Golf Flow

When Justin Rose had a bad Sunday, rather than abandon his process, he trusted it and won the very next week. After Sean O’Hair missed a cut in the British Open, he doubled down on his confidence and won the next week in Canada.
    Golfers who want to play at a high level for a long time cannot afford to abandon processes that have historically served them well. They cannot afford to get bullied by the game. Great players must have the ability to capitalize when the stars are aligned, but they also need the ability to absorb the often-unpredictable nature of achievement domains and the parallel ability to believe in themselves even when the results provide reason to doubt.
    In Camilo’s case, rather than make a swing change, he made a small adjustment in his setup and has begun making progress. While Camilo’s journey is a story that is still being written, I believe it provides deep insight into the difficulty and importance of accurate thinking in golf. It illustrates why it is so important to focus on learning rather than ego and, above all else, to remain patient in this game of ups and downs.

Chapter 14
Sean O’Hair
    Being in the Present
    Cliff Welch/Icon SMI
    The modern word
tantalize
comes from the fable surrounding Tantalus, a character from Greek mythology. According to legend, the gods saw to it that Tantalus, who had committed acts of treachery, would spend eternity standing in a pond of water. Each time he bent down for a drink of water, the pond would recede and stay just beyond the reach of his cupped hands. Similarly, fruit trees hung over his head, yet when he would reach for a piece of fruit, the branches would rise and remain just beyond the reach of his hands. His story is one of temptation without satisfaction, of eternal deprivation.
    Tantalus occupies many domains. Racecar driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s quest for victory in 2011 was chockfull of near misses, close calls, and what-ifs. Despite racing at a consistently high level, contending regularly, and achieving 12 finishes in the top 10, his ultimate goal of winning eluded him. In a parallel fashion, research scientists are familiar with the feeling. Many academic researchers spend a lifetime trying to solve a single proof or seeking to prove or disprove the smallest of details from a particular theory. When it seems like they are getting closer to a finding, the research trail often goes cold. Einstein, while being celebrated as the most successful physicist of modern times, spent 30 years of his life in a failed attempt to create his grand unified theory. Of his quest, Einstein wrote,
The years of anxious searching in the dark, with their intense longing, their alternations of confidence and exhaustion and the final emergence into the light—only those who have experienced it can understand it.
    Golfers can certainly relate to Earnhardt’s frustration and Einstein’s words. The parallels are clear: extreme dedication and longing in a lengthy quest for excellence.
    In a manner similar to Tantalus’ punishment, golf has a way of teasing the mind and keeping the prizes just out of reach, at least for a while.
    A common phrase among golfers of all levels is, “I am so much better than my scores are showing.” It’s another way of saying, “I am so much better than I am playing.” Most golfers spend the bulk of their playing lives in some version of purgatory—not quite hell, not quite heaven. They play OK, but not quite at the level of their potential. They know that they can do better but only rarely get into flow and play as if inspired
    Golfers feel most like Tantalus during the often-cruel moments when they are extremely close to a sought-after achievement, be it a personal best score or an elusive first victory. They get right up next to it only to watch it recede.
    Finishing way down the leaderboard sometimes seems easier, or at least less anguishing. If you are never really in the tournament, you are less invested, so your emotions emerge relatively unscathed. But the close calls and the dashed hopes can be damning. The belief that they are on the verge of the win, that they are so close they can almost taste it, lives on in their minds and keeps golfers awake at night.

Tantalus Plays Golf
    Anyone who watched the 2007 British Open understands that Tantalus plays golf. Sergio Garcia, who led the first three rounds of the tournament and began the day with a three-shot lead, couldn't will a putt into the hole. Needing to make