The 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black will be remembered not just for great golf but for how the European team handled relentless heckling from U.S. fans. The moment showed what it takes to perform under pressure when emotions run high.
It also revealed something powerful about mindset — what I call the Teflon Mindset — the ability to let things slide off instead of letting them stick.
The Situation
Rory faced repeated taunts and insults, even personal ones.
On the 16th hole, after another heckle, he turned and snapped back before hitting a laser-tight shot to inside three feet.
Later, he admitted the noise “got to him,” but he kept his focus and played some of his best golf.
That’s what mental toughness looks like in real life — not perfect calm, but quick recovery and control.
The Teflon Mindset
When pressure, criticism, or noise hits, most people react. The Teflon mindset means you feel it, but you don’t attach to it.
It’s built on three habits:
Non-attachment: Don’t give meaning to the noise.
Emotional boundary: Feel the emotion but don’t let it drive your behavior.
Refocus: Shift attention back to your process — the next shot, the next breath, the next cue.
You can’t stop outside noise. You can train your response to it.
What Navy SEALs Know About It
At my time at NASA, we studied a lot on the Navy SEAL mindset. What I learned from this deep dive is how SEALs training is often more intense than the real combat. They intentionally train to push themselves into chaos, discomfort, and exhaustion — to build calm under pressure.
Here’s how their training mirrors what elite golfers need:
Stress inoculation: SEALs face controlled stress in training so real stress doesn’t shock them later. Golfers can do the same by practicing under simulated pressure — noise, distractions, or time limits.
Emotional control: SEALs use breathing techniques (like box breathing) to regulate heart rate and focus during chaos. Golfers can use the same skill over a clutch putt or after a bad hole. To learn more breathing techniques visit www.mpgagolf.com
Visualization of adversity: SEALs don’t just picture perfect missions. They rehearse everything that can go wrong — fog, failure, injury — and visualize how they’ll respond. That builds confidence and adaptability.
Non-reactivity: SEALs train to respond, not react. When chaos hits, they don’t panic; they follow their next step.
The same principle applies to golf. You can’t stop a heckler, a bad bounce, or a tough break — but you can control your response.
Visualization Beyond the Best Case
Many athletes use visualization to see perfect shots. That’s only half the work.
The real power comes from visualizing adversity and how you’ll handle it.
Try this:
List your stress triggers
Examples: heckling, slow play, missed putts, bad lies.Write how you’d like to respond
Breathe, pause, reset, stay composed, commit to your shot.Run the full scene in your mind
Picture the stressor, feel the emotion rise, then apply your response.Rehearse recovery
Visualize how fast you come back to focus after a setback.
The more you mentally rehearse handling pressure, the more automatic your calm becomes. That’s what SEALs rely on in combat — and what great golfers can rely on under fire.
Bringing It Together
Rory showed that mental toughness isn’t about being unbothered. It’s about feeling the heat, staying aware, and choosing your next move.
Navy SEALs prove this mindset is trainable. They don’t rely on motivation; they rely on preparation.
You can’t control the noise — but you can decide what sticks. Train your mind like Rory. Prepare like a SEAL. And when the pressure comes, let it roll right off.
Your Mental Coach,
Dr. Mat
At MPGA - we have several upcoming events that you are invited to:
Event #1: October 16, 2025 at 8:00pm (ET).
We have partnered with 9Golf to host a Make Putting Simple Again - putting clinic featuring Cydney Clanton from the LPGA Tour. She will be demonstrating the 3 crucial skills to putting performance to adopt into your own game. Join www.mpgagolf.com for more details. Event will be streamed LIVE online and in person. The event is FREE.
Event #2: November 6, 2025 at 12:00pm (ET).
Our MPGA Coach Gen will be taking over our IG LIVE to interview PGA Tour Player, Billy Horschel on the ability and skills needed to Bounce Back. This feature will include a Q&A in the chat to our community members. Be sure to join www.mpgagolf.com to learn more.
Announcement: Lastly - we launched our first episode of MIND YOUR GAME, a podcast dedicated to elite mindset and performance. We will be releasing two episodes a month. Can’t wait to share more insights on mindset to better your performance, your relationships, and your life.
Give us a follow on Instagram or YouTube and follow along.
This podcast is in partnership with our official sponsor: Caddy Snacks www.eatcaddysnacks.com
