 |
 |
 |
homepage | about the site | privacy policy | contact us |
|
 |
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:
Google News |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Worlds Elite Golf Courses We all here different opinions of great challenging golf courses around the world, full of history and storytelling of great games and tournaments between the legends of the professional world. Every year we hear of new championship courses opening but in my opinion they have a lot to live up to if they want to stand alongside the old greats. Need Some Help With Your Golf Swing? What should you do if you need some golf swing aids? Where do you find golf swing aids? What golf swing aids are available?There are many golf swing aids to choose from. Golf swing aids will help improve your golf game. How Better Course Management Can Lower Your Golf Score Whether you are just starting to learn golf, or you have been golfing for many years and you're just looking to refine your game, this will provide a good direction of focus for this season.If you want your score to drop by any significant amount, you should learn to hit your 150 yard club, and learn to hit it very well. Perform Better Golf Right In Your Home To perform better golf, you need to take a different approach. I have seen and heard time after time how much money golfers will spend in hopes to perform better golf. Dramatic Effect Of A Stretching Exercise For Golf A stretching exercise for golf is capable of revolutionizing the quality of any individuals' game. In fact there is no single genuine golf exercise program that does not include stretching exercises. The Best Golf Training Aid The best golf training aid is pretty basic.But first let us answer a simple question so that we're all reading from the same page. Functional Exercise For Golf WarrantsThe Quickest Results Functional exercise for golf can mean different things to different golfers. But the key is to take a look at the golf swing mechanics and devise golf exercises, drills, and golf programs to strengthen weak or limited phases of the swing. How to Eliminate Your Golf Slice Quickly and Easily Here's a really good tip that may help you to get rid of your slice. Best of all, it's really pretty simple once you get the hang of it, and understand why it's being used. Golf Course History - You Could Play On The Worlds Oldest Golf Course The oldest golf course in the world.. How to Know What Defines the Best Golf Drivers Why is it considered the most electrifying club in your golf bag? Why is it the first club anyone talks about when equipment is brought up? Why is it what everyone wants?The answers are simple - POWER. It's all about the power of the long ball. Staying Out of Trouble with Your Driver So what is it that's really causing problems with your driver? Is it a slice, a hook, or just flat-out inconsistency? Well the good news is that, regardless of what problem you are fighting, there are a few things to incorporate into your game that really will help you. If you're the golfer that's saying right now, "I've battled a slice for 25 years", then this is not going to be the undisputed end of your problem. Mental Concentration, Golf, and You All players, when they are concentrating on a stroke, are in some respects mad; for a second they become monomaniac; you are possessed with an idea that is fixed in your mind; your singleness of purpose is absolute if you really are concentrating. And I cannot imagine how anything can disturb them unless they allow it to. Getting Your Pro Golf Swing Right Achieving a correct pro golf swing will not only help any golfer improve their game, but even more important, will help them enjoy their golf game much more.As many golfers delve deeper into increasingly desperate efforts to improve their game, it is very easy for any golfer to lose the enjoyment aspect. Fitness For Golf Is The New Gold Standard Golf fitness has never been considered as important to one's enjoyment and success in the sport as it is today. The erroneous concepts and opinions of old (golf is not a physical game? golfers don't need to worry about fitness or nutrition?) are dying away in favor of the realization that fitness is paramount to performing well and golfers simply play better when they're in better shape. What Do Trees Have to Do With Golf? On our way back from a recent round of golf, Fritz and I were discussing the way most golfers evaluate golf courses. We've had this discussion before, and it inevitably gets around to my heartfelt conviction that trees do not enhance the "golfing experience". Unique Mental Challenges for Women Golfers The game of golf provides trials for every player, independent of the player's gender. However, for some women in our society, there is a special challenge. Hogans Real Golf Secret Ben Hogan's secret was his extraordinary ability to focus. This was not a gift from heaven. Getting To The Core Of Your Golf Swing At some point, almost all of us struggle with efforts to improve our golf game. Many will try videos, books, hours with a teaching pro, the newest club, and swing after swing to no avail. Golf Equipment - The Most Expensive Is Not Always Correct For You The essentials of golf begin with the clubs you choose. Shopping on the Internet will save you time and money but choosing can be difficult, as there seems to be endless options. 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.
|
|
All rights reserved '
KnowledgeStorage.net
|