Mind Over Matter

Padraig Harrington, one of golf’s great thinkers, shares his views on the mental game and its significance at every level of the sport

- Neil Tappin

The challenge of golf changes over time. At first, as you try to negotiate one of the sporting world’s more complicated movements, your hard work is rewarded, your swing improves and your handicap comes down. You get the bug. Then, as you reach a certain level of technical competence, golf becomes less a test of physical skill and more a question of mental strength.

With the ball sitting still on the floor and the target stationary in front of you, the subconscious mind starts to get involved, all too often undermining your physical ability. Your progression as a player depends not on the mechanics of your swing, but your ability to think clearly and positively under pressure. Nobody tells you this when you first pick up a golf club.

When considering who was best to front an issue about the mental challenge of golf, the name that immediately sprung to mind was Padraig Harrington. Over the last 15 years, I have interviewed the three-time Major winner several times, including at Carnoustie just before he won his first Open and also at his home just outside Dublin, where the Claret Jug was sat proudly on the breakfast bar.

Thinking about the game in a different, often deeper, way than most other golfers, Harrington is one of the best players to interview. One question will often yield a 15-minute response and his thoughtful answers tend to provide an alternative perspective. One subject that crops up more often than not is the mental side of golf. Within the paid ranks, where every competitor is able to hit every shot, it is the mind, not the body, that makes the difference – something Harrington is acutely aware of.