The Coffee That Changed Phil Mickelson's Life

Twelve years ago, Phil Mickelson suffered a health scare. He was just shy of his 40th birthday when his body started sending warning signs: joint aches and pains, which, at times, became excruciating. This wasn’t something a bit of physiotherapy would fix, and Paracetamol couldn’t take the edge off. The diagnosis was psoriatic arthritis, a condition that causes joints to become swollen, stiff and painful. Not nice for anyone, and especially troublesome for a professional athlete. These days, however, ‘Lefty’ is never ill. Couldn’t tell you the last time he was. He’s actually full of beans – coffee beans, in fact.

Mickelson’s health scare triggered a change in lifestyle, and put him on a pathway to better health and wellness. In 2021, aged 50, he became the oldest Major Championship winner in the history of the game, when he lifted the Wanamaker Trophy at the 2021 PGA Championship. How much of it came down to pure talent – the six-time Major champion is obviously one of the game’s greatest ever players – and how much can be attributed to what he puts into his body is hard to quantify. Mickelson will tell you a lot of it comes down to the latter, as will his friend and world-renowned performance coach, Dave Phillips.

Phillips is the co-founder of the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI), the largest golf, health, and fitness organisation in the industry. Known as a visionary thinker with a passion for teaching, he’s also something of a coffee connoisseur. When Mickelson was going through his health struggles, Phillips, who was introduced to coffee at a young age when living in Kenya, went in search of answers – or, as he puts it, he started to concoct recipes like “Grandma in the kitchen.” He arrived at a special blend that would be called ‘The Good Stuff’, and from there For Wellness was born.

These days, it’s not unusual to see Mickelson swigging from a flask as he plays. He’s not pumping his body full of sugary drinks – he’s happily ingesting his very own Good Stuff. In Lefty’s words, “I was looking to make my morning routine healthier, without compromising my love of coffee. Together with The Good Stuff, coffee has changed my life, and helps me perform at my best, every day.”

So, how might The Good Stuff help the club golfer to play better? It’s not a magic formula. Potions that help us to swing like a pro or stop duffing chips don’t exist, sadly. However, the powder does contain five key ingredients that can bring about huge benefits on and off the course: C-8 MCT powder, L-Theanine, collagen, Ceylon cinnamon and Himalayan Pink Salt.

Benefits Of 'The Good Stuff'

The five benefits, according to Phillips and the For Wellness team, are as follows: increase metabolism, reduce inflammation, boost hydration, improve focus, and promote healthy skin and joints. You can put The Good Stuff in your coffee, in a smoothie, or on your cereal. Or, you can add a scoop to the For Wellness coffee, which is specially roasted to maintain high levels of naturally occurring antioxidants. However you take it, it’s a better option than the pre round bacon roll, or even a piece of fruit between holes.

“If you’re a golfer and you’re going out to play, the biggest thing is that you want sustainable blood sugar,” explains Phillips, who has lived in, and enjoyed different coffee in, 27 countries around the world; he's as passionate about coffee as he is about working alongside elite level golfers, which includes world number five, Jon Rahm, who himself loves to start the day with a brew.

“A lot of people eat a banana when they play golf because they think that’s healthy, but it gives a sugar spike, so it will take you up and then crash you three holes later – so you better have another ready! When we’re creating products, the aim is to keep the blood sugar levels pretty even.”

How often do you feel yourself flagging towards the end of a round? When you’re low on energy, it’s easy to make a bad swing. You can lose your focus and make poor decisions, which is only likely to have a negative impact on your scorecard.

For Phillips, the answer is simple: start your day with The Good Stuff, and let the ingredients give you what you need to perform at your best. “Over 80 per cent of the world start their day with a cup of coffee,” Phillips says. “It’s habitual. I thought if we could create something like The Good Stuff and get it on the kitchen counter next to the coffee maker, it’s going to make you take accountability for your own health. This is what Phil does. He’s now on that path.”

As well as producing its own coffee and The Good stuff powder, the brand also makes its own energy bites. These nutritious bars, or "superfood snacks", are designed to be consumed on the go and give you a boost on the course while satisfying your mid-morning or afternoon craving. They are only 90 calories and taste like a moist chocolate brownie, and come packed with benefits. For many club golfers and those who aren’t particularly health conscious, the halfway hut – which typically serves sausage sandwiches and sugary snacks – will always be frequented. However, for anyone looking to give themselves every opportunity to play their best golf, you’d do well to learn from Mickelson and Phillips.

“I’ve worked with many of the world’s best players,” Phillips adds. “I worked with David Leadbetter when he had the likes of Nick Faldo and Ernie Els in his stable. I was always very interested in what makes these elite players tick. Some of them were really interested in what they put into their bodies and some of them weren’t, but the ones that were tended to be the better players.”

Food, or coffee, for thought.