How Xander Schauffele broke through and won his first two majors

Last year at Royal Troon, after the speeches were done and the crowds were gone, my dad and I finally had a moment to reflect and enjoy it all. I remember, he was scanning the names on the claret jug, then looked up at me and said, “You still suck.”

We had a good laugh over that one. Maybe you have to understand my dad to get his little jokes, but those words actually packed a lot of meaning. He was reminding me that, despite the success of the day, there’s always more to do, more you can achieve, a higher bar. That’s how we look at it.

Winning the PGA Championship the previous May and then following it with the Open Championship was amazing to me but not unbelievable. I’m a process person. Results come when you follow the right steps. I’m lucky to have a great team that helps me constantly evaluate my body, mind and swing, leaning into what’s working and taking out what’s not.

I’ve made a few swing changes to hit the shots I want to hit more often, and I’ve gotten stronger, which has given me more speed. On a broader level, I’ve worked with my performance coach, Dr. Ara Suppiah, to better control how I feel day to day—he calls it my “availability”—so I can get more out of all the other things I’m doing.

Let’s take a look at what I’ve focused on to push my game to the next level. I think you’ll see some ideas here that’ll work for you, too. —With Peter Morrice

PREP FOR GOLF OFF THE COURSE

I’ve always been a pretty clean eater, but I wasn’t putting the right fuel in my body. I’d avoid carbs and go stretches eating less to try to feel fit. Ara had me add low-sugar carbs, like brown rice and sweet potatoes, and healthy fats—nuts, avocado, eggs. I actually increased my calorie intake. If your body isn’t primed for action, it’ll break down under stress.

When it comes to fitness, mobility was our first stop. One issue for me was something a lot of people struggle with—thoracic-spine mobility, which dictates body turn. So we started with that and added strength work with my trainer, David Sundberg, also addressing my upper back and shoulders to fight the “caved-in” posture that golfers tend to get.

Cardio was another target because a better cardio base helps me train harder, hit balls longer, compete six weeks in a row, and so on. Golf is sneaky demanding on your body. I prefer the bike for cardio because my running form isn’t great, plus it’s way easier on your joints.

The last piece was rest and recovery. I was doing some goofy stuff, like cold showers and working out at night. Ara got me thinking about winding down, sleeping in a cool, totally dark room. Also, I’m better about chilling out without feeling lazy, letting my energy bounce back.

MORE: 3 things you should think about right before you hit your shot

‘COMMIT, EXECUTE, ACCEPT’

My dad used to make yardage books for me when I was a junior golfer, and that phrase above found its way into all of them. It’s in my DNA now, and it still jumps into my head sometimes during rounds. I take pride in being disciplined: quickly picking my shot and club, having a simple key to execute, then taking whatever happens. Good shot or bad shot, move on.

I also remember my dad asking me when I was about 15 if I was a Tiger or a Freddie. Tiger wants to know all the mechanics of the swing, what causes what, and Freddie doesn’t like the details. I’m definitely wired more like Tiger, so he started explaining everything we were doing, step by step. Obviously, either way works. I think you just have to be consistent and true to yourself.

At this point in my career, I’d tweak the phrase a little and lead with “accept” because I’ve learned that respecting the outcome before you do anything is so powerful. There’s a lot I can’t control, like the rib injury that kept me out of the first two months of this season. I spent a lot of time lying around, streaming TV shows and watching the guys play. I had to be OK with that. I did some feeling sorry for myself, sure, but that old phrase would snap me back.

We'll be adding more of Xander Schauffele's best tips & tactics throughout the rest of the week. Check back in for more...

Prep for Golf / 'Commit, Execute, Accept' / Neutral Swing / Uncomfortable Shots / Putting Practice / 'A Steady Drip'