Jon Rahm knows what it feels like to want to snap a wedge in half. He also knows how to channel that same frustration into winning a U.S. Open.
For a golfer once known for his temper, Rahm’s transformation hasn’t come from suddenly becoming Zen. It’s come from learning how to ride the wave without wiping out — or as one of his mental coaches put it, “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”
And these days, Rahm’s surfing like a pro.
The Coke Bottle Analogy (That Actually Explains Everything)
“If I try to keep it down, I’m like a Coca-Cola bottle,” Rahm once said. “You shake it once and it calms down. You shake it again and it calms down. But once you open it, it’s a complete mess.”
That level of self-awareness is what separates Jon Rahm now from Jon Rahm a few years ago. Instead of trying to suppress his emotions, he’s figured out how to release just enough pressure to stay in control — without losing the fire that makes him dangerous on Sunday afternoons.
This isn’t some vague self-help fluff either. It’s the result of hard work and a surprising influence: a former bomb disposal officer named Joseba del Carmen, who now works as Rahm’s mental coach.
Del Carmen’s advice? “You have to leave an escape valve. If you try to contain emotion completely, it causes more damage.”
From Club-Slammer to Clutch Finisher
The turning point? There wasn’t just one. But there were moments.
At the 2023 Masters, Rahm opened his tournament with a four-putt double bogey. Not ideal. But instead of imploding, he channeled Seve Ballesteros — his idol — who once said, “I miss, I miss, I miss, I make.”
Rahm followed the meltdown with a calm, calculated 67 — one of the best rounds of the day.
Same story at the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions. He started the final round bogey-bogey while trailing by seven. What happened next? He birdied like a man on a mission and walked off with the trophy.
That’s the new Rahm. Mistake? Reset. Disappointment? Channel it. Anger? Use it to launch a 320-yard drive straight down the middle.
A Mind Trained Off the Course
A lot of this growth comes from work done far away from the tee box.
Rahm journals. He writes about his frustrations, his thoughts, the good and the bad — not for an audience, but for himself. “I’m more of a writer than a reader,” he says. “Writing helps me center.”
It’s not some long-form essay either. Think private tweets. Raw. Honest. For his eyes only.
This act of private reflection helps him avoid the pressure-cooker effect — the one where emotions build up until they explode. Instead, he offloads them safely, and it shows when he steps onto the course.
The Secret Sauce: Fatherhood
The biggest emotional shift may have nothing to do with golf.
Becoming a dad changed everything for Rahm.
“Whether I shoot 80 or 65, it’s the same feeling. I get a picture from Kelley and I’m a parent again,” he said.
It’s hard to stay mad when your toddler’s face is grinning at you through a phone screen. Rahm now sees his kids handle their own emotions — upset one minute, back to giggling the next — and realizes he can do the same.
“If they can move on quickly, why can’t I?” he asks.
Being a friend to himself — not a critic, not a drill sergeant — has allowed him to bounce back faster. To draw a line under the last shot and move forward, instead of dragging it with him to the next tee box.
Shot by Shot, Not Score by Score
These days, Rahm doesn’t obsess over the scorecard. He focuses on the next swing.
- What’s the smartest play here?
- What’s the best plan for this shot?
- What’s in my control right now?
He plays in the present — not in the past, not in the outcome. That’s what makes him dangerous.
Because when a player with Rahm’s power and precision combines it with emotional clarity and presence? That’s a golfer who wins majors.