Ep: 2: Matt Wallace - What it Takes to Win on the European Tour

– "The first goal is just to play really good golf. Second goal: Stay healthy, fit and no injuries. If I can do that, my end goal will take care of itself and that is top 15 in order of merit." Matt Wallace Firstly, Welcome to Making A Club Champion Podcast! I am delighted you to bring you the very first guest – Matt Wallace.   In this episode... How Matt won five consecutive starts on the Alps Tour How developing putting into the strongest part of his game. How creating sponsorships through his social media, captured the attention of Chubby Chandlers management company ISM and 2 Thumb. How not setting goals to Matt to 242 in the world in 18 months. Achievements 6 wins, 2nd, 3rd, 4th in 9 starts Not a lower finish lower than 4th in 9 starts Hitting greens in regulation 85% mark in GIR Stroke Average – 67.8 World Ranking – 225 Routines Allows 1 hour prep time before teeing off 15–20 min: putting green 15–20 min: chipping and bunker 20–30 min: range Range: few pitches, through the bag, finish the last shot with the course I am going to hit on the course Visualization: Finishes with the shot he hits on the first tee   Average puts per round: 28–29 Start off with 3–4 foot puts to get things going, builds the confidence. Block practice putting drills: 5 straight in a row, 5 left to right, 5 right to left If the course has lots of breaking puts, Matt will spend more time practicing harder-breaking puts so he is more prepared. Better putters during a tournament will win at the end of the day. Gear: My putting mirror, Visio Mi Template, Green books, 2-Thumb Philosophy You can hole putts from anywhere. You don't need to hit it close to make up shots. You can take the chances on the greens rather than hitting the risky shot to gain strokes. Never do a put that you don't think you can hole. You always want the mindset to hole everything, so if you are practicing your lag putting, don't do it to a hole. Anytime you are on a green – you want to have the mindset of holing it. Don't get onto a putting green first and attempt a 15ft put. Give yourself an easy 2–3ft put, and then work back to the words to the 15ft ones. When things are not going to plan: I ask 'What is the divot telling me? What is the ball flight telling me?' Go back to the basics, and look at the ball position. I may get the video out, one down the line and on the side, and start the process again. Start off getting small easy wins, to gain confidence to get things going. Don't start off hitting small-percentage shots; not even the best golfers in the world will pull off initially. Intimidating effect – you can't control what they are doing. You can only influence them by playing good golf. Surround yourself with great players; if you are a short hitter, play with people who are longer than you. So you can learn to play your own game and beat exceptionally long hitters. Failure is my biggest drive, not playing well, but still scoring. That's the ultimate goal. Playing badly and scoring badly, that is the worst outcome. Putting all that effort in and not getting anything. When playing a new course, it is important visualizing how you want to play the hole. Relax and enjoy just playing around the course in your mind. Get nervous and struggle to sleep when I have not worked or practiced hard. The best way I cured this was to leave from all my practice sessions knowing I got something out of it and got better. Drills Don't give yourself time limits on the range; leave the practice once you got it right. Are you practicing hard or are you practicing smart? Get specific on what you want to achieve. What is the outcome of this practice session? Is it to hit 5 in a row on the range? The more specific you are the better. If you are working on technique, just work on technique. If you are working on outcomes, get clear on those outcomes. Take regular ice baths for recovery. Goal Setting Matt doesn't really believe in setting goals as it creates unnecessary pressure. The first goal is just to play really good golf. Second goal: Stay healthy, fit and no injuries. According to Matt, "If I can do that, my goal will take care of itself and that is top 15 in order of merit." Some players have benchmarks to hit, but if they didn't have that added pressure on them, they would smash through their goals. Matt believes in creating a systems/process approach to achieving his results. "If you do the right things, the outcome will take care of its self." Life on Tour 2016: 3 European tour events, 6 challenges, 9 Alps Tour events: 18 tournaments. Total cost 38 GBP. The cost of each event works out to be roughly 2k GBP. There are some hidden costs too.  For instance; If you want to perform well, you have to eat and sleep well. This all comes at an optional cost. Top 50 of world – management companies have everything all set up for them, so the players just turn up and play. Thus, when starting out, you have a lot more to think about than just golf. Chubby Chandler, ISM, managed to get Matt invites to some events which would never have been otherwise possible. This also included connecting Matt with 6–7 sponsors to just play golf. Management company fees: 5% of earnings, 20% of all sponsors they find for me. A full tournament could cost Matt 15% of his potential earnings. It was the 3rd win on the Alps Tour when ISM got in contact through social media. Caddy costs: 650 GBP per tournament. Performance fees: 5% of any earnings, 7.5 % on any top 10s and 10% of any wins. Downtime: Love going out for dinner in the evenings once practice and preparation are completed. A goal outside from golf: Wallace Wine Behind the scenes Win bonuses: How the likes of the top players claim win bonuses and performance-related wins through their major sponsors. Getting your tour card on the European Tour is not quite as straightforward as it seems. Playing the majority of the tournaments throughout the year comes down to what category you are in. 150 usually field/ 65-man cut What is 'tipping'? A method of filling up buckets of water and leaning them against your oppositions' door! (Not advised!) Gear Mentioned 2-Thumb Putting Grip  Green Book Visio Mi Template Putting Mirror People Mentioned  Phil Kenyon Nick Taylor (caddy) Hugh Marr Northwood Osteopath Connect and follow Matt Wallace: Instagram Twitter Website For even more information: Visit: MakingAClubChampion.com