#15: [Inside the Mind] Henry Kurusz: From Long Drive Competitions to A Lupus Diagnosis: How the Love of the Game Keeps this Scratch Golfer Going

Henry Kurusz IV (00:01.45)

All right, hey Paul, I’m Henry Cruz IV. Folks call me Bear. There’s a lot of Henry’s around here. all my friends and family call me Bear. 42 years old. I live here in Tampa, Florida with my wife, almost 10 years. And we have a four and a six year old boy, two boys, little active guys, very different from each other, but they are little athletic, little machines are always running, throwing, kicking. So we stay very active as a family.

Like I said, we’ve been in Tampa about seven or eight years from West Palm. It’s kind of where I grew up, went to high school over there. From there, you know, played golf my whole life and got pretty decent at it. Had a few offers coming out of high school. They were from small schools. I went to two high schools actually. One had 90 kids and we’re end up graduating. We ended up at 64 in my class. So I had very small schools, great, great place.

but I wanted the big school. wanted to have football games. wanted, I’ve heard classes had a thousand kids in it and I couldn’t believe it. So I wanted to get the big world experience and ultimately ended up at Florida State and went through the walk -on process there and I won the walk -on for Florida State, shot a one under par there. And unfortunately not much came of it for a college career, just through what happened with coach and bringing new players in and just didn’t really bounce out and coupled that with a knee injury.

early in February, my freshman year, kind of curved my college collegiate golf career. So it was kind of still with that. It became more of a hobby. I always hit the ball really far. It was kind of like my strength. And while I was rehabbing my knee, watching on Christmas, we saw the World Long Drive Championship. And I said, that’s cool. I the ball far. going to try that when I get back. And went on eBay, bought a couple of five degree ping drivers. And

I was out up at Florida State, saw some qualifiers down in Orlando for what was called the Pinnacle Distance Challenge. You come out, you hit some balls, some prizes and winners. So, yeah, so hey, let’s shoot down to do that. So we went down and I got there real early, like 4 a .m. How tired and it’s a limited number of people. And I step up and I hit it about 3, 18 or so. My little stock driver. I put my chest out, shoulders back, and I’m kind of strutting off there. And we go to lunch. We come

Henry Kurusz IV (02:25.674)

And the top 10 get to play that evening against a pro. And I’m like, Oh, I definitely going to make that 320 yards and 10th place was in the three seventies. And so I was so far out of it, not even close humbled. And so I went back and started doing some research and I copied just the previous long drive champion set up a guy named Carl Walters. He was an NCAA javelin thrower and just mountain of a man and copied his driver.

And the girl I was dating at the time was living in Dallas. And so I said, Hey, let’s go to Dallas where the next qualifier is. And we went out there and things clicked. And I won the first morning qualifier at a three 56 and came out in the afternoon and was head to head against Brian Pavlitt, who at the time was the number one long driver in the world. And we got five balls and I hit my first one and I saw what every long driver wants to see. And that is the grid workers turning and running backwards.

So they’re running back, they get my ball, then Mark gets a 372. So I’m pumped up and Pavlik gets on up there and Skye’s a high right spinner, nothing, overcorrects next ball, snaps it. Third ball, high right, fourth overcorrects. I’m like, okay, I’m gonna get $10 ,000. You this is big for a college kid. And he hits that little bullet, it’s hugging the left line. And I see those good workers take three steps backwards. I’m like, no.

He asked me by about three or four yards, but no one else won that day. So as the longest amateur, did get a trip to Mesquite, Nevada to do it all again on ESPN. And they had a pinnacle power team out there. They were real long drive guys and you had one -on -one five balls. Winner gets 10 ,000 bucks. And I got a real good draw. And I mean, no disrespect by this Dan Beaver. He’s a amazing trick shot artist, golf entertainer, long hitting gentleman.

And, but that’s what he, he’s an entertainer. He wasn’t a powerful guy. I’m like, all right, we can do this. And I was forced to, and I did beat him and I got that money. so that kind of set me up to get in some more golf events and get some more experience. And I just kind of kept going through that through my college career, made it out to the world championship, world finals, a couple of times out in Mesquite, Nevada. never did much out there, but it was a great experience. And it was, the game slowly evolved. it was a great hobby, you

Henry Kurusz IV (04:48.042)

bunch of us young 20 guys piling into a Motel 6 and shutting down Hooters after an event, it grew. And the men became stronger and they started eating right. And they got in the gym and they had golf instructors and it passed me by. Frankly, it passed me by. I couldn’t compete. When I was in there, if you could fly at 350, you’d be competitive. And now, mean, you got to fly at 390 to be competitive, it seems like. It’s just a different game and it’s fun to watch. I’m glad I got to experience it.

I find a lot more joy playing golf these days. I don’t hit the ball very far anymore, but it is what it is. And I love playing golf. That’s kind of, that’s kind of it’s how I got here and where we are. And I’m a scratch golfer now got it down to a plus three handicap. I was playing really well. We had touched on that about 10 or 12 years ago. I was diagnosed with lupus and it really was

The initial diagnosis was tough. was frozen in my body and I couldn’t really move and did golf for about two years. And when I got back into it, it was very, very slow. was 10, 11 holes and the pain started. But I fully worked back and, um, you know, I had that long drive mentality of killing the ball and now I couldn’t do it. And that’s when the game changed. And that’s when I went from that. Um, you know, I joined a country club here at a four and a half handicap. And within five years I was a plus three

It just stemmed from getting away from that mindset, getting the right mindset and playing a little more course management, playing the golf ball and getting it in play. That was really the big thing. So it’s been a mental change for me on that. And, um, you know, with the past couple of years, it’s kind of flared up and flare down. It’s affected the game. The mental part of it has been just as frustrating or challenging as the physical part. Um, when you’re out there and you got a buck 50 in the fairway and you’re hitting a wedge, that’s great.

And now I’m 150 out and I’m like, well, maybe I should smooth a seven iron. it’s three club differences. It’s a lot to mentally get over. it’s a lot for me to sit there in the fairway and try to gauge these clubs. And my numbers are constantly changing based on my body and how we’re feeling that day and how well the steroids are working. It’s all just a big thing. it’s been a challenge, but it’s been something we stuck with and it brings me a lot of joy. That’s where I feel my best. I don’t really feel any pain.

Henry Kurusz IV (07:16.98)

I don’t feel any of the outside influences, whatever’s going on in the world when I’m on that course for those four or five hours, everything’s gone and it’s a really great place to be. yeah, it means a lot to me to be able to play the game.

Paul Salter | The Golf Hypnotherapist (07:28.823)

Yeah, what a wonderful story. And I’m so grateful that you are kind enough to open up and share. And there’s so many nuances that I’m excited to unpack here. Yeah, so like I’m gonna put us all over the map of what you just shared. This is such an incredible timeline. you know, the reason, one of the many reasons I love doing this podcast and I’ll be frank is like selfishly, I get to learn from someone who has leaps and bounds ahead of me. So I want you to take me back, Henry. Take us all back to college.

Henry Kurusz IV (07:36.308)

There’s a lot to yeah. We put a lot in there. Okay.

Henry Kurusz IV (07:55.082)

Okay.

Paul Salter | The Golf Hypnotherapist (07:56.261)

you have your sights set on walking on to FSU. And the reason I’m bringing up this this particular question, I’ll give everybody some context here is I was recently in a Twitter discussion. I know this sounds so futile, but me and the Twitter guy are on great terms. He’s gonna be a podcast guy. So he’s a great, great human. But we had a just a little bit of a disagreement where he was trying to tell me that his approach of eight to 10 hours on the course every day was what he felt and still feels.

is the only way to get to the next level. And I’ll be frank, those of you who’ve been listening for a while, I am just getting back into the game of golf. So I would love to hear more about what is your actual practice play regimen like, and tell us a little bit more about what your mental and emotional game were like as you had your sights set on walking on to FSU.

Henry Kurusz IV (08:45.226)

Sure, sure. It certainly has changed drastically from 18 to 40. But at that time, I did touch on, I did have two offers to play collegiate golf. One was at Stetson University and one was at Mercer University. I took my tours. I liked it, but it just came back to less of the golf and more of the social aspect, really. I’ve been playing since I was three years old. And so I made the decision to walk on the floor of state.

My practice routine was up at, you know, I grew up in West Palm Beach and sometimes you’re a little spoiled and you don’t realize really what you have until it’s gone. And I say that because Greg Norman’s daughter was in my class and Jack Nicholas’s kids all went to my same high school. It’s the same high school where Charlie Woods now attends. It’s the Benjamin School. So every single day we went and played the Bears Club in Jupiter. And then on Wednesdays we went and played the medalist up in Hope

So we were playing at these exclusive world -class facilities with top tier practice. really had, I mean, you know, there’s kids, you know, growing up in West Palm, there’s kids hitting pro, top flights down sugar cane fields that are some of these schools. And here we are hitting pro V’s off pristine grass. And sure. was an advantage. It was absolutely advantage to have these conditions and, just do them every single day. And so that’s what we were doing. It was mostly just, coming out, arrange session, short game session.

And then walking nine holes and that was every single day, you know, five days a week. and we loved it. so for me personally, I don’t like hitting range balls. you don’t see me on the range. I just not a fan of it. And I know repetition, repetition, you know, will breed success, but I kind of take that to the short game area. I love, a flop shop. I love a lob wedge. I live and die. Give me a short game facility. I could spend hours and hours and hours and not get bored.

So that’s kind of where my strength also are. I have a really good short game. I get it close. I love the loft. You know, getting things up, getting creative, putting spin on ball, little check shots. And it’s just, I love it. I could still do that now and I can take my kids out and we can go to some of these places that have the good short game facilities. We go to Cabot up in Brooksville and you know, it’s 40 bucks. We’ll play the short course and we’ll stay at those range and we’ll stay at that putting course.

Henry Kurusz IV (11:10.378)

eight hours and that’s how we will spend our time is playing and that’s how I kind of look at it. And now you’re like 40, 42. I’ll be honest, I can’t tell you the last time I went to a driving range to practice. My time is limited. So if I have that time, I’m playing golf. But my practice is less traditional. There’s not a day that goes by that I’m not having a wedge in my hand in the backyard with my boys.

Not a day without a putter in my hand. And I’ve seen that. That’s where it is. I’m flipping wedges and it’s just, even if you’re not aiming at a hole particularly, you’re getting the mental feel. You’re repeating the same little thing. You’re getting the wrist clack and that is how I practice. And that’s what I translate to. It’s playing on the course. And even like yesterday we were playing, I mentioned I played real well. I shot four under and think about it. I did. I pulled one ball off this weird down slope.

And it was one of those things where I was thinking about it last night and I said, I’ll hit that shot twice a year. Whereas when I pull it down and I’m in the thick rough and a little basin, I’m gonna hit that shot 60 times a year. So I just pull it down and hit a normal shot. And I don’t feel like I’m not gonna go out there and practice the weird things, but the things that you’re gonna repeat over and over and you’re gonna run into on the golf course, that’s kind of where it is. And you know, hitting two balls when you go out there and play, all my practice is on course practice. It’s very little.

The driving range is a place to warm up for me. I want to get out there. I want to see the real world. Can I get it around that tree? Can I get it over the tree? I want to see the real world kind of optics of it. And banging seven irons in a row, you’re going to get into a groove. I don’t want to get in that groove. I want to hit a driver and then go hit an eight iron and then go hit a wedge. So I find that by diversifying it a little bit, that’s just how it works for me. And then when I do have the time, I take the time to the short

And that’s where, because I love it.

Paul Salter | The Golf Hypnotherapist (13:05.829)

So take me back and the listeners back. You’re 18, maybe 19. Knowing what you know now, what is the biggest change you would make to your practice regimen to accelerate results?

Henry Kurusz IV (13:20.906)

Knowing what I know now is kind of what I’m trying to instill in my six year old. And that you hear all the time and you know, some are gonna be for it, some are against it. I’m gonna do the, I think it’s called the banging gouge. I want him to hit the ball absolutely as far as he can and have a killer short game. You know, if you can do that, you can hit the ball 300 yards.

you’re going to have a fine iron game. can be able to get that in there. So let’s just get that killer short game. It’s almost, almost like a Bryson kind of mindset. It’s, it’s working on the long game and getting that there, but focusing on the short game. And I would get him on the greens more. I don’t like practicing putting, but that’s where it is. I love, I love having a wedge in my hand. it’s just practicing the short game while

Just solidifying the fundamentals. If we can just kind of get the fundamentals, get himself a comfortable grip, a nice long, smooth swing, and then get in that short game. That’s where it’s all about. And it kind of stems from my mindset as well as loving the short game and coming from a long drive background. But I hit good, good irons. I played a couple of weeks ago and I I played stream song and hit 17 greens and I had three, three punts back to back to back and stuff like that. That’s what kills me. It’s just,

You can be so good and shoot a good number and the score is not going to necessarily reflect that if you don’t have the putting so short game. That’s where I would focus any young guys going up, hit it far and get a good short game.

Paul Salter | The Golf Hypnotherapist (14:52.773)

and I’m curious and I’m sure the listeners are as well. What were you driving on average at your FSU days? And then contrast that with what you ended up hitting in your long drive days.

Henry Kurusz IV (15:05.738)

Yeah, I was, you know, would use a seven ish degree driver. and it was always 300 was the number that was kind of where we wanted to put it. And even now that’s not, that’s really not where the college kids and college kids now are like 315, 320. But at the time that was kind of where it was, um, stock 44 inch drivers. When I first started long drive, there was no limit to the length. And then my, after a couple of years, it went down to 52 and then it went to USDA, but I was swinging a 52 inch driver.

And like I said before, you needed to carry it 350 regardless of, you were in south or if you were out west with the finals were a little thinner air, you need to carry it 350. Now, you know, we said the guys are probably 380 to 390 to carry. I mean, they’re beasts now. And my Encore’s, typical drive for me, as much as hate to say it, 255 down the middle is fine.

I had a little fade and a roll out to 260, 270 at most, but that’s it for me. And it’s all I’ve got in the tank. It’s nothing, you know, it is what it is. so now the focus is I’ve found myself when I do practice and hit some balls, you know, on the course, I do tend to drop back to that five, six iron and it’s picked up. My five, my long irons are good now. They’re a lot better than they were when I was younger and I’m hitting those, I’m hitting more six irons than I’ve ever had in my past.

And that is what it is. And that’s 6 iron from 180 is where I’m at right now. I don’t know. It’s fine. Let’s go.

Paul Salter | The Golf Hypnotherapist (16:38.725)

Now you’ve made it so clear how much of a part golf is of your life. And I love that for you. So take us through 2010, particularly, you know, 2011, 2012, and even up to 2022, where you mentioned that, you know, this lupus diagnosis really beginning to handicap your ability to play the game and ultimately expanding to having to remove you from the game for a short period of time. Walk us through.

Henry Kurusz IV (16:44.643)

Right.

Paul Salter | The Golf Hypnotherapist (17:06.713)

That experience, the challenges that came with having to put a temporary pause on something that was so enmeshed in your identity.

Henry Kurusz IV (17:14.314)

Yeah, it was definitely difficult. I moved to DC after college and it’s a very dense city. Not a lot of golf from, have a couple, we have three Munis in there, but the ranges were very short. So the ability of finding a range that I could compete at was the first challenge and that ended up being 90 minutes away. So your entry level in a political career in a very cutthroat city.

leaving work, I couldn’t leave work at five o ‘clock. So I’d leave work six, six, 30 by the time I drive out in the DC traffic. It was tough. It wasn’t fun practicing the long drive and doing that. So I kind of turned it back and kind of got back into some more of the golf, playing a little more golf. But again, it was just the hours that commit. We’re just weren’t there trying to get into the professional world. And then my dad had a birthday in June and he said, come on down and play golf.

And I knew something was wrong with my body at that time. but I went down and it was just this weird, crooked, weird swing. And he kind of gave me a side eye. I was like, what was that? I said, I think it’s a softball injury in my shoulder up here. And I knew it wasn’t, but he said, okay, well let’s get that checked out. He’s a physician. So he knew a little more than, you he kind of read into things. And, so I was like, okay, we’ll get it checked out. And, I did have a slap tear in my shoulder, which was

But that didn’t really affect much, know, the golf. we did some more, just kind of work up and nothing really came of it. I flew home again for Christmas about six months later, came back to DC, developed a real strong pain behind my right knee. And it progressed over the next four days and I’m too stubborn to go to the doctor, but it got too bad. I had to go to the ER and I had a very nice young doctor come on in and she said,

She’s a student. said, you have the largest blood clot I’ve ever seen in your leg. Can we do a physical examination? I was like, well, that’s not what you want to hear, but yeah, go ahead. So there’s a blood clot behind my knee. And so in the process of finding out why a relatively healthy 27 year old developed a blood clot, we developed or found out they had lupus. And so just kind of went with it. You know, there’s not really a whole heck of a lot that we know about it. Treatment is more kind of secondary.

Henry Kurusz IV (19:31.882)

They find some drugs and some pills that work for other things such as malaria and they found that it helps lupus. So I’m taking these cocktail of drugs and it’s been fine. And it really didn’t do much. And I was then allowed to focus more on the work and stay with the job. And I got into the job and was playing golf really four times a year. It was not much at all. know, DC is a very expensive town and around a golf at a decent place was 150 bucks.

I became a bit of a golf snob. You you get better, you want to play in nicer places and I don’t necessarily want to pluck it around the Muny for seven hours. So it didn’t really set in in DC too much because I wasn’t playing quite as much and there wasn’t a whole lot of too much pain. Let me move down here to Florida. That’s where I said, I’m going to get back into golf. That was my identity and it is to this day. It’s Henry the golfer. Everyone knows me. I It’s Henry the golfer. Everything is golf.

And so we joined the country club, Carrollwood Country Club, and had some great people up there and started playing a lot more, at least twice a week. You know, once on the weekends, 18, and usually nine after work. God, that’s when I got good. That’s when I really started playing, got down to that plus handicap. And then we would deal with flare ups with the lupus, usually twice a year. And it was always in March for some reason, same time. it kind of knew what was coming and it would take me out for two to four weeks.

And I come back and it is what it is. And then two years ago, it just intensified and I couldn’t move. Some random part of my body would be in excruciating pain for two to six weeks and it would just stop and move somewhere else for absolutely no reason. I couldn’t move my right ankle for two weeks and then all of a sudden it’s so bad in my left shoulder. couldn’t comb my hair, I couldn’t dry my hair, I couldn’t do anything. And then with your right

You can’t do anything. It was tough and really there’s no really anything to it. So golf that was really when it hit me. It’s like I’m losing. I don’t really have much, you know, all my friends are from the country club. That’s where I see them and they do it. It was very, very, very tough to lose that and then there were days when I’d be looking forward to getting out there and I would know after three swings. I would just say sorry guys and just pack up and go home at eight o ‘clock and I couldn’t do it.

Henry Kurusz IV (21:54.492)

Mentally, was some of the tougher things. was my identity and it is what it is. It’s who I am. It’s what I do. It’s what people kind of know me for and what I love. And beyond that, it’s how I stay clear in the head. It’s how I kind of keep going. It’s everything for me. So that was been a, it’s been a real tough, about two years. You know, we went on a guys trip to Michigan and played some incredible courses and it just, killed me. I’ve completed one round out of the six really, and

Watching watching is harder than anything else because you just want to be out there and you try and it’s just painful and then I would say it actually we booked a tee time at Cabot in March and For last March and it was just something to look forward to it’s just this beautiful course. I really wanted to and The days leading up to I was like, I feel pretty good and I went out and I played real well and Things have been pretty good since March through and through now. So it’s I’m getting back into it. I’m shooting better scores

And that’s lifting me up mentally. it’s doing really well. My last two rounds have been under par. You know, it’s great. So I’m feeling good. I’m just hoping that we’re taking a turn with health and, you know, it’s helping with the mental side of things and helps to you calm elsewhere. you know, it’s, it all compounds with each other. You know, it’s not just a round of golf. It’s leading into your personal life and your professional life and it all comes together for me.

Paul Salter | The Golf Hypnotherapist (22:53.029)

Yeah.

Paul Salter | The Golf Hypnotherapist (23:17.089)

Absolutely, so I’m curious, take us into some of those more challenging moments where you’re recognizing, wow, I can’t play today. It’s starting to become more routine than you’d like to. You take a couple swings or you play a couple holes. What did you find as another strategy to help you manage this temporary detachment from this identity that’s all you’ve known? How did you keep your sanity, your clarity?

Henry Kurusz IV (23:36.668)

Mm, right.

Henry Kurusz IV (23:41.45)

Well, you would know pretty quickly the way, you know, Carol was set up. come out of the pro shop, they got a pitching range and a pitching green and then a putting green. And I would know within three pitch shots if I could do it, you know, it was always the wrists were a big thing. And if, I could hit the pitch shots, I’d be like, okay, we’ll, go to the range. And usually if I could make it to the range, I could get through the day. it was just kind of a field thing. You would, you really wouldn’t know until you woke up and got there and tried it on out. And during those times when it was tough,

What I really did love and what kept me in it, what most was that Friday nights, we would all four of us, my wife, my two boys, we go to the club, we get one cart and we just take off and we’re in the woods for hours and they’re just pulling balls out and they want to skip balls across the water and you know, we’ll go out to 60 yards. We’ll drop 10 balls and hit them on there. And that was great and seeing them love the game and love finding golf balls and hitting golf balls

You know, the six year old, he’s fantastic. He’s got some wonderful hand -eye coordination. He’s extremely talented athletically. You know, I’m his parent, so it’s expected to say that, but you know, at six years old, I cut him down at some of my old, I actually took my long driver that I had. I was sponsored and so they gave me a whole bunch of stuff at a time. And I took an old 12 degree head, put a senior shaft in, cut it. And he hits his driver now at six years old, about 135 yards, right down the middle. You know, we go to Cabot and

I’ve seen him. I’ve seen the progress he makes. We were hitting driver on every hole and then we went out there on Father’s Day. I cut him down a set of clubs, some ultra game improvement irons, these big old Adams irons. I cut him a five, seven, nine, and he was hitting five irons where he was hitting drivers in the past. I’m loving seeing him grow and seeing the power coming and getting better. He’s got little Vokey wedges. He went to golf camp at McJill this past week and the teacher was like, why do you got two Vokey wedges in there? So that’s kind of the, it’s the next step.

If I can’t do it, it’s at least seeing him do it. If he doesn’t choose golf, that’s fine. He plays flag football. I’m the flag football coach and a little guy like soccer. it’s whatever they want to do, whatever their passion is. And it’s following that because that’s kind of what my parents did growing up playing golf. We lived on a Muny and we had an absolute perfect setup. We were on top of a big hill overlooking a par four green.

Henry Kurusz IV (26:02.78)

And at the bottom of the hill was a par three tee box. So my dad and I would go out at nighttime in this little Muni, Shepherd Hills in Allentown, Pennsylvania. And we’d putt and chip. And then once I got a little better, we would play the par three. We could play a par five. We could play a par four and be in our neighbor’s backyard. So we three holes. And I know this isn’t maybe exactly kosher to sneak on out, but it is what it is. And that’s how I got into it. And I clearly remember days.

12, 15 kids just following us in the neighborhood. We just go out there and do what we wanted and play golf and have fun. And so on my fifth birthday, he brought me to play 18 holes of a par 72, no matter how long it took. And I shot 172. I shot exactly 100 over par. But the one thing that I don’t remember my dad does, and he’s said it many times, that the pro came up to him on like third hole, not in any sort of demeaning way. And just wanted to check in and see what’s going on. My dad said, we’re here.

Anyone that wants to play through, we’re letting them play through. Do have any tips for me? And the pro just said, just let them play golf. Just have fun, swing and let it come natural. And that’s kind of the mindset I’ve taken. I never really took lessons growing up. I would do a tune up here and there, but after the age of maybe eight or so, I never really took too many lessons. That’s kind of what I want to see with these guys. Just kind of follow your passion. If you like it, do it. And if not, find what you want to do and kind of go from there.

That’s what’s kind of the void for me now. I’m a tinkerer. I love fixing and doing things with the golf clubs. So I’m staying busy. Like I said, making clubs for my little guys now, know, cutting down, gripping them, getting them, you know, the right and everything, all that. So that’s it’s filling the time and I love watching them. We’ll go to this PJ superstore and they’ll get on that little putting green for an hour. I got to drag them off there. So just little things that, know, keep me around the game, keep me involved in the game. That’s a, you know, that’s it does it for now. And when I get out there,

Maybe two or three times a month, just enjoy it.

Paul Salter | The Golf Hypnotherapist (28:00.825)

I love that. I love to hear how much you’re giving back. You’re allowing your sons to shine and really just passing on the passion, the sense of enjoyment, embedding that into their relationship with the game from such a young age. Now, I’m gonna pivot us. We’re gonna change course a little bit here. I wanna dig into, and I know you achieved some tremendous success at a young age, so you can answer this through the lens of reflecting back and

Henry Kurusz IV (28:16.234)

Sorry.

Paul Salter | The Golf Hypnotherapist (28:25.829)

calling all that you can or maybe what you’ve observed in just all of your wonderful years of golfing. Some of the most common mental pitfalls that either you experience when you are trying to you know, get you know, whether you’re trying to break 80 or walk on to FSU or what you see some of those 80 to 90 golfers today struggling with what comes to mind and why do you think that

Henry Kurusz IV (28:48.522)

I definitely think there’s certainly an obsession with distance and there’s a correlation between that. It’s just not only are you hitting it far but you feel manly, you feel better about yourself if you hit it far. And so that correlates though with bad habits, over swinging. And I think that the guy who’s going to try to break 90, he’s thinking, if I could just hit an eight iron in this green instead of the six iron, I’ll be so much closer.

And I’m just going to dial this in a little more, swing a little harder, and then you’re out of bounds and you made your seven and you’re not going to break 90. So I think a big, you know, part of it is just reflecting on your internal abilities and knowing I can’t hit the ball 300, but I can hit it 260 and just in the middle and hit it there. So I think it’s learning a lot about the course management, really learning where your strengths and weaknesses are and trying to play towards that. And there’s nothing wrong with hitting a three wood down the middle of

You know, three wood seven iron is going to be a whole lot better than driver and the right rough, know, so it’s a lot of management. It’s learning the management. I think that’s going to, it’s going to get to the next step. as far as junior golf and, trying to walk on before you get to that, I think a lot of that is maybe in your head to please your parents. You know, they’ve, have put so much time and so much money and there’s a lot of pressure on there at these tournaments.

I’m not saying that ever happened to me by it means that you know that was not my case, but I’ve seen it. I’ve seen some extremely talented kids who just get sick of it because their parents. Scream at them. They wanted to do better. These are I’m talking about kids that are that were were better than me that were just high caliber kids just walk away from the game. You know not want to do it. So I think there needs to be some understand between the parents and maybe some goals and what you want to do and. If the kid just wants to play golf and have a good time

be just buddies for lunch on Saturday, there’s nothing wrong with that. And if you want to try to get to the next level, you know, take that next step and find what you need to do to get there. But I think, you know, being on the same page as whoever you’re working with, you know, your coaches, your parents, you know, at that age, you might have some, you financial backing, you know, working with other people. There’s other people that you want to not impress, but just, you know, make it worth it a while and make it worth their time and their effort. And there’s a lot, even at the amateur level, there’s a lot of people kind

Henry Kurusz IV (31:10.122)

depending on you, not necessarily for a paycheck or put money on the food on the table, but investor time. had a sponsor when I was at Florida State doing long drive, a local attorney who was paying my fees to go to some of these events. in return, all he wanted me to do was golf with his son and his buddies at some of these nice courses. so even that was like, felt pressure. I wanted to shoot par and hit it 360 just for these little kids to see that their dad paid me money to do something and I owe them something in return.

There’s pressure even at any level on that. it’s clearing that, getting on the same page and kind of knowing what you want to do and what your goals are is a big mental side of that.

Paul Salter | The Golf Hypnotherapist (31:49.623)

I love your word choice there. You said you cleared that pressure. mean, knowing what you know now, or if you would tell someone in a similar position who’s trying to manage and carry the pressure of, know, kind of really false expectation and pressure they’re putting on themselves, whether it’s real or not, what would you go back and either tell your younger self or tell someone who is struggling carrying this pressure?

Henry Kurusz IV (32:12.426)

Try to have fun. Try to have fun. You know, that’s just It’s hard to relieve that pressure and I kind of look at it the same way. It’s very similar to Being under pressure when we look back at like yesterday That’s the three putt and that P on it was the live event the guy three putted from like 40 feet to go into a playoff and then he lost and Rory There’s no I don’t I don’t feel there’s a way to practice that that is it’s tough part

You can practice the three footer all you want, but there’s really no ways to simulate the stress that is involved in that. And so it’s something that you have to just deal with and learn, but you have to put yourself in a position to get there. So it’s like, well, how do I get good enough to be in the final group on a Sunday? cause you can’t, you can’t fake that, that the pressure. So working with that and working with the youth.

you know, you’re going to kind of have to understand to try to get your mental game ready to know that you’re going to have an upcoming challenge. It’s going to be something you’ve never experienced before and it’s going to be tough. We’ve all been that little six year old on the putting green with that three footer to win the Masters, whether it’s on the putting green or you’re on the foul line to win the NBA championship or hit a home run to beat, you know, Bo Jackson, you know, that’s the players when I was that age. So we’ve all done that as little kids and there’s really this that’s how we try to simulate that pressure. But, you we all know.

I have that little three footer to win the Masters and I miss it. I just drag it back and do it again. I still have the same three footer to win the Masters in my head. So it’s just tough and really never being able to simulate exact that pressures. If you can’t stimulate it, you have to try to prepare for it and know it’s coming. If you’re aware that it’s coming and you know that things are going to get tough. I tried to qualify for the state amateur a couple of years ago and I got a lucky draw. I was in the final group and we all use the app and I knew a par on the last hole.

puts me in the amateur. And I hit a lateral left to right ball. I smothered it so far left. And it’s just, I had never been in a position like that where it mattered. I knew I had to make a par to play in the amateur. you know, I smothered it so far left. And it’s just one of those things like, man, pressure. I just didn’t prepare. I don’t know how to prepare. And it was tough. I made the bogey. And I became the first alternate. I did get a call. So I was able to play in it, which was huge.

Henry Kurusz IV (34:34.25)

going out and playing in that. You know, I played with this 19 year old and on the second hole, mean this it’s a whole another game with them. Second hole I use my yardage finder laser. He hit it 65 yards past me and it’s just one of those things. This kid I don’t remember his name, but he opened up. Triple double bogey so he’s six over after three. I snapped a wedge. He shot 68 that same day.

at Bears Palm in West Palm, North Palm, Jupiter. It’s just, they’re a different breed. He had that mental side and he snapped his club. He threw it, got the frustration out and talked to his caddie. His caddie was like, dude, calm down. And he did and he bounced back with that next birdie. And I think he shot a 37, 31, something like that with all that. it’s repeating it, being prepared for it, but nothing’s to substitute being in the moment and overcoming

Paul Salter | The Golf Hypnotherapist (35:32.543)

Really great answer there and I’ll add Prefacing my bias as a hypnotherapist, know these respond these reactions rather in this relationship We cultivate with pressure, you know, we experienced it, you know going back to early childhood. They’re learned relationships They’re learned reaction. So a lot of the work I do off the course with my athletes

How can we unlearn some of the negative reactions to pressure situations and learn to transition from unconscious reaction to cultivating conscious response? Very intentional word choice, reaction and response. And you’re right, nothing is ever gonna replicate experience.

I will tell you and just add and I think you’ll agree just you being able to understand why am I reacting this way? Why do I have you know either a negative or a fearful relationship with pressure? What does handling pressure mean for me? Let me get into this whole identity thing fear of success. Fortunately and the reason I’m bringing this up but there is a lot you can do off the course so that when you are in that situation you are so prepared mentally physically and emotionally it’s almost as if you’ve been there and therefore you’re far more likely to perform to your potential.

Henry Kurusz IV (36:38.376)

Yeah, that’s absolutely true. mean, practice and repetition helps you and however you get about that, however you can find that repetition or find that practice, it’s going to be different for everybody for sure. But yeah, doing it will certainly help you and repeating. Yep. Repeating the same over and over is, you know, the key to success. All

Paul Salter | The Golf Hypnotherapist (36:56.537)

Yeah. I’m going to ask you a left field question. was actually, I was just recording a podcast episode earlier. that’s just a solo episode. And I was, I was bringing up the topic of the two ball scramble, the Mulligans, the breakfast ball. And you know, I’m much earlier in my golf journey than you are. And I’m sitting there thinking like yesterday, I walked nine holes on a little part of three course. And I’m by myself at seven in the morning. I’m like, why not just hit a couple extra shots? Like I’m here to practice and learn. And I’m curious at

Henry Kurusz IV (37:08.302)

-huh.

Paul Salter | The Golf Hypnotherapist (37:24.612)

point or rather what’s maybe your relationship to the golfer using X number of Mulligans or taking a second shot to get the practice and knowing that this is really a game of repetition at the end of the

Henry Kurusz IV (37:35.742)

Right. Yeah, I love that. I got no problems with that. you’re, you know, if you’re not a little money match with your buddies, hit as many as you want to. Cause that’s for me, like I said, I don’t go to the range. The range is on the course and it’s for that reason for the real world kind of simulation. You see how putts roll, how they fly and you know, yeah, I’m all for that. like it. As long as you not counting that score, it is it. But you know what, if you are counting that score.

That’s fine because when we get on the course and you think you’re a two but you’re really an eight, I got no problem taking your money. So put in what you want to put in. But if that’s how you practice, that’s fine how you do that. But yeah, we don’t mind a little vanity handicap going up against us for short. It’s the it’s the twos that are posting as an eight that we worry about.

Paul Salter | The Golf Hypnotherapist (38:21.137)

that’s a great answer. so happy I asked that and I want to get you out of here on this Henry with all of your competitive experience, know, amateur collegiate professional driver everything like what did you feel or maybe reflecting back was the biggest aspect of your mental game that needed to be addressed to help you carry the success you had up to that next level of competition.

Henry Kurusz IV (38:45.038)

I think growing up, know, if I can humbly say I was a talented golfer and you hear that growing up and it’s growing up in the 80s, less people were playing golf. So it was more of a niche sports and you kind of rise to the top. So hearing over and over how good you are and then actually going out and seeing people that are better than you, you’re like, man, I’m not that great. And I alluded to how I went to different high schools and the reason was they were a powerhouse where I ended up graduating

just an absolute golf powerhouse and they graduated five my junior year. So they had me come on over for on a scholarship. I went to that high school for free. And you know, I left my first school captain and number one and I walk onto this team and I’ve got to prove myself and they were players that were better than me. So it’s kind of, you know, getting out of that big fish, little fish. So it’s, it’s good. And I think that’s how you need to improve. And you can’t be afraid to play against the better players. And once you beat them, you’re like, I can hang with these guys. And, you know, I played last week, two weeks ago with a kid.

Um, he just graduated collegiately and I believe I heard he was ranked in the top 125 in the world amateur and he shot the absolute smoothest 65 I’ve ever seen in my life. Um, he didn’t have a par putt. He did not make a par putt cause they were two inches from the hole. Um, everything was there and it’s just playing with him and that’s seeing him, even though he’s only half my age, there’s still so much you can learn from his game. It makes his experience and just watching what he does

I will observe, I’m like, okay, he hit a little errant shot over there. Let’s see how he plays this versus how I would play this. so it’s learning and being around better players is a big help. I think that’s one of the best things you can do is if you’re at a country club and you get in the men’s game, find those guys that are scratched, find the two handicapped, the five, whatever’s better than you and get a game going. Get a net game going, put some money on the line to get a little pressure, simulate a little something.

a beer at the bar or lunch, whatever it is, it’s just something to get it going. And that’s, what we do a little 10, 20 NASA, something like that. And just to simulate the pressure. And when you’re hanging with these guys, we played in a five -some and I shot one under and I came in third. So it’s just, you know, playing with these guys, elevates your game. it, this was coming off of like seven straight 78s. just, the game was not there. And it’s just mentally you’re like, I want to hang with you guys. want, I want you to see me as I see you as a good player.

Henry Kurusz IV (41:11.594)

And I play solo a lot at these places and people ask me, well, why do you do that? And I’m like, I like being told how good I am. know, it feels good. And it’s a mental, it’s a boost to kind of hear someone who shoots 110 say, oh, man, you so good, how you did that. And to you, it’s just a little routine flip shot, but to them it’s amazing. And things like that, that really boost them. I don’t know, was it a serotonin in your head that gets you going and it gets you coming back dope with me? I don’t even know what it is, but it feels good. And so that’s, that’s part of it.

Staying with the better players, that’s gonna help you out just doing that.

Paul Salter | The Golf Hypnotherapist (41:45.003)

I couldn’t agree more. mean, that’s why every Friday, if I don’t have a friend lined up, I invite anyone listening in the Tampa, I mean, you and I are going to get around it. Someone better I go walk on as a single because I want to be surrounded by better competition. I have a lens of curiosity. How are they handling this? How are they approaching this? And if they, you know, are open to talking about it, and it’s the right situation, I may even ask an inquiry inquiring question or two, because it’s just there for me to play in practice. But also I can be a sponge, whether consciously through conversation or unconsciously.

Henry Kurusz IV (41:51.71)

Yeah, definitely.

Henry Kurusz IV (42:08.222)

huh.

Paul Salter | The Golf Hypnotherapist (42:14.437)

about how they carry themselves as a scratch golfer or someone who’s a chapter ahead of me in their journey.

Henry Kurusz IV (42:20.328)

Right, yep, yeah, definitely, it’s fun. It’s definitely doing that, and it’s one of the advantages of meeting people all over, from all walks of life, different skills you never know how someone’s gonna play when you meet them on that first team.

Paul Salter | The Golf Hypnotherapist (42:31.607)

Well, Henry, it has been an absolute pleasure getting to know you, getting to learn from you, learn about your story. Thank you so much for joining

Henry Kurusz IV (42:38.11)

Yeah, great to be here. I was happy to do it. Thanks. I look forward to definitely going to get out there. We’ll play around soon.

Paul Salter | The Golf Hypnotherapist (42:42.853)

Yeah, absolutely. For those of you listening, thank you for tuning into another episode of the scratch golfers mindset podcast. If you found this episode helpful and valuable, do me and Henry a favor share it with a loved one, a fellow golfer and take 30 seconds to leave a genuine rating or review on Apple podcasts, Spotify or wherever you are listening to today’s show. Thank you again for listening. Have a fantastic round ahead and we’ll catch you in the next episode.