hi my name is Noah Montgomery a teaching professional at the Ridge Golf Course in Auburn California I’m here today with my top student John Catlin and we’re going to discuss a couple of your recent wins and some of the things that we prepared going into those um you want to share a little bit about your wins and some of the things that helped you with that yeah we’ve been working really hard on you know the mental side of the game and uh you know some of the things that have helped me in the past that maybe sometimes I kind of forget or Overlook um you know it’s easy to react to things that aren’t necessarily in our in our control yeah and uh you know that was probably the biggest thing is I just kept focusing on what do I what do I actually have control over is that more like stay in the present and is there some you know it comes down to how we perceive what’s going on around us um you know if we perceive these things as things that we need to run from then we’re probably going to run from it or if we see these things as opportunities to grow and become stronger and face these things and fight through some adversity then we’re going to rise above it and we’re going to become better for it better for going through it what does it mean by staying in the present failure lives in the past and in the future and your job is to to stay in the present because that’s what you have control over correct so what does what does that actually mean to you John and and and your two wins first one was International Series in maau okay and then the second was the Saudi Open when you’re coming down the stretch and you know that you know you’re in contention how does staying in the present relate to you and what does that mean you know what what do I need to do to hit this shot correctly not necessarily what might happen in the future where where might it go it’s so not not if it takes a bad bounce or something like that exactly cuz again it’s not really in my control but once you’re over the shot you’re not thinking all those things are you no no it’s oh no you sure you don’t have five six maybe seven swing thoughts at one time I’m trying to keep it as simple as possible I’ve done all my thinking before I’ve walked into the shot okay and once it’s once it’s time to hit the shot I’m just trusting my training coming down the stretch was there any times where you had to really apply that more than others in your two wins especially in the second one not getting too far ahead of myself because I had a big shot lead you know I was leading by I think I was leading by seven or eight going into the final round and by the time I made the made made the turn it was nine you start to think about you know oh maybe maybe I got this in the bag but you’re like well maybe I don’t maybe I just need to just keep hitting this shot that’s right here in front of me cuz it was you know it was easy for my brain to start thinking about okay we’re getting closer we’re getting closer you mean even with your experience there your mind your mind actually wandered a bit like oh I got this oh yeah and then you kind of kind of catch yourself a little bit and bring yourself back into reality meaning in the present right correct the shot that’s right in front of you correct but is there anything that actually helps you pull you back first thing I tell myself is I’m like nervousness happens to everybody it’s you you know it doesn’t matter whether you’re eight years old playing in a us kids tournament whether you’re 30-year-old professional golfer trying to win a golf tournament nervous this is going to happen I agree with that and not to not to not to shy away from it not to think that you’re wrong for feeling that way and then to just kind of unpack it for what it really is um you know it’s your brain putting excess things that aren’t necessarily there you’re you’re focusing on those things versus what’s really happening where you know we’re we’re right we’re right here we got we got this opportunity I think one of the things things that’s helped me and I would you know would say for an eight-year-old it would be harder is that I can look myself in the mirror and honestly say I’ve been here before I can do it again well if I’m seven or eight maybe I don’t have that experience maybe I don’t know maybe I’m maybe those nerves can actually feel like they’re even bigger because I can’t tell myself like hey I’ve done this before agreed agreed and and I think you know time and time again and keep trying to put yourself in that position because that’s what we talk about right a lot is just get yourself in the position to have to go through those and Embrace that moment when you’re there because it is a moment if a young kid goes out and shoots 85 he or she is not trying to shoot 85 no they’re not trying to not do what their coach says no they’re trying their best correct yeah and I think that’s that’s part of staying in the present as well yes e even as a parent or a coach or anything like that I think you share the same sentiments on that yeah yeah and I think the other thing too with it too is you have to realize that there’s no substitute for experience correct and so when so when you are young and you are going through those experiences see them as like this is how I’m going to do it better in the future if I don’t do it well here you know if I if I do make a mistake and I you know I don’t do it the way that I’d like to well that’s going to prepare me for the next time I’m in this situation I can handle it better it’s awesome thanks John
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