Victory Goes to the Vulnerable
A mindset tip for golf, life, and everything in between.
Life is hard.
Golf is hard.
Every day you’re faced with choices—some small, some life-altering. And more often than not, the right choice is also the hardest one.
Speaking your truth even when it’s unpopular.
Owning your mistake instead of blaming someone else.
Asking for help instead of pretending you’ve got it all together.
Going for the risky shot because you believe in your training.
Walking away from a toxic relationship, job, or team.
These aren’t just choices. These are acts of courage.
And courage, by definition, requires vulnerability.
What is vulnerability?
Dr. Brené Brown, a leading researcher on the topic, defines vulnerability as “uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure.”
It’s not weakness—it’s the opposite.
When you make a choice that leaves you exposed, you’re opening the door to discomfort… but also to growth, progress, and sometimes, peace.
In golf, it shows up like this:
You’re on the first tee, hands shaking. You choose to breathe, trust your prep, and swing with freedom anyway.
You just tripled a hole. You decide to reset, not spiral.
You’re trailing in a tournament. You go for the hero shot—not out of ego, but because it’s the honest play.
That’s vulnerability. It’s not about recklessness.
It’s about letting go of control and trusting the process.
Victory goes to the vulnerable.
It’s a mantra I come back to again and again in sport psychology.
Not because it guarantees success on the scoreboard, but because it shifts your focus.
Rather than choosing to protect your ego, it is a choice to play with heart.
From avoiding mistakes…
to embracing the unknown.
From needing approval…
to showing up as you are.
When you live and play this way, something strange happens:
The results start to follow.
Not right away. Not every time.
But when they do, they’re real. And they last.
A story I’ll never forget:
One of the juniors I work with—a top recruit—used to play scared.
He’d play “safe” and try to impress.
He wanted the perfect swing, the perfect round, and the perfect college offer.
One day, we flipped the script.
He started calling himself a “scrappy golfer.”
That became his identity—someone who grinds, adjusts, and finds a way.
It was vulnerable for him to let go of perfection.
But it freed him to actually compete.
He started celebrating tough up-and-downs.
He took pride in ugly pars.
And guess what?
The wins came.
Not because he chased them, but because he chose the mindset that invites them.
So what now?
Where in your life are you playing it safe?
Where are you holding back because you're afraid of what might happen if you go all in?
Here are ideas to reflect on:
Have the hard conversation.
Swing with full commitment.
Show someone the real you.
Apply for something that feels out of reach.
Admit you're struggling and need support.
Lean in. Choose vulnerability.
Because victory doesn’t go to the perfect.
It goes to the honest. The brave. The ones who show up anyway.
You don’t need to fake confidence.
You need to practice courage.
You don’t need a flawless swing.
You need belief.
And you don’t need the result today.
Instead, choose process over outcome.
The results—on the course and in life—are the byproduct.
Remember, in the end, victory does go to the vulnerable.
Your coach,
Dr. Mat