A Champion's Mindset

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Not many people expect to be a "World Champion" of anything. Of all the world class athletes throughout the entirety of sports, most of us pale in comparison. However, we have the rare opportunity to be the best in the world at something and we shouldn't take it lightly. Although you may not be playing for the win, there's still rewards and a ton of personal pride on the line. As someone fortunate enough to be your 2x World Champion I have a few tips that will hopefully help you keep a cool head, play your best, and maybe even be the new Champ!

"Patience is key"

Ken Climo has attributed patience as the key mental strategy to his success. "Without patience it's really hard to be a good disc golfer." It's easy to find a rhythm with fast play, and burning through rounds may seem like the best strategy to not get in your own way, but the Champ disagrees. Take ample time for your drives and throw-ins for you to make sure you're confident in your decision. If you're accustomed to playing quick then don't stray too far from your normal pace of play, but at least keep yourself from feeling rushed. More than just fast play, patience matters because of the length of this event. 20 rounds over 5 days feels more like a marathon than a multiplayer match. The field has so much talent that in a normal event one player can pop off for four rounds and win. However, over the course of 180 holes you will be able to gain strokes simply by not making the risky decision. You may think that makes you weak, but in my opinion restraint shows more strength of will. Your patience on the course will lead you to smarter decisions and can passively gain you strokes on the field. When you make a mistake, know that there will be ample opportunities to gain those strokes back throughout the event.

Breathe

If you feel your patience waning in the face of bad rolls, spit outs, or trees, remember to breathe. Box breathing has been especially helpful for me while I'm feeling pressure. Take a slow breath in through your belly for 4 seconds, hold it for 4 seconds, and slowly release it over 4 seconds. Repeat this before, during, and after your rounds to level your head. Box breathing reduces stress by activating your parasympathetic nervous system, improves focus by increasing blood flow to your brain, lowers your blood pressure, and will reduce negative emotions by activating your body's relaxation response. I bet you'll be surprised by how breathing intentionally can improve your game.

Trust Your Game Plan

I can't tell you how many times I've decided to try a new line during an important round and completely screwed myself. Usually my famous last words are "I bet this could work." After all the hundreds of times you've played certain holes, now isn't the time to try something new. It may feel boring, but you need a solid foundation. You don't want to have to take risks on difficult holes because you botched the easy ones. Rather than trying a new line, make adjustments based on your usual play. This extends to all facets of your game as well. Trust yourself and make confident decisions. It's just as easy to second guess a throw-in as well as a tee shot. Take a breath, commit to your line, and execute it. Usually your familiar ace/eagle run will give a better result than trying to lay up for the first time in months. This goes for how you play your rounds as well. If you usually play in the morning/evening, stick to the game plan. If you play all your important rounds from the company toilet, then guess what?

Post Round

If you've been patient, then most likely you're holding onto some emotion from your round. It's too easy to be more critical of ourselves than we ever would be someone else, so think of it like you're giving your best friend, or "tournament self," advice. Run back through how your rounds went in your mind and be sure to give yourself praise for the good decisions as well as objective advice for your mistakes. Being objective will help you keep from being emotional mid-round, so focus on facts rather than emotions. Think things like, "You could have played that line wider and still had as good a look" rather than "Don't be such a *&$# idiot!"

Aspire, don't Expect

As 16-time Frisbee Freestyle World Champion Arthur Coddington has said: "I can aspire to run five kilometers under 22 minutes, but if I get frustrated with a near-best time of 24 minutes, I have collapsed that aspiration into an expectation." Obviously we all want to perform our best, but most likely that won't happen. We need to remember that our results aren't a reflection of our self worth. So much lies outside of our control, and setting an expectation will more likely frustrate you rather than manifest success. All we can hope for is to play our best with what's given to us.