The Small Stuff Makes A Big Difference

Anyone who has watched the late-season surge of Phil Mickelson knows that he appears to be on the verge of a major breakthrough and may spend a few weeks challenging Tiger for the title of "Best Golfer On The Face Of The Earth."

After an impressive win in China - where the galleries were so quiet I thought it was a church gathering - Phil now heads into the off-season riding high with confidence, all because of a simple lesson he was given. In essence, he was encouraged to return to the basics and go back where he started with his putting stroke.

Hall of Famer Dave Stockton made a minor tweak to Phil's putting stroke and that tiny little hole began to look like a bucket to Lefty. One tiny tweak. A minor change. BAM! Confidence restored.

As most of us head into our off-season (oh, if only global warming were true, we might be able to play year 'round. Alas, the hoax prevails and snow will fall), let me encourage you to spend time this winter looking for those little things in your game that could serve as the springboard to greatness in 2010.

You may be surprised to learn that it's not new equipment that you need; it's just a reminder to go back to the stroke you used when you started...before all those voices started reducing your confidence.

Finally, A Breakthrough

You know what it's like - practice, practice, practice and practice some more. You expect results. You hope to be able to handle whatever level of pressure you are facing, hoping that the practice and past experiences will allow you to advance further than the previous effort.

In other words - after choking away prior opportunities, you are desperate to make progress. And today I did!

In the Qualifier for the GAM Net Amateur, yours truly shook off the bad memories of last year's horrendous performance (taking a 10 on a short par 4 tends to diminish the chances of advancing), to post a 75 gross, 69 net and advance to the finals in mid-September.

I'm not delusional enough to think the general public was waiting with baited breath for the bottom-of-the-screen ticker to proclaim the news of my round. I realize that very few care. But it doesn't really matter, does it? That's one of the things that makes golf special.

It's a showdown featuring you vs. you. When things go poorly, there's no coach to fire, no draft pick to select, and no lineman to blame for a bad penalty. It's all on your shoulders, good or bad. For anyone who has played the game over a span of years, my guess is that golf has more often kicked you in the teeth than it has patted you on the back.

So please forgive me for smiling a bit today. Sometimes it just feels good to play well, have a score to demonstrate that good play, and advance to swing again another day.