John_Findlay
Tour Winner
We're all thinking about the start of the season, hoping to reduce the handicap, improve the swing or play that blinding round, but with minimal expense or effort. So here's my tip for everyone from scratch to 24 to help you enjoy your golf more this year. It has helped me play better (and enjoy the game more when I'm not)
Get down to the bookshop and buy a book which I refer to reasonably regularly, "Zen Golf, Mastering the Mental Game" by Dr Joseph Parent. (£6.81 from WH Smith online). He's a mind coach for VJ and others.
I have to say it's the best on the mental side of the game which I've read. It may have it's foundation in lots of Bhuddist mumbo jumbo and meditation (until recently practiced by Tiger) but, boy, it's well worth reading cover to cover. Not so wishy washy as those Rotella books as it actually tells you "how" rather than "what". It helps you forget the technicalities and actually go out and "play" golf
Here are a few of the best excerpts which help me on the course;-
"You don't forget how to swing from one shot to the next, It's just that things get in the way. We often get a poor result, analyse our swing, and try to fix it, only for our "fix" to interfere with the next swing. Soon we have so many fixes that we have no idea how to swing, so usually around the 16th or 17th hole just swing. We give up "fixing" and our swing is back. We might think it had been lost and at last we found it but in fact we never lost it. When we gave up fixing our swing the absence of interference allowed it to reappear. If you make a swing that falls short of perfect (for you) don't get yourself down and try to fix it. Instead, direct your awareness to reflect upon what might have interfered. Most interference originates in the way we prepare for a shot. Clear the interference, trust your swing and it will give you the most consistent results. This is the fundamental perspective of Zen golf"
"Preparation is the first stage. The key factors in preparation are clarity, commitment and composure. Clarity is having a vivid image of the shot you intend, both the target and the path the ball will take to get there. Commitment is being free from second-guessing, doubt or hesitation. Composure is being calm and focused, poised and at ease. These are what you need to be properly prepared to play a shot"
"Thinking of their job as "hitting the ball" instead of "sending the ball to a target" is probably why you see some high handicappers make quite acceptable practice swings then get to the ball and swing like they're chopping wood. "Sending it" calls forth a stance and state of mind that are far better preparation for a successful golf shot. Even accomplished golfers fall victim to the intention to "make a good swing". This is likely to promote mechanical thinking and self consciousness, both of which interfere with a free-flowing motion. However, if your purpose is to fulfill an image of the ball flying to a target, the image fills your mind, and the body swings the club with less interference. The best target is where we want to send the ball. The best intention is to trust our swing."
"Acceptance is the key. In preparing for any shot, review all your options and adopt a strategy which minimizes risk and maximizes reward. Take a big mind perspective, seeing that even the worst result won't be the end of the world and that the shot you've planned is one you've accomplished many times. (If you haven't, you might rethink your strategy). A shot played with trust will get better results than one played with doubt. Doubt leads to confusion, anxiety or both. Trust brings comfort and ease, and allows you to let go and swing freely"
"Every golfer has had the experience of setting up to a shot and not feeling completely comfortable with some aspect of it. We might have a vague feeling that something is not quite right, or we might know what's wrong but not bother to do anything about it. In either case, when we go ahead and hit it anyway the result is usually terrible. I call that shot an "anyway". Anytime we can reflect on a shot and say "You know, I knew better", that was an "anyway". Think about how many shots you'd save if you could avoid these shots."
The book is full of lots of other really helpful ways of how to think correctly on the course and for a lazy buggar like me it means I don't have to change my swing to play well. It's particularly good in teaching methods on how to avoid doubt over the ball (strategy). Just avoid any doubts over every shot (this can take practice) and trust your swing. Strategise correctly and the game becomes a lot more fun thanks to the lack of anxiety. I find myself walking off the course not having had a clue what I was doing with the swing that day but with a good score or having at least "played" well and enjoyed my game more.
I'd recommend to to everyone. I'm off to meditate...or is that medicate?
Cheers
John
Get down to the bookshop and buy a book which I refer to reasonably regularly, "Zen Golf, Mastering the Mental Game" by Dr Joseph Parent. (£6.81 from WH Smith online). He's a mind coach for VJ and others.
I have to say it's the best on the mental side of the game which I've read. It may have it's foundation in lots of Bhuddist mumbo jumbo and meditation (until recently practiced by Tiger) but, boy, it's well worth reading cover to cover. Not so wishy washy as those Rotella books as it actually tells you "how" rather than "what". It helps you forget the technicalities and actually go out and "play" golf
Here are a few of the best excerpts which help me on the course;-
"You don't forget how to swing from one shot to the next, It's just that things get in the way. We often get a poor result, analyse our swing, and try to fix it, only for our "fix" to interfere with the next swing. Soon we have so many fixes that we have no idea how to swing, so usually around the 16th or 17th hole just swing. We give up "fixing" and our swing is back. We might think it had been lost and at last we found it but in fact we never lost it. When we gave up fixing our swing the absence of interference allowed it to reappear. If you make a swing that falls short of perfect (for you) don't get yourself down and try to fix it. Instead, direct your awareness to reflect upon what might have interfered. Most interference originates in the way we prepare for a shot. Clear the interference, trust your swing and it will give you the most consistent results. This is the fundamental perspective of Zen golf"
"Preparation is the first stage. The key factors in preparation are clarity, commitment and composure. Clarity is having a vivid image of the shot you intend, both the target and the path the ball will take to get there. Commitment is being free from second-guessing, doubt or hesitation. Composure is being calm and focused, poised and at ease. These are what you need to be properly prepared to play a shot"
"Thinking of their job as "hitting the ball" instead of "sending the ball to a target" is probably why you see some high handicappers make quite acceptable practice swings then get to the ball and swing like they're chopping wood. "Sending it" calls forth a stance and state of mind that are far better preparation for a successful golf shot. Even accomplished golfers fall victim to the intention to "make a good swing". This is likely to promote mechanical thinking and self consciousness, both of which interfere with a free-flowing motion. However, if your purpose is to fulfill an image of the ball flying to a target, the image fills your mind, and the body swings the club with less interference. The best target is where we want to send the ball. The best intention is to trust our swing."
"Acceptance is the key. In preparing for any shot, review all your options and adopt a strategy which minimizes risk and maximizes reward. Take a big mind perspective, seeing that even the worst result won't be the end of the world and that the shot you've planned is one you've accomplished many times. (If you haven't, you might rethink your strategy). A shot played with trust will get better results than one played with doubt. Doubt leads to confusion, anxiety or both. Trust brings comfort and ease, and allows you to let go and swing freely"
"Every golfer has had the experience of setting up to a shot and not feeling completely comfortable with some aspect of it. We might have a vague feeling that something is not quite right, or we might know what's wrong but not bother to do anything about it. In either case, when we go ahead and hit it anyway the result is usually terrible. I call that shot an "anyway". Anytime we can reflect on a shot and say "You know, I knew better", that was an "anyway". Think about how many shots you'd save if you could avoid these shots."
The book is full of lots of other really helpful ways of how to think correctly on the course and for a lazy buggar like me it means I don't have to change my swing to play well. It's particularly good in teaching methods on how to avoid doubt over the ball (strategy). Just avoid any doubts over every shot (this can take practice) and trust your swing. Strategise correctly and the game becomes a lot more fun thanks to the lack of anxiety. I find myself walking off the course not having had a clue what I was doing with the swing that day but with a good score or having at least "played" well and enjoyed my game more.
I'd recommend to to everyone. I'm off to meditate...or is that medicate?
Cheers
John
