Catriona Matthew is Scotland’s top golfer.  Ranked at number 40 in the Rolex world rankings, she sits higher than any of her male contemporaries on the PGA tour.  In the recent past held a place in the world’s top 20, and in her career spanning fifteen years has accumulated prize money of over $5m.

39-year-old Matthew, from North Berwick, has played and won for Europe in the Solheim Cup, and has gained top 10 places in all four of the women’s Majors, including a tie for 2nd in the Kraft Nabisco Championship in 2007.

A regular with In The Winning Zone, Catriona Matthew knows more than most about the mental strength required to succeed at the very highest level in golf.  So we put her to the test...

WZ: Would you agree that golf is as much a mind game as it is about physical ability and skill? 

CM: Yes, compared to most sports.  Obviously the physical side is coming more and more into it and has done in the last 10 or 15 years, but it’s not like, say, athletics where you need to be super fit.

The last 13 years I’ve been on tour, they have always had a fitness van that followed the tour, and I would say 80% of the players do some sort of workout routine on a regular basis.  If you’re out there in the heat for four or five days it helps you with your stamina and makes a difference.

WZ: How would you say your game is divided up between physical and mental capability?

CM: Obviously with golf I would probably say more of it is mental rather than physical. You can see that because there are players who have done really well without being in particularly good physical shape. It’s not vital but I think nowadays everyone is going to do it to get that edge.

WZ: Is it often a case of being mentally strong within yourself, as opposed to having a mental edge over others?

CM: Yes, golf is one of these games when it’s sometimes tough to stay positive. The main thing from golf is how you recover, you have got to try and not let a bad hole get to you. It doesn’t matter if you are Annika Sorenstam or Tiger Woods, you are going to hit a bad shot, but it’s how you recover from them that is most important.

WZ: Do you have a thought process that go through in such circumstances?

CM: Yes, if I have a bad hole or make a stupid bogey I try to slow down a bit to get to the next tee, take a few deep breaths. Obviously you should just forget about it but it’s easier said or done, it is something that you get used to if it happens to you.

WZ: When you were less experienced did you deal with bad shots in different ways?

CM: Yes I think you definitely mature more and you don’t let it carry over. I know that even one shot thrown away can make a difference at the end of the year. It’s something that you learn over the years because everyone is going to do it and at some point in their career they are going to throw away a shot that they shouldn’t have.

WZ: Do you need to be able to think one through each shot one at a time as well as thinking ahead?

CM: Some people are more aggressive, others defensive. I would probably describe myself as a more of a defensive player. I would tend to look and see where you shouldn’t miss the shot to make sure I am more aware. I don’t want to be thinking I am going to hit a bad shot but I have to be aware of the consequences if I happen to.

That’s what you do in your practice runs. You think about where you are going to play a ball and what club you want to use.  You definitely have a game plan before you go out there, obviously if you are coming down the last nine holes of a tournament then it might change a little but I think otherwise you need to try and stick to your game plan.

WZ: How do you mentally prepare for a match?

CM: Obviously in your practice round you are thinking about how you are going to play the course but not necessarily about the scores and where you are going to hit it.

Everyone gets nervous and if I said I didn’t then that wouldn’t be true, but I think if you are nervous it helps you play better.

WZ: How do you keep your concentration ticking over between shots?

CM: I think you need to forget each shot once you have hit it.  When you’re walking down the fairway, you have your caddy you can speak to or another player. Some people speak more than others and everyone is different so it’s about finding something that suits you.

WZ: Does having a caddy help?

CM: Yes you need to have a caddy you are comfortable with and they should know what you want as well.  That’s why I can never understand people who jump around from caddy to caddy because I like to only have just one, then they know what your reaction is more likely to be.

WZ: How do you cope with distractions and background noises when you are trying to concentrate on a shot?

If you hear a noise and it does affect you, you need to be able to stop and start again, but it’s just something you get used too. If it’s just an isolated general noise then you kind of get used to playing with that.

WZ: People say that certain players have a ‘winning mentality’.  Can you understand what that is?

CM: Yes, golf is mostly in the head, and the better you play the more confident you are. I think if you win a few times it helps you to then win even more because you are more confident.  I think this is one of the things that separates regular people from athletes and elite sportspeople.  The better you do the more confidence you gain, it’s a catch 22.

WZ: How do you deal with the pressure and expectation of being at the top level?

CM: You do have more pressure on you when you are expected to do well. I think you need to go out and not really listen to what people are saying, do your thing and try your best, which should be good enough. I know I am good enough to go out there and I would never give up regardless of how I was playing.
 
WZ: Is consistency difficult to achieve?

CM: I think in golf more than other sports it’s probably the main thing. You will find everyone can hit the ball just as well so it’s a matter of your bad shots not being too bad.

I would play with people in practice rounds and wonder why they don’t do better in the tournaments. When you’re in the top 150 in the world there is not much to pick between players, and it’s just the odd little edge that basically just comes down to how you cope under pressure.

I would be the worst person to play a practice round or a bounce game because I am usually awful, but come tournament time I tend to play better. Whereas I use to play practice rounds with my friend and she played really well in the practice round but didn’t quite manage to do it on the actual day.

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