It’s three days before the beginning of the Ryder Cup, and Nick Faldo is busy preparing his troops. He is talking about his use of visualisation, and how to use visualisation, to prepare for that nerve jangling moment, on the first tee.
Golfers rarely talk about their visualisation routines, but being mentally prepared for the first tee at the Ryder Cup, is critical. Visualisation works, because it creates the mental imagery, of the outcomes that you want. In other words, it attracts the future into the present.
The clearer the picture, the more certainty that you create. So that when you step into the moment, you know exactly what to do, and how to do it. You behave as if the present is normal. And it is. Because you have been there before. You make the unknown, known.
It means having a clear picture of the first tee. The crowd pressing in on you. All the eyes of the world on you. What does it look like? What does it feel like? What does it sound like? What does it taste like? And then there is the image of you. Thinking clearly. Relishing the moment. Making good decisions. Taking in the air. Powering your drive down the middle of the fairway. Immaculate. In total control of your emotions.
And it also means having clear mental pictures, and strategies, of what to do when things go wrong. As they will. All over the golf course. So that, when they do, you have mentally prepared for it. Every hole. Every eventuality. Meaning that you will handle the adversity, if it happens, calmly and coolly.
Sure the Ryder Cup will be won by the best players. But the best players, will be the ones with the best minds. The ones who can think clearly, under the intense pressure of competition. Which are most likely to be the ones, with superior visualisation skills.