Henrik Stenson did what nobody has done: FEDEX CUP and RACE TO DUBAI

Nobody had ever won the FedEx Cup (PGA Tour) and the Race to Dubai competition (European Tour) in the same year.

 

But Henrik Stenson has done just that by winning, in brilliant form, last week-end, the DP World Tour Championship, the final stage of the Race to Dubai.

Last September, the Swede, had won the PGA Tour, Tour Championship, to win the FedEx Cup and its U$ 10 million bonus.

Stenson is now ranked N° 3 in the world behind Tiger Woods and Adam Scott.

Since he turned pro in 2001, Henrik Stenson has had one of the most irregular careers ever known, including a major second slump in 2010 that took him from N° 4 in the world all the way down to N° 220, before recapturing his form towards the end of 2011 when he won the South African Open.

Last Monday Stenson´s long time Mental Coach, Torsten Hansson, gave an interview that is fascinating from the mind side of the game.

He revealed how they used a metaphor of "climbing the highest golfing mountain in the world" to achieve their objective of winning the Dubai final.

And it worked for them as Henrik played almost flawless golf to win the DP World Golf Championship over Ian Poulter, and a star studded European field, by six strokes.

Hansson tells the story as follows:

"I used a metaphor these last four days when we were working hard to try and get these titles, that we were attempting to climb the highest mountain in the world.  We had been struggling in the bushes and then the woods but then suddenly we could see above the tree tops and we could actually start climbing".

"In these last four days we were in the last stages of our climb and I told Henrik, 'It's going to be hard because you're totally worn out and it's freezing up there but you must be really aware of where you're putting your hands and feet'.

"When you're at that level of climbing you have to be 100 percent certain where you put your hands and feet so I was just trying to tell him, 'Don't move anything unless you are sure you have a good grip'.

"We take it one shot at a time and we don't do anything unless he's absolutely positive about the shot he's about to play."

Torsten Hansson

In my opinión, a brilliant metaphor or analogy.

 

Because it adresses one of my key pilars of Mental Golf.

 

In effect, in my Seminars, Workshops and in my book, MENTAL GOLF: THE POWER OF CONSCIOUS AUTOSUGGESTION, I teach that one of the three essential pilars of great golf under pressure is RIGOROUS AND CONSERVATIVE PLANNING of every shot and putt.

 

The other two pilars are SYNCHRONIZING BODY AND MIND in order to hit great golf shots and putts and keeping a POSITIVE, OPTIMISTIC AND CONFIDENT "GOLFING RECORDER" (Unconscious Mind) at all times.

 

Good on Henrik Stenson. He was patient during the dark times and he now wants to climb other mountains in 2014 (MAJOR golf tournaments).

 

Without a doubt his chances are good and he has a great Mind Coach by his side.