The more I practice, the luckier I get

Ever wonder about luck? I mean the role luck, good and bad, plays in sports, politics, careers, wars and even life.

Winning a big lottery prize is good luck; going down in an airplane crash is bad. We have no control over it, or so it seems. As years go by, I realize that we actually have control over precious few things while we’re on this earth. We’re born into life – then stuff happens. We try our best, or maybe even give up.

Parents, genetics, relatives, status, color, race, money – all have critical roles in our life, which is usually not “well planned” at all, to use an ill-conceived term promoted by a major financial services firm. How one senses the aspect of luck seems similar to how we view happiness in general.

No one can define happiness or come up with a prescription for how to be happy. Robin Williams had it all; he wasn’t happy.

Luck. Fate. Stars. God. Chance.

Cultural views about luck vary from considering it a matter of chance to being a matter of superstition. The American Revolution luck? Paul Revere may have spread the word that the British were coming to a small few, but luckily enough people heeded the message, or our revolution would now be a footnote in English history texts.

In my case the luck of the Irish was on my side when I was 17. My father had his heart set on Notre Dame for my college education. But as Fr. Cavanaugh said in the movie “Rudy,” “Those admissions people – you never can tell; they’re a funny bunch of squirrels.”

My high school didn’t have a pool. I didn’t swim in high school. My grades were suspect. But my dad advanced my credentials as a high caliber swimmer and luckily the Irish coach was impressed. I got in.

Was I Rudy? I don’t think so; but I worked just as hard. Over three years I set and reset 12 Irish swimming records and was team captain as a senior. In 1965 Notre Dame honored me by establishing the Charles W. Blanchard Award presented to the swimmer demonstrating tops in “leadership, performance and lifestyle.”

In April 2026 I will personally present the 62nd Blanchard Award to some fine young Irish swimmer. Graduating from Notre Dame, while leaving a legacy for my grandchildren, changed my life, as fate and the Lord would have it.

I’m not arguing or implying that our destiny is written in the heavens, or even our genes, for that matter. But birth heritage and upbringing count for an awful lot. Just take Tiger Woods who was raised, taught, tutored by his dad and mom, and coached by professionals to be a champion golfer from the time he was a toddler.

Most of today’s golf tour professionals start out young and are groomed for the part, like Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler. As juniors they go to golf camps and even golf academies at a very young age. Even Arnold Palmer, the son of a greens super, and Jack Nicklaus, with private club access, started at an early age and became accustomed to competing and winning in the spotlight while young. Author Ayn Rand once said, “Any success requires both talent and luck. And luck has to be helped along and provided by someone.”

A lot of people think putting comes down to a matter of luck. Known as one of the best putters in his day, the late Jerry Barber said, “somewhere putting skill stops and luck takes over. The scoring range is probably from 15 feet in, anything outside that is plenty of luck.”

Many tour players, as they got older, including Ben Hogan and Sam Snead, viewed putting not only as a matter of luck but as a game apart from actual golf. Researchers have tried to measure and quantify the place luck plays in tour wins, to no avail. Many golfers attribute it to “good luck” when a rival holes and “improbable” putt but holing their own is surely skill.

If you want to improve your odds, act lucky.