The Role of a Retired Navy SEAL in Lucas Glover’s Remarkable Golf Transformation
The Yips: A Golfing Nightmare
Picture this – a golfer standing on the green, trembling hands gripping their putter, fear coursing through their veins. What could cause such terror? The yips.
An enigmatic phenomenon that has plagued golfers for generations, the yips are an involuntary muscle tension in the wrist that can wreak havoc on even the most seasoned players. Coined by Scottish legend Tommy Armour in the 1920s, this term has become synonymous with a spasm that cripples swings and sends shivers down golfers’ spines.
Golf’s major winners have not been immune to its grip. Legends like Ernie Els, Danielle Kang, Bernhard Langer, and Georgia Hall have all battled these putting demons at some point in their careers. Putting issues haunt them like whispers of “the staggers” or “whiskey fingers.”
In 2009, Lucas Glover emerged victorious as the US Open champion and climbed to number 15 in the world rankings. However, six years later he found himself plummeting to a dismal world ranking of 634 due to a severe case of the yips.
“You lose control over your hands and stroke,” Glover revealed during an interview with CNN Sport’s Don Riddell. “The closer you get to the hole, the worse it becomes.”
Glover fought back valiantly but his putting statistics told a woeful tale – finishing at 189th for strokes gained (-0.568) and 187th for putts per round (29.83) in the 2021/22 PGA Tour season. It was time for a change, and that’s when former Navy SEAL Jason Kuhn entered the scene.
Kuhn, once an aspiring Major League Baseball player, experienced his own battle with the yips after throwing six wild pitches in one inning. His dreams of MLB glory faded away as he joined the Navy shortly after 9/11. Today, Kuhn is known as a mental skills and team culture coach and has helped countless athletes conquer their yips demons.
After meeting with Kuhn in May, Glover decided to work with him. This partnership brought about not only a change in equipment – Glover switched to using a long broom-style putter – but also a transformation in mindset.
“He guided me on how to confront rather than fear it,” said Glover. “It freed up my brain and stroke… practice became enjoyable again instead of being filled with anxiety. It truly changed my life.”
The results were astounding.
Glover began his journey back by missing five out of six cuts at PGA Tour events earlier this year but then turned things around dramatically. In fact, he finished within the top-six on all but one of his last six starts – an impressive feat indeed! To cap it off, he secured consecutive wins at both the Wyndham Championship and FedEx St Jude Championship.
Now ranked world number 30 and brimming with confidence, Lucas Glover is rapidly approaching his career-best position while setting his sights on another triumph at the upcoming BMW Championship held in Illinois this week.