So, apparently it’s a new trend for people to say they can fix Jordan Spieth’s game in a short period of time. First, we had Brandel Chamblee saying he could fix Spieth in “two seconds,” and now we have Hall of Famer Gary Player saying it would take him a little longer: About “one hour.”
For context, Chamblee’s quotes came via a recent Golfweek interview, where he said that Spieth had, in a nutshell, worked himself into some awkward body positions which had started compromising his balance.
Enter Gary Player, who said he is “convinced” he could transform Spieth into being the World No. 1 once again if he was permitted an hour of Spieth’s time. How?
In an interview with Sirius XM, Player said he would change Spieth’s mindset — that is, give him a good old-fashioned pep talk that would put his mind back in a more positive, confident place:
“Long hitting is the most overrated thing in golf. The thing that wins a golf tournament is the mind — and we haven’t even begun to understand the mind.”
Player continued:
“There are lot of things that are so hidden, so debatable. There are amazing things about golf…the swing takes one second, and there have been three million books written about it.”
A bit vague there from Player, but his implication is an interesting one. Whatever is hampering Spieth, golfers of all levels can get lost in the nuances of the swing, the technique, and everything in between. But as Player says, golf is won or lost in the mind — a lesson from a nine-time major winner that is true from the game’s best down to the rest of us.
Watch the full clip below: