opportunity to avoid letting himself be defined by his results and instead to practice the habit of mastery golf, that is, to immerse himself in learning from an experience rather than reacting to it.
    The choice that you face following a poor performance is clear: Do you focus on the result and get disappointed, or do you learn your lesson and apply that lesson with a focus on long-term improvement? As Doc Rivers says about basketball, “You’ve got to go through something to get something.” Justin had said that he wanted to play mastery golf, and he had gone through the experience of performing poorly. Was he ready to reap the