Video Version
Working on the Wrong Things
The biggest mistake that I made as a player playing professionally was that I worked on the wrong things too often. I've always been a phenomenal ball striker. That's certainly my strength. I always went there first and probably stayed there too often because it was fun, it was rewarding, and it was easy. I didn't dig in deep enough to the areas where I knew I really needed improvement on.
The Next Frontier of Performance
A lot of athletes are starting to see precision breathing training as that next frontier, that next competitive advantage. It’s established and backed by science, but it's still new enough that individuals are finding that competitive advantage over the rest of the field that hasn't necessarily caught onto it.
Practicing Breathing
Carve out five or 10 minutes a day to practice your breathing so that when you are on the golf course you do not have to think about it. You've always got it in your back pocket when you start to feel a little bit uncomfortable with the anticipation of a golf shot or an upcoming hole.
Proper Breathing Technique
Even if they're intentional about trying to slow their breath down, too much of it is coming from the chest. You look at the physiology of the lungs and they get a little bit bigger the lower you go. And if you're only breathing using a third of the overall efficiency of your lungs. You're shorting yourself and getting in your own way.
Timestamp
1:29 — Golf Background
4:01 — Diaphragmatic Breathing
11:10 — Biofeedback Training
12:49 — NTEL Belt
14:38 — Heart Rate Variability
16:49 — Impact of Stress on Performance
18:52 — Maintaining Energy Levels Through Deliberate Breathing
27:15 — Mental Challenges Professional Golfers Face
29:51 — Insights From The PGA TOUR
32:32 — Bryson DeChambeau & Neurofeedback Training
37:35 — Common Mistakes Golfers Make On The Golf Course
41:00 — Basic Guidelines For Proper Breathing Technique
45:22 — Importance of Nasal Breathing
46:39 — The Future of Biofeedback Training in Golf
51:44 — What Have You Learned From Being Around TOUR Players?
52:36 — What’s Something You’ve Changed Your Mind About Over Your Career?
55:18 — What’s The Biggest Mistake You Made Early in Your Career?
56:04 — Book Recommendations
Resources
NTEL Belt: Website
Book Recommendation #1: Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art
Book Recommendation #2: Perfectly Yourself: Discovering God's Dream for You
About Andy Matthews
Andy oversees all golf strategy and business development for Neuropeak Pro on all professional tours, with collegiate and national teams and elite amateurs from around the world. Andy says the most inspiring part of his job is having the opportunity to help individuals and teams who are already great at what they do find the competitive edge that can help them reach the next level. A surprising fact about Andy is that he is a certified pilot!
Breathing & Biofeedback w/ Andy Matthews