Rory McIlroy and the Deepest Sports Psychology

Guest post by Joe Crispin

I'm not sure how many of you watched the final round of the Master's Golf Tournament yesterday, but if you saw any of it you know that the young man who went into the final round with a four shot lead, Rory McIlroy, played some of the worst golf of his life on the last nine holes. When all was said and done, he shot a final round of 80 and lost the tournament by 10 strokes.

In case you don't know, a final round of 80 is like a round of 100 or 125 for you or I. Or worse, depending upon your golf game. So while I watched him fall apart yesterday I did a few things. First, I prayed that CBS would stop showing his shots live. I couldn't take much more (thankfully, the Lord answered that prayer rather promptly). Second, I thought about the basics of sports psychology. A few thoughts came to mind.

1) The basics of sports psychology are easy to know and difficult to apply.

2) The basics of sports psychology don't go deep enough.

I trust no one will be surprised by the first point. After all, no matter what our field of expertise may be, we know that reading about something and gaining a general understanding of something is much different than a full application of what we learn. Experiential embodiment is much different than a basic knowledge of facts or theories. The college student getting straight A's in Mechanical Engineering is not equal to the 20 year veteran. The young theology student might have his facts straight, but he is not equal to the seasoned pastor who has faithfully applied those theological realities to countless real-life situations throughout the years. Knowledge is good, but it is not enough. And so it is in sports.

Rory McIlroy is 21 years-old. And yesterday he found himself on the biggest stage of professional golf, with the highest of expectations. I could be wrong, but I am almost certain he could explain to you the basic facts and theories of sports psychology. Stay relaxed. Don't get overly concerned about the result. Get lost in the game. Etc. Etc. But guess what, when push came to shove, he melted. His knowledge might have been right on, but when the heat was on, he was forced to see that he really didn't know what he knew. He needed more experience. And I, for one, am hoping his experience yesterday serves to make him better the next time.

Regarding point #2, I have to say up front that I have no idea what McIlroy's beliefs are. And really it doesn't matter for this point. For as I sat in my living room last night watching McIlroy's fall, I could not help but reflect upon the inadequacy of normal sports psychology for moments such as the final round of the Master's. For here you are on the biggest stage, with an opportunity to fulfill your dream of winning a Major Championship, with the hopes of many placed upon you, and the years of work coming to fruition...and you want to relax and be free from the fear of failure and/or free from the absolute need to make the coveted Green Jacket your own?

Come on. You can't just will yourself into such thinking. Sure, some consistent training and more experience can help. I grant that. But in the end, it's not enough. In order to really be at your best in those moments, in order to really be free, you have to know Jesus Christ and believe what God says about you when you are in Him. There is just no getting around it. The freedom you want from the need to prove yourself or from the fear of failure can only be found when you really know, deep down in the innermost part of your being, that you do not really need the championship at all. Sure you want it, but you don't need it. For if you win it, it still doesn't define you and in the end, it really isn't about you, but instead, about joyfully honoring the Lord with the gifts and opportunity He has graciously given you.

Of course, to experience the freedom that is positionally your own in Christ, you still have to train. But the good part about this kind of psychology is that this kind of training is the same training prescribed for every single Christian. Believing the gospel is the basic Christian way of life. And though it may not seem so obvious to most, it is, in reality, the deepest and best sports psychology of all.