Annika Sorenstam’s Way to Success: Work Hard

Annika Sorenstam is undisputably the world’s best woman golfer in her time. She is the only female to score under 60, and is the first to play in a men’s tournament since the 1940s. She even beat Tiger Woods once in a friendly game, which is quite a feat.

I’ve been a fan from a distance, and finally got to see her in person last week. She retires next month and I realised this was my last chance to see her in action. I followed her for a few holes and she was a pleasure to watch.

In case you have not seen her play before, or have no idea what a great golf swing looks like, here’s a 1 min 44 sec video to get you into the swing (like my pun?) of things. This clip shows her swing in slow motion so you can tell what’s going on, and compares it to another world-class female golfer, so you can appreciate Annika’s much more precise and disciplined movements.

This next 54 sec clip shows you how fast her actual swing is in action (don’t miss it!), and gives you a feel of what a golf tournament looks and sounds like.

Quotes by Annika

“I just try to mind my own game, hit one shot at a time and kind of stay in the present.”

“We don’t voice our opinions the way they do. Hopefully, we can let our clubs do the talking.”

“We look at history. We have a challenge ahead of ourselves. You only get a chance so many times. That’s all I need to get going.”

“I worked very hard”

Widely hailed as the most precise golfer around, you can hear and watch for yourself what the secret to her success is: hard work. Unlike other golf heroes like Tiger Woods, she is not usually called a prodigy or considered talented. Words more likely to describe her are ‘discipline’, ‘mechanical’, ‘dedication’.

In this 2 minute video, you can hear Annika herself speaking. She keeps stressing the importance of hard work in getting her to where she is today, which is at the top of the golfing world.

So take a cue from Annika Sorenstam and work hard at whatever you decide to do. She is, to me, the embodiment of the well-known quote:

“There is no substitute for hard work.”

- Thomas Edison



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Posted by Daphne | December 10, 2008 | in Work Hard


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3 Responses to “Annika Sorenstam’s Way to Success: Work Hard”

  1. Lance
    December 10th, 2008 @ 3:56 am

    Very cool, Daphne, seeing her in person! And what a great example of the benefits that can be gained from hard work!

    Lances last blog post..Let’s All Just Let It Flow

  2. Daphne
    December 10th, 2008 @ 6:45 am

    Hi Lance, yes it was very cool! And so was she in person. It’s an amazing feeling watching a legend in action. Thanks for your comment!

  3. Hot News » Annika Sorenstam
    March 27th, 2009 @ 7:33 pm

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