Play Bigger

I am driven by a passion for helping individuals reach their fullest potential, whatever that may be. Golf serves as the avenue, but my intention and desire to work with people on their personal journeys are at the core of everything I do.

Fortunately, I love this game and built my life around it. Witnessing the growth and development of people, especially young individuals, is incredibly fulfilling. However, the accurate measure of my impact on the world goes beyond the golf course—it’s about the exceptional human beings my students grow up to be.

Playing bigger is more than just a phrase; it’s an ethos, an approach, a belief system. It’s about pushing yourself to align with your aspirations, constantly testing your limits, and refusing to settle—however you choose to express it.

To “play bigger,” one must envision their future self and be open to mentorship and coaching within the context of that vision. Self-belief is at the heart of it, along with a willingness to honor the vision that one has created.

Playing to a bigger self centers around creating confidence, embracing challenges, and maintaining a commitment to grow.

A Bigger Self

This isn’t some abstract concept; it’s a fundamental principle rooted in the behavioral sciences—self-efficacy.

Albert Bandura, a renowned psychologist, developed the self-efficacy theory; his research showed that people with high self-efficacy are more likely to take on challenging tasks, invest more effort, and persevere through obstacles. Conversely, those with low self-efficacy tend to doubt their abilities and are likelier to avoid challenges or give up easily.

Self-efficacy is our belief in our ability to achieve specific goals, perform tasks, or handle various situations. It’s essentially the confidence we have in our capacity to succeed.

There is a direct correlation between self-efficacy and our performance.

The cool thing about self-efficacy is that it is not a one-size-fits-all trait. It is domain-specific. In one area of our life, it could be high, and lower in another. But most important is to recognize that self-efficacy is not pre-determined or concrete – it is fluid and can be altered with intervention.

Creating Confidence

As a mentor and coach, my role is building confidence—creating it, sustaining it, and nurturing it so that my players’ self-efficacy in golf transcends into every other aspect of their lives.

I always hold each player accountable for their words in creating who they aspire to be – their vision.

No matter how far of a stretch the vision they create might be, to “play bigger” requires that I (and they) hold it like a real thing. The only word that matters in this arena is their own, and I hold them to it. (Sorry, parents, your vision for them is not what I am discussing here.)

Embracing Challenges

Playing bigger means facing challenges head-on. It’s about taking on the most demanding fairways, tackling difficult lies, and sinking crucial putts with unwavering self-efficacy. Most of all, it is about putting in the work – practicing with intention!

Elite status is not reached by playing it safe. Every golf legend had to “play bigger” to reach their status. It’s about stepping out of the comfort zone – that dreary place where dreams often go to die.

Commitment to Grow

The elite players I work with commit to playing bigger in every facet of their lives. They set audacious goals, visualize success, embrace the grind, and banish self-doubt. It’s all part of the journey to playing bigger.

Playing bigger isn’t just a concept; it’s a way of life—a meditation, a creed. It’s about expanding oneself, taking calculated risks, and striving for personal greatness with unwavering determination.

In the end, playing bigger boils down to one simple truth—honoring yourself as yourself and bringing unwavering integrity to the vision you’ve created.

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