In Canada, they like to keep people down. It's true. They can't stand seeing someone become successful, especially if they once were ahead of you. It eats at them, galls them more than they can stand. Canadians go out of their minds with jealousy and will do everything they can to drag you down.
Your mind is the generator, your body is the motor. The club is the trigger and the ball is a bullet. Take aim and fire!
With a titanium driver I'm hitting it farther now than when I was 35, and that's the truth. It doesn't satisfy me, it bothers me. Do I want to hit the ball farther when I'm 100 than I do now? No, it wouldn't be right. All anyone cares about is hitting it farther—even with the irons. Hitting the ball pure and accurate is more rewarding than hitting it far. Don't forget that, ever.
I've had my fill of competition and dislike traveling. But my game is holding up nicely. You know that show on The Golf Channel called "The Big Break"? I'd win that easily.
Sometimes you need 10 more yards out of a drive. There's only one proper way to do that, and it's turning your shoulders more. It's the only way to keep your rhythm. Every other method—swinging faster or with more effort, changing your ball position or anything else—will cost you accuracy. It has to. Otherwise, you'd swing that way every time.
I put 35,000 miles a year on my Cadillac. That's a lot because I drive slowly, never faster than 60 miles per hour. Why? I'm never in a hurry to get anywhere, and I get nervous driving any faster. I've gotten three tickets for driving too slowly, the last for going 35 in a 50 mile-per-hour zone. The policeman also gave me a lecture, but like I told him, nobody is going to get me out of my comfort zone.
If you get nervous or afraid in tournaments or playing in front of other people, it's because you place too much value on it. You think the competition is more important than it really is. If you stand on the tee and feel like you're about to cross Niagara Falls on a high wire with no safety net, there's no way you'll have enough trust in yourself to pull it off. They say the only way to master that is through experience, and it's true, but all that means is getting to know yourself better. The better you get to know yourself, the more you'll like and trust that person inside. I won a lot of tournaments because I get along with myself real well.
To devalue the importance of competition, I count my money. It's not a bad idea to do it before you get out of your car to play golf. Make sure you have plenty in your pocket—I've carried $6,000 in cash just for this purpose—take it out and count all the bills. A round of golf isn't important when I've got $6,000 in my pocket? Hah!
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