The In-the-Hole Visualization
Day 3 from “My Greatest Shot” by Ron Cherney & Michael Arkush
The Golf Book Club: Every day, we share a mental game lesson inspired by great golf books—stories and strategies to help you think better so you can play better.
At the 2003 Masters, Mike Weir needed to drop a nerve-cracking 7-footer on 18 to force a playoff.
You and I haven’t played in the Masters. But we know the tension of a clutch putt.
Mike says, “I grew up playing hockey. It’s so different from golf. In hockey, you react to the shots. In golf, you create the motion.”
For Mike, a big part of the creation process is visualization. He visualized the putt, sank the putt, won the playoff, and became the first Canadian to wear Augusta green.
You’d expect Mike’s greatest shot to come from that elite championship. But the visualization technique that helped him win came from an earlier and humbler tournament.
“I simply addressed the ball and trusted myself.”
At the 1999 Air Canada Championship, Mike felt more pressure than any major. He had never won on the PGA Tour. Now he was tied for the lead with just six holes to go.
But it was more personal than that.
Mike was Canadian, and in the last 45 years, no Canadian had won the Air Canada Championship. Each swing carried the dreams of family, friends and thousands of fans.
All of that banged around Mike’s mind as he stood in the 14th fairway. How do you release the thoughts that clutter your swing? By visualizing your shot.
Mike says, “I had 164 yards, and I actually visualized the ball going in the hole. Then I simply addressed the ball and trusted myself. The shot came off just as I had seen it in my mind.”
He was still surprised when the ball bounced, rolled, and disappeared into the hole. But thanks to visualization, he wasn’t nervous over the shot—and that made everything else possible.
Mike went on to win his first PGA tournament and reclaim the Air Canada Championship for Canada.
A Complete Visualization.
Mike’s visualization method goes a step further than most. He chooses his shot, then visualizes the flight of the ball, where it lands, how it bounces, and how it rolls until it drops in the cup.
By using a complete visualization—from the ball at rest to the ball in the hole—he gets a more complete picture of the conditions and target. And that, my friends, is smart science.
Research has proven that the brain responds more strongly to images than to words. Images are like magnets that pull your attention toward your target.
The author Gail Goodwin said, “The clearer you are when visualizing your dreams, the brighter the spotlight will be to lead you on the right path.”
We’ve shared many types of visualization but this is one of the most robust. If you need to step up your visualization game, give Mike’s In-the-Hole method a try.
Based on how our brains work, visualization can not only magnetize your thoughts away from distraction. It can help you create the images you need to create the shot you want.
That’s all for now. Tomorrow, an LPGA legend teaches us about commitment. Until then, keep imagining what’s possible.
Today’s Photo
Silloth on Solway, England
