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The Masters golf tournament is a special event across all sports.
You see the big shots. The miracle putts. The pressure. But you also see the misses. The bad bounces. The moments where everything changes between the ears.
And every time I watch, I hear my grandpa’s voice:
“There are two guarantees in life: death and taxes.”
When I was younger, I didn’t fully get it. Now I do.
He wasn’t just talking about money or getting older. He was talking about certainty. Some things are coming whether you like it or not. In life. In sports. In hockey.
Adversity is one of them.
You’re going to make mistakes. You’re going to have rough shifts, bad games, and frustrating stretches. That part is guaranteed.
The real question is simple:
What are you going to do next?
The Greatest Attribute: A Short Memory
The best golfers have talent, sure. But they also have short memories.
They hit one in the water. Then they step up and hit the next shot.
That’s the lesson.
In hockey, real mental toughness is not pretending mistakes don’t happen. It’s refusing to drag them into the next shift. Learn from it. Then drop it.
If you turn a puck over and it ends up in your net, you have two choices. Sit there and wear it for the next three shifts. Or reset. Fast.
The best players don’t let one bad play become a bad period. They move on. Immediately.
Choose Your Attitude
Every morning, you get a choice:
What’s my attitude going to be today?
That choice matters.
You can’t control the refs. The ice. The bounce. The lineup. But you can control your response.
That’s not fluff. That’s the separator.
The best athletes focus on the next shot. The next rep. The next shift. That mindset matters in life, and it absolutely matters in your hockey training, your habits, and your game.
Train the Reset
You build a short memory the same way you build a better shot.
Reps.
That happens during off-ice practice when nobody is watching. You miss the corner. You hit the bar. You fan on a one-timer.
Now what?
If you stay frustrated for the next ten pucks, you’re training yourself to hold onto mistakes. But if you breathe, reset, and lock in on the next rep, you’re training composure.
That’s how you prepare for game pressure. One reset at a time.
Don’t Let Emotion Run the Show
Hockey is emotional. Fast. Physical. Intense.
That’s exactly why this matters.
When things are rolling, attitude is easy. When you’re in a slump, benched, cut, or fighting through a tough stretch, that’s when your mindset gets tested.
Just like Grandpa said, some things are guaranteed.
So when adversity shows up, don’t let it define you. Use it. Refocus. Compete.
Use Catch and Release
For younger players, and for parents helping them through the ups and downs, keep it simple:
- Catch: Notice the mistake. “I messed up that pass.”
- Release: Use a quick physical cue: tap your stick, adjust your gloves, take a breath.
That tells your brain the last play is over.
Now you’re back in the moment.
Whether you’re getting ready for upcoming tryouts or trying to improve your puck control, that ability to reset is a huge advantage.
Reset. Refocus. Rip it.
Next time you hit the ice or the driveway, remember the lesson.
Mistakes are coming. Bad bounces too. That’s part of the deal.
What matters is what you do next.
Reset. Refocus. Rip the next one.
The greats don’t always get better breaks. They just recover faster and keep dreaming bigger.
Edited in April 2026 based on a 2015 article written by Lance Pitlick. Based in the Minneapolis area, Lance is a former NHL player with Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers, played collegiate hockey with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, is a foremost hockey training professional both in-person and through onlinehockeytraining.com, and is the founder and former owner of Snipers Edge Hockey.
