The Traits of Champions

THE TRAITS
OF
CHAMPIONS
BY A N D R E W W O O D

#1 CHAMPIONS
DREAM BIG
DREAMS
• Calvin Peete
• Chi Chi Rodriguez
• Walter Zembriski
• Lee Trevino
• Tony Jacklin
• ‘Seve
• Champions come from
every where not just posh
country clubs…
http://www.traitsofchampions.com/

AND NEVER GIVE UP ON
THEM…
Walter Zembriski was born in Mahwah, NJ. He taught
himself how to play golf while working as a caddie at the
Out of Bounds Golf Club in Mahwah. His father, Stanley,
also worked as a caddie at the same club, and caddied
regularly for Babe Ruth. Zembriski had a brief stint as a
member of the PGA Tour in his early thirties after earning
his player's card in 1967. During his middle and late
thirties, he worked as an ironworker on high-rise
buildings along the Jersey Shore.
During his forties, Zembriski played on the Florida mini-
tour. He qualified twice for the US Open during this
period, in 1978 and 1982.
Never one to give up on his dreams Zembriski's greatest
success came on the Champions Tour where he won 3
times! www.TraitsofChampions.com

NO ONE BUT WATSON
WON MORE IN THE 80’S!
• Chances Calvin Peete would ever make it on the PGA
Tour? ZERO!
• Bent left arm, set wrong after a fall as a child
• Traveling salesman to migrant farm workers
• Played golf for the 1st time at 23 but it took him just 2
years to get off scratch.
• He turned pro at 28. After 3 attempts he finally
graduated from Q-school and got his player’s card at
32.
• For three more difficult and discouraging years, Peete
didn’t win enough money to meet his travel expenses.
• Then, 12 PGA Tour wins in 10 years, only Watson had
more.
• 2 Japanese Tour wins
• 1984, Vardon trophy (lowest average score on PGA
tour) www.TraitsofChampions.com

“ 9 9 % O F A L L
P U T T ’ S Y O U
L E A V E S H O R T
D O N ’ T G O I N ! ”
- H U B E R T
G R E E N
www.TraitsofChampions.com

#2 CHAMPION’S HAVE FIRE IN
THE BELLY
In 1945, armed with his dream and a swing as smooth and
repeating as anyone had ever seen, the man known as “Lord
Byron” totally destroyed his competition. Winning a total of 18
tournaments and placing second in seven more, he enjoyed a
phenomenal stretch during which he recorded 11 victories in a
row! Starting with the Miami Four Ball in March of 1945, and
ending in June with the Canadian PGA Championship, Nelson
won all eleven tournaments he played in before finishing a
dismal 6th at the Memphis Open!
With a scoring average of 68.3 and over 100 sub-par rounds, it
was a truly remarkable year. Nelson had rewritten the record
book; most wins in a single year, most consecutive wins, lowest
winning score and lowest scoring average. Several of these
records still stand and will probably never be surpassed. The
main reason he was able to achieve this feat was the goals he
had set before the season began.
“Each drive, each shot, each chip and each putt was aimed at
getting that ranch. Each win meant another cow, another acre,
another part of the down payment.” - Byron Nelson

SERIOUS FIRE
IN THE BELLY...
The great Scottish pro, Tommy
Armour, was a machine-gunner
in the British army during World
War One, prior to immigrating to
the United States.
The war ended for him when he
was wounded in combat and lost
the sight of one eye, but before
that happened, he was involved
in an encounter where he single-
handedly captured an enemy
tank. When the commander of
the tank refused to surrender, a
fearful fight ensued, and Armour
emerged the winner only after
strangling his adversary with his
bare hands.

#3 CHAMPIONS
PREPARE A STRATEGY
When Jack Nicklaus joined the tour, he quickly
adopted Dean Beman’s statistical approach to pre-
game preparation and moved it to new heights.
While it is now common practice among tour players,
Nicklaus was one of the first to measure yardages on
each course before he played it.
Like a general studying the battlefield, he planned his
strategy in minute detail. He drew diagrams of each
hole, marked distances from specific and recognizable
features to the front of the greens, and made notes
about which way and how much the putts broke on
different parts of the green.

NICKLAUS ALSO MADE
HIS GOALS CLEAR!
To win more majors championships than his childhood hero
Bobby Jones!
• Specific
• Motivational
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Trackable
Nicklaus’s SMART goals define how he approached his entire
career! Tiger followed a very similar path using Nicklaus as
his benchmark.

“The clubs are fine. The
rules are fine. The
problem with golf is there
isn’t enough daylight in a
day to practice.”-
Ben Hogan
#4 CHAMPIONS PRACTICE
AND NEVER STOP LEARNING

“I do not particularly enjoy standing on the practice tee
for hours on end. I do it because I know it’s necessary.”-
Gary Player
“About 50% of the population are sold on the idea that
only horses work. The other 50% are inclined to go along
with this proposition, only they never saw a horse. - Tony
Lema
“We all continue to learn; if we didn’t we would be in
trouble. I’ve learned an awful lot from playing with great
golfers; with the exposure to them and talking with
them.”- Jack Nicklaus
“I believe the one factor that has helped me most in
achieving success has been self-discipline. Believe me,
without self-discipline it is hard to get yourself up at 6
AM, practice many long, hard hours and work until 11 at
night. The main motivation for keeping such a schedule
was my long range goal; to become the best golfer in the
world.”- Lee Trevinowww.TraitsofChampions.com

#5 CHAMPION’S DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN A
HIGH LEVEL OF MOTIVATION
• Champions love what they do.
• Champions turn even anger and sadness into fuel
for victory.
• Champions anchor on past successes to pave the
way to future successes.
• Champions visualize success to enhance motivation
and reach peak performance.
• Champions use pride to motivate themselves.

DON’T GET MAD GET
EVEN …
On the eve of the 1986 Masters Championship, a
friend faxed Nicklaus an article clipped from an
Atlanta newspaper. It opined that he was finished,
washed up, too old, and that it was time for him to
move over and make way for the younger players. In
the most positive of ways it made him mad. He felt
obliged to show everybody he was still the greatest
player in the world. By Sunday evening, with yet
another green jacket adorning his ample shoulders, he
had done so.

#6 CHAMPIONS DEVELOP A
WINNING IMAGE

CREATE THEIR
OWN BRAND
• Unique colors
• Clothes
• Hats
• Style
• Sunglasses
• Hair
• Brand affiliation like Tiger
and Nike, Jack and
McGregor, Jordan and
Under Amour or Watson
and Ram

A SIGNATURE LOOK
THAT MAKES THEM
STAND OUT FROM
THE CROWD!

THE SHARK, THE
BEAR, THE
KING…
• The Black Night
• Long John
• The Big Easy
• The Wee Ice Man also
known as the Hawk
• Nicknames, logos and
icons that make their
more valuable as brands!

#7 TRUE CHAMPION’S HAVE
CLASS

AND GIVE BACK
ALONG THE WAY!

#8 CHAMPION’S CONQUER
LIMITING BELIEFS
In 1984, just prior to the PGA Championship at
Shoal Creek, Lee Trevino complained to his wife
that he was too old to compete with the “flat
bellies” anymore. Instead of sympathizing with him,
Claudia cleverly appealed to his sense of pride. She
gave him precisely the kick in the butt he needed
by telling him, “Your clubs don’t know how old you
are.” The logic of her remark was not lost on the
Merry Mex! Positively reinforced, Trevino went out
and won his sixth major championship, beating
even more mature Gary Player for the title!

#9 CHAMPION’S
DEVELOP
UNSHAKABLE
CONFIDENCE!
• Confidence is the weapon of all
champions and it can be learned and
developed, just like a good golf swing.
• Champions develop confidence by:
• A) Practicing both the physical and
mental aspects of the game.
• B) Setting short term, measurable goals
so they can clearly see each small
increment of progress.
• C) Rewarding themselves for their
successes, heightening the desire for
more.
• D) Visualizing success, both overall and
in detail.
• E) Thinking positively.

#10 CHAMPION’S DEVELOP AND
PROTECT A WINNING ATTITUDE
“No matter what happens - never give
up a hole....In tossing in your cards
after a bad beginning you also
undermine your whole game, because
to quit between tee and green is more
habit-forming than drinking a highball
before breakfast!” – Sam Snead

“I hate to lose at anything,
even checkers, chess, pool
-- you name it. I feel if you
ease up in any game it
breeds a quitting attitude.”
- Tom Watson

“I don’t want to be a
millionaire, I just want to
live like one.”
- Walter Hagen

#11 CHAMPION DEVELOP AND
ENHANCE THEIR CREATIVITY
• Champions solve problems fast
• Seve making birdies from anywhere off his knees
• Snead hitting putter down the path on Pebbles short
7th in a gale
• Miller bouncing it across a lake with a long iron
• Langer climbing a tree to hit a shot
• Hagan dropping a lite cigarette on a paper bag to set
it on fire and remove it from on top of the ball
• Whatever the problem champions come up with
solutions!

Bernard Langer became one of the world’s best players
and a two-time Masters champion by identifying his
limiting factor and overcoming a problem few players in
history have ever conquered. At a very early age he
developed the putting “yips.” Recognizing that this
problem would prevent him permanently from reaching
his goals, no matter how good his iron play, he spent
hour upon hour, week after week, working to overcome
his limitation. For years he was among the top players in
European golf, then, without warning, the dreaded yips
returned!
Once again he was compelled to go back to the practice
putting green in search of a cure. Eventually he
discovered a unique and creative grip that while it may
be one of the most unorthodox grips in history, it
enabled him to play competitive golf at the highest level
once again.
Many other fine players have had to leave the game
when they became afflicted with the identical problem.
Langer, through personal honesty, courage, and dogged
determination, overcame his limiting factor and showed
himself for what he is, a true champion
. www.TraitsofChampions.com

#12 CHAMPION’S PUT
THEMSELVES’ IN THE ZONE
In 1974, Johnny Miller won eight tournaments on the PGA
Tour. What could he possibly do for an encore in 1975? How
about winning the first two tournaments he played in,
shooting a total of 49 under par? (Yes, forty-nine!)
After finishing 24 under par in the Phoenix Open, Miller was
quoted as saying, “I’m hitting the ball so well it’s almost a
joke.” Some of the other players were having difficulty seeing
the humor in this situation! One commented, “Miller is
playing so well he makes the rest of us look like monkeys.” A
reporter questioned Miller about his level of confidence,
following yet another round in the low 60s. He replied, “I was
standing out on the fairway with a 5-iron in my hand, 190
yards from the hole, actually thinking about holing the shot.”

#13 CHAMPIONS
PERSIST NO
MATTER WHAT!
Hogan was told he’d never play again
after the car crash that crushed his legs.
He went on to win 6 more majors.
Bobby Nicholas was told he would never
walk again. After a letter of
encouragement from his hero Hogan,
not only did he walk but he beat Palmer,
Nicklaus and Hogan to win the 64 PGA
Championship!
Dennis Walters never walked again after
a golf cart accident at 23 left him
paralyzed from the waist down…

DENNIS WALTERS -
AN INSPIRATION
TO MILLIONS!
Robbed of his dream to play on the
PGA Tour, Dennis and his faithful
companion Bucky, Walters became
the leading money winner on the
tick shot tour!
With accolades from Arnie, Jack,
Tiger and every other PGA player
whom ever saw his inspiring show.
Dennis travels the country doing as
many as 80 shows a year. Despite
being paralyzed from the waist
down Dennis is a scratch player
from the swivel chair of his golf
cart!

#14 CHAMPIONS PUT ALL
THE PIECES TOGETHER!
• Dream Big Dreams
• Develop A Burning Desire
• Prepare A Plan
• Practice And Never Stop Learning
• Develop A Winning Image
• Give Back Along The Way
• Develop and Maintain a high level of Motivation
• Conquer Limiting Beliefs
• Develop Unshakable Confidence
• Develop and Protect A Winning Attitude
• Develop and Enhance Your Creativity
• Put Yourself in The Zone
• Develop Persistence
• Put All the Pieces Together

READ OR LISTEN TO
WWW.TRAITSOFCHAMPIONS.COM

The Traits of Champions

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The Traits of Champions