Joey D's thoughts on The Memorial...

Joey D checking in from back home in West Palm Beach. Another hectic run goes on hiatus until next week's US Open at Bethpage Black. Until then, let's get busy and dial in regarding The Memorial last week in Dublin, Ohio.

Again it's no surprise when Tiger Woods seemingly comes from out of nowhere and takes down another tournament, proving once again that mental fitness/toughness and physical fitness/toughness go hand in hand and can equal great things. Tiger is living proof.

One thing that stood out to me last week was his post-round press conferences and his commentary on his bad shots. Doesn't matter if you're the best in the world or you're struggling to keep your card -- all of these guys let their minds 'go there' in regards to bad shots. Difference is Tiger doesn't let those moments define his round or effect his score. He doesn't hold on to the bad shots, like so many other good players do. He has absolutely conditioned his mind to come out the next day and corrects those mistakes. The day after he knows absolutely what not to do, en route to a strong follow up round. We're talking about one of the most mentally strong athletes we've ever seen in any sport here.

Physically, he's right there as well. Strongest guy on tour and has absolutely changed the face of golf fitness, setting the bar for everybody else who tries to do what he does. Tiger is relentless in the pursuit of perfection literally in every phase of his life. For those who want to better their overall game, you look at the best and attempt to mimic what they're doing. There's obviously no better player to mimic than Tiger Woods. No contest.

I watched my guys make a run this past week. A smaller field for me with Ryuji Imada, Tom Pernice Jr. and Jason Dufner in the mix. Pat Perez is still rehabbing his ankle issues, while Jason Gore and Charlie Wi both had the week off.

Ryuji had and up and down week, pulling out a very respectable T14th finish. 70-69 on Thursday and Friday, followed up with a 74-73 over the weekend. Another week where he simply didn't capitalize on the opportunities and made a few mistakes down the stretch that cost him some shots. He handled his emotions well this week, but we had a few post-round discussions where you could see he was still harboring and holding onto some anger, which obviously carried over to the weekend.

I offer you the same advice that I share with my players; truly learn how to let those bad shots go. If you don't, it's going to bleed over to the next several holes and before you know it, the wheels are off. If you want to blow off some steam, do it off the course after a round. Go for a run. Hit the gym. Find something that allows you to decompress and get your mind off of what happened on the course. I can't stress that enough. Find and outlet and take advantage of it.

Mr. Dufner was in the field this week and missed the cut, which was obviously disappointing. A bit of a different scenario for Jason, but something I want to touch on here. After playing last week's Colonial in Texas, Jason caught a ride to Dublin with Vijay Singh. Vijay being dedicated to fitness, he told Jason the only way he'd hop the flight to Ohio was if they caught a workout with his trainer. Big mistake and a harsh lesson to learn.

Jason took part in a workout with two very talented guys who seemingly have their own different routine from what I work on with him. What works for one person doesn't always work for another. Especially when your body has been working as efficiently as Jason's has these past few months. His ego wrote a check his body couldn't cash and he was so sore he literally couldn't function the first few days of the Memorial. Very disappointing as he worked so hard to get into this event and when it was game time, he wasn't game-ready.

Jason learned something last week and I'm hoping you readers can take something from it as well. Don't change your routine too extremely because is could yield some bad results on the golf course. Don't try to do what your body can't handle and when changing things up, make sure to ease into it.

Mr. Pernice didn't have the greatest week, but he did make the cut and continues to consistently work hard, doing everything he's asked to do in the fitness trailer. I know he's not thrilled with his T53rd finish, but he knows what his mistakes were and what he needs to work on, which he'll focus on moving forward. I saw on PGATour.com today that someone picked Tom as their sleeper this week. He has some good history in Memphis and here's hoping he has a strong showing as he deserves it.

All in all a great week at the Memorial. Another special thanks to Jack Nicklaus for the amazing job he and his staff do. The course was in amazing shape all week and the professional courtesy/hospitality all of us received was nothing short of first class.

On that note, I'll turn my focus to D1 Athletics this week. The facility is coming along here in South Florida. All the equipment has been ordered and we're aiming to open in a matter of months. My new website will be up and running soon enough as well, so keep and eye out.

Back on the road for the US Open next week. Tune back in with the blog as I'll post a few new fitness tips for you guys.


Joey D.