One tip former Masters champion Zach Johnson picked up: An ‘attitude of gratitude’

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For 20 years, the arrival of The Masters each spring has meant one thing to Zach Johnson: a chance to approach his sport’s biggest stage with a strong mindset.

While Johnson said Augusta National is by far the most predictable course he and the rest of the PGA Tour players compete at each year, the results never are.

“That’s the game of golf,” he said. “The moment you think you have it, the weight of it can come down on you.”

Johnson has found mental preparation ahead of the tournament to be crucial. Through visualization and breath work, paired with strategic self-talk and reflection, he’s been able to stay in control and fully harness his 20 different experiences at The Masters, including in 2007 when he won the tournament.

Now, ahead of his 21st Masters appearance, Johnson broke down the lessons he learned along the way.

Recognize when your strengths are your weaknesses

Just 31 years old when he put on the green jacket, Johnson viewed the monumental win as an anomaly. The harsh weather conditions and frustrations with his game earlier in the week caused him to lower his expectations, which in turn, allowed him to play carefree.

“I could see that the work I put in prior to that week was starting to surface, and it was good enough,” he said. “I remember going into the weekend, specifically Sunday, thinking, ‘I feel good now…I just need to go play.’ So I took Sunday as just another day. It was kind of a walk in the park then and it went in my favor.”

After 20 trips to Augusta, Johnson knows he has a collection of wisdom and learnings. The problem is, sometimes all that knowledge can actually weigh him down.

“You have this wealth of knowledge, whether you’re conscious of it or it’s in your subconscious, there’s a lot of information,” he said. “But I kind of wish I could push reset on a lot of things. I rely on what I know almost to a fault.”

In recent years Johnson has attempted to channel that carefree energy, hoping to prevent himself from overthinking.

“I won the third time I ever competed there,” he said. “And I did not know as much then as I do now. I kind of wish I could have a clean slate and forget all that I know and go back and start over again.”

Being yourself is enough

If one notion has given Johnson peace before the tournament each year, it’s that winning continues to look different.

“If you look at the list of individuals who have success there, you see everything,” he said.

In his earlier years, Johnson remembers the event consuming him for weeks, even months, in advance. Worrying that he should tweak certain parts of his game to perform better, or crafting a plan tailored to the tournament, only taught him that the best strategy was to lean into who he is.

Taking time to acknowledge and reflect on the amount of work you’ve put in can help make this easier. To Johnson, forcing himself to trust his ability is freeing.

“You can be you and go out and compete,” he said. “You can fully utilize your strengths there and have success.”

A routine can provide comfort and familiarity when you need it

With the benefit of technology, Johnson has found what he calls his perfect breathing architecture. It was crafted specifically for him, he said, and makes him feel more in tune with himself, which allows him to function at a higher level.

“It’s amazing what you can do just through proper breathing and understanding that your senses can have a direct correlation to how you’re reacting to things,” he said.

He also often visualizes scenarios.

“Visualization for me can be as simple as, ‘Hey, where are my feet going to be during that very first shot of the day?’” he said. “It could be visualizing an obscure putt, 40 feet or 4 feet…It can be as simple as that.”

Maybe the greatest benefit to Johnson of the breathing and visualization though, is the familiarity it provides him with when he needs it.

“That way when you get there, and you’re starting the competition, it’s almost as if you’ve been there,” he said. “That may be kind of corny or generic, but it’s not as uncomfortable as it could be.”

An attitude of gratitude can help

It’s easy, Johnson said, to feel the weight of the event. But he learned that taking a step back to appreciate where he is can actually help his performance.

For him, it starts with how he views the sport when he’s not on the green.

“If your identity revolves around your scorecard, that’s very fleeting and unfulfilling,” he said. “It should be just one small sector of your being. Fortunately I don’t mind the work. It requires and should require 100 percent of your mental capacity when it’s time. At the same time, it’s keeping things in perspective. I don’t want it to be my identity in life. It’s just a part of me.”

This year, Johnson is reminding himself of how grateful he is for the chance to compete.

“If you can go into each day, each round, with that attitude of gratitude,” he said, “you’re already in a pretty darn good position.”

(Photo: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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