Caleb Surratt is a sophomore at the University of Tennessee. Despite being young, he already has a laundry list of accolades, including First Team All-America, All-SEC First Team, Walker Cup member, and SEC Individual Champion. Prior to Tennessee, he finished runner-up at the 2022 U.S. Junior Am and reached the No. 1 amateur ranking in the world on July 20, 2022, according to Data Golf Amateur Ranking.
When Caleb switched to working with Chase Duncan, his current swing coach, he found a coach who he trusts and values as his primary source of swing advice. Caleb's trust in Chase is evident as he states that Chase is the only person he allows to talk to him about his swing. This level of trust and communication is crucial for any athlete-coach relationship, as it allows for a deeper understanding and improvement of the player's mechanics.
Caleb reflects on his junior golf career and how he progressed over time, not just with his swing, but also with his mental and emotional growth. He recalls starting to think about the mental side of the game around the age of 15. Prior to that, golf was simply about hitting the ball and getting it on the green. However, as he grew older, he began to understand the importance of emotions and the mental aspect of the game. He mentions that he never had a silver spoon and always felt the need to earn his opportunities. This mindset, along with the sacrifices his father made for him, fueled his desire to succeed. Caleb's determination and grit became driving forces in his golf career. Caleb also learned the value of staying emotionally balanced on the golf course. He shares that he used to experience extreme highs and lows during rounds, which affected his performance. However, he realized that playing on an emotional roller coaster was not productive. He learned to stay in the middle, not getting too high or too low, and to focus on controlling his process on every shot.
For more information, listen to the episode here https://rss.com/podcasts/thetournamentcode/
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