6 Secrets To Performing Under Pressure

One of the pioneers of performance coaching runs through techniques to make you a better player

- Michael Weston

Dr Dave Alred MBE is many things. He’s a performance coach, yes, but he’s also a maverick, a pioneer and a genius. He helps his clients to deliver when the pressure is at its most extreme. He’s regarded as one of the best in the business, a leader in performance mindset and attitude. He holds a Ph.D. in Performing Under Pressure from Loughborough University and is a member of the Coaching Hall of Fame.

It’s why his list of clients includes Premier League footballers, international rugby players (remember Jonny Wilkinson?), England cricketers and professional golfers. It explains the deep tan. When you’re in demand, you rack up the air miles. For much of the year, he’s in Australia, where he coaches the Queensland Reds rugby union, team. And, of course, there’s the time he spends on the road with Francesco Molinari, whose leap in form over the last couple of years has shone a light on his coaching principles.

Alred’s first involvement in golf came when he was recruited to be part of Sir Clive Woodward’s British Olympic Association project, a spell that involved working with Melissa Reid. A year later, he was contacted by Luke Donald. The pair worked together for two-and-a-half years, and although the relationship would eventually run its course, it proved a successful partnership, with Donald rising to the top of the world rankings.

Padraig Harrington has also profited from time spent with the performance guru. “I love the man, he’s brilliant,” the Ryder Cup captain tells Golf Monthly. “I’m gleaning information from him all the time. Some of the stuff has really worked well for me. Performance coaching is the future of golf. If you’re not doing that, you’re an idiot. Results-wise it wasn’t there for me. I wasn’t putting well, but the work we did was successful in many ways.”