Post by boolaboss on Jun 3, 2012 20:55:19 GMT -5
This story tells it all and in words that carry a lot of meaning.......the last paragraph is the best........
From Golf Digest
These days, it's one of the most frequently asked questions in women's golf. The
former teen phenom, now 22, shot a 12-over 154 (78-76) at the Shoprite Classic
in Galloway, N.J., this week to miss her fifth cut in a row (sixth if you count
her first-round ouster in the Sybase Match Play Championship two weeks ago).
Wie, whose career has been on a very public roller-coaster ride ever since
she turned pro at age 16 in 2005, seems to have fallen into a quicksilver-like
slump since graduating from Stanford University in March. Her putting, always
her Achilles heel, has crumbled completely (she took 67 putts over two rounds in
New Jersey), and her driving isn't far behind (she managed to hit 12 out of 28
fairways in the same two days). Experts and casual watchers alike seem to agree
that whatever is ailing the tall Hawaiian, it must be mental.
Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott of Vision 54, the mental/emotional/social coaches
who have written several books on playing with confidence and purpose, were
recently hired by team Wie to work alongside swing coach David Leadbetter on the
less technical side of Wie's game. "So far, we've only worked together for a few
hours," Nilsson says. "We're still getting to know each other. There are a lot
of people who have opinions about Michelle and her game, but we're still mainly
observing."
Nilsson suggests that what's going on with Wie is fairly typical for players who
become successful at a young age. "This can easily happen when you're a really
good player as a child. Then you enter a period when you turn into a grownup and
start to think about things more. It's usually just a phase, and one that many
players go through -- Ai Miyazato is a good example -- but very few have to go
through it with as many eyes on them as Michelle."
Nilsson is convinced that Wie has all the tools needed to get out of her funk,
as long as she can learn to identify her most important performance skills.
"It's all connected," she says. "With Michelle it's the putting, but whether
it's that or chipping or driving, it comes from the same place. You have to
identify the thing that makes it all work and own that. And that's what we're
here to help her do."
Former LPGA Tour player Jeehae Lee, Wie's longtime friend and new road manager,
says Wie's spirits are still high despite her recent dismal results. "She
remains positive and focuses on the things she can improve on. She's very
resilient and she works hard when she goes back home."
It's impossible to look at Wie's situation and not surmise that the ultra-close
relationship she shares with her parents has something to do with her on-course
woes. Bo and B.J. Wie have famously hovered around their only daughter her whole
life, ever since the public first noticed the 13-year-old girl when she won the
U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links in 2003. When Michelle enrolled at Stanford,
Bo and B.J. also left Hawaii and moved into a house near her college campus.
When she graduated this spring, the whole family moved back in together in a new
house in Jupiter, Fla. The Wie parental unit follow their daughter's every step
at every tournament, and accompany her to every practice session. But blaming
mom and dad isn't going to help, says Nilsson. "Every player has a unique
support team, and there are lots of cultural differences out here. But the thing
you can't get away from as a player is that when you're on the golf course, you
have to own your performance. It doesn't matter what country you're from."
Lee, for one, is convinced that Wie is the one steering her own career; she's
not just living out her parents' dream. "I've asked her in private, and she
really wants this. She's got conviction. She just needs one round where
everything comes together to regain her confidence."
By Stina Sternberg
..........Boola Boss
From Golf Digest
These days, it's one of the most frequently asked questions in women's golf. The
former teen phenom, now 22, shot a 12-over 154 (78-76) at the Shoprite Classic
in Galloway, N.J., this week to miss her fifth cut in a row (sixth if you count
her first-round ouster in the Sybase Match Play Championship two weeks ago).
Wie, whose career has been on a very public roller-coaster ride ever since
she turned pro at age 16 in 2005, seems to have fallen into a quicksilver-like
slump since graduating from Stanford University in March. Her putting, always
her Achilles heel, has crumbled completely (she took 67 putts over two rounds in
New Jersey), and her driving isn't far behind (she managed to hit 12 out of 28
fairways in the same two days). Experts and casual watchers alike seem to agree
that whatever is ailing the tall Hawaiian, it must be mental.
Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott of Vision 54, the mental/emotional/social coaches
who have written several books on playing with confidence and purpose, were
recently hired by team Wie to work alongside swing coach David Leadbetter on the
less technical side of Wie's game. "So far, we've only worked together for a few
hours," Nilsson says. "We're still getting to know each other. There are a lot
of people who have opinions about Michelle and her game, but we're still mainly
observing."
Nilsson suggests that what's going on with Wie is fairly typical for players who
become successful at a young age. "This can easily happen when you're a really
good player as a child. Then you enter a period when you turn into a grownup and
start to think about things more. It's usually just a phase, and one that many
players go through -- Ai Miyazato is a good example -- but very few have to go
through it with as many eyes on them as Michelle."
Nilsson is convinced that Wie has all the tools needed to get out of her funk,
as long as she can learn to identify her most important performance skills.
"It's all connected," she says. "With Michelle it's the putting, but whether
it's that or chipping or driving, it comes from the same place. You have to
identify the thing that makes it all work and own that. And that's what we're
here to help her do."
Former LPGA Tour player Jeehae Lee, Wie's longtime friend and new road manager,
says Wie's spirits are still high despite her recent dismal results. "She
remains positive and focuses on the things she can improve on. She's very
resilient and she works hard when she goes back home."
It's impossible to look at Wie's situation and not surmise that the ultra-close
relationship she shares with her parents has something to do with her on-course
woes. Bo and B.J. Wie have famously hovered around their only daughter her whole
life, ever since the public first noticed the 13-year-old girl when she won the
U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links in 2003. When Michelle enrolled at Stanford,
Bo and B.J. also left Hawaii and moved into a house near her college campus.
When she graduated this spring, the whole family moved back in together in a new
house in Jupiter, Fla. The Wie parental unit follow their daughter's every step
at every tournament, and accompany her to every practice session. But blaming
mom and dad isn't going to help, says Nilsson. "Every player has a unique
support team, and there are lots of cultural differences out here. But the thing
you can't get away from as a player is that when you're on the golf course, you
have to own your performance. It doesn't matter what country you're from."
Lee, for one, is convinced that Wie is the one steering her own career; she's
not just living out her parents' dream. "I've asked her in private, and she
really wants this. She's got conviction. She just needs one round where
everything comes together to regain her confidence."
By Stina Sternberg
..........Boola Boss
