| |
| |
|
Golf Information |
|
The Top 10 Life Lessons from Golf
Golf is an amazing mirror of life. Yes, other sports provide life lessons as well, but golf happens to be my favorite sport and the one I understand the best. It is an addiction, a mystical experience, a test of character, an escape, a source of rare joy and excruciating pain. No psychological test will tell you as much about a person's character as a round of golf. With the arrival of spring, here are some of my observations about golf and the game of life: 1. Expectations & Flexibility. Golf, like life, is not mastered in a season, and it is particularly frustrating if we approach it with stiff and inflexible expectations. Great golf begins with stretching, bending, loosening up, and matching my desired outcomes with the realities of a body grown lazy over the winter. A sense of humor, and a sprinkling of humility go a long way! 2. Clarity of Purpose. Many golfers never stop to think about why they play the game. To win? To have fun? For social reasons, or for the challenge? For the exercise? Just as striving to become rich and famous often creates frustration and disappointment, few will ever play professionally, and striving for perfection is a setup for "failure". Know why you play the game and where you find your satisfaction and joy in it. 3. Equipment. Most golfers play with clubs that don't fit them, or that no longer suit their games. Graphite shafts and new club designs have revolutionized golf. Active golfers should have their clubs checked for loft, lie, and length, and have them re-gripped every season. Almost any job is easier with the right tools. 4. Solid Foundations. Golfers go to extremes. Some take lesson after lesson, trying to fix the tiniest flaw in their quest for the perfect swing. Others, ignore the classic foundations of grip, stance and swing in their eagerness to "do it my way." Success is usually found in a healthy balance of learning from the wisdom and experience of others, while celebrating your unique style and approach to the game. 5. Profitable Practice. On the day of a big tournament, I often go to the practice green and watch skilled, dedicated golfers practice missing putts. With a small crowd milling about, they quickly hit putt after putt, destroying their rhythm, timing and confidence. Then, in frustration, they wonder what ever happened to their carefully honed putting stroke! In golf, and in life, practice smart. Practice for success! 6. Smart Preparation. Tour players always play practice rounds. Ben Hogan used to walk the course at twilight before a tournament to learn all it's hidden tricks and traps. Top players rehearse every shot in their imagination before going to the course. They prepare in advance so they are ready when the moment of truth arrives. It pays off. 7. Show up. The biggest challenge for many Nike Tour and other young players is to play their best golf without a nickel in their pocket, often lonely and far from home. They have reasons to be distracted. What are your excuses? Ram Das said, "Be here now." In golf, and in life, it's hard to win if you don't show up, or only show up for every-other swing! 8. Warm up. Every great athlete, the ones in the best physical and mental shape, respect their bodies enough to loosen up, stretch and rehearse before competition. Unfortunately, most amateurs don't go to all that trouble. We jump out of the car, grab the clubs, and head for the first tee. Before any important event, arrive early, walk around, relax, and warm up to the task at hand. 9. Focus on Results. Every golf stroke creates a result. Sometimes the ball goes in the hole; sometimes it goes out of bounds. Golfers tend to focus (1) on the result they would have preferred, which is merely wishful thinking, or (2) on beating themselves up for being so "stupid", which is painful. Learn from every swing. Observe the results you actually get. Life never lies! 10. Review and Adjust. If you aren't getting the results you want, find the reason. You can trust the ball; it goes where you hit it. If you want a different outcome, change your setup, routine, or other actions until you get the result you prefer. Someone said, "Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is a mark of insanity." Successful people learn quickly; others learn eventually. Have a marvelous day and a wonderFULL week, and I'll see you on the links! © Copyright 2003 by Philip E. Humbert. All Rights Reserved. This article may be copied and used in your own newsletter or on your website as long as you include the following information: "Written by Dr. Philip E. Humbert, writer, speaker and success coach. Dr. Humbert has over 300 free articles, tools and resources for your success, including a great newsletter! It's all on his website at: http://www.philiphumbert.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Golf - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Golf Practice Equipment Can Pave The Way For Better Golf There is a great deal of equipment on the market today that can help you make your practice time more efficient and effective. Many people believe that simply getting out on the course and playing more often will make them a better golfer. Fitness For Golf Is The Key To Rejuvenating Your Golf Game Fitness for golf is prevalent at every level. You hear about it all the time on the television and even teaching pros are talking more about the importance of fitness for golf. Guide To Buy Used Golf Clubs For Beginner Golfer If you are just starting out to play golf, you should never buy a new golf club set immediately as you may discover that this game is not for you later on. Furthermore, you are yet to find the type of golf clubs that fits you during the learning stage. Backspin Advice Lately, I have received many requests for 2 things.1. Using A Golf Fitness Video Will Save Time And Improve Your Game Using a golf fitness video is a great alternative to going to a gym. Just think of the time you're saving not worrying about what you where or how you look; or driving 20 to 30 minutes to your local gym; and then showering, changing and getting back home. Golf Tips - Tips to Improve Your Putting If you are seriously considering lowering your scores, then you must take your putting seriously, as roughly half the strokes you play in a round of golf are likely to be on the putting green. However good you are at driving, pitching and chipping, if your putting is not up to standard, you will never make the next level. Get Moving and Save Strokes Whether you walk the course or ride a cart, a round of golf can leave the aerobically unfit golfer dragging by the late holes. Aerobic training improves lung capacity, circulation, and muscular endurance and leads to better performance and better overall health. Confusion Feeds the Golf Industry The policeman drops his paycheck on the kitchen table so his wife can go shopping and pay their bills. They are able to do this because somewhere down the line someone killed, raped, or robbed someone. Why Do You 'Not Benefit' From Coaching Golf Tips Most golfers have had dozens of opportunities to receive coaching golf tips from numerous sources. However the most interesting aspect of it all is that many are not able to benefit much from these coaching golf tips. Are You Fully Benefiting From Your Golf Swing Training Videos The golf swing is so central and so important to the game of golf that any improvement tips and especially golf swing training videos are greatly desired and valued by golfers everywhere.Yet the question will often arise about just how effective these golf swing training videos are in improving golfer's drives on the course, let alone their scores. 5 Best Uses for Hybrid Utility Clubs Have you seen those new hybrid utility cubs? They are showing up all over the place, rescuing golfers from all kinds of situations. The reason for this is simple; they open up opportunities for a number of great new shots. The Perfect Golf Swing Through Improved Posture And Balance Every golfer is continually in search of that elusive feel of the perfect swing. Books are written on the topic. Top 14 Tips for Selecting A Golf School With the increase in number of schools for learning Golf, it has become necessary for the learner to find out a school that suits him best from all the angles. Here are the tips for selecting a Golf School:1. The Impact of Golf Specific Exercise Golf specific exercises are part and parcel of the modern day golf game. Yet many people associate golf specific exercises with exercises used in other sports and by other athletes involved in more rigorous sporting activities. Golfer' Back Exercise Can Eliminate Back Pain 'Golfer' back exercise is a key part of any golf-specific exercise routine.A closer look at the golf swing will show clearly that it heavily depends on and indeed leans on the back. Flexibility Exercises For The Golf Swing Will Make All The Difference Virtually every golfer knows the importance of flexibility for a good golf swing but not everybody has fully accepted the key role that flexibility exercises can play.Few understand exactly why flexibility exercises have made such a huge difference for the golf swings of many a golfer. Increase your Flexibility with These 3 Key Golf Stretches Why is it a golfer rarely asks for a full 20 minute extensive warm up routine prior to golf, but rather those two or three key stretches guaranteed to yield the best results in the shortest period of time?No matter how hard those in the golf fitness arena try and convince golfer's to stretch prior to a round of golf, our efforts are often fruitless. It's not that golfers don't care; life just seems to get in the way of our best laid intentions. Wanna Play More Consistent Golf? Learn and Apply 10 Proven Techniques Golf Professionals Use For the past seven years I have been researching what are the most important things great golfers do when playing their best golf. Being an instructor at the San Diego Golf Academy, I was exposed to many golfers, both amateur and professional. 5 Easy Steps to Cleaning Your Golf Clubs and Improving Your Game How can you lower your scores by simply cleaning your golf clubs you ask? It's actually very simple. If you have clean golf clubs you can make better contact with the ball. Watch the Pros Play Golf You can check out a pro golf swing on video instruction tapes and on TV during golf shows and games. Checking out the golf swing of a pro can help even the amateur fine tune their own swing.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
