[Event Report] Michiko Hattori x Daichi Suzuki - How to change your mindset after a bad shot...the secret is "that password"!?

2021.09.16 Press Releases
T Point Japan Co., Ltd. / Tsutaya Bookstore Company

T-Point Japan Co., Ltd. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Nagashima Hiroaki) and Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd. Tsutaya Bookstore Company held a commemorative event at Daikanyama Tsutaya Bookstore (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo) to celebrate the publication of "The Power to Turn Around" (Sekai Bunka Publishing), the first book by professional golfer Hattori Michiko, who has 18 tour wins and was the 1998 money leader. The event was themed "Applicable to business too! How can you develop the power to turn situations around like a top athlete?"

"The Power of Improvement" is a "cheerful book" that will help you overcome the frustrations of the coronavirus pandemic.

At the beginning of the event, Michiko Hattori said about the film, "I started playing golf at the age of 10, and I think that golf is a sport that often doesn't go as planned, like a microcosm of life. Reflecting on those experiences and my own life, I was asked, "Why don't you write a book?", which was the trigger for publishing. Also, shortly after I began writing, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and while the world was feeling frustrated, I felt that the mindset needed to overcome this was something that could be applied to golf. "I hope this book will be an encouraging one that will inspire you to look forward, even if just a little, by sharing the words of many seniors who have changed the way I see things and act in my life," she said, explaining the circumstances that led to the publication of this book.

Suzuki, who has read the book, also got the crowd excited when she said, "I have a flexible body, so I have the ability to twist... (laughs)," but added, "I lack the ability to turn things around, so I learned a lot from this book. This book is packed with information about the difficulties and fun of golf, and it was so rich in content that I even had to take notes on my cell phone. I would like this book to be read not only by people in the sports world, but also by people in the business world and the general public. I've been playing golf for 20 to 30 years, but my score is only around 120... After reading this book, I felt like I wanted to try harder again," he said, giving a strong recommendation.
Furthermore, regarding athletes' "ability to turn a situation around = turning things around," Hattori said, "No matter what you do, I think it's important to be prepared in the end. By having this kind of attitude, people around you will naturally want to support you. "I think the source of the power to turn things around is how seriously you can face the situation," he commented. Regarding how to apply this "power of improvement" to business and life, he said, "Nowadays, I have more opportunities to interact with people outside of golf, and I think it's important to be accepting. "Everyone has good and bad points, so I feel that accepting others, forgiving them, and maintaining a good distance can also lead to positive changes in life," he said, speaking from his own experience.

On the other hand, Suzuki said, "Take care of people and be grateful. "I think that honing this kind of humanity will lead to the power to turn situations around, both in golf and in life," he said, reflecting on the book's "power to turn things around."Furthermore, regarding the mental control of athletes, he said, "In swimming, there is less time to think during a match compared to golf, so 80 to 90 percent of the outcome is determined by the preparation before the race. Also, I think it's important to go into the match with a positive mindset, thinking, 'I'm the strongest,' even though you feel like you're on the chopping block," he said, offering advice based on his own experience.

Furthermore, Hattori, who also served as a women's golf coach, commented on Mone Inami, who won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, "Inami is the type who does what she says and sets big goals. I think he understands himself well and is the type of person who can calmly look at what is needed. In addition, he is able to switch on and off smoothly even on the big stage of the Olympics. "She is very serious during the match, but she uses her time well in her own way, such as eating milk and cookies in between, and I think the reason she wins is because she is able to enjoy playing in that 'own atmosphere'," he commented on the secret to her strength.

According to the latest golfer survey, "One game of golf is an opportunity to get to know your opponents better."

In the second half of the event, T-Point Japan announced the results of its 3rd "Golf Survey" Vol.1 (https://www.ccc.co.jp/news/2021/20210910_002184.html) and held a talk session about the latest situation for golfers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Regarding the data showing that "people playing golf are shifting from workplace relationships to family" due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hattori commented, "The image of golf in the past was strongly that of a business sport, where people would say, 'I'm tired of having to be careful,' but now I feel like a more positive image is spreading, of golf as a form of recreation, a way to communicate with family, or simply to enjoy a sport."

Furthermore, Hattori commented on the growing image of golf, such as "something you can play for a lifetime" and "communicating with family." He said, "I think golf is a sport that's easy to get people into, from the elderly to the young, and regardless of skill level. Also, by sharing the joys, sorrows, anger, and happiness of your partner over a single round of golf, you can get to know them even more deeply. That's one of the attractions of golf that has been used in the business world, but perhaps its strengths are also being used to communicate with people closer to us during the COVID-19 pandemic," he commented. Suzuki also said, "There's a lot you learn when you spend a day together, eating meals together. "Huh? This person is surprisingly stingy..." (laughs). "I think golf has a social aspect that makes it easy to invite others and be invited," he said, apparently empathizing with this from his own experience playing golf.

Regarding the fact that "good for health" was ranked first among the images of golf during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hattori said, "I know an extremely energetic 80-year-old who plays golf. Apparently, he hits 200 balls before going (for a round), and then hits 300 balls after the round because he's frustrated with losing, and then goes to the gym. He also makes his own original juice on Sundays and drinks it... His desire to improve his golf game has a synergistic effect, and I think it has the potential to make him healthier in his everyday life." He also mentioned the appeal of golf as a lifelong sport.

Question: "How do you change your mindset after a bad shot?" A short routine and "char siu ramen"!?

At the end of the event, we also answered questions from golfers who had filled out a questionnaire. In response to the question, "I would like to know how you change your mindset (mentally) after making a bad shot," Hattori replied, "I myself have had times when it lingered in my mind. I think strong people focus on their own routines and break them. However, if the routine is too long, you will find yourself thinking more during it, so it's better to keep it short. Also, it's better not to have too many checkpoints. "The most important thing is to swing comfortably, so it's important to keep the checkpoints to one or two and keep it simple," he said, explaining the secret to improving. Furthermore, "Shibuno Hinako, when she is unsure at the end, apparently tightens her abdominal muscles and chants 'Char Siu Ramen'. "Apparently, 'Tantanmen' is no good because the sound cuts out and you can't fully swing it (laughs)," Shibuno said, revealing her surprisingly simple routine. In response to Hattori's advice, Suzuki said enthusiastically, "In swimming, it's hard to make big mistakes during a match, but when it comes to golf, I tend to get bogged down in worrying, thinking, 'If I don't fix this, I won't fix that,' (laughs), so I definitely want to put into practice the idea of narrowing it down to two or three things."

T Point Japan, through its "T x Athletes" initiative, aims to create value that allows people to experience the true essence of sports - its incredible power to move people's hearts. The company has signed sponsorship contracts with players Ai Kido and Hinako Shibuno, and is hosting the JLPGA Tour's "T Point x ENEOS Golf Tournament." It also plans to continue proposing a lifestyle through golf, including issuing "golf-related surveys," conducting marketing research, and collaborating with alliance companies to create projects.

[Book introduction]
■Outline:
He was appointed coach of the Japanese women's golf team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Michiko Hattori, a professional golfer who has achieved many brilliant results in both Japan and the United States, has faced herself and turned her situation around in her golf career over the course of her more than 40 years. This book is Hattori's first publication, and it compiles the things he has always kept in mind, the routine of mental well-being, his self-promotion skills, what he has learned from great predecessors, and the "power to turn situations around" that he has discovered through practice. This book is the best reference book for becoming a winner not only in sports but also in the future.
■Author: Michiko Hattori
■Published by: Sekai Bunka Books Co., Ltd.
■Published and sold by: Sekai Bunka Publishing Co., Ltd.
Price: 1,760 yen (tax included)

[Event speaker profiles]
Michiko Hattori
Born in Aichi Prefecture. In 1984, she won the Japan Women's Amateur Golf Championship at the age of 15 years and 9 months, the youngest winner in history at the time. The following year, she became the youngest player to win the US Women's Amateur Championship, sponsored by the USGA (United States Golf Association), at the time, becoming the first Japanese person to win a title in the USGA's more than 120-year history. After graduating from high school, he went on to study at the University of Texas in the United States. 10 wins in the NCAA league. She received the Marilyn Smith Award, given to students who excel in both academics and sports. After graduating from the University of Texas School of International Management in 1991, he returned to Japan and turned professional. In 1998, she won five tournaments and became the prize money queen, and was active both at home and abroad. He has a total of 18 wins, including three domestic majors. Currently, while working hard as a mother of one child, she is also training the next generation of golfers as a coach for the Japanese women's golf team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Daichi Suzuki
Born in Narashino City, Chiba Prefecture in 1967, age 54. He started swimming in the second grade of elementary school, and after entering high school, he switched from the individual medley to the backstroke. At the memorable Seoul Olympics, he used his signature "Vassallo start" to win the gold medal in the 100m backstroke. At the time, this was the first gold medal in 16 years for Japanese competitive swimming, and it instantly elevated swimming to a major sport in Japan. In 2013, at the age of 46, he became the youngest president of the Japan Swimming Federation in the federation's history. From 2015 to 2020, he served as the first Commissioner of the Japan Sports Agency, where he worked on a wide range of policies, including strengthening support for athletes and encouraging them to wear sneakers to work. He is currently a director of the International Swimming Federation, a professor at Juntendo University, and director of the university's Sports, Health and Medical Science Promotion Organization, where he is committed to nurturing the next generation of athletes.

Materials related to this matter

[Event Report] Michiko Hattori x Daichi Suzuki - How to change your mindset after a bad shot...the secret is "that password"!?

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T Point Japan Co., Ltd.
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