After the feat of Rafael Nadal, who came out of nowhere to win the last Australian Open against Medvedev, Golf Planète asked Florian Cettour Meunier, Pga pro in Belgium, mental coach and coach of very high level champions – his last colt has just obtained a fourth place at the Beijing Olympics -, to analyze the reasons for this incredible success which propels the Spanish champion to the firmament of sport with this 21st Grand Slam won in his career.
His analysis is all the more interesting as Nadal is crazy about golf: he ranked 6th in a pro tournament last year.
Nadal, 6th in a pro golf tournament in Mallorca
Here is Florian’s column to read with attention and pleasure!
Crutches and foot in cast
I will share with you the incredible victory of the player R. Nadal and see how you can take inspiration from his mindset in order to apply it in your golf.
At the last Australian Open, the Spanish player won his 21st Grand Slam tournament, overtaking R. Federer and N. Djokovic with 20 Majors won each. But this victory is different in many ways.
https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1487791222299242502?cxt=HHwWjMC5kf2O2aUpAAAA
A little flashback, a few months ago, Rafael Nadal was on crutches and his foot was in plaster. Because of this injury, it required a lot of self-sacrifice and motivation on a daily basis to return to the highest level.
Photo Instagram R.Nadal : source Instagram@rafaelnadal
On Sunday January 30, during the final (5h24 of play / 2-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5), he was trailing 2 sets to 0 against Daniil Medvedev and during of the 3rd set, he saved 3 consecutive break points to go down in history. Throughout the match, his self-talk always pushed him to remain positive and to believe in his chances despite the difficulties encountered at the start of the match.
“I was repeating to myself during the whole match that I lost a lot of times here having chances. Sometimes I was a little bit unlucky. I just wanted to keep believing until the end”
Golf advice: your thoughts condition your behavior and your actions. The quality of your self-talk is essential for your golf. Sometimes the player on the course becomes his best enemy through negative internal dialogues.
So try to realize during your next games if you are your best friend or on the contrary if you tend to self-sabotage. It is important to remain kind to yourself, to motivate yourself in order to react in the event of a difficult moment. To help you in your approach, you can download for free my digital book “the path of regularity: 9 keys to progress and improve your game” by clicking here
Be 100% invested in each shot to give you every chance of succeeding without apprehension of the result.
And as R. Nadal explains about the 3rd set: “The situation was critical, sport is unpredictable: it would have been normal for me to lose in 3 sets in this situation”
Golf advice: the importance of staying focused until the end and believing in it because anything can happen.
(Photo by JAIME REINA / AFP)
You too, rely on this postulate, when your game goes badly, tell yourself that you have the necessary means to change the situation. Besides, you may have already had a bad start to a game by making a complicated outward journey and then making an incredible comeback. The idea is not to suffer but to believe in it in order to reverse a badly embarked situation.
https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1487744292458463232?cxt=HHwWgIDQyabjw6UpAAAA
In this example R. Nadal was able to react and get out of this phase where he was in difficulty. The fact of believing in him, of not allowing himself to give up and giving everything until the end made the difference during this decisive moment.
Golf advice: in golf there are also decisive moments during your games, high points and low points to manage. You have to know how to be patient and hang on during these less favorable times and capitalize on the moments in your favor. It is the management of this momentum that will allow you to make your best games. For this, stay in the present.
If you stay focused on the previous holes you will have trouble finding solutions in the moment T, you will lack lucidity and concentration. So be careful not to project yourself too much into the future or to remain frozen in the past during your games. The action takes place in the present. And for this, be solution-oriented:
“I really wanted to believe in it until the end, to give myself a chance… trying to find solutions”
Golf advice: there is always hope and R. Nadal during this meeting was able to vary his game and find solutions. If you’re stuck in a situation, try to step back and see things from a different perspective.
Because in the action the player is sometimes locked in a strategy or in a state of mind which is not adapted. So direct your mind to “solution” mode and not “problem” mode and above all give yourself a chance to turn things around when your game is off to a bad start. Adapt your game (change club at the start, rely on a trajectory, make half swings, etc.). Be creative and stay open to change during these times.
Another important notion in this victory is the pleasure that was at the center of the Mallorcan player’s process.
“I am very very tired, in every sense of the word. I can’t even celebrate. But it was the day to give it your all. I loved. I loved the fight, I loved the emotions”
Indeed, following this long absence, the pleasure of returning to a high level was more present. He also mentioned that this victory was the biggest comeback of his career.
Golf advice: keep the pleasure of the game during your games, sometimes the player loses this desire because he is too focused on his results. This enthusiasm must remain during your training sessions and friendly games as well as in competition.
We can also note: the pleasure of combat and this ability to react in the face of adversity.
Golf advice: the way you represent a situation will condition your behavior. Seeing a difficulty as a challenge will help you surpass yourself.
This is what will allow us to move forward and evolve. During your training, do not hesitate to do exercises that put you under pressure and confront you with difficult but achievable challenges.
“Love of the game, passion, a positive attitude and a hard-working mindset”
The love of the game and this notion of working spirit come up regularly in his speech. Work and perseverance are essential in a high-level career.
Here is his full post-match press conference.
“I wasn’t ready for this kind of battle, I hadn’t trained enough to be prepared for it. I gave everything I had in me. »
We hear it regularly in interviews with top athletes, it is complicated to be at 100% of one’s abilities over an entire season, there are moments of fatigue or injuries that disrupt competitions or the preparation of these athletes. But their mind takes over to find resources and adapt to find solutions.
Despite all his victories, R. Nadal describes this one as special because of this injury. We see that these champions do not rest on their achievements, always wishing to move forward and give the best of themselves in each competition.
Golf advice: write down all your victories, not just the trophies, it can be the fact of having achieved some of your objectives such as having respected your game plan, having managed your emotions well, having carried out 1 training session per week over the season, a great putt…
It is important to highlight all these things accomplished to develop your confidence.
Stimulation and no pressure
(Photo by JAIME REINA / AFP)
This victory was hailed by big names in tennis:
Novak Djokovic : « Always impressive fighting spirit »
https://twitter.com/DjokerNole/status/1487813313790677001?cxt=HHwWksC4ye-U46UpAAAA
Roger Federer: “It’s fantastic, you should never underestimate a great champion. Your incredible work ethic, dedication and fighting spirit are a great inspiration to me and so many others around the world. I am proud to share this time with you and honored to play a part in pushing you to achieve more, as you have with me for the past eighteen years” (Instagram)
We see the respect between his exceptional champions and, through Federer’s testimony, how important it is to have competitors in front of you who allow you to surpass yourself.
Golf advice: taking inspiration from the best allows you to see things differently and get out of your frame of reference. Stay focused on what you control and not on the game of your partners. You can use this situation as stimulation and not as negative pressure.
It is always interesting to analyze how these exceptional champions achieve such feats.
However, the most important thing is the pleasure of the game and why you are playing golf. What are the reasons that make you love golf so much?
(See article: Which golfer are you? )
For some, it will be to share a game with friends, to walk, to discover new routes, for others, to compete and surpass themselves. These motivations are personal and may change over time, but the most important thing is to maintain the pleasure of the GAME.
Florian Cettour-Meunier
Pro PGA at Golf Château de la Tournette in Belgium
Mental and performance coach (Olympic athlete, high-level golfer, etc.)
Creator of www.golfiquement.com dedicated to the golfer’s mind and performance
AFP Photos and Instagram
