golf
Entered 2023.10.15 18:26 Modified 2023.10.15 18:26 Ground A31
Jo Hee-chan’s Popcorn Sports
To provide psychological stability to players
Play the sound of the ball entering the hole cup
Jack Nicklaus GC in Songdo, Incheon, where the Korea Professional Golf (KPGA) Korean Tour Genesis Championship was held. In the restrooms used by the players during the competition, ‘ground’ and ‘cling’ sounds were heard repeatedly at regular intervals. This was played by the golf course at the request of Genesis, the organizer. It is said that Genesis produces its own music and plays it to players every year. A Genesis official explained, “We recorded the sound the ball made when it hit the sweet spot and the sound it made when it entered the hole cup,” and added, “We tried to help the players by implicitly playing positive sound effects.”
Will this attempt really help? In fact, ‘positive psychology’ is a widely used method in sports psychology. Green Coaching Solution CEO Jeong Green, who is the mental coach of famous players such as Lee Kyung-hoon, who won twice on the PGA Tour, advises players to overcome unstable psychological states by emphasizing ‘positive framing’. He explained, “Athletes who play on the professional stage already have a lot of good materials, but for these players, ‘anxiety’ causes them to use good materials negatively.” The player who most effectively used ‘positive psychology’ in golf is known to be Jack Nicklaus (83, USA), who has the most wins (18 wins) in men’s golf major championships. Nicklaus is a golfer who enjoys using psychological warfare, such as deliberately looking at the putting line for a long time, to shake up opposing players and cause them to collapse through ‘mental battles’.
Nicklaus also used a method of escaping negative thoughts by distorting memories. According to foreign media, Nicklaus claimed in a university lecture, “I have never missed a 3-foot (approximately 1 meter) putt, and I never made a 3-putt in the last tournament,” but was criticized by an audience member. He again denied the audience’s point, saying, “I’ve never done that.” In fact, Nicklaus missed a 3-foot putt in the previous tournament.
But in Nicklaus’ mind, this was no longer happening. Sports psychologist Bob Rotella, who was present at the lecture at the time, said, “Champions like Nicklaus do not confine themselves to negative experiences.”
Reporter Jo Hee-chan etwoods@hankyung.com
