Winning is our mentality

We hosted our 2nd ‘Major’ of the year last week for our Premier Division, with a 72-Hole Championship played across both the East and West Courses at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington GC. Congratulations to Academy player, Jordan van Niekerk on winning with scores of 74, 71, 65, 71 (-7) for a 4-shot victory over PGA Diploma student, Heinrich Prinsloo. Heinrich had equalled the BSI tournament record the previous day, with a great round of 63. Jordan won a Cleveland Wedge for his victory, kindly sponsored by Srixon Golf SA.

Jordan van Niekerk

Congratulations to Vuyisani Makama on winning last week’s Junior Academy Medal with a fantastic score of 67 on the West Course at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington GC. We also had personal best performances from Pieter-Andre vd Merwe (71), Jayson Borcher (77) and Ethan Joseph (80). Well done to all.

Vuyisani Makama

Performance Tip

Break your PB

Whether you are trying to break 100, 90, 80 or 70, you’ll benefit from adopting the following five mental tips to break through that barrier.

1. Play one shot at a time
If there is one mental ‘secret’ that tournament winners consistently talk about, it is to play one shot at a time. This means that you don’t hold on to mistakes you’ve already made, and you don’t get ahead of yourself counting your score.

2. Aim small, miss small
This means focusing on as small a target as possible. For example, off the tee focus on a tree trunk in the distance, rather than the entire fairway. On approach shots, aim for the flag, if accessible, or choose a similarly small target behind the green.

3. Repeat a simple, focused routine
Start behind the ball and focus on your intended small target. Take one or two practice swings, getting the feel for the swing you want to make. Execute the shot with trust.

4. Play to your strengths
We all have strengths and weaknesses to our games, whether in general or on a specific day. Plot your way around the course by playing to your strengths and mitigating your weaknesses. For example, if you struggle from 50 metres, don’t give yourself that distance.

5. Breathe
If you are close to breaking your personal best, then your adrenalin is likely to ramp up the closer you get to the clubhouse. Deep breathing is the most effective way to get yourself back to a neutral state of body and mind. Make a conscious effort to breathe deeply between shots, so that you are ready to go with the next stroke and can still play one shot at a time.