I can’t remember seeing a more composed finish under pressure than Ryan Fox’s remarkable Open Championship victory.
Twice, when the Claret Jug was within touching distance, bad luck struck. On the 15th his tee shot finished right up against the back lip of a bunker, leaving him no option but to chip backwards. On the 17th another perfectly sensible tee shot finished in a bunker no one expected him to reach.
Most golfers would have reacted with frustration. Ryan didn’t. This is largely to do with him working alongside Karl Morris of The Mind Factor who has helped shape Ryan’s mental approach for the last seven years. Watching Fox throughout the championship, it was impossible not to see its influence.
The three principles Karl Morris frequently teaches in The Mind Factor are:
- Intention – Have a clear picture of the shot you want to play. Your intention should be positive and specific, focusing on what you want the ball to do rather than what you want to avoid.
- Attention – Place your attention on something useful, such as the target, the flight of the ball or the feel of the club. Avoid directing your attention to technical swing thoughts or outcomes you can’t control.
- Attitude – Accept whatever happens after the shot. Commit fully beforehand, then respond with acceptance rather than frustration or self-criticism.
These three principles work together:
- Intention gives your brain a clear task.
- Attention keeps your mind focused on external factors such as the club face and the target
- Attitude allows you to accept the outcome and move on to the next shot.
This fits very closely with the Easiest Swing philosophy. A clear intention, useful attention and an accepting attitude all reduce unnecessary tension, allowing your natural movement to emerge rather than trying to consciously manufacture a golf swing.
Ryan demonstrated all three perfectly. After his victory he explained that, before every shot, he described out loud to his caddie exactly the shot he wanted to play. His intention wasn’t to make a perfect swing but to let the shot create the swing.
Most golfers believe the swing creates the shot but actually the opposite is true – The picture of the shot creates the swing. The attention shifts away from internal mechanics towards an external target. The body is then free to organise the movement naturally.
Then comes perhaps the hardest skill of all – an attitude of ACCEPTANCE. Ryan’s bunker lie on the 15th was desperately unlucky. He accepted it immediately. No complaints. No frustration. No self-pity. He simply played the smartest shot available, made a brilliant bogey and moved on.
The same thing happened on the 17th. Another cruel break. Another calm response. He accepted reality and focused only on the next shot. Again, Foxy didn’t waste energy arguing with what already happened. He simply dealt with what was in front of him and moved on.
Pursuit Rather Than Avoidance
Standing on the 18th tee, following these two strokes of bad luck, rather than playing conservatively Ryan remained in pursuit of victory. He wasn’t trying not to lose, he was trying to win. Instead of protecting his score, he committed fully to hitting driver down one of the narrowest fairways in championship golf.
He accepted the risk before he swung. The result was a magnificent drive folowed by a superb wedge to eleven feet. One final putt. The Claret Jug.
It was Ryan’s attitude of acceptance that allowed him to hold onto his original intention, keep his attention fixed on the shots he wanted to create, and remain in pursuit of victory rather than being distracted by fear of failure.
What Can Every Golfer Learn?
Golf will always involve bad breaks. You’ll get lucky. You’ll get unlucky. You’ll hit wonderful shots and you’ll hit dreadful ones. None of that is entirely within your control. What is always within your control is your attitude.
Ryan Fox showed us that acceptance isn’t giving up – it’s freeing yourself to play the very next shot.
It reminds me of one of Brian Sparks’ favourite sayings during Easiest Swing workshops. After hitting some great shots down the driving range he would suddenly hit a terrible shot. The group would gasp in surprise, almost in embarassment, but Brian would simply look up at the sky, smile and say…..
“It’s still a nice day.”
Then he would hit another awful shot, almost topping the ball. Again he would step back, look at the sky and say, “it’s still a nice day”. What a wonderfully reminder that golf is just a game.
As golfers, no matter our standard, it is our responsibility to remember to enjoy the game. Ater all, we really are among the fortunate few who get to play it.