How golfers can learn from the Olympics to improve their stroke play and game play

<!–

–>

At first glance you might think that running one lap of the athletics track at the Olympic stadium in under a minute has nothing to do with the game of golf.

But looks can be deceiving.

In fact, it may be that the psychological and competitive difference between stroke play and putt golf has a lot in common with the psychological and competitive difference between the 400-meter dash and the relay.

A few years ago I found myself in a hotel bar with former Great Britain and Northern Ireland sprinter Brian Whittle.

Those of a certain vintage will remember that the Scotsman was a good 400 meter runner, but a better relay runner. In fact, he best embodied the late 1980s and early 1990s culture of British athletes transforming themselves from single-leg sprinters to world-class relay players.

He even became famous for being instrumental in Team GB's 1986 European Championship gold medal run despite losing one of his shoes when he grabbed the stick in the third leg.

Whittle also hails from Troon, a Scottish coastal town to Royal Troon, and is a keen – and respectable – golfer.

He was a man ready to discuss what his career (athletics) might reveal about his hobby (golf) because he was a solid 400-meter sprinter when he was stuck in the track but he was good when he was second, third or fourth in the relay. he could run on the shoulders of his opponents – and pass them.

Is that, I wondered, like golf?

Playing a stroke, after all, is like running a single lap on the tracks: you have to match your race and stick to your strategy.

For professionals, you can even say that each stretch of 100 yards equals a round.

The first two rounds are played in waves which makes it difficult to decide who wins early as the stagger has the same effect on the track.

Then the third lap is known as “Moving Day” and the third 100 on the track takes place at the last turn when the runners are told to move.

The final tee is like the final round – only then should the golfer and runner start to worry about what everyone else is doing and start reacting.

For the uninitiated, the side playing situation is a little different, but it's still important to think about “staying in your lane” because worrying about what someone else is doing in a medal or club competition will distract you too much.

Playing the game is an entirely different animal for professionals and novices alike: golf versus golfer. You both know what's going on and it's all about being quick or reacting smartly.

Whittle could have dismissed these thoughts, but he didn't.

“I like it,” he said, taking a sip from his drink. “And you know what? My work supports this.”

Ian Poulter's 400 meters?

He went on to explain that he was a better indoor 400 meter athlete than outdoors. The reason why? The second episode ran out of tracks.

He also became an 800 meter runner later in his career for the same reason because in a two-legged race he had to run the first turn of the track.

“I needed to be on the shoulder, in the action, knowing what was going on,” he said.

“Were you the Ian Poulter of 400 meters?” I suggested.

He laughed. “She's not as pretty as him, but yes! I think so.”

Fittingly there is the Olympic 800 meter golf course – the 1972 final won by Dave Wottle in a “golf cap”. It is one of the best examples of running your own race and succeeding by running shoulder to shoulder with other athletes.

…

So how do we use this comparison to improve our golf?

First, it may be instructive to explore what you are best at.

If you're struggling with stroke play, maybe look at it less like an 18-hole or four-round struggle and instead think about one round: stay in your lane, walk, focus on what you're doing and ignore outside distractions. , look forward and not sideways.

If your playing partner birdies the first three holes and you've split them all, think again about the runner. A 400-meter sprinter going down a plane may struggle over time. Hope the same can happen in your golf game. Do your best, trust your processes, take your time.

And what if you struggle with gameplay? Imagine yourself in a relay. Do you prefer to be on the front line or on the shoulder and ready to jump?