Fulton: Focus on the big picture to be successful like Wilson

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Wilson has two wins on TOUR this year: the Sony Open and the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Usually when a player shows up for a golf lesson with a glove on both hands, you are not sure what you are going to get. For many of us golf instructors, this can be comparable to the dreaded finger nails on the old chalk board. Generally, it is recommended to only wear a glove on the lead hand -- for a right-handed golfer this would be the left.

Perhaps the emergence of Tommy "Two Gloves" Gainey in Phoenix will be the beginning of increased glove sales for the right hand. Although the former "Big Break" contestant didn't hold up through Sunday, it was neat to see him do well in a PGA TOUR event.

With only one glove, how good of a weekend did Mark Wilson have? His favorite football team, the Green Bay Packers, defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers to win Super Bowl XLV on Sunday, while he continued his great play in 2011 and took a three-day weekend to win his second PGA TOUR event on Monday.

When you look at Wilson's game, there is really nothing that jumps out at you. He's not a guy that is going to bomb it off the tee like a Dustin Johnston or Bubba Watson or overwhelm you with a series of miraculous shots like Phil Mickelson or Tiger Woods. However, what Wilson will do is wear you out with a very consistent approach to the game that is designed for him to be in contention and win his share of tournaments when the opportunity presents itself.

One of the most overlooked areas when learning to play the game of golf is one's overall approach to playing the game. One of my favorite things to talk about in golf instruction is what's referred to as a "mastery approach." This concept was first introduced to me by a great book written by Dr. Gio Valiante titled "Fearless Golf." If you haven't read this book, I would certainly recommend it.

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Briefly, a "mastery approach" to the game of golf is someone who wants to learn and refine their game at all times. Regardless of their level of play, these players are always trying to improve their skills in an attempt to overcome the challenge that golf presents. These players enjoy the process of working on their game which defines their efforts not by how much attention they will receive in the end but rather gaining satisfaction by the hard work toward the goals they set for themselves. Along the way, these types of players understand there are going to be highs and lows but regardless of the situation or status at hand, they continue to stay the course.

Over the years, Wilson has struck me as this type of player. You can tell he is a guy who understands his game and plays the golf course to his strengths. Although these efforts don't always result in great shots and multiple victories, Wilson accepts the fact that this is a process of preparing and playing the game one-shot at a time which eventually makes up 18-holes, then 72-holes, 1 year and hopefully for the rest of his professional career. Wilson is a guy that demonstrates the right attitude and is a good example of someone who defines the "mastery approach."

So many times I see players with an approach to the game that lacks a process and can often times be defined by one round of golf, to one lesson, to sometimes even one swing. This approach is certainly not the best toward the game and can lead to a lot of frustration and lack of self-confidence. These types of players take a very un-realistic approach to the game with the focus too much on what the end prize would mean to them, rather than focusing on the importance of the overall process and what that means to achieving one's goals.

In 2007, I made a commitment to myself as an instructor to spend more time with my students on the golf course. Whether it was just for a few holes or a complete 9 or 18, I wanted to see my students more in real situations on the golf course with rewards and consequences. What I have noticed is the lesson plan for each student has become more balanced and complete - not only from a technical standpoint but from the overall standpoint of how they are approaching and playing the game.

So as we work through another long winter and start thinking ahead to golf season, I want you to take a page out of Wilson's book and take a more "mastery approach" by falling in love with the process of working on your game. Stay committed to this and let the strokes fall where they fall.

Remember, don't define yourself by one shot or one hole or round -- it's bigger than that. The quicker you understand this, the more you will enjoy the time you put into your game.

Just Because

Let me take a moment to say congratulations to the Green Bay Packers for winning Super Bowl XLV. This win is a double whammy for me. For those that read my blog, you understand that it was a no brainer for me to root for the Packers. In fact, I was "that guy" with no gear on, in a restaurant cheering like crazy during that last defensive stand in the fourth quarter. I'm not big on this because when you cheer like I was on Sunday night, you better have some affiliation or colors on... oh well.

Secondly, let me give some major props to Aaron Rodgers. How cool is this guy? Here's a guy who put up with the Brett Favre saga and lived in his shadow for years in Green Bay and then once Favre eventually retired and retired and retired again -- he ended up in Minnesota and defeated Rodgers and the Packers in Lambeau. Through all this however, Rodgers stayed the course and continued to work hard and embrace the process of playing the quarterback position in the NFL -- sound familiar? His progress was amazing and this year he put the Packers on his right arm and led them to the Lombardi trophy. Really a great story!

Now what? No more football.

Travis Fulton is PGA TOUR Academy's Director of Instruction and one of Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers for 2010-11. His views do not necessarily reflect the views of the PGA TOUR. To learn more about the TOUR Academy, click here.