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Alex Elias  Courtesy of Jon Cavalier (@linksgems) If there's one aspect of the game that John Bierkan, Director of Instruction at Aronimink Golf Club (Newtown Square, PA), believes club players need to practice most, it's short game. Bierkan said, "All golfers quite candidly, but particularly club players, would definitely benefit from spending more time on short game."
"The best way to improve your putting statistics is to hit it closer. Most Tour players are really good around the green: chipping, pitching, green side bunkers, and by club players working on that, they're going to see more results in terms of those shots being closer to the hole and then statistically improving their odds to make a putt to save par," said Bierkan. Although short game may edge out the other aspects of the game, Bierkan said, "Maybe I'm biased but people need to make more time to practice in general." "If you look at any other sport or activity, people get better by taking lots of lessons and/or spending time practicing. For example: piano, karate, ice hockey, learning a foreign language, but for some reason golfers think you can go take one or two lessons and be cured or just magically hit the ball better," said Bierkan. "You don't do that when you're learning how to skate, you don't do that when you're learning to play the piano. I just think for some reason people don't equate learning or practicing golf to any other skill in life." As Bierkan played Division 1 Golf at the University of Connecticut, Bierkan has long understood the need to put in the time, but even so, may have an even greater appreciation now. Over the last three years, Bierkan has begun learning how to play hockey. "My first winter, with lessons down here [Florida], I took approximately 120 hours. The next winter, I had taken 148 hours. This winter, this morning, was my 127th hour of hockey lessons. I'm not saying this to brag, but my point is, being a teacher and an instructor, I understand I'm not going to go from zero to sixty in ten hours of lessons. I want to practice what I preach," said Bierkan. First comes the commitment to practice, then comes acceptance — specifically, the understanding that change is uncomfortable and takes time. Bierkan said, "If a player comes in and I'm trying to do something that I believe will help them with ball striking or accuracy, most people don't commit to swing changes because they say it feels weird." "If you change the way you move or do something, then yes, it's going to feel weird or awkward at first, but you have to put in the time and effort for it to feel normal so that you can trust the process. Trusting the process of getting better is extremely important," said Bierkan.
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Alex Elias Before joining Arizona State, you were one of just five amateurs in the field at the 2018 U.S. Open at Shoal Creek Golf Club. Looking back on that week, what stands out to you the most?
Especially the U.S. Open, that's a special tournament for everyone, I kind of have to look at it from a bigger perspective than just that tournament. As competitive as most golfers are, we all want to win even if we know the odds are very small, but just knowing what I gained from that week and what I've learned from that tournament is more important than the place I ended up with. Having now won four tournaments in a row, how do you handle adversity when it arises? Even during a good round, you can have three bad holes in a row, where you're like 'Where am I going?' I would just tell myself that I need to get back to the basics, like the basics of how do I get back to a good, decent score. For me, that would be to just go back to my routine, and just try to hit the fairways so when I do that, I can leave that behind and just focus on the next shot. Instead of being aggressive and going for the pins because that's often what happens, you're getting stressed because you're playing poorly, but you end up in worse positions. I don't necessarily hit to the safe spots, but I hit so I know the worst thing that can happen is a par. The Palmer Cup is a unique opportunity to experience team competition in a sport like golf. How important is it for you to represent Europe — and Sweden — on such a stage? Palmer Cup is just such a fun week. When we played in Europe, we all played for different countries and against each other, then coming here we all play for different schools so for once to actually play together was a new but great experience. I try to represent Sweden all the time, but to be able to represent Europe and know you are one of the best players from your continent is really special. Looking ahead, what’s one goal you're striving to achieve in the near future? I try to not think about how much I want to earn or how many wins I want to win, but Solheim Cup would be a dream come to true. To be able to play on the LPGA and have that as my job, and be successful is my goal. To win a major is one of my big goals. Alex Elias  What would you say is the biggest strength you bring to your game (or your career)?
My best asset as a golfer, a person, and a student is managing my time. In college, you have to allocate time to study, practice, and hang out with friends. Starting in college, I started writing down a schedule every night before I went to bed. Tom House recently said, "Tom [Brady] and these other elite quarterbacks don't come in here to get 5% better, they come to get 1% better." Do you take a similar approach when working on your game? If I could get 10% better in a day, then I wouldn't be on the Korn Ferry Tour. It's about getting that fraction of a percent better every single day. I'll play for as long as I get better. If I'm getting better every single day, then I'll play until I'm dead." Since turning professional, what are some of the biggest lessons you've learned from other players? I learn a lot from my peers, guys like Brandon Wu and Max Greyserman have been doing this their entire lives, while I got into golf a little later. To be able to pick up advice on mindset, practice, and recovery is very valuable. For example, I use Normatec frequently to recover, and that is something Brandon Wu uses after every round. Another example would be a guy like Michael Miller, who's a veteran. He told me he always plays his practice round Wednesday afternoon to follow a routine. Little things like that keep me getting better everyday. How would you describe your mindset when competing in events? When I'm playing well, I have to stay aggressive. If I get to three or four under, then I can't stop there. I can't begin playing safe. On the other hand, if I'm not playing too well, then it may not be too smart to go for a drivable Par-4. I think knowing where your games stands for that day is really important. |
