“I get asked this question a lot. And quite honestly, this happened to me.”

I tried everything. It wasn’t work ethic. I practiced religiously. I was a grinder.

But I practiced the wrong things. Thought the wrong way. And my physiology stunk.

Let me break it down.

Most good players fall into two camps - some swing better than they score & some can score but they’re swing just doesn’t hold up.

I fell into the second camp.

And, under extreme pressure, my swing failed, my strategy to recover was bad, and I “tried” to make birdies.

I survived on short game, but at the highest level, its ball striking that makes the difference while layering on good course strategy with mental training.

Then, compound the issue by not having a clear understanding of scoring strategy & mindset - all while using an equipment set driven by ego, not data.

Good, not good enough

Don’t get me wrong. I was good enough to get a scholarship to Stephen F. Austin, then transferred to Texas & get on the walk-on team with Assistant Coach Greg Martin, when Coach Jimmy Clayton was here.

But, never good enough to hang (or even practice lol) with guys like Justin Leonard, Harrison Frazar, or even Michael Cooper.

“This failure to succeed at something I loved has driven me to find out “why”.

So, here’s what I’ve found so far.

1. Understand your body’s abilities & limitations

The primary reason I’ve found was that I had some fundamental misunderstandings of how my body was built, its abilities & limitations plus how I created force & speed.

Mismatches

I had structural & functional mismatches, primarily because I was trying to make my swing “look pretty” or trying to look like the “latest swing craze”.

Yes, we had swing “fads” back then, and this is still an issue today. Youtube doesn’t help. Every swing tips works for somebody, it just might not work for you.

Train to your true tendencies

I tried to “train” over my tendencies, instead of taking what I did naturally & repeatably - and refine that. I call it “training to your true tendencies.”

Trying to groove a motion that doesn’t “match” your body’s Big 3 - its structure, function & dynamics" - has the tendency to fail under pressure.

Sure, you can train to override your tendencies, but even the best in the world can fail under pressure. I could give you plenty of examples.

2. Have a data-driven course strategy

“For every position on the course, there is a statistically correct shot to hit.”

Most of us think we shoot with a rifle.

But its more like a shotgun. On a good day.

Take dead aim works, if you’ve got the right target - and its rarely the flag.

Dr. Mark Broadie wrote a book about 15 years ago called “Every Shot Counts” and its the basis of what now is called “Strokes Gained”.

Probably the most important golf book ever written because it uncovered what really made guys like Nicklaus, Tiger & even Trevino great.

This is strategy that actually improves scoring. Ego drove a lot of strategy back in the day. Now we have actual dispersion data and systems like Decade™ which help a ton.

Mike Wray Golf Method™ takes these concepts and personalizes it for each player, given their tendencies, emotional regulation during play & proximity skill development.

3. Manage your physiology

Handling game day pressure to thrive, not just survive

It probably didn’t help that I probably had undiagnosed Type 2 Diabetes for most of my life. Blood sugar was 342. A1C was 11.

I was stubborn and hated doctors. But I was in shape, and spent most of my time outside. (More later on how I was diagnosed, and how I’m managing it now.)

But when I was under stress, I would become anxious, light-headed, irritable, even get brain fog - I was kind of a butt-head sometimes too. I now apologize to everyone around me!

Your physiology absolutely affects your performance. And mine wasn’t good. I looked good on the outside, but on the inside - I was a wreck.

Fitness is as much about maintaining a steady physiology during performance as maximizing the physical execution.

Now, I handle stress much better and although I play very infrequently due to my physiology, I still shoot in the 70’s and my game travels.

4. Understanding the “soft skills” of timing, rhythm & cadence & focus

My Talks with Augie Garrido about “The Zone”

I got the pleasure of meeting & having several conversations with Augie Garrido, legendary baseball coach about how rhythm & cadence affects performance. We talked about being in the zone & staying there.

Now, these chats typically took place at Sullivan’s Steakhouse Bar & Piano room back in the day over a few drinks, so my recollection may be a bit off.

(Augie had just moved to Austin from Cal State Fullerton and gotten the job as head baseball coach, following the legendary coach Cliff Gustafson.)

For baseball & golf, and I’m sure other sports, being in “the zone” is key to achieving high performance over time.

I’ve found a certain type of music helps train & perform in “the zone”

While there are many theories about “the zone”, I believe it’s achieved by activating an autonomous state of “active” relaxation - trained by repetition, habit formation, and moving from the “left brain” into the “right brain” by creating an active trigger.

Easier said than done, but I’ve found a certain type of music helps. Either actively listened to in training and practice sessions, or in the mind during actual performance.

For this, I’ve developed the Music Method™ to help players find songs they love & help their game at the same time.

Combine this with developing shot routines, playing cadence, methodical decision-making & emotional regulation and you’re got a winning combination.

5. The right equipment setup

Getting rid of gaps & overlaps just makes golf easier

40 years ago we didn’t have the measurement equipment we have today. There were serious gaps and overlaps in equipment.

But today, you can easily reverse engineer an equipment setup. Ego and peer pressure used to drive setup. Heck, we carried 1-irons. And nothing above a 5-wood. And 2 wedges.

Today, I don’t even carry 14 clubs. I carry 13 - 4 woods, 4 wedges, 4 irons and a putter. And my scoring is just fine. An equipment setup that based on actual ball flight. (Heck, I might even add a 5th wood!)

But, before you go get fit, make sure you’ve optimized your current swing, or your just gonna have to go back again.

And, unfortunately, a lot of fitters don’t optimize for certain ball flight characteristics that truly affect playability.

I have gone to fittings with students all the time. Makes a difference when the guy that knows your swing is also talking to the fitter.

If any of this resonates, I’d love to chat.