Last year I shot a one-under 71 at Santa Clara Muni. I was playing with my friend Tim Welch, who was really encouraging the whole time; he's always fun and easy to be with. I don't play that much golf (who has time?), though I practice occasionally. I only played 4 rounds last year but went to the practice area about 15 times. My other 3 rounds were in the 3- to 8-over range.
I think the way I practice is unusual, and this is what helps me score well. You see some guys on the practice range just hitting their drivers, over and over, really trying to pound it and seemingly trying to show others how far and hard they can hit. Either that or they're working out some serious personal issues.
But that's not going to help you score well on the course. It may not even help you drive well on the course.
The teachings of Eckhart Tolle, who is not a PGA pro or a touring player but rather a remarkable person who's published several works on awareness, presence, "enlightenment" and self-realization, are my main influences here. Tolle talks about being Here, Now. The more you are present, the less your mind can get in the way, and one's mind is really often in play in most golfer's heads, so much so that they can't golf through all that thinking and judging and worrying.
While you're hitting the mind says, "Left arm straight, coil back slowly, break wrists at halfway point, don't sway!, hurry back!, spank the ball on impact, follow through high!, you idiot, you're still slicing! etc., etc., etc. These are just a few of the many stored phrases that golfers play in their heads as they remind themselves what to do, and what not to do, while swinging. They might also be saying, "Remember the last time you played this hole and you shanked it into the trees on the right and it took you four more shots to get to the green, and then, oh yeah, three putts, you complete duffer? This is the worst/hardest hole on the course." Your mileage may vary, but the phenomenon of incessant mind-chatter should be familiar to just about anyone, golfer or no.
We have to quiet our minds. Our world depends on it. The first step is to recognize that your mind is doing this to you, and once you recognize this you've created a little bit of space around it to step back and observe it better. The one that's observing the mind is the real you.
Golf is a good place to start this practice of observing and quieting the mind, because the positive results are observable from the very first time you try it. Being right here, right now allows your body to take over the shot and relaxes you in a focused way. Even though you are focused and relaxed, somehow you don't lose accuracy, you don't lose power, you don't lose agility or flexibility, but you gain peacefulness. When you can become that peacefulness and watch yourself play golf from the inside, the fun really begins, and the shots begin to happen. This takes practice, and of course you should practice quieting your mind anyway. If you can practice calming yourself, quieting your mind, being here and now with the shot and letting go of the past (I never do well on this hole/I can't hit my driver) and the future (what if I dump this in the lake?/am I going to shoot another 95 today?), you will find that the golf begins to take care of itself, and you have a great time with it. Trust me: if you can train yourself to get to that stillness and deep concentration that comes with presence every time you step up to the golf ball, you'll have more than any technique or teacher or gear can offer. Practice that, and it will grow inside you. You will of course also see this growth benefit other aspects of your life as you stick with it.
So forget the lessons, the tips, the gadgets, the gear, and practice presence, peacefulness, being HERE, NOW. I hope you will discover what I have: that this is the true way to golf, and the true way to be.
Check out http://www.eckharttolle.com for access to his works and teachings. I highly recommend two of his books in audio format, which he reads, and which rendering adds greatly to the effectiveness of his supremely helpful and transformational message. Peace!
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