Jay Carter Golf

We tell athletes that failure is part of learning, but what does the environment actually tell them?

I love Dr Craig Harrison | Youth Athlete Development Specialist idea of “everyday risk.” At the skate park, taking a risk, trying something, getting it wrong and going again is simply part of the culture.

Maybe the goal isn’t to tell athletes to embrace failure, it’s to design environments where taking risks in pursuit of learning feels normal.

I love this idea from Craig.

In a skate park, a 12 year old can watch a 16 year old do something they didn’t know was possible, and suddenly their view of what they might be capable of changes.

They have allies alongside them, mentors ahead of them, and younger skaters watching them in return.

We talk a lot in sport about creating the right learning environments, but I wonder if, by separating athletes so neatly by age and ability, we sometimes remove one of the most powerful ways of learning.

Sometimes seeing what’s possible is enough to create curiosity.

What could traditional sport learn from the skate park?

I love this from Open Champion Ryan Fox when he was on the pod in 24

Before golf became his game, Foxy experienced a range of different sports, and I think there’s an important message in that for young athletes.

We can be in such a rush to specialise, but other sports expose young people to different movements, different ways to compete, different problems to solve and, importantly, the chance to discover what they enjoy.

For young golfers, development doesn’t always have to mean more golf.

Explore different sports. Play. Learn. Have fun.

There’s plenty of time to specialise later.

GolfNZ

I loved this from Ryan Fox when we spoke on the podcast back in 2024.

There’s something really powerful in his acceptance of pressure.

Not pretending it isn’t there. Not trying to convince himself that he enjoys it.

It sucks.

But he knows that’s part of it.

What I love even more, particularly looking back now after Foxy won The Open, is the last part about what happens when the game becomes simplified.

Fast forward to the 18th hole of The Open.

He decided on the tee that he wanted to make 3 and win it right there.

That was it.

No getting ahead of himself. No complicating it. Just absolute clarity around the shot in front of him.

And he made birdie.

There’s a lovely connection between what he describes here and what we eventually got to watch him do under the biggest pressure of his career.

Feel the pressure. Accept that it sucks. Then simplify the task and play.

TalkingPerformance

3112

So proud of this week, his work ethic second to none. Also special mention to for his work

Good day of training today in prep for The Amateur Championship. Gutsy work for a few hours from and Thanks

Get down to the Tauranga Racecourse for the pop up driving range this weekend!

Republished my podcast with All Black Coach Dave Rennie when he was with the Wallabies. I’m excited about this new era for the All Blacks. Episode can be found wherever you listen to your podcasts under Talking Performance