My Rules for Being a Champion

Welcome back for this week's blog,

Like I'm sure most of you have been, I have been gripped by the Olympics back in my home country of Great Britain. Not just because of #TeamGB's performance where we are 3rd in the medal table but by the four years of dedication and commitment by each athlete to be there. With so many gold medals being awarded along with so many broken dreams I thought I'd do a blog on; My Rules for Being a Champion.

Firstly, let me explain what I mean by being a champion. I do not mean winning a race or a tournament. There is so much more to being a champion than just winning. Before you can win you already have to be champion in how you practice/train, conduct yourself and how you behave. If you do these things properly (the process) then you'll achieve your goals (the outcome), your goal might not be to win a specific tournament but to achieve a new low score or reduce your handicap. Not every Olympian went to win gold! A good deal would have went with the goal of doing a new personal best (PB) which might not win a medal but would be an amazing achievement to run/throw/swim etc. your best ever performance under the most pressure on the biggest stage. You can only control what you do; not what anybody else does.

Rule #1: Champions Choose to Work Hard

This is very true for all walks of life and not just in a sporting context. You only get out of something what you put into it! After all, 'practice makes permanent'. You can't expect to improve your golf and achieve your goals/dreams if you don't work hard at it.

Rule #2: Champions Practice Intelligently

Putting lots of hard work into mindless practice sessions with no feedback is as useful (if not more destructive) than doing no practice. Length of sessions is crucial, doing shorter practice sessions with total focus followed by breaks between changing activity is more productive than just going at it hammer & tongs for hour upon hour. Good practice needs continual feedback, every shot you hit should be done with a purpose which you can then judge the success of the shot and evaluate what was good/bad about the swing, practice swings to rectify mistake before the next shot.

Rule #3: Champions Live in the Present But Have a Clear Picture of the Future

It is important to stay in the present when it comes to golf. Not to dwell on the past or dream of the future but to have a clear focus of what you are doing right now and not let any failures or setbacks affect the long term goal. To know what you need to do at the current time you must have a clear picture of what you are trying to achieve and what it will look like when you have achieved it.

Rule # 4: Champions Always Want  to Learn

The most successful golfers I have been lucky enough to coach (and by successful I mean have achieved their goals not necessarily won the most big tournaments) have all been eager to learn as much as possible. Whether it be different ways of playing shots or tactical skills they have all wanted to take in as much information as possible before deciding what to use and what didn't work for them.

Rule #5: Champions Never Give Up

Swing changes don't happen overnight! My job would be much easier if they did for sure but that's not how easy things happen. For a new move or technique to become automatic it takes quite a lot of practice and dedication. If something doesn't work first time doesn't mean it won't with practice.

 

Rule #6: Champions "Just Do It"

If not now, when? How many times have you said to yourself, "I'd love to be able to....." and then done nothing about it? If you have a goal to achieve go about achieving it! Don't just sit around talking about doing it, actually go and do it.

Rule #7: Champions Enlist Help

Champions aren't afraid to ask for help (have a coach) to make them better at something. Lots of media coverage has been given to Bubba Watson having never had a golf lesson but he is an exception to the norm. Feel and real are usually very different so commit to regular lessons to achieve your aspirations.

 

To end this weeks blog is an image of an incredible athlete who when you next think, "I can't do that" will hopefully spring to mind. His name is Oscar Pistorius and he had both legs amputated from just below the knee before even reaching his first birthday but this year competed in the Olympics in the 400m and got through to the semi-finals. Next week he will be competing in the Paralympics looking to defend his 100m, 200m and 400m titles.

 

Until next week,

Happy Golfing

Ed 

Coaching educational book I am currently reading: Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

General book I am reading: Snuff by Terry Pratchett

Next on my list: The Chimp Paradox by Dr Steve Peters (British Cycling Performance Coach)

 

Next week................Chapman's Short Game Tips: Bunker Do's & Don'ts and The Low, Spinning Lob

Ed Chapman is a Class AA British PGA Golf Professional @ Al Badia Golf Club by InterContinental, Dubai Festival City

PGA Certificate in Golf Psychology Coaching - May 2012
ASQ PGA Certificate in Golf Coaching Level 2 - October 2007

Bibliography
The Talent Code - Daniel Coyle
The Champion in all of Us - Steve Backley