If you watched Rory McIlroy's back 9 yesterday you won't be able to argue that the pressures of Master's Sunday as well as Tiger's resurgence completely shattered and shook the 21 year old, 3 day leader, of the event. I mean it was simply amazing to see McIlroy's meltdown, in fact it was epic. You have to sympathize with the guy, he hits one horrific drive, and he completely collapses. 3 days of great play, and one drive destroyed this kid's confidence. People have been ripping Rory's mental fortitude all over the place, and I agree with them; he's gotta be able to refocus and align his thoughts enough not to go +7 on the most important 9 holes of his life. But rather than rip this guy I think we all need to wonder at the amazing factor that the mind plays in athletics. It was truly astounding, Rory hits one drive 700 yards left into a dude's front porch, and next thing you know he's hitting trees right in front of him, hooking drives, and missing 3 foot double bogey putts. Dude's mind must have been spinning faster than the those weird training things NASA uses on the chimps and whatever. When you see something like that it humanizes the athlete for you, makes you realize that they feel the same emotions we all feel. Makes guys like MJ, Tom Brady, and yesterday Charl Schwartzel seem even that more amazing. Talking about guys that can block out the crowds and the pressures and focus in extreme situations, harnessing the mental aspect of the sports the play. Mental Toughness: Definitely the most underrated skill.
Posted by Mucc.
golf is far more mental than most sports. idk if i take a harvard basketball over an SEC player in the NBA draft.
ReplyDeleteJust because a Harvard basketball player may be smarter, does not mean he is mentally tougher. They are not necessarily related.
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