"I don’t need to try and be better than I am.” Max Homa

[Tommy Williamsen]

The full quote is, “However good I am is how good I am. I don’t need to try and be better than I am.”

Thinking only about golf and not the larger ramifications about life, it makes a lot of sense.
How often have I tried to hit shots that are above my skill level? At 76, I try to hit shots I could have hit when I was 40. The failure rate is quite high. However, it is fun to try shots that are above my skill level. Yet, I leave greens once in a while and say, "A mental error caused that bogey." Course management involves asking yourself, "Can I really pull off that shot?"

[George Pazin]

I often wonder if Tiger had taken a similar approach in, say, 2004, and not tried to "improve" his swing and simply played with the Butch swing, how many majors he'd have. My own suspicion is he'd have passed Jack, but that's just guessing!


Keep swingin', Tommy!

[Matt Schoolfield]

I often tell people, when explaining why I love golf, that it is an exercise in acceptance of one’s imperfections.

[Thomas Dai]

“A man’s got to know his limitations.”… Harry Callahan, Magnum Force.
Atb

[Mike_Young]

I often wonder if Tiger had taken a similar approach in, say, 2004, and not tried to "improve" his swing and simply played with the Butch swing, how many majors he'd have. My own suspicion is he'd have passed Jack, but that's just guessing!


Keep swingin', Tommy!

The appearance of the ProV1 on the scene cost TW more wins than anything he ever did with his swing...

[Wade Whitehead]

I liked that Homa quote, too.

Lest anyone think otherwise, I can attest that Tom Williamsen is still hitting LOTS of solid shots, often moving slightly right to left.  My friends and I don't call him Sweet T for nothing...

WW

[ward peyronnin]

While I am not exactly a meathead and I beleive I get the general gist some additional context would be nice.
Adopting that logic I never would have learned to hit the knock down shots before playing in the UK that provided so many memorable results.
I would have not adopted a claw putting grip that for a good long while was so effective I would have folks ask if I could demonstrate the basics after a round.
I would not not have entirely broken down my reverse C Johnny Miller swing and rebuilt a one piece core focused move as i reached into my forties that allowed me to sustain a skilled level of play.
And for many of us isn't getting better at parts of this many faceted game one of the motivations to take all the diasappointing times?

[Rob Marshall]

While I am not exactly a meathead and I beleive I get the general gist some additional context would be nice.
Adopting that logic I never would have learned to hit the knock down shots before playing in the UK that provided so many memorable results.
I would have not adopted a claw putting grip that for a good long while was so effective I would have folks ask if I could demonstrate the basics after a round.
I would not not have entirely broken down my reverse C Johnny Miller swing and rebuilt a one piece core focused move as i reached into my forties that allowed me to sustain a skilled level of play.
And for many of us isn't getting better at parts of this many faceted game one of the motivations to take all the diasappointing times?

I think the context is that he isn't trying to do anything he can't do during the course of a tournament. He's not trying to hit a huge slice if he knows he can't do it. I don't think it means he's not practicing to get better.

[cary lichtenstein]

I knew what I could do and what I couldn't do. I almost never hit a show with less than 80% probability that a could pull it off.


I couldn't hit a fade.

[Tom_Doak]

I knew what I could do and what I couldn't do. I almost never hit a show with less than 80% probability that a could pull it off.

I couldn't hit a fade.

In my one round playing with Jack Nicklaus at Sebonack, he referred to his approach on 13 as "an 80% shot" and I asked him what % he needed to go for it in his prime. 


He looked at me like I had a screw loose and responded, "100%.  You are not going to hit a good shot 100% of the time, but if you are not 100% sure a good shot will get you there, then you would be crazy to go for it."

[Joe Zucker]

I really liked a variation of this perspective from Cliff Lee. It was a day before he was going to start a World Series game and he was asked if he was nervous. He said not really. He had been practicing and preparing for this game for 30 years. No amount of worry or additional prep would make him better for the game. 


He accepted what he had in him and did not obsess over minutia that wouldn't make a difference.

[Tom_Doak]

I really liked a variation of this perspective from Cliff Lee. It was a day before he was going to start a World Series game and he was asked if he was nervous. He said not really. He had been practicing and preparing for this game for 30 years. No amount of worry or additional prep would make him better for the game. 

He accepted what he had in him and did not obsess over minutia that wouldn't make a difference.

The best advice I have ever gotten is that nervousness and excitement are exactly the same bodily reactions, the only difference is in how you define it for yourself.

[Jeff Segol]

Tiger couldn't keep playing with the Butch Harmon swing, because a big part of it was locking his left knee on the downswing, and the knee couldn't take it, leading to one of his surgeries.


I also liked Max's quote, as a Cal guy, but Scheffler is clearly the best right now. He's in Tiger territory as far as being able to shape his irons in both directions. The way Augusta National played this weekend reminded me of Shinnecock when Goosen won. On grees that hard, you need to be able to curve the approach against the slope of the green in order to stop it, and Scheffler can do that in both directions. It allowed him to go at spots, IMHO, that his pursuers couldn't. I don't think Homa would have caught Scottie regardless, but what happened to him at 12 was one of the worst breaks I've ever seen a player get on that hole, relative to the quality of the shot.

[Rob Marshall]

I really liked a variation of this perspective from Cliff Lee. It was a day before he was going to start a World Series game and he was asked if he was nervous. He said not really. He had been practicing and preparing for this game for 30 years. No amount of worry or additional prep would make him better for the game. 

He accepted what he had in him and did not obsess over minutia that wouldn't make a difference.

The best advice I have ever gotten is that nervousness and excitement are exactly the same bodily reactions, the only difference is in how you define it for yourself.

That is priceless. First time I have ever heard that.

[Mike_Clayton]

I knew what I could do and what I couldn't do. I almost never hit a show with less than 80% probability that a could pull it off.

I couldn't hit a fade.

In my one round playing with Jack Nicklaus at Sebonack, he referred to his approach on 13 as "an 80% shot" and I asked him what % he needed to go for it in his prime. 





He looked at me like I had a screw loose and responded, "100%.  You are not going to hit a good shot 100% of the time, but if you are not 100% sure a good shot will get you there, then you would be crazy to go for it."

Funny - I remember once talking to Pete Coleman who caddied for Langer in 1985 (and 1993). He was way back on Saturday playing the 13th and decided he had to go for it.
He thinned a 3 wood which Coleman said was always going in the creek. It landed short, skipped over and onto the green and he made a long putt for an eagle.
After that he would go for any marginal shot over water "Even if it was only 40/60 to get over. His short game was mustard so he always had a good shot at making par anyway"
Of 1993 they were standing in the 15th fairway when Chip Beck was laying up.
"Look" he said to Langer - "he's not even trying to beat us."

[Tom_Doak]

Funny - I remember once talking to Pete Coleman who caddied for Langer in 1985 (and 1993). He was way back on Saturday playing the 13th and decided he had to go for it.
He thinned a 3 wood which Coleman said was always going in the creek. It landed short, skipped over and onto the green and he made a long putt for an eagle.
After that he would go for any marginal shot over water "Even if it was only 40/60 to get over. His short game was mustard so he always had a good shot at making par anyway"
Of 1993 they were standing in the 15th fairway when Chip Beck was laying up.
"Look" he said to Langer - "he's not even trying to beat us."

That's pretty amazing.  I wonder if he cost himself some tournaments by hitting it in the water?  Those are harder to remember years later.


Tom Watson played like that, too . . . wasn't afraid to take on a hazard because he thought he'd get up and down even if he missed.  But I don't know if he carried that attitude to water hazards!

[Michael Moore]

The best advice I have ever gotten is that nervousness and excitement are exactly the same bodily reactions, the only difference is in how you define it for yourself.

The best advice I have ever gotten is that your hands are not going magically stop shaking, you have to learn how to take the club back while they are doing so.

[Mike_Trenham]

I often tell people, when explaining why I love golf, that it is an exercise in acceptance of one’s imperfections.

Mine is - golf is a combination lock and everyday the combination changes.

[jeffwarne]

The best advice I have ever gotten is that nervousness and excitement are exactly the same bodily reactions, the only difference is in how you define it for yourself.

The best advice I have ever gotten is that your hands are not going magically stop shaking, you have to learn how to take the club back while they are doing so.

THAT is the essence of competitive golf.
Well that and learning how to swing it down with the same thing going on....

[mike_beene]

I have heard a similar idea: the only people who aren’t nervous are dead. And use the nervous energy to focus.

[Joe_Tucholski]

Just watched the below interview with Homa and I think he's really saying he's focusing on himself and not comparing himself to other players and the way they are successful.  He focuses on how he's successful and what he does well and being proud of what he's doing.  Really love the message and something we really need now in the age of social media where people put out their best life that maybe doesn't represent their real life.  As they say comparison is the thief of joy.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgrJHuE6kUY