Jack

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Damon Lucas

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Just listening to an exchange between Faldo and Nicklaus about breathing to counteract pressure, which is a common tool sports psychologists use to improve people's chances of success.

Jack said he never thought about it, never did it, never had to worry about that sort of thing. Great stuff if you can get to that place. Is it possible for normal 'elite' golfers or athletes to get to that place? Is it innate, or just a higher, better level? Pretty cool, IMO!
 
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eric54

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Think Jack didnt need to as he had total faith in his ability. When you dont it can lead to extra tension and pressure imo
 
grahler

grahler

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I think it goes to show that Jack was very focused.
To me if you are worried about breathing technique you are not focused on the task at hand. You are playing golf so do that.
Jacks smart he knows any technique you use to calm your nerves causes a subconscious assumption in your mind that you ARE nervous. Its self defeating.
The feelings/adrenaline are there to enhance your senses and performance capability.
If you define the added energy as nerves/negative and become self conscious you will not be focused.
The only way to succeed like Jack is 100% focus. If your mind is focused on something 100% there is no split of mental energy.
Focus is the answer not introspection.
 
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welshdentist

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To be fair, Jack would say he never used it......

But "What if..." he breathed slow and controlled under pressure without thinking of doing it, just like he visualised every shot well, and re-ran every round in his room editing the bad bits out...

No one told him to, but he did exactly whats being taught....
 
mgranato

mgranato

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I would say he did it (breathed correctly for him) without maybe being aware of it. Jack would be someone you study, not someone you teach. :)
 
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DCgolf

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I would give anything to know what a Tiger or Jack or MJ actually think/feel under the gun near the end. Anything.
 
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Lindsey Newman

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As a huge fan of Nick Faldo, in his books and on the course, I detest him in the booth. Listening to his absolute rubbish - speaking in terms of pressure, tension in the shoulders, someone being fidgety "nerv-ee", breathing techniques and whatever else makes me think less of him in every telecast. Every one of those players out there has had a putt or shot for something bigger than ever before and they've been doing it all their lives. Enough of the over dramatization.

By the way, freaky voodoo, jedi sh!t still is in vogue and I dig it!
 
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BIGBALL

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Damon Lucas said:
Just listening to an exchange between Faldo and Nicklaus about breathing to counteract pressure, which is a common tool sports psychologists use to improve people's chances of success.

Jack said he never thought about it, never did it, never had to worry about that sort of thing. Great stuff if you can get to that place. Is it possible for normal 'elite' golfers or athletes to get to that place? Is it innate, or just a higher, better level? Pretty cool, IMO!
Click to expand...

Hmm... I would have to agree with Nicklaus to a point. I know in the the bigger games I was involved in ( baseball, basketball ) I always wanted the game on my shoulders. Many, if not most times, I wasn't the best player on the team, I just had supreme confidence I could get the job done.
I don't ever remember focusing on breathing or my follow through when I was at the free throw line attempting big free throws, even though I bet, like Mgranato said, I probably subconciously breathed differently. But I was never taught that. All that said, I guess if it wasn't natural, you could still practice it enough for it to work in those situations. And it is true that because golf moves at a slower pace, there is more time for tension and negative thoughts to arise. Unfortunately, I have never had a big putt to win a tournament to find out!

Interesting topic Damon!
 
magicmarker

magicmarker

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Jack Nicklaus is like the Bill Brasky of golf. Wanna know why he didn't need those techniques? Because he never got nervous. He went out and lost as many tournaments as he won. Regular cats get nervous and need tools and tricks to calm them down. Why would Nicklaus be nervous? He thought he was far better than the competition and he believed that he still would be win, lose or draw. You would only turn to those techniques if you got nervous in the first place, IF Jack ever got nervous, nobody would ever know but him and you can bet he'll take that to the grave.
 
mgranato

mgranato

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I can't imagine there being an athlete in history (all sports) who didn't get nervous. That truly is one of the attractions of sport. Feeling that emotion is a beautiful thing.

"Being nervous is an important, positive event. It allows you to do great things if you control it rather than letting it control you." Jack Nicklaus

"There are all kinds of nervousness. I'm more nervous in the hours before I play. Once I get started, that kind of nervousness disappears. I wish they'd let me play all four rounds at once in about 17 straight hours." Jack Nicklaus

 
magicmarker

magicmarker

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I don't doubt he got nervous in the locker room before rounds, I do doubt that he got nervous playing the back nine on sunday afternoons. Would you characterize him as "highly excitable; unnaturally or acutely uneasy or apprehensive" coming down the home stretch, or was he in his personal "comfort zone". Adrenalized, yes; nervous, doubt it.
 
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Jim Kobylinski

Super Moderator
I think Jack focused on some breathing whether consciously or not, few people before a nervous act don't let out a breathe to try and calm themselves.
 
mgranato

mgranato

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magicmarker said:
I don't doubt he got nervous in the locker room before rounds, I do doubt that he got nervous playing the back nine on sunday afternoons. Would you characterize him as "highly excitable; unnaturally or acutely uneasy or apprehensive" coming down the home stretch, or was he in his personal "comfort zone". Adrenalized, yes; nervous, doubt it.
Click to expand...

Thems all negative effects of nerves. How about "Highly focused, unnaturally or acutely alert or active". Don't always be glass-half-empty, Magic. :)

Jack got more practice than anyone in history at dealing with "down the stretch" nerves. I don't think that can be over valued enough when we talk about how comfortable he looked in those situations.
 
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ms1170

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Spencer Levin has had 2 leads after 54 holes on tough golf courses. That is a tough spot for a young guy with no wins. Maybe he'll get his first win coming from behind, and he'll deal with the lead better as he gets more experience.
 
magicmarker

magicmarker

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that was merriam webster's definition of nervous, not mine.

Jack said to Faldo he didn't use breathing techniques, then in the golf channel link you gave he said that he did use them...

Bill Brasky was half mexican, and he hated mexicans, and he also hated irony.
 
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