Masters 2026: Some of Justin Roses most important work is happening between shots
AUGUSTA, Ga. Listen closely to Justin Rose discuss his play through two days of the 2026 Masters, and there are clues to his success.Rose, competing for the 21st time at Augusta National, touched on his process and routine. He referenced "flow," and also how he prefers to tackle the shot in front of him. I need to see it, Rose said when describing his tee shot on the fifth hole. I need to drive the vision of what we want to do.Even in cursory descriptions, Rose was offering a window into a mental approach that has contributed to his sustained success at age 45, with another shot at a first green jacket this weekend. The obvious elements were on display Friday: elite ball-striking (he gained nearly five strokes on approach for the round) and timely putting, with the fitness of a player a decade younger. But Roses work with performance coach Jason Goldsmith has been an essential ingredient as well.With the Masters in the balance, both men are reluctant to dive deeply into the specifics of their work together. Broadly, Goldsmith says most of his work with his clients focuses on shifting a golfer into an athletic mode and not fixating on technique.You want to be able to connect to your target without relying on words, Goldsmith said. Thinking about playing is not playing. Playing is playing.An important Goldsmith concept is called the awareness loop, which a longtime student Jay Kirchdorfer said was instrumental throughout his college and amateur career.I used to want my technique to be perfect, said Kirchdorfer, a Louisville native who played at the University of Kentucky and then Rice University. But Jason was really helpful in having me focus on the external.In the awareness loop, Kirchdorfer said, Goldsmith sought for his players to identify a point when theyd walk into a shot and no longer concern themselves with specific swing positions. Instead, he wanted them to ponder an open-ended question like, What would a good shot look like? Some players emphasized feel, and others preferred an image, but both are meant to emphasize the behavior of a shot instead of the granular movements of a swing."You've created a picture in your mind of what you want the ball to do and a sensation of how to create it," Goldsmith said. "So it's about aligning that sensation to the image you've created."Some of this is apparent even when watching Rose between shots. While playing partners are over the ball, Rose can be seen without a club rehearsing the sensation hes trying to access.I've got a very robust pre-shot routine, and I'm always trying to iron it out, Rose said after his second-round 69. I'm always trying to get the flow of that. I'm always trying to slightly speed it up rather than getting stuck over the ball for too long, all that type of stuff. MORE FROM GOLF DIGEST @ THE MASTERSMasters 101: Answering all your frequently asked questionsHow to watch the 2026 MastersPower Rankings: Every player in the Masters field, rankedTee times for Round 1 and Round 250 defining Masters Moments, rankedThe most memorable Rules issues in Masters historyEvery course change ever made at Augusta NationalA brief history of Masters prize money payouts15 people who ended up in the Masters penalty boxThe Champions Dinner Tell-All, from those inside the room
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