Ryan Fox makes the case for trusting ourselves

by Tim O'Connor July 31, 2026July 31, 2026

I caved. I clicked on a video of Michael Kim putting for 59.

Kim did his Aim Point thing, straddling the line, then again, and again. He got back to his ball, raised a finger up, got into his stance, out of his stance, crouched, stood up …

“Hit the f***ing putt!” I yelled at my phone.

Yes, it was for a 59, but … holy crap, that was painful.

In comparison, Ryan Fox took 22 seconds from set-up to hitting the 12-footer on 18 that won the Open Championship. Fox read his putt while walking to the green and Sam Burns putted.

Thank you Ryan Fox for reminding the world that you can play well—and win majors!—by playing without delay.

Moreover, he provided a wonderful example of what can happen when we trust ourselves.

Fox says he “sees the shot, hits the shot.” He decides on the shot, moves over the ball and rips his distinctive swing. He makes golf more of a reaction sport, rather than a dreary exercise in over-thinking and double-checking.

Most people take far too long. I swear I can hear grinding noises as some people stand over a ball, fidgeting, re-gripping, waggling, looking at the target, and fidgeting some more until they finally make a convulsive lurch at the ball.

Check out this great video from Mental Performance Coach Karl Morris, who coaches Ryan Fox. It provides fascinating insights into Fox’s mindset as he played the Open Championship and some great thoughts for your game.

As a society, we don’t tend to trust ourselves: we question our thoughts and natural instincts. “I shouldn’t feel sad.” “Make sure you do it right.” “Are you sure?”

In most aspects of our lives, our brain instantly provides us with a pathway. But our culture worships thinking and discounts what’s instinctual. We often suspect and distrust that first thought, the initial choice, our feelings.

There is great wisdom in our bodies. All able-bodied people have innate talent to do things that we cannot explain, such as walking down stairs, throwing a ball to a target, or driving a car.

Have you ever crossed over a stream by stepping on a series of rocks in the stream? Somehow your feet find the right rocks in the right combination and, voila, you’re on the other side. Consider when you wrote multiple choice exams in school; your first choice was usually the correct one.

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Yet, when we are called upon to do something “that matters”—whether it’s golf, business, or in our relationships—we are prone to self-interfering.

We’re afraid of making a mistake, looking bad, or failing. Convinced we don’t have the right stuff, we try harder. But the over-thinking and caution overrides what’s instinctual.

When we trust our instincts—that first initial read of the putt, for example—that’s when we can access our innate talent, skill and experience. It’s quite exhilarating when we allow and just go. It’s like we get carried along by a force that we don’t understand.

This idea of trusting oneself is impossible for some people to grasp. It’s too risky, dangerous even. Many people have suffered trauma that prevents them from trusting themselves, which I admit is a simplistic phrase for dealing with a complex human experience. Some people require counselling and deep work before they can contemplate such a thing.

But when we trust ourselves, we experience a greater sense of freedom and, in fact, greater mastery. When you commit to a read and feel for a putt, you’ll always hit a far better putt than if you putt with doubt. The same goes for most any situation in life.

Like the bank ad that says you’re richer than you think, you’re far more talented than you think—in most aspects of your life. Trust me on this one.

To learn more about trusting oneself in golf and life, check out my latest book Getting Unstuck: 7 Transformational Practices for Golf Nerds.

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