It was a wire-to-wire win that looked for a little while like it might not be. Those who watch golf avidly might have begun to have visions of the 2016 Masters. That’s where Jordan Spieth blew a sizable lead in the final round, giving away a major championship. But the young gun regrouped after a pretty horrible first 13 holes (especially the 13th hole), and went birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie on the next four holes to secure his third career major title.
There is a whole lot to admire about what he’s accomplished before he’s turned 24 years old. Let’s first discuss his game in general. He doesn’t bomb it off the tee, he’s slightly longer than average. He doesn’t pull dazzling, eye-popping shots out of his magic hat like Phil Mickelson. And he’s shaky on short putts. So, how does he do it? He’s incredibly well-prepared. He seems to know where to miss when he misses (most of the time). He is insanely amazing at putts longer than 10 feet. His short game is supreme. And he has the ability to turn a bad hole or a bad stretch around in a blink, as was the case at The Open Championship.
Make no mistake…Spieth can get rattled. He gets emotional. He lets pressure get to him. He is human. But it’s how he puts those things behind him like no other current player on tour. He finds a way to bear down, and then mow down those chasing him on the leaderboard.
Now, let’s talk about what he’s done historically. He’s the youngest American player to ever win the British Open. Except for some guy named Jack Nicklaus, no other golfer has won three legs of the Grand Slam at a younger age. Should he win the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in August, he’ll be one of only six golfers in the history of the game to capture a career Grand Slam. The caveat–he’ll be the youngest player to do it since the game was invented.
When he won two majors in 2015, he nearly won the last two of the year. And if he didn’t blow the lead at the Masters last year, it’s conceivable to think he could already have six major championships under his belt. It’s time to start thinking about how many he’ll accumulate by the time he’s done playing, and where his place in history will be.
His preparation before he ever tees it up is pretty interesting, and we could all take a cue from Spieth and his trainer. Included in his off-the-course training:
*meditating on the beach
*hiking to a landmark where he’s playing a tournament
*bodyweight and band exercises
*blasting fun music on the range
*diet that includes granola, asparagus, broccoli, and sweet potato
*hydration
*front-to-back and side-to-side rotation exercises
From his preparation to his rigorous mental toughness, Jordan Spieth is a breath of fresh air for the game of golf. He makes it very clear you don’t have to be flashy to produce results. RPCoaching suggests taking a page out of the Jordan Spieth book. Prepare with diet and exercise. Enjoy the moment. Put a bad hole in your rearview mirror. Score well. Have fun. For additional nutrition and exercise suggestions, contact Rita today to schedule a Golf Fitness Evaluation!
