When getting ready to putt, let your view include more of the green and see the distance to the hole within that bigger space. Bigger space, bigger mind. Bigger mind, better results.
Then the wayward shots no longer become punishment or confirmation of our failings, but clues that help us discover how to remove more and more dirt so that our game can eventually shine like solid gold.
Don’t change your swing, change your mind. Clear the interference, then trust your own perfect swing, and it will give you the most consistent results. This is the fundamental perspective of Zen Golf.
The best target is where we want to send the ball. The best intention is to trust our swing. The best purpose is to enjoy playing the game. Think this way and you’ll swing freely, get better results, and enjoy yourself more than ever.
Be 100 percent optimistic about and committed to your shot before you make it, and then 100 percent realistic (and forgiving and kind to yourself) about the results.
Finally, remind yourself that 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 that allows you to let go and swing freely. When we clear away the clouds of fear, doubt, and hesitation, our natural commitment will shine through.
First, see the thoughts as moving through the spacious awareness of your mind. It takes practice to treat your thoughts somewhat objectively, to not get caught up in their story lines. As best you can, let them come and go as if they were moving by like waves above you. Then, as you address the ball. feel as if you are diving under the waves of thoughts. Connect with the peaceful feeling of being below the turbulence, direct your attention to your target, and let the stroke happen.
As the saying goes, “You don’t play golf to relax, you relax to play golf.”
So when you stand up on the first tee, or the shot over the lake, or any shot that might produce apprehension, remember to breathe.
You play your best golf when you plan with your head, then play from your heart. There are two keys to success in making this transition: (1) filling your mind with a vivid image of the shot you intend to play and (2) settling down - clearing away tension and feeling the center of gravity in your body.
To do this, you can use a full breath just before you begin your approach to the ball.
We need to picture a clear image of the ball traveling to the target, then let intuitive mind take over. That’s why the best prescription is again, “Plan with your head, then play from your heart.”
Flow is seriously impeded when we try to consciously control the movements of our muscles. That type of control arises when we try to protect ourselves from things going wrong. The ego-centered, self-conscious thinking mind is what needs to give up control.
As discussed before, for uphill putts, imagine that it will dive in and hit against the back of the cup. For level putts, picture it pouring into the hole. For downhill putts, picture it just trickling over the front edge.
Try thinking of every tee shot on a par-4 or par-5 hole as a layup shot. No matter what club you use, instead of just trying to hit it as far as you can, pick a spot on the fairway that’s well within reach. This reduces the tendency to swing too hard and gives you a much better chance of hitting a good shot.
You’ll be surprised how many times that relaxed swing sends the ball even farther down the fairway than you could imagine.
The key is to change your attitude, not try to get rid of the emotion. Neither suppress nor indulge the emotion. Acknowledge the emotion’s intensity but drop the story line connected with it. In that way, the energy of anger over a bad shot can be transformed into intensity of focus on the next shot.
May I have the courage to accomplish what I can, May I have the patience to accept what I can’t accomplish, And may I have the wisdom to know the difference between the two.
Then the wayward shots no longer become punishment or confirmation of our failings, but clues that help us discover how to remove more and more dirt so that our game can eventually shine like solid gold.
Don’t change your swing, change your mind. Clear the interference, then trust your own perfect swing, and it will give you the most consistent results. This is the fundamental perspective of Zen Golf.
The best target is where we want to send the ball. The best intention is to trust our swing. The best purpose is to enjoy playing the game. Think this way and you’ll swing freely, get better results, and enjoy yourself more than ever.
Be 100 percent optimistic about and committed to your shot before you make it, and then 100 percent realistic (and forgiving and kind to yourself) about the results.
Finally, remind yourself that 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 that allows you to let go and swing freely. When we clear away the clouds of fear, doubt, and hesitation, our natural commitment will shine through.
First, see the thoughts as moving through the spacious awareness of your mind. It takes practice to treat your thoughts somewhat objectively, to not get caught up in their story lines. As best you can, let them come and go as if they were moving by like waves above you. Then, as you address the ball. feel as if you are diving under the waves of thoughts. Connect with the peaceful feeling of being below the turbulence, direct your attention to your target, and let the stroke happen.
As the saying goes, “You don’t play golf to relax, you relax to play golf.”
So when you stand up on the first tee, or the shot over the lake, or any shot that might produce apprehension, remember to breathe.
You play your best golf when you plan with your head, then play from your heart. There are two keys to success in making this transition: (1) filling your mind with a vivid image of the shot you intend to play and (2) settling down - clearing away tension and feeling the center of gravity in your body.
To do this, you can use a full breath just before you begin your approach to the ball.
We need to picture a clear image of the ball traveling to the target, then let intuitive mind take over. That’s why the best prescription is again, “Plan with your head, then play from your heart.”
Flow is seriously impeded when we try to consciously control the movements of our muscles. That type of control arises when we try to protect ourselves from things going wrong. The ego-centered, self-conscious thinking mind is what needs to give up control.
As discussed before, for uphill putts, imagine that it will dive in and hit against the back of the cup. For level putts, picture it pouring into the hole. For downhill putts, picture it just trickling over the front edge.
Try thinking of every tee shot on a par-4 or par-5 hole as a layup shot. No matter what club you use, instead of just trying to hit it as far as you can, pick a spot on the fairway that’s well within reach. This reduces the tendency to swing too hard and gives you a much better chance of hitting a good shot.
You’ll be surprised how many times that relaxed swing sends the ball even farther down the fairway than you could imagine.
The key is to change your attitude, not try to get rid of the emotion. Neither suppress nor indulge the emotion. Acknowledge the emotion’s intensity but drop the story line connected with it. In that way, the energy of anger over a bad shot can be transformed into intensity of focus on the next shot.
May I have the courage to accomplish what I can, May I have the patience to accept what I can’t accomplish, And may I have the wisdom to know the difference between the two.
