24 June, 2008
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By PGA professional Neil Plimmer
Immerse yourself in present time thinking. That's what matters.
Lesser mortals may have crumbled in the wake of surrendering a six-shot lead in the final round of a tournament - but not Germany's Martin Kaymer.
Despite events on the course at the BMW International and the fact he was playing against a background of his mother being seriously ill in hospital, he held it together and it is a lesson every golfer can strive to take on board according PGA Fellow Professional Neil Plimmer of Mid-Sussex Golf Club.
At the start of the round Kaymer held an eight shot advantage over his play-off rival Anders Hansen, as the Dane shot 67 while Kaymer struggled to a 75.
They finished all square and at that point Kaymer has got everything to lose as he's under immense pressure to win given the lead he had at the start of the day, no German had ever won the title in 20-odd years and his mother was ill in hospital.
To win from this point is down to mental strength - and Kaymer has it in abundance.
He came off the back of his round and then played the play-off literally one shot at a time, rather than playing the moment. Consequently it was all over in two shots.
From Hansen's perspective he'd been off the course waiting for 30 to 45 minutes to see what happened and I don't think during that time he went and practised and consequently in the play-off he played terribly and was beaten after two shots.
That's not entirely surprising because generally the player that finishes last ahead of a play-off, in this case Kaymer, usually wins because they have the momentum.
But what was noticeable with Kaymer throughout was his body language - this is a key aspect all golfers can take on board - and so I suggest people watch how he carries himself on the course.
It didn't matter whether it was the first hole or the 73rd hole or he was playing good or bad, his body language didn't alter.
He stayed focused and kept the same pre-shot routine to the exact same amount of time, regardless of what the shot was. It was a great way to see how he dealt with the pressure, because not once did it show.
Amateurs are different, especially when their game starts falling apart. They either quicken up or go the other way and think they need to slow down. Neither approach works as it's about mentally playing and preparing each shot the same.
So, the key things to learn are body language and how it can affect your mental game and consequently your performance, especially in a match-play situation.
Secondly, develop a routine that takes the same amount of time from start to finish and never varies no matter what the situation. Never think further than the next shot forget what the competition is or how much you want to win it.
Immerse yourself in present time thinking. That's what matters.
Neil Plimmer is a top 25 Golf Monthly coach. For more from Neil log on openmindgolf.com or call him on 0771 364 6988. If you have any golfing questions email neilplimmer@tiscali.co.uk