What Tommy Fleetwood's Performance in India Teaches Us About Having Fun Under Pressure

Tommy Fleetwood's performance at the DP World India Championship tells you something most golf instruction misses entirely. After posting a flawless 64 in the second round to grab the halfway lead at 12 under, he didn't talk about swing mechanics or equipment tweaks. What mattered? Playing alongside Luke Donald and Shane Lowry, two fellow Ryder Cup teammates, and actually enjoying himself. "Unbelievable three-ball," Fleetwood said. "I think because you're so comfortable with each other, you do your own thing. It's always like a bonus when you're with two guys that you're really close with. It has been a great two days." I see this pattern constantly with my students. They stripe it on the range. They play loose and confident with friends on Saturday mornings. Then competition shows up. A club championship. A work outing with something on the line. Even a casual match where pride's at stake. And everything changes. The effortless swing turns robotic. Natural confidence becomes something they have to manufacture. Fleetwood's bogey-free round with eight birdies proves you don't have to trade enjoyment for performance. Actually, it's often the opposite. Let me give you three ways to bring that practice-range freedom into moments that matter. Tip 1: Reframe Competition as Connection The Tip: Make it your job to enjoy whoever you're playing with, no matter what's on the line. Why It's Important: Fleetwood singled out his comfort level with Donald and Lowry. He noted that being around people you're close with lets you "do your own thing." His competitive edge didn't disappear because he was having fun. It sharpened. When you treat other players like adversaries, you create tension that seeps into everything you do. How It Works: Your nervous system can't tell different kinds of stress apart. Social anxiety produces the same performance-killing cortisol that score anxiety does. Meanwhile, genuine connection releases oxytocin and dopamine. These actually help with motor control and decision-making. Action Item: Next competitive round, set yourself two goals. Learn something new about each person you're paired with. Give at least one genuine compliment per player. This pulls your attention outward and builds the kind of ease that lets your real swing show up. Tip 2: Embrace the Challenge as Enjoyment The Tip: Say out loud what you find enjoyable about tough conditions or difficult situations. Why It's Important: Fleetwood called Delhi Golf Club "such a unique challenge" and described it as "very, very enjoyable" despite its difficulty. He talked about the patience it demanded and said, "It's been a great test." This matters because resisting difficulty creates a mental trap. Reframing it as something you welcome keeps that trap from closing. How It Works: Label something "difficult" in a negative way, and your brain reads it as danger. It activates your fight-or-flight response. Muscles tighten. Focus narrows. Call that same difficulty an "enjoyable challenge," and you keep access to your prefrontal cortex, where strategic thinking lives. Action Item: Before you tee off, write down three challenges the course throws at you. Then note why each one interests you or seems fun. Maybe: "These firm greens reward precise distance control, which I've been working on." Or: "Narrow fairways make me really commit to my target." When you face these situations during your round, remind yourself why you found them interesting in the first place. Tip 3: Trust Your Preparation and Let Go The Tip: Build a specific moment into your pre-shot routine where you consciously let go and trust what you've practiced. Why It's Important: Fleetwood said he "wasn't happy with how I hit it towards the end yesterday." So he hit balls afterward and felt his swing was "in a better place" the next day. He prepared, then trusted the preparation. Most golfers do the work but never give themselves permission to trust it when it counts. They keep trying to perfect things during competition instead of just executing. How It Works: The complex motor patterns in your golf swing live in your subconscious. That part of your brain works best when your conscious mind gets out of the way. Think about walking downstairs. You do it perfectly until you start thinking about each individual step. Competition triggers overthinking, which interferes with the automatic processes you've built through practice. Action Item: Add a "release" moment to your routine. After your practice swing, take one breath, say a word like "trust" or "free," and commit to letting your body do what it knows. If you catch yourself steering or controlling mid-swing, don't beat yourself up. Note it. Recommit to your release word next time. Freedom Like Fleetwood Tommy Fleetwood's performance in India is a reminder. Peak performance doesn't require you to stop enjoying yourself. Often, it requires exactly the opposite. He said this about potentially playing with Shane Lowry for the final two rounds: "I feel like if I'm playing with Shane for the next two days, I'll be doing something right probably." That's how champions think. They find joy in the process, even when leading a tournament. Try bringing that same mentality to your next competitive round. You might find your scores improve the moment you stop forcing them to. PGA of America Golf Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. Read his recent “Playing Through” on R.org and his stories on Athlon Sports . To stay updated on his latest work, sign up for his newsletter and visit OneMoreRollGolf.com .