What if Superman played golf? I’m pretty sure that he does and I’m further convinced that I’ve seen him on several occasions. To appreciate this point you must consider that Superman doesn’t run around in his tights for the world to see. As with most super heroes, he has an alter ego. The alter ego is what he displays the majority of the time. My first example of Superman in golf would be the reigning World Long Drive Champion Ryan Winther. He was facing elimination at last years Championship and it came down to 1 ball. Just when it looked like his alter ego would walk away disappointed, he reached down and pulled back his shirt and the Superman emblem was revealed. What followed was a shot that propelled him into the realm of champions. Tiger Woods also has an affinity for flashing the giant S under his Nike golf shirt at crunch time. Without the clutch performances, Tiger would be a very good, nerdy looking golfer without much respect.
There’s a big difference in Superman and accidental greatness or luck. Many of us have had moments of greatness or luck that we had absolutely zero control over. It doesn’t make us feel any less immortal knowing that we could never repeat the feat but most of us also realize that we don’t walk around with a red, yellow and blue stretchy suit under our regular clothes. Performing under pressure has always been a gold standard for greatness. The good news is that many people have the ability to become Superman and don’t even know it. The more you outwork others, the more you put in the time to perfect your game and the more you refuse to accept failure, the more likely you are to shed the alter ego status when it matters the most. A wise man never underestimates his opponent or assumes that he has the others beat before the event is played based upon the alter ego appearance of the others. There’s no way to know if and when Superman will make an appearance so be prepared for anything and afraid of nothing.
Every Superman has his Kryptonite and it’s no different with the Superman golfer. For some, it’s feeling comfortable on the range but not on the tee box. For others, it’s the one bad swing that makes them question everything. The only way to become immune to the affects of your Kryptonite is to be aware of what it is and to expose yourself to it until you build up a resistance to it. The more you put yourself in the position to succeed, the more likely you are to do so.
Moby