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Purpose Driven Golf
Dave Moore
I want you to meditate on a couple points for a moment:
1. Why an earth are you playing golf?
2. What are you getting out of each round?
3. What is the point?
Have you ever thought about any of these points before??
Here is an excerpt from "The Dave Way"... if you already own
"The Dave Way" please read this one more time to get a few
ideas of why you are on the course every weekend.
Pride
It's almost like a proud parent raising a child successfully.
You start out hardly knowing anything about the game. Your
scores are usually horrible (in my case around 125) and your
swing mechanics are usually pathetic. Your shot making is
non-existent and your drives are short and very unimpressive.
And then, round after round (and after many nights and $'s
spent at the practice range) you slowly start to improve.
I remember the first day I broke 100 - and then the first
day I broke 90 - and then the first day I broke 80... few
feelings in the world come close.
Status
Let's face it, golf is rich in tradition. And whether right
or wrong, those that have mastered the sport are generally
stuck at the top of the social ladder in the clubhouse locker
rooms and sometimes even in the workplace.
Let's say you're talking to your buddies about a local golfer
and then somebody in your group mentions this person is a
scratch golfer, no matter what you thought beforehand you
hold that person in a higher regard for some reason.
Focus
Even though focus is not necessarily why a person would pick
up the game of golf, after playing for a little while you
will realize the game can improve your mental toughness, your
mental awareness, and eventually your outlook on life.
Now I know that may sound a little deep and possibly a tad
cheesy, but it's the honest truth. If you have been playing
golf (even for just one season) you know there are many ups
and downs associated with the sport. Those ups and downs can
be found between years of playing, between rounds, between
holes, and sometimes (but hopefully not) between shots.
Through all these good times and bad times you learn perseverance.
You develop goal setting skills. If you stick with the sport
(I can't tell you how many times I've heard "I'm going to
sell my sticks in the paper tomorrow!") you will build up
a "stick to it" type of attitude.
Your mind will become sharp!
No wonder those that have mastered this sport are generally
known as over-achievers.
Health
Even though I have listed health as number 4, this is one
of the main reasons I picked up a golf club.
My body was never in, what you would call, real good or athletic
shape. And when I would watch golf on the tube I noticed a
some of the men playing had guts… excuse me… un-chiseled abs
J. Kind of like yours truly.
I thought to myself "All my buddies are skiing, shooting hoops,
hitting tennis balls, or playing golf… looks like golf is
the best way I can fit in".
But what I soon found out is that golf has a sneaky way of
adding a little bit of exercise to your life. And that's great
for those of us that hate to take the time out to exercise.
On a side note, I would encourage everyone to walk the course
once in a while. Here is what I suggest to my students who
are golf newbie's: After playing a year or two, instead of
trying to back up from the white tees to the blue, try to
walk more this year and wait until next year to back up to
the blue tees.
Fun
When I play golf I have a great time.
Fellowship with friends or being paired up with someone I
don't know and making new friendships is another awesome benefit
golf has to offer.
And there is nothing more exciting than dropping an approach
shot next to the pin, sinking a monster putt, or smashing
a long drive in front of your playing partners.
These are some of the reasons I play, but I think it is very
important to figure out why you are out slapping balls around
too.
Figuring out the purpose of golf in your life can only make
you a better golfer... let me explain:
When I started off playing, I was not that good, as I'm sure
many of you weren't. That being said, I would get so frustrated
at the poor shots, the missed putts, the doubles and triples,
and double pars. And most of the time I would act like a complete
fool. I would get frustrated to no end... slamming my clubs
down, or throwing them, and it was a given that I would be
ticked off the rest of the day.
I can't imagine what I must of looked like, probably an imbecile.
There are guys that I'm playing with that are 20-30 strokes
better than me, but I'm the one acting like an idiot. And
there is no doubt in my mind that this foolish behavior and
mindset totally stunted my growth as a baby golfer.
Then I realized, the only way to learn and get better is to
play purpose-driven golf... even if the only purpose for my
next round was strictly just to have fun.
What I would like for you to do before the next time you go
play a round is ask yourself "Why am I going out today?"
If you keep a focus through your round that:
I am out here to have fun
or
I am out here to hang out with my friends
or
I am out here to get healthy and be physically active
or
I am out here to feel like I accomplished something today...
then you will have that reason and not let your mind run aimlessly
with emotion.
I'm sure some of you old-timers have learned this over the
years (and by the way I would love to hear from you if you
have a relative story dave@thedaveway.com). This is usually
why if you have hit a round with a person that has played
for years... they may not have the talent that you do... but
they can score right with you or sometimes beat the snot out
of you.
Let the poor shots go away, let the good shots not get you
too emotionally high... just learn from each swing!
Dave Moore http://www.thedaveway.com/
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