10 Questions With ... Meah Collins -- Women's Golf
Our next installment of "10 Questions With ..." features women's golfer Meah Collins.
- What is it about Golf that you love so much?? What was it about the sport that keeps attracting you back to it?
"The first time I swung a golf club I was two years old and I used to love going to the course with my dad and ride in the golf cart with him. I remember I used to have a really cute set of Snoopy golf clubs. When I got to high school, I dabbled in a bunch of sports, including surfing. Nowadays, playing golf helps me to balance things out with my life and it keeps me from being too restless. It helps me take a step back and helps me put things in perspective. With COVID happening, there was more time for me to get back into the sport, so here I am. Being at OCC with Sean is the best place to start and with our spring start, it's given me time to work on some more parts of my game."
- I know it's a thing now, but for the most part, most fans don't connect Golf and physical fitness and training. What kind of work do you do off the course to make sure you're at your best week in and week out.
"My career as a surfer has really helped me with 
my golf. I'm on and off with the physical fitness. I've got friends who love it, but it's really just not my thing. I struggle with being consistent and committed to any particular program. But, I'm starting with pilates, which help me with my nagging back issues and I'm also really focusing on strengthening my back and core. I'm already blessed with good upper-body strength, so now I want to work on my flexibility. I do yoga every day if I can … 20-30 minutes before a round of golf."
- A second part to that question … casual golfers want to shoot like the pros, but they simply don't put in enough time to get better. How much time do you spend on the golf course on any given week, working on various parts of the game?
"I practice three times a week … playing a full 18 holes and practicing on my own before the group practices. On days in-between, I go out and hit a large bucket and putt for an hour. I jumped into this sport again after not playing for a couple months, so I started slower, but I've played much, much more. I'm still dealing with a bit of back issues, but I try and play two rounds a week and every day, hit a bucket of balls and putt."
- Take me through your mindset during a match with someone. Does it vary from hole to hole do you keep a consistent mindset throughout each match?
"The biggest thing is to take every shot by shot and hole by hole. Every next shot doesn't matter from the shot before. Stay in the moment … if I start thinking too far ahead or what I did two shots prior, it can get to me. Really focus on staying in the moment. The girls we play with are so fun, I can forget my frustrations and just enjoy the round and I can help them with that as well. I really try and remember its just a game of golf."
- What would be your biggest assets on the course?? And also, what would be your biggest flaws on the course??
"My strength is in my drives … it's my favorite thing to do. There's nothing better than walking up to the tee box and hitting a beautiful drive. Currently I can hit it 260, but I'd love to eventually get to 280 or so. On the other side of it, my weakness is my putting. It's very inconsistent … it's either on or off. My iron play is OK, but my putting is my detriment. My goal is to improve my confidence when I walk up to a shorter-length putt so I can believe I can make more of them."
- If I gave you a 24-hour pass from COVID and you could do anything that you used to do, what would it be?? What do you miss the most from this isolation??
'Unfortunately, my 21st birthday is coming up and I won't be able to do what I wanted to do. If I could get that pass, I'd want to travel to New York with my mom and friend and go shopping and see the Broadway shows."
- All kids like to eat … what are your favorite meals??
- Favorite food in general – "I live to eat … love good quality food and I've been lucky to travel the world with surfing and try amazing food. I'm half Korean and a Korean dish I love is bibimbap. It comes in a stone bowl with rice at the bottom and all different types of veggies and meats around. It's topped with a fried egg and a spicy chili paste."
- Favorite snack either before or during a round – "On the course, I eat like a five-year old. I love little kid snacks. I also love fruit, like apples/peaches/strawberries. Protein bars or cheese and crackers."
- Favorite meal afterwards – "Dinner time with family. Whatever they are eating as long as it's fresh and healthy is good. I'm always more refreshed with a healthy meal."
- When you're not golfing, what do you enjoy doing?? Any hobbies or interests???
"Surfing. In fact, the last time I golfed, I followed that up with a quick surf. I also enjoy painting and artsy things and I love my dog, so I'll take her on a hike or a trip to the beach. The beach is where I really recharge my batteries."
- What kind of coach has coach Sean Collins been to you?? What lessons has he taught you the most about golf or about life in general??
"He really likes to keep things short and sweet and not bring in too much emotion. He looks at things in a very straightforward approach and he looks for solutions instead of worrying about whatever the problem is. Sometimes it's a bit of a wake-up call to us, but we all appreciate that he doesn't beat around the bush. Drawing that approach from him really helps my self-talk and it's helped me solve problems without getting all flustered. Just figure it out and move on."
- What would you like to do AFTER Coast?? Are you majoring in anything at the moment?? Any long-term career goals???
"Since I was little, I wanted to be a professional surfer and I'd still like to make that happen … possibly make it to LPGA … with everything going on, it's all so uncertain. I've always had a certain direction, but now it's given me a chance to reevaluate what I really want with my life. I'd like to pursue a degree in business or psychology or major in sustainability (engineering). Anything I can do to help the earth remain healthy is something I'd like to be a part of. In the end I think it's important to look at that issue."
