Cameron McCormick, background, and Jordan Spieth in January on the Tournament of Champions.
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“You wanna be elite?”
Cameron McCormick asks the query. And you do wanna be elite. Of course, you do. And possibly you’re elite off the tee. Or along with your irons. Or along with your putter. Or possibly all the above. Lucky you. And these are issues you ought to pursue.
But Jordan Spieth’s longtime coach additionally says this, in a recent post on the positioning previously referred to as Twitter:
There are “roadblocks” to avoid. Seven of them.
The thought was an excellent one. Instruction tales are usually ‘do this.’ But these are must-don’ts.
Here they’re, barely edited, with just a few different ideas:
1. “People who cut you down for their own gain”
“It’s called ‘Tall Poppy Syndrome,’” McCormick wrote. “When you’re better than someone at something, you stand out — like a tall poppy in a field of flowers. Easily visible and therefore a target. Know this, forgive them, as it’s not you, it’s them.”
The takeaway: “Forgive them.” A superb thought. Take management.
2. “People and things that distract you from the path”
“We’re influenced by those we hang with,” McCormick wrote. (*7*)
The takeaway: “Choose wisely.” A superb thought. Don’t be afraid to transfer on both.
3. “Tough times, they happen”
“If you’re not failing, you’re not stretching,” McCormick wrote. “If you’re not stretching, you’re not learning. Lean into doing the difficult; you’ll grow from it. At times, you lose form. Keep records to reflect back on what you did to make you great. Use these to put yourself back together again.”
The takeaway: “Lean into the difficult.” A superb thought. You develop this manner.
4. “Monotony of the journey”
“Getting better gets mundane,” McCormick wrote. “Each day you go to practice may feel like yesterday. It’s a lonely journey. Don’t let this sameness turn into complacency. Work hard each day because I guarantee someone else is, and there’s not much room at the top.”
The takeaway: “Someone else is.” A superb thought. Someone else is taking part in. Or working towards. Or considering. Don’t fall again.
5. “Early and sudden success: It can breed complacency”
“Two sayings that don’t have to come true,” McCormick wrote: “1) Early ripe, early rotten; 2) exhausting work beats expertise when expertise fails to work exhausting. Be a grinder. Don’t relaxation in your previous success. Keep grinding or get caught from behind.
The takeaway: “Be a grinder.” A superb thought. Dig it out of the grime.
Jordan Spieth’s coach calls this easy error the ‘No. 1 swing killer’ for amateurs
Nick Piastowski
6. “No success — it’ll make you wanna quit”
“Run your own race,” McCormick wrote. “Be mindful that people generally overestimate what they can do in one day and underestimate what they can do in one year. Play the long game.”
The takeaway: “Play the long game.” A superb thought. Patience, persistence, persistence.
7. “Avoidable injury”
“You’re not bulletproof,” McCormick wrote, “so take care of the two most important pieces of your equipment — your body and your mind. Said simply: Don’t do stupid sh*t. Finally, there is no one path, but there is a path for YOU.”
The takeaway: “Don’t do stupid sh*t.” A superb thought. Enough mentioned.
Editor’s word: McCormick’s social media feeds have lately been stuffed with ideas and are price a comply with. Here is the Twitter link. Here is the Instagram link.
