English Major Golfer

More than once, I have heard non-golfers say that Golf, is boring and not a real sport. I obviously disagree on both points. In fact, I believe Golf is the ultimate contest of both mind and body.

Golf is the ultimate mind sport…

I put Golf on the same level as Chess when compared to the mental faculties needed to master the sport. In Chess, you are combining strategy with continuous reaction to your opponent in order to win.

Much the same way, in Golf, you are applying strategies and your strengths to the constant change of conditions and situations through 18 holes.

Sure, in Chess, you can move your Queen out early and try to dominate your opponent only to lose being outmatched by a well positioned pawn.

In the same way, you can attempt to drive the green on a 270 yard Par 4 with your Driver and end up hitting a small branch of a tree near the green, land in a water hazard and card a double bogey.

More often, I have seen folks – and done the same thing myself – hit a bomb off the tee to the middle of the fairway and have a 50 yard shot to the pin. No sand traps, no water or hazard – only clear fairway between you and the green and you chilly dip the pitch shot, the ball lobbing 20 yards ahead. You then skull it over the green on the next shot because you don’t want to hit it fat again. By the time to sit back down in the cart you are carding a triple…from 50 yards.

That’s ALL mental.

Golf is a FULL body sport…

Golf requires a physical action of rotating a club, with a relatively small contact surface area, away from a stationary ball that is – relative to other sports that involve a ball – small by comparison.

In order to accomplish this action with the required precision to ‘advance the ball’ to a target area with a 4.25 inch diameter hole in the ground, one must coordinate hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, back, pelvis, legs AND feet in one ideally continuous motion resulting in a oblong shaped swing of the club.

I believe that involves the entire body – oh yeah and ‘hold’ your head still.

It’s humorous to me to hear even golfers say that golf isn’t a ‘real’ sport and in the very next moment take a gigantic swipe trying to hit the ball 300 yards with their Driver.

My approach

My approach to my own golf game – and to others I coach, is wholistic: mind and body.

You can have the best swing and a weak mental game and struggle mightily.

In the same way, you can have an average swing and complete confidence in your game and be better than the average golfer.

Spend 10 minutes studying the techniques, practices and approaches to the game by the highest levels of proficient golfers and you will see a mix of mind and body building, tuning and refining.

Therefore, I spend as much time working on my swing as I do mentally preparing for a 3 foot putt for Par on the 18th green to win a tournament. I do physical workouts and I study courses through online apps and yardage books. Getting better at golf isn’t just a matter of new clubs and hours at the range. Getting better is determined by ALL of it.

And what is “Better”?

“Better” in golf is unique to and defined differently by each golfer. What is ‘Better’ to me, isn’t necessarily what you might consider “Better”.

So many amateur golfers spend sooo much time comparing themselves to other golfers. And why? It seems that there is a belief that if “I just hit my Driver like Mike hits his Driver, I’d be sooo much better.”

One of the best lessons you can learn as you define your own golf journey is compare yourself to only yourself – no one else.

You will waste precious time and energy trying to emulate someone else’s strength, rather than actually developing your own.

According to Coach David Jones, who I will introduce in further blogs, “Aspiration” is one of the keys to defining and achieving success in Golf.

You have made it this far in this blog and in your golf journey that you have some “idea” of what you want “Better” to be and how it might lead to “Success.” Spend a minute and determine your “Aspiration” – your desire for your golf game.

Some examples might be:

• I want to break (insert score 100, 90, 80)
• I want to win a match play round against my (insert person)
• I want contribute in my next corporate golf outing

Your Aspiration is relative to you and it will drive what you do to “Get Better.” AND best of all, it will evolve right along with your golf game.