Bob Skura's Blog

Phil Mickelson was so accurate with his wedge on the 15^th hole on Sunday of the Deutsche Bank Championship that his shot hit the flag and ricocheted off the green. At first Mickleson was annoyed. Who wouldn’t be? The very same thing on the very same hole happened to him last year.

This time however, he did something different. Instead of being irritated he purposely changed his state of mind. As Phil explained it, “ I said to my caddie, Screw it. I’m going to chip this in.” And wouldn’t you know it the ball rolled up and into the cup.

Interestingly, Phil didn’t change his technique. He didn’t refer to the latest golf instruction magazine and he didn’t use a lifeline to call Dave Pelz. He simply changed his state of mind. Changing your state of mind will help you too.  Find out what it is right now and if it’s not optimum for your best round of golf make a change.

Tiger gave a press conference today talking about his progress with Sean Foley. Boy did he look composed! Tiger spoke naturally instead of in the guarded manner he usually speaks to the press and he just seemed really at peace with himself.

Garret Kramer of Inner Sports says that a person makes better decisions and therefore performs better when he has a clear and quiet peace of mind. It seems like Tiger’s there now and I wouldn’t be surprised if he pulled off a win very soon. If he gets his old mo-jo back look out! There may be a new Tiger era in the making.

Tiger Woods shot 65, 73, 72, 67 this week at the Barclay’s for his best finish since June but more importantly he showed signs of his old self.

In my August 26th Blog I suggested we watch to see how he handled himself after his opening 65. To my mind he handled himself VERY well. Despite playing poorly Friday he kept his composure. He did the same Saturday when he struck the ball better but still scored poorly. Finally he made some putts and had a good score on Sunday.
Elite athletes know that a proper mindset precedes peak performances. So to see Tiger in a good frame of mind indicates that a win isn’t far away.

As he practices being quiet-minded he will gradually relearn to play well over three rounds and then four rounds just the way a PGA Tour rookie learns to play a full 72 holes on the way to his first victory.

In a few months we might all be looking back and shaking our heads at another remarkable segment in the career of Tiger Woods.

Recently I asked readers to submit stories about their Zone experiences on the golf course. The thinking being that if we can find some common denominators maybe we all can learn how to have those experiences more often.

So I wrote an article combining their stories under three headings:
1. How their rounds started
2. Their mindset at the time
3. Expectations…

… and then looking at the  lessons we can draw from the information.
You can read the full article by clicking on this link:

Tiger shot 65 today and is leading the Barclays. Does this mean he’s turning the tide against TWD *disease? Well, that’s hard to tell because when a golfer plays well and his swing is hitting on all cylinders it’s easy to remain calm.

The real indicator of how well his come back is progressing will be apparent the next time he plays poorly or even mediocre. If he demonstrates patience then he’s going in the right direction.  On the other hand if he throws a temper tantrum at every bad shot then he’s got further to go.

My guess is that Tiger is pretty close to turning the corner. He didn’t get to be number one for so long by accident and his mental strengths aren’t so covered by dust that he can’t find them. Watch to see how he handles himself the rest of the week and then use what you learn to help your own game!

* TWD as I’ve defined it in previous Blogs is Tiger Woods Disease or the frustration of trying to improve from where you wish you were or where you used to be. High achievers are masters at making progress from where they are.

TWD or Tiger Woods Disease as I’ve outlined it in my last blog, is the attempt to improve from where you used to be or wish you were instead of where you are right now.

On the weekend Anthony Kim missed the cut at the Wyndham Championship but his post round interview gave observers a clue as to why he’ll probably avoid TWD.

Since Kim is coming off thumb surgery he can ‘blame’ his slow recovery on an external factor.  That allows him to focus on how he’s doing from day to day and removes the frustration of comparing his game to what it used to be. After all, the injury and the surgery aren’t his fault.

So how can AK’s situation help you?

Well, if your game isn’t what it used to be try viewing your predicament as the result of a mental injury.  It could be a stress injury, an anxiety injury or a confidence injury. All of these are mental issues and aren’t really your fault. They happen to everyone over the course of a lifetime.

The fact that you can admit the problem assists your recovery. It’ll allow you to simply look at your current status and move on from there. An injury may never have been so welcome.

First there was Ian Baker-Finch Disease. Baker-Finch won the 1991 British Open and shortly after that fell off the map. In a notorious comeback attempt at the Open four years later he hit a ball off St. Andrews first tee 120 yards left of the first fairway and right out of bounds. The wind happened to be blowing left to right at the time making his flinch even more notable.

Then there was David Duval Disease. Duval topped the world rankings in 1999. By 2003 he ranked 211th in the world and had been left for dead.

Now we have Tiger Woods Disease. One year ago Tiger woods was number one on the PGA Tour money list. As of today, having played 9 tournaments this year, he’s 78th and going nowhere.

What each of these men share in common is the frustration of trying to get back to where they once were. It’s a frustration that almost all golfers encounter to some degree sooner or later. Anyone who has wished they could putt like they did when they were a youngster is making the msitake of trying to get back to where they once were.

The reason it’s a mistake is that you can only improve from where you are, not from where you once were or where you wish you were. Think about your own attempt at improvement. Are you trying to recreate some perfect swing that you once experienced for a few rounds? Are you trying to return to a former glory?

What Tiger needs to do is sit down and admit that he’s 78th on the money list. He’s technically #1 in the world but in practical terms he’s probably 10th or 15th. He’s not an automatic on the Ryder Cup team. He’s a captain’s pick. Those are the facts. That’s where he is.

What he needs to do is create a plan to make improvement from there. Only then will he be able to move on.

As for you and I. We need to do the same. All the birdies we’ve made in the past are behind us. So are the bogies. There’s a new golf hole in front of us. Let’s aim for the middle of the fairway and play on from there.

In this section of Bob Skura’s Blog you can share a story of success or of woe if you like. Click on ‘Comments’ at the end of this or any other article and proceed.

In this section of Bob Skura’s Blog you can ask a question and Bob will do his best to answer. Click on ‘Comments’ at the end of this or any other article and proceed.

Tiger shot 74 at Firestone this afternoon. Anthony Kim (AK) shot 75.  Those are frustrating scores for any professional let alone two stars of the game.

Both of these men are making a comeback – Anthony from thumb surgery and Tiger from domestic distractions. And the challenge they face is the same almost every golfer faces sooner or later, that of trying to return to a previous high.

Golfers must stay in the present to perform well and that’s why past accomplishments can be a millstone around a golfer’s neck. It’s easy to get frustrated at not being able to post the scores you did in the past.

So the key for you, Mr. Average Golfer, AK, and Tiger is to make improvement from where you are, not where you once were, or where you wish you were. Trying to do so takes you right out of the present moment.

So where is Tiger? Where is AK? Where are you? When each person answers that question he or she can take the next step forward. Let’s hope Tiger and Anthony Kim are patient enough to do that. And let’s hope you are too.