If you have ever been unfortunate enough to “lose it” as Rory McIlroy put it after his crushing back nine collapse of the 2011 US Masters, you would have certainly felt for him back then. Starting Masters Sunday with a four shot lead, he shot the worst ever round by a player leading after the third-round. He quickly went from hero to zero in a Norman-esque meltdown. He started feeling the pressure but tried to ignore it. His decision making sped up. He started to focus on not losing it rather than picking targets. His focus went from calm oneness with the golf course to disappearing inside his head, not seeing the wood for the trees he found himself next to!

I for one was desperately disappointed for him. Did he have the bottle to truly make it?

But then something magical happened. The 2011 US Open at the Congressional Country Club. The front runner retained his focus and therefore his nerve. The boy became a man. What a player, what a star, what joy!!! So what was different? How was he able to recover from his Masters humiliation so quickly and suddenly be able to handle pressure so well?

An interview after his 3rd round holds the answer:

"I know now how to approach tomorrow. At Augusta it was all a bit new to me…I didn't know whether to be defensive or aggressive. I have a clear mind now and just need to stick to my game plan.”

Our bodies can only play good golf shots when we are 100% committed to one shot. If we step up to the ball without a crystal clear plan, our body gets mixed messages and literally does not know what we want it to do. So we stand over the ball, thinking, trying to decide, until we feel it’s time to just hit it… and we all know the rest!

So whether it’s your own US Masters or US Open, the plan you have before the round and before each shot is critical to your success or failure. If our bodies are like ships, our minds are the Captain. Without clear co-ordinates, the ship’s going to sink! With clear co-ordinates, it’s plain sailing.

So think of your next competitive round. What playing style suits your game – more aggressive or more conservative? What would it be like to stick to that style throughout your entire round? How would picture shots differently and how would it feel? Imagine now that you’re on the 15th leading by 3 shots. What do you do? If you’re tempted to change your approach, pause and re-commit to your plan. Remember, the only question you need to think about when under pressure is this: “What’s my target?”

The only way you can answer this is by coming outside of the thoughts and nerves in your head and stay connected with your target. Your ship needs clear co-ordinates so dial them in, step up and play the ball there. Single minded golf worked for Rory, it will work for you.

My mission is to help you simplify your mental game. I love to receive your questions on how to do this so please fire away. To help you start things off, I’m giving away audio mental golf tips through a series of six free tipcasts to help you through the toughest parts of the game. Sign up for my newsletter now if you would like to receive these.

Love every shot!

Adam Sprackling

Mental Golf Coach