“Without him, none of this would be possible for Wyndham Clark.”
That’s how Colt Knost introduced this week’s Subpar guest, mind game guru Julie Elionwho has worked with a number of the game’s top players including freshly cut CJ Cup Champion Byron Nelson Wyndham Clark.
In the episode, Elion, whose new book, Mastering Your Mental Game, will be available next week, discussed her work with Clark and the progress he’s made over the years.
Reflecting on his latest win, Elion mentioned the pride she felt watching the CJ Cup Byron Nelson final round. Situation: Clark, hunting, hit a ball of clay on the par-5 9th hole. He requested casual relief from two rules officials and was denied. But he still made par on the hole en route to a final-round 60, winning the tournament by three shots.
“I was hooked,” Elion said hosts Knost and Drew Stoltz. “Because I really hoped that he could see it the right way, and he’s worked so hard to do that. He looked so good. It wasn’t that I was doubting him. But it was those moments that we focused on, how to use everything to get better and for your own advancement and learn instead, why did this happen to me?
“I’ve heard so many times, ‘I always roll over in the divot,’ or ‘I got caught in a bad lie,'” she continued. “So I was bummed, and he was great. He was so great. I’m really proud of him because he really does the job.”
What does this job involve? Part of Elion’s process with players like Clark involves setting objectives and mission statements for themselves for each round.
“We take it from day-to-day goals to mission statements because we just have to shake it up,” Elion said. “But what started to happen is they turned into daily goals. So, I’d say, ‘Well, how did you do today?’ And what are you trying to accomplish mentally today?”
“So the mission statement was a little more global. But every one of my clients—not all, but almost all—follows a protocol of, ‘What am I trying to feel today?’ It could be trust, it could be free, it could be no leaderboards, it could be, ‘I don’t like who I’m playing with and I’m not going to let it bother me.’ they’re paying attention, not just to technique.”
Those goals, Elion says, are meant to remind players of what they’re good at and keep them in the present — something Clark exemplified to an impressive degree Sunday at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
For more from Elion, including some tips for recreational players, check out the entire episode of Subpar below.
