Jackson Hansen’s Driving Motivation
By. Londin Cooper
Motivation can be the biggest driving force in someone’s success in life, allowing them to reach their highest potential in whatever they are doing. Some want to be better than their parents, some want to be better than their friends, and some people are motivated by the post-game activities. Jackson Hansen’s motivation sets him apart from the competition in ways you might not expect.
“Taco Bell after the matches.”
Everyone is different, and his motivation is different from what you might expect. Using food as a motivational factor is what sets him apart from the rest of the competition, giving him a little less pressure than you might normally have as a golfer. Allowing him to reach his goals, and in hopes of reaching the expectations he has laid out for himself this season.
As a sophomore, Jackson was a part of a team that took second place in the conference and ended up falling short of being named an all-conference golfer. The following year, Jackson would end up missing the cut again when having the opportunity to be named an all-conference golfer. This season, Jackson has set some high expectations for himself, and rightfully so.
Jackson wants to “make all-conference and then make team state.”
Being named all-conference alone is hard enough, but helping lead the team to state is a challenge of its own. With those challenges and goals comes the need for some offseason training. Putting in work over the summer or on the golf simulator, but Jackson Hansen has improved enough for these goals to become attainable.
“I’m a better putter than I was last year.”
Some shots are harder than others, it just depends on what the person is good at, improving his putting game has allowed Jackson to be a top golfer on the team. Making him one step closer to reaching all of the goals he had laid out for himself before the year. At the same time, there can always be improvements made to your game. No matter how successful you become, there is always something in your game that could be improved upon or tweaked to make you better.
After the first match of the season, there was the possibility of some first-match jitters. Paired with some not-so-favorable conditions, Jackson shot an 89. For an everyday golfer, this score might seem good, but for Jackson, an 89 might be a little upsetting and not ideal. Considering he shot an 88 in the same tournament last year, this just shows you have to go into every tournament in the right mindset. Reflecting on the first match, Jackson had little to say, but it was straight up and got right to the point.
“Play smarter and not play bad.”
You can work on your swing every day, but if you can’t be mentally focused going into every shot, the work you put in for your swing won’t matter. Having a good coach in your corner, helping you work, and keeping your head in the right space will help you see more improvements in your game. That’s what Jackson would say his coach has helped him with the most.
“The mental side of the game, and focusing on every shot.”
Keeping him in tune and allowing him to go into each hole with the right mindset when setting up shots that might seem more difficult. The mental side of the game is something people underestimate when it comes to the game of golf, which is just as important as the physical swinging of the club. Being mentally focused through all his shots has helped him in his everyday life, keeping his mind in the right direction and making the best decisions for himself, along with having the patience and the ability to learn from any mistakes he might make.