Time Machine Putting
from "The Lost Art of Putting" by Gary Nicol & Karl Morris
This is day 2 in our 7-part series on The Lost Art of Putting by Gary Nicol and Karl Morris.
Paul McGinley was Europe’s captain at the 2002 Ryder Cup. On Sunday, his ball sat 10 feet from the hole. Jim Furyk, for the U.S., almost sank a bunker shot for the win—but the ball slid 18 inches past.
Now if Paul made that long 10-footer, Europe would win.
As he walked toward the green, his mind time-traveled to the future. Furyk’s short putt was downhill. “He could miss,” Paul thought. “Then I’d have two putts.”
That’s what happens when you time travel. Paul now doubted his ability. To reclaim his confidence, he had to step out of that time machine. He told himself, “Concede Furyk’s putt. Clear the decks. You’re either going to make it or you’re not.”
So Paul conceded Furyk’s 18-inch putt. At first, Furyk couldn’t believe it. Then he picked up his ball and stepped back.
As Paul walked around the green, he said, “I saw what I had to do. I saw the line. I saw the speed. I felt it. Did I know I was going to hole it? No. But I knew one thing: I was going to hit a great putt.”
By staying in the present, he was receptive to the data his senses were sending. It felt almost instinctive.
He sank the putt and Europe won.
“I don’t want to be anywhere else.”
The authors recommend we use a similar strategy.
As you walk toward the green, place your attention on your breath. Breathe in and out through your nose. That helps keeps your breath from getting too big. If you notice your mind time traveling, gently return to your breathing.
Now, remind yourself why you’re here. This is your golf course. You don’t want to be anywhere else. You’re here for this putt, right now.
This keeps your mind in the present moment, where your senses are transmitting data. Being anxious about the past or future blocks that transmission, which causes us to misread and misjudge a lot of putts.
As you step on the green, you’re receiving all signals. You’ll get a better read and feel. Your ability to visualize the line and pace will improve. Like Paul, you’ll know that in this moment, you’re going to hit a great putt—and that’s a great feeling.
“We need to stop thinking and come to our senses.” Fritz Perls
Most of us think about the past and the future at the expense of the moment. But I’ve never heard anyone describe the problem as a time machine in our heads. That’s a fun and useful metaphor.
As you walk toward the green, focus on your breath, remind yourself why you’re here, and turn off that time machine. When you step onto the green, you’ll be more fully in the present moment where your senses are hard at work, telling you everything you need to know about making the best putt you can.
That’s all for today. Tomorrow, we’ll talk about the two most important questions to ask on the green. Until then, keep imagining what’s possible.