If you want to follow along with the notes here's the full video to listen into. β Really been enjoying quite a few of the I Can Fly episodes. They do a great job asking some outside the box questions to amazing guests.
Rory actually walked through a typical day during an off-week (around the 1:37:00 mark in the pod). It gives a real sense of his structure and priorities:
5:30 AM - 6:00 AM: Wake up
6:00 AM: Gym session (Priority #1: Get the physical work done before the day gets away)
8:00 AM: Breakfast meeting (Often used strategically, like his chat with Dr Bob Rotella he mentioned)
9:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Golf practice (Dedicated block #1)
12:30 PM - 2:30 PM: Business meeting (Integrating other ventures: He mentioned meeting with a Private Equity company here)
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Golf practice (Dedicated block #2)
He mentioned, "I like being busy," and that seems completely accurate based on the schedule.
β
Pillar 1: The Mindset (Inside Rory's Head)
Seeing the schedule is one thing, but understanding the mindset behind it is crucial.
Rory made it crystal clear: the mental game is where he feels he gains his biggest edge. "I've won way more golf tournaments with my mind than I have with my physical ability."
Score β You (The Detachment Project): This was huge. He consciously worked for years to stop letting his golf score dictate his self-worth. He said he started to really understand and fully embrace this around 2018-2020. β
Body Language as a Weapon: He learned this the hard way. β After his 2011 Masters, he saw his negative, slumped posture during the round. Before his dominant US Open win months later? β He work on positive body language, specifically keeping his "eyeline above the crowd." He said: "What you put out into the world is what you get back." β
Flow State Tools (Going Subconscious): Heβs fascinated by getting into "the zone" and uses specific tools to train that:
Juggling: Sounds weird, but it requires focus without over-analysis, tapping into rhythm and the subconscious.
Q-Balls (8-Sided): These reaction balls bounce unpredictably, forcing him out of thinking and into reacting, training peripheral vision and instinctive movement.
Rotella's Counter-Intuitive Rule: Best > Hardest: Meeting with Dr. Bob Rotella, he got this gem: "You don't try your hardest, you do your best." β Over-trying creates tension. Think of his analogy: "The grass doesn't try to grow, it just grows." Itβs about finding that natural, efficient peak state, not forcing it. β
Mental Cues (Mantras): He uses short phrases to lock in focus:
"Process over prize": Keeps him focused on the execution of the current shot, not the outcome or the trophy. Essential for staying present. β
"If you don't fear the unknown, the unknown will be kind to you": A way to frame uncertainty positively and build faith.
β β
Pillar 2: Health and Wellness
This is where Rory really geeked out, and it was fascinating.
Breathwork is Foundational: He considers this critical.
The Problem: He identified himself as a "terrible mouth breather" and switched deliberately to nose breathing. He feels it cured his chronic allergies (nose filters, mouth doesn't) and potentially fixed a nagging rib issue. β βHis simple on-course cue? "Keep your mouth closed."β β
The Tech: He uses an AI-powered Resonant Breathing app to find his optimal breaths-per-minute rate and trains it daily (10-15 min) for nervous system balance. β
The Resources: Name-checked books like Breathe by James Nestor and Shut Your Mouth and Save Your Life by George Catlin.
Cold Plunge Protocol: Daily dips are standard.
The Benefits: He sees it as mental toughness training ("doing something really hard at the start of your day"), plus reduced inflammation and better circulation (he no longer gets numb fingers/toes on cold days).
The Daily Basics: Rory mentioned these concepts as essentials.
Morning sunlight
Grounding (connecting barefoot to the earth)
Clean, non-processed diet
Heat exposure
Support: Works with trainer Ro Sharma (since 2018) and credits him for increased speed, strength, and crucial injury prevention.
β Pillar 3: Building a World Beyond Golf (Investing, Leading, Family)
Itβs clear Rory is thinking long-term and building an identity larger than just "golfer."
The Investor Mindset: His investment fund (Symphony Ventures, started 2019) isn't passive. He's actively involved in companies across health/wellness, sports (Alpine F1 team mentioned), and golf tech. It sounds like this is a huge passion and something he wants to focus and grow. Jared Doerfler had a great deep dive on his fund in his newsletter last year. β
Leadership Development: He takes real pride in his evolved role on the Ryder Cup team. He talked about learning empathy, adapting communication styles, and finding his own leadership voice, giving props to guys like Paul McGinley and Luke Donald. He shared Donald's inspirational quote before the last Ryder Cup: "Don't try to get noticed. Be remembered." β
Staying Grounded (Family & Gratitude): Fatherhood changed his perspective ("Poppy doesn't give a sh*t what I shoot"). β The story of Poppy asking why heβs going to get a lesson from Butch Harmon ("But Dad, you already know how to play golf") was pretty good. He also frequently mentioned deep gratitude for his parents' sacrifices.
β Pillar 4: Resilience + Learning
Rory hasn't shied away from discussing tough times.
Defining Low Points: He highlighted two specific periods:
Early 2008: Feeling isolated and questioning his career path while struggling on the Asian Tour.
2013 Muirfield Open: A painful missed cut where he felt lost, his game was off, and he desperately missed home.
The Key Lesson Learned: That Muirfield experience drove home the need for a stable home base, somewhere to truly "reset and recharge," leading him to commit more fully to his base in Florida. β
Guiding Principle: The phrase "The right thing is usually the hard thing" came up multiple times. Itβs a philosophy learned from his parents that helped him navigate difficult choices, including the recent PGA Tour/LIV turmoil, which demanded developing thicker skin.
Disclosure: Some things in this newsletter may be a sponsored post, or Golfwell may be getting a small commission if you sign up / fill out their form, or Golfwell might own a percentage of the business. In particular, but not always, those sponsored, commissioned, or owned posts, or they might have an * in the subject headline.
Hi, Iβm Cordie Walker! I spend time with the most interesting players, coaches, and researchers in golf, uncovering what the best are doing to succeed.
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