Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images
Smoltz is an avid golfer, consistently in the hunt at the American Century Championship. He will look to finally capture that title this weekend.
John Smoltz is a Hall of Fame pitcher with unreal stats to back up his 2015 induction. I’m sure everyone knows that. But not everyone knows that he is also an exceptional golfer.
Smoltz has played on the Champions Tour and at the U.S. Senior Open. He has won events, but is yet to capture the illustrious American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe.
On Thursday following his practice round, I asked Smoltz if he found a direct correlation between pitching and playing golf. I pointed out that despite being a team sport, the pitcher’s mound is known as one of the loneliest places in all of sports. That’s particularly true in high-leverage situations.
Golf is an individual sport. So I asked for something specific, and the Atlanta Braves legend delivered.
“Ironically, when I’m in the woods, trying to hit like a three-foot window, I’m really good at that,” Smoltz said.
“When you’re on the mound — you see a tunnel to the home plate. You’re on the mound by yourself. But anything you do is committed, you’ve got a great chance. If you’re half committed [to your pitch], you’ve got no chance. Same thing with golf, if you’re not committed.”
It was both enlightening and refreshing to hear something so detailed.
I have watched baseball and golf my entire life. I played baseball when I was younger, pitched. I play golf now, but am lucky to break 100.
Yet, I can specifically relate to what Smoltzy is talking about. There are numerous instances I can recall whether in the fairway, a bunker or the woods, where I am uncertain of the shot I am trying to hit.
That uncertainty is one of my problems, according to Smoltz. I need to commit. He even delved into the psychology of it.
“I told him [his caddie] a long time ago, don’t ever say the word “don’t.” Don’t tell me like ‘don’t hit it left.’ ‘Don’t hit it here.’ That’s a negative command that usually follows — the brain doesn’t remember “don’t.”
“So everything we do is positively attacking this spot or hit it here. Same thing on the mound. They say things that they don’t realize are not smart. They’ll say, “Hey, don’t hang a slider to this guy.” Well, again, the brain doesn’t hear “don’t”; it just hears “hang slider.” And next thing you know, you’re hanging a slider.”
I had never felt more fulfilled with an answer from an athlete, especially one that I admire.
I grew up a child of the 90s. One of my earliest memories of baseball was watching the Braves on TNT in 1993 with Smoltz, Maddux and Glavine. That’s still, in my opinion, by far the best trio in MLB history.
John Smoltz was my favorite player as a child. He was electric. He was overpowering. And as time wore on, his versatility was something to behold.
After being one of the best starting pitchers in all of baseball for a decade, he transitioned to a closer. That’s an entirely different mentality that very few have succeeded in doing.
In three seasons as the Braves closer, he compiled 144 saves and led the league in 2002 with 55. Then he led the league in wins as a starter in 2006. That’s wild.
Following his retirement, the 8-time All-Star had more time to work on his golf game. And work on it he did. Smoltz reportedly has a +1.5 handicap. That’s just ludicrous for someone who was a professional athlete in another sport.
But as he pointed out, he was able to take lessons from being the best at one into the other.
Only time will tell if those lessons will land him his first American Century Championship victory.
