Summary

(2:26) Robbie’s sports background

• His early interest in sports and coaching

• Playing soccer and Gaelic football

• How golf came into his life when he was 14

• Why kids should try out several different sports

• His first championships and first wins

(5:00) Shane Lowry

• The steps in his strength and conditioning program

• The most noticeable effect of his training: hitting the ball further

• His 63 at the 2019 Royal Portrush Open: ‘I think it was the best round of golf in a major tournament’

• The electricity of the crowd that day

• Robbie’s memories of the pre-win night: ‘He seemed so relaxed and composed’

• All the elements that were in his favour that weekend

(10:45) Mental preparation and confidence

• The help Shane gets from his wife Wendy and daughter Iris

• The importance of staying in the moment

• Coach Neil Manchip’s skill: staying calm and keeping things in perspective

(12:16) Confidence

• Shane’s affinity for big tournaments and tough courses

• The confidence that comes with returning to a tournament and course that he’s won before

(14:42) Caddies

• The sudden end of Shane’s relationship with his caddie Dermot Byrne

• Working with new caddie Brian ‘Bo’ Martin

• Bo’s qualities and how they complement Shane

• How Bo has forced Shane to do more work on the course

(16:54) The team surrounding elite athletes

• The bond between the members of the team

• Remembering a fun tournament trip to Hong Kong

• The importance of having fun together

(18:55) Shane’s goals for 2020

• Upcoming tournament at West Palm Beach

• His performances in Mexico and Hong Kong

• Aiming towards the Ryder Cup

• Shane and P’draig Harrington’s friendship and his desire to see Shane play in the Ryder Cup

(21:32) Shane and Robbie’s work schedule

(22:23) Young players

• Playing with Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry as teenagers

• What stood out about them? ‘They just had the X factor’

• Their confidence and professional attitude ‘They just had an unbelievable desire to compete’

(24:37) Adapting training to each individual

• The advantages of playing sports while young

• Why assessments are important

(25:52) General physical advice for golfers

• Things to focus on:

• Movement in the thoracic spine (T-spine)

• Hip movement

• Leg strength

• Core stability

• The problems caused by sitting down all day

• Causes of common back pain

(28:03) Training for golfers

• Gary Player, the ‘father of fitness’ for golfers

• A typical training routine for golfers

• Reducing injuries

(29:32) ‘Beach body’ muscles

• The consequences of building muscles for looks and not for performance

• Robbie’s regrets: giving up other sports and not training well enough when young

(32:45) Ireland’s amateur scene

• Players are younger

• More people playing professionally means less drinking and partying

• How they can support themselves financially

• Tour life and why it’s not for everyone

• What it takes to ‘make it’

(37:27) From golf to GAA

• Getting started as the strength and conditioning coach with Tipperary

• Starting his work with teams with the Fingal hurling team

• The importance of having good chemistry with the team

(40:12) Squad assessments

• How getting to know a squad is the same as getting to know a player

• Why it can be difficult to accurately learn about each player’s injuries

(41:58) All-Irelands

• Dublin vs Kerry and the effect of Kerry’s lower training age

(43:07) Injuries

• Why injury risk reduction should come before performance training

• Stephen Smith and Kitman Labs’ contribution to the field

• The economic cost of injury to teams

• The importance of PE in schools

(46:37) Training in season/off season

• Seasonal training cycles in golf and Gaelic football

(48:10) Coaching priorities

• A good coach should be ‘ticking all the boxes’

• Recent trends: focusing only on mobility or speed

• Social media’s role in boosting specific products

(49:31) Speed

• How genetics influence speed

• The example of the Kenyan runner who won races and jumps thanks to genetics alone

• Irish genetics and which sports they help with

(52:13) Mindset

• Why goal-setting has to come from within

• The importance of daily planning

• Robbie’s journaling practice and the correlation between success and journaling

• Why writing by hand is more effective

(56:27) Technology in sports

• ‘If the basics aren’t done right the technology can be a waste of time’

• Why old-fashioned metrics can be more effective

(58:17) Cannon Performance

• The company’s goal: helping athletes at all levels

(59:42) Practicing

• What it means to practice correctly

• The importance of being fully focused

• Inspiration: Tristan Harris’ Ted Talk on distraction

(1:01:15) Time management

• Robbie’s daily and weekly planning

• His short but focused practices

(1:02:17) Lessons from sport for business

• ‘I just try and enjoy it’

(1:03:22) Mindfulness

• Robbie’s mindfulness practice and its challenges

• The benefits of being alone with your thoughts

(1:04:39) Future plans

• Playing in the West of Ireland and as many more championships as possible

• Working with Seamus Duffy

• 1:05:37

• Alternate career choice: CIA agent or detective

• Current curiosity: The bad weather

• Most influential book: The Road Less Traveled by Scott Peck

• Best advice received: To not worry about what people think of you ‘ ‘If you died tomorrow, who would be at your funeral?’