Last month, after posting my Artful Golf Links, I started reading one of the golf blogs that I had recommended on a daily basis. I had only recently discovered this blog and quickly learned that this Australian blogger, Cameron Strachan, teaches a very similar approach to the game that I've taken, stepping outside the box and thinking a little differently.


Aussie Golfers by DJ Bass at flickr

Interestingly, Cameron's approach was inspired heavily from instruction he received in Scotland from Kendal McWade, who was taught by none other than Fred Shoemaker! Also interesting is that Cameron worked with another artful Aussie, Aaron Baddeley, before he was a PGA Tour star, on his putting game. Baddeley is well known for his putting skills, which were on display yesterday as he battled Tiger all the way to the 20th hole in the Accenture Match Play Championship.

Cameron spoke to Baddeley about keeping the putting technique simple and learning to trust his subconscious to perform the motion. The foundation of Strachan's approach is this learning to trust your subconscious, and to play automatically. This theme of playing automatically is discussed frequently and in depth in his daily blog entries, an approach that first requires that you quit trying to fix your swing!

In a recent blog post, Cameron shares, "I think improving at golf can be difficult because the path to do so is not always obvious. In fact, I believe if you want to reach a higher level of play you need to take counter intuitive steps. These steps are not obvious and actually go against traditional concepts. This approach can feel uncomfortable and requires a shift in mindset. Uncomfortable - yes. Beneficial - YES!"

He then lists some of his "counter intuitive" steps, most of which I'd already incorporated into my own approach to learning and playing the game. Among my favorites of his suggestions are to try less, think less, and practice less, and instead play more and most importantly, leave your swing alone - quit trying to fix it.

After initiating some dialog with Cameron via email and sharing a little of my own story with him, he sent me a copy of his ebook which includes unique instruction on basic golf mechanics and on how to find your natural game. He also sent me his ebook on putting.

The vast majority of swing instruction assumes that if you can groove your swing it will naturally give you a better golf game. Cameron believes, "that improving at golf can never be as simple as changing your swing or thinking positively." He says that the first step in learning how to go automatic and play naturally "is to stop fixing your swing. At least for the moment (you may find out down the track you may need some adjustments). Continual fixing does not allow for one to get into the automatic phase, at least not consistently."

He teaches his students to accept their swings and imperfections and to learn to appreciate and score with their own unique abilities and limitations.

"When you swing naturally and automatically", Cameron says, "the golfer's mind is not filled with irrelevant details about the technique, but rather, where do I want the ball to go? He then allows his automatic process to do it. He simply repeats this process until the final putt is home... This does not mean that every shot is perfect. The bad shots remind us that we are human, the game is an art and even good shots can get a bad bounce... The beauty of golf is that it can be played and played well by many different types of people. There are short hitters, long hitters, fast and slow swingers just to mention a few. All of these people can play the game to their own high standard if they allow it."

"Golf is a magnificent game as it allows the cat to be skinned many ways, no one is disadvantaged if they learn to play their game and not someone else's."

"If you want to play your best golf all of the time, then you must learn to trust your swing. And the only way to do that is to commit to the automatic process... The best time to think about your shot is behind the ball. This is the time to work out what club to hit, the wind or whatever else you need to know. Imagine this process is like using a road map to figure out where you're going. Once you know where to go, you jump in your car and drive there, you don't worry about how to drive. Once you have made your mind up it is time to go completely automatic and hit the ball. This is when your subconscious will deliver your own natural swing... I call this playing with your heart! You give up full control... what you get back in return is YOUR own swing."

"The beauty of learning to automate your skills is that your subconscious will do the hard work for you. There's no need to worry about every small detail. Your subconscious mind is suited perfectly to putting or swinging well... you just have to let it!"

Plan to start visiting Cameron's Artful Golf Blog regularly and consider purchasing his ebook, Golf Instruction 2.0. Cameron is now offering his Perfect Putting ebook for free. You can find Cameron on YouTube too!

Labels: Books, Cameron Strachan, Golf Instruction, Links

In a recent article at Golf Today Magazine, Bob Fagan contemplates the influence of Golf's Higher Plane. Fagan maintains that although the mental and physical sides of your game are necessary to excel at golf, they are not the only keys to success - you also need a solid spiritual side.


Photo by lesleemitchell at flickr

Fagan believes we continually attract either positive or negative energy to us. Those who truly excel in any endeavor somehow attract the positive energy more often. He goes on to define this Law of Nature as The Law of Attraction. Simply stated, you attract everything into your life - eagles, double bogeys, friends, accidents, teachers, life lessons, money, health, you name it... We are all nothing more than energy, and our thoughts create feelings, which emanate energy into the universe. That energy attracts like energy back to us.

Michael Murphy in his 1972 classic, "Golf in the Kingdom" writes glowingly about the joys of playing golf through the spirit and the effects of doing so. Fagan states that the secret to Shivas Irons' and Tiger Woods' success is The Law of Attraction.

Printer Bowler studies these laws in depth in his book, The Cosmic Laws of Golf. As Bowler began to observe life through the lens of these laws, he could see how their use or abuse determines the relationships we have with ideas, each other, and all the games we play. Outside the law, golf becomes a renegade that steals our dreams and buries them in the wilderness of anxiety. Within the law, it's a fascinating course that can lead to self-realization - as it turns us inside out, it reveals what we really believe about ourselves and shows us where we need to make peace in our world.

Bowler proposes for your consideration and discovery some proven and useful answers on how to apply the fruits of Self-discovery to the playing fields of golf. He shares, "the journey to self-mastery is mysterious, rampant with the hazards and bunkers of our own demons - a thrilling challenge to the sincere seeker, a confounding maze of obstacles and torment for the idly curious... Trust that you are creating your experiences - as a way your soul has chosen to teach you about your choices and beliefs. If you aren't getting the results you expect, take a gut-check to see if you truly want it because: You always get what you accept and believe you are."

Bowler states, "If you really want to get better, accept your present golf game for what it is here and now, then consider what you want to do about it and make a serious commitment, stop reacting and start creating the game you're dreaming about." He advises that, "all we need to do is trust the quiet, powerful voice of our own heart over all others. And be willing to act it out without doubt or hesitation. This willingness triggers an immense array of abilities that have been waiting ages for the call - that is, trust and believe in oneself - to come forth."

Fagan closes by saying, "we have only been scratching the surface of human performance and golfing excellence. Those who specialize in swing mechanics and mental coaching will continue to be integral to our success and enjoyment of golf. Add to that, however, a third area, the platform that enhances the first two, the spiritual side through The Law of Attraction, and you will find your life and your golf elevated to a position you may have never realized possible."

Labels: Articles, Attraction, Bob Fagan, Books, Cosmic Laws of Golf, Golf in the Kingdom, Printer Bowler

While corresponding with Reid Sheftall, M.D. after reading his book, he introduced me to Tom Coyne, author of Paper Tiger, a hilarious golf story about his journey pursuing his PGA Tour card. I ordered the book and finished reading it in 2 days. I've honestly never laughed out loud more while reading a book! I can't tell you how many times I interrupted my wife, who could care less about golf, to read her another funny paragraph. Based on her response, I think you may need to be an avid golfer to fully appreciate this story of a weekend golfer who pursues his dream.


Tom Coyne's Paper Tiger

Growing up as a young golfer and caddy, Tom Coyne could hit towering drives from the tee, and wondered if the pros succeeded because they were more innately talented or just because they were more obsessed. But after self-destructing in a freshman tryout for his college golf team, he resigned himself to a playing career on the scramble-and-kegger charity circuit. Now, on the cusp of turning thirty, overweight and saddled with a 14 handicap, Coyne makes the dramatic decision to embark on a yearlong quest to doing everything he can to elevate his game--and discover if he has what it takes to make it through the PGA Tour Qualifying School.

Unlike Sheftall's more independent pursuit of the same goal, Coyne gets started by purchasing dozens of golf books, instructional videos, gadgets and swing aids, hits tens of thousands of golf balls, and spends a small fortune on a swing doctor, nutrition expert, fitness coach, and sports psychologist. Although Coyne's approach does prove to deliver results, shaving strokes and pounds, the journey proves to be a wild and humorous one.

While seeking a balance between knowing and doing, he asks, "we call it a thinking man's game, but with so many golf problems and solutions to consider, might we have turned golf into an over-thinking man's game?" He realizes, "the mind-set of the writer and the tournament golfer could not be more opposed. The writer over-thinks by necessity, collecting and complicating small details, while the tournament golfer needs to be simple, myopic, fixated on one detail at a time." He receives some valuable advice, "If you're going to get really good at this game, you're going to have to get a little dumber."

Regarding fitness Coyne declares, "the jury is still out in the case of more hours on the range versus more hours in the gym. Can sit-ups really save you strokes? The silhouettes of Craig Stadler, John Daly, Tim Herron don't bolster the case that you need to love the salad bar to make low numbers. Yet I fear that their breed may be endangered... The way Tiger looks and dresses, the way the young Euro thoroughbreds wear outfits that seem to be painted on--it is all meticulous, and to be a winner in golf's future, there might be little room for anything but."

Coyne's commitment to nutrition and fitness pays off as he sheds pounds and gains strength and flexibility, but he fully experiences the karma of fitness: "The more fun you have letting yourself go, the more you will suffer as you fight your way back."

While diligently improving his health and swing, he also gets properly fit with the latest and greatest equipment from Mizuno. He acknowledges, "that while technology has gotten better--shafts move faster and balls move further--but if we don't complement some of the advances in equipment with advances in our own makeup, faster means wilder, longer means wronger." His dedication to improving his own makeup gradually does deliver results - Coyne lowers his index from the mid-teens to scratch by the time he's ready for Q-School.

But as expected, Coyne's biggest challenges to playing competitively turn out to be mental. He faces these inevitable (and sometimes unexpected) challenges with resigned humor, and his readers are rewarded by learning from these experiences as well.

Perhaps the biggest lesson Coyne learns during his journey is learning to "get to yes" before pulling the trigger. He's first introduced to this concept when he mets a young golfer at Q-School the year prior to his own attempt. This golfers shares that "he tries to work on his visualization. I don't think too much about mechanics. You can't let yourself get wrapped up in mechanics, not when you're trying to make a number. I try to see my target, I think about the shot I want to hit. If I can be clear about my target and commit to what I'm trying to do, if I can get to yes before I go, and not pull the trigger till I do--then more often than not, it's a pretty solid result."

Coyne replies, "my current concept of target is anyplace where I have better than a 50 percent chance of finding my ball."

After interviewing a handful of potential swing coaches, Coyne eventually chooses the same coach this young golfer recommends. This coach teaches him, "If you step up to the first tee wondering what you're going to shoot, thinking about how you're going to play, how you're going to finish against your opponent, then you have adopted what I call a Questioning Mind-set. The only expectation that you can bring into a golf shot--the only expectation that works--is expecting yourself to pick a target with complete focus and clarity, and commit to that one, single golf shot. This is a Yes Mind-set, not a hoping or questioning way of looking at your golf swing. You are going to have to accept your results and your scores for what they are. You have to start thinking about your success on the golf course as whether or not you gave your best effort on each and every shot, one at a time.... when you can do that, then the winning often takes care of itself."

But as the pressures of competition take a toll on his body and mind as he approaches his goal, Coyne ultimately must choose between the love of a fickle game and the love of the long-suffering woman who has stood by him throughout all the shanks, hooks, yips, and chili-dips. By the end of the story, you'll find that Coyne finally figures out how to pick his target and his "getting to yes" will certainly move you.

Tom Coyne, Paper Tiger

Labels: Books, Paper Tiger, Tom Coyne

One of my main intents in creating this website earlier this year was the desire to share a book that I read - Extraordinary Golf by Fred Shoemaker - that inspired my biggest breakthroughs, not by teaching me how to improve my swing, but by transforming how I think on the golf course. The day after reading the book, I broke 80. One year later, I broke par.

Not bad, but it pales in comparison to a story I just read about a practicing surgeon in Cambodia who at 47 years old returns to golf after 28 years, and after surprisingly finding his skills still mostly intact, decides to realize his neglected potential by first sharpening his competitive skills in high stakes gambling games with some generals from the Cambodian armed forces, and soon after, pursues his tour card!


Striking it Rich by Reid Sheftall, M.D.

Reid Sheftall M.D. shares his unique experiences during this improbable journey in his new book - Striking It Rich; Golf in the Kingdom With Generals, Patients and Pros - a golf story that inspires and entertains while providing real-life wisdom and invaluable insights into the game. As one of his readers shares, "You've never read a golf story quite like this one." I agree, and I finally have a second book to recommend!

I was particularly drawn to the book initially since Sheftall takes up the game at nearly the same time and age I did. I was intrigued that someone our age could make such incredible progress so quickly, especially while working as a surgeon and running a medical center in Phnom Penh. I was surprised, not only by how much this story moved and inspired me, but, like Shoemaker's book, that it contained so many insights with the potential to transform your game. The book definitely rekindled my desire to keep improving.

I was also taken by how similar our approaches were. Although he was more skilled from the start, we both determined that with our limited time to play and practice due to having jobs, we had a much better chance to improve quickly by focusing on the most important fundamental, "changing how we think on the course", instead of working on our swing technique and taking lessons. Sheftall believes "the only way to change the quality and direction of your life is to change the way you think. If you believe something, truly believe it, your mind will figure out a way to make it a reality."

Sheftall, when asked frequently how he'd compete professionally if he hardly ever practiced or played anymore, would explain, "he kept things simple and would just swing the club the way it felt most comfortable. That way he didn't have to practice anything to keep it in tune." If asked how he developed such a good short game, he'd advise, "just think of the target and swing... Don't worry about how hard to hit the ball or how far back to take your backswing. Your brain will figure it out for you... Take a relaxed yet focused look at the target and keep that target in his mind when you swing... Never do anything mechanical or measured. Let your natural athletic grace guide you. It's swallowing, not carburetor repair." Ah, music to my ears!

An aspect of the book I found very compelling is how Sheftall weaved his incredible non-golfing life experiences into his story, from counting cards at the blackjack tables of Nevada to operating on children who had suffered disfiguring scars from acid attacks. It was interesting to learn how he applied so much of what he'd learned from these experiences in improving his thinking and decision-making on the course. One thing I learned from his experiences is to never make a wager with a card-counting M.I.T. grad.

Perhaps the most valuable lesson I learned from his book concerned expectations. The books I've read suggest we let go of expectations when we play, but Sheftall suggests this is bad advice. In fact, he thinks that "the better players are beating the rest of us, because to a large degree, they expect to." Once we've put in the work and gained the necessary experience, we should expect success. Sheftall encourages expectations. The key, he shares, "is to not get too frustrated if those expectations are not met as precisely as you envisioned them." His personal mantra, "on any given day", is all about expectancy, and reminds me of the power of Shoemaker's phrase "the art of the possible".

So, at this point you might be asking, did Sheftall "strike it rich"? Well, I'll only share that he finally discovered what was missing in his game as a youth and what he suspects is missing in the games of a great many touring pros and amatuers alike, "Hitting one shot at a time isn't the answer - enjoying each and every shot is."

In my opinion, Striking It Rich would make a great gift for the holidays! And half of the proceeds from the book are donated to Operation Kids, a fund founded by Sheftall to provide free operations on children who have suffered disfiguring scars from burns. The surgeons at the American Medical Center in Phnom Penh have agreed to waive their fees in performing reconstructive surgery on injured children of limited means. To date, they have performed 92 such operations on 86 Cambodian children.

Labels: Books, Competition, Expectations, Reid Sheftall, Striking It Rich

A golfer who found his way to my website recently directed me towards an inspiring golf story, Golf's Sacred Journey by Dr. David L. Cook, about a rancher with extraordinary insights and a struggling young golf professional. Dr. David L. Cook is an author, peak performance coach and speaker in both the sport and business arenas. Golf Digest recently named him one of the "Top 10 Mental Game Consultants" in the world of golf. The story, available as a free download, shares wisdom that can transform your game, and life.


Bandon Dunes by hole-in-one at flickr.com

In addition to insights about the importance of rhythm, balance, and patience, I was particularly drawn to a chapter describing golf as art, an approach to the game I try to realize. Below, I've included some of my favorite excerpts from the story about golf as art.

"Golf is to art like dance is to music. Dance is a physical expression of the music; a golf shot is a physical expression of art."

"To be a great player, you must be a great shot-maker. To be a great shot-maker, you must become an artist."

"All shots start with a blank canvas. We must paint the shot with our eyes first, before our body can produce it accurately. In essence, the quality of our shot mimics the quality of our painting."

"Your muscles work off of images sent from the eyes. Your muscles will hit the shot, but like a pilot in the fog, they can only respond to the information you send to them. The most powerful information is an image, a picture. A good picture produces feel and feel produces trust."

"First, you must see; second, you feel; third, you trust. Trust is the epitome of golf. It is the freedom to swing and let go. Great athletes compete best when they are free. Trust, you see, is earned. It is earned by feel, and feel is earned by seeing. Therefore, art is the catalyst to a great shot."

"Every time you hit a shot, you are signing a painting. When we fail to engage art, we sign our name to a stick figure outcome. When you engage art, you sign your name to a masterpiece."

At one point during the story, the rancher tells the struggling pro to "be expectant". Although this advice was easy to miss in the story, it really struck me since I've focused so much on not having expectations. But then I realized that "being expectant" isn't about expectations about the outcome, it's about what Fred Shoemaker describes as being open to the art of the possible, being open to and even expectant of extraordinary golf.

Play golf with artful expectancy!

Last week, I had the opportunity to play a competitive round with this newfound attitude of artful expectancy. Our Men's Club Match Play tournament just began and my first match was against a very competitve golfer that I had to give 9 strokes to. Thanks to those strokes, I was quickly behind by 2 holes after 3. Although my opponent's handicap was quite a bit higher than mine, he was striking the ball and putting like a single handicapper. It was looking like I'd have to birdie every hole to stay even.

I decided to be expectant, yet patient. By the end of the front 9, I was up 3! Although I bogied the 1st hole, I shot 6 pars and 2 birdies to finish the front 1-under. My opponent kept it closer on the back, but I closed him out on 15 (4&3). With net pars on the last 3 holes, I recorded my best-ever competitive round with a 1-over 73 (71.2/129).

Labels: Art, Books, David Cook, Expectations, Golf's Sacred Journey, Rounds

I just began reading Every Shot Must Have a Purpose by Annika Sorenstam's coach Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott, cofounders of GOLF54, rated as the #1 golf school by Golf Magazine.

In the little I've read so far, I've learned that, like me, they don’t believe in prescribing the same stance, grip, and swing to everyone. They believe we are each unique, that golf can be simple, that we all have extraordinary golf within us, that we can become our own most reliable coaches, and their success has proven to them that a great game begins with a great vision.


Golf Stream by swatzo at flickr.com

They share that, "you don't need a new swing, you need a more defined sense of purpose. You have hit good shots with the swing you have." They focus on teaching you how to make those shots more often by improving the way you approach the game. Essential to this approach is the notion that you should only concern yourself with the things that are under your control. Not only should every shot have a purpose, but every action should have a purpose as well. And the purpose of golf is to get the ball in the hole. To get the ball in the hole as efficiently as possible, you must channel your energies only toward those things you can influence, what they refer to as "controllable goals". Your score, winning, bad bounces, and bad weather are not under our control. Keeping your mind centered on the shot at hand, and swinging free of tension, are controllable goals.

The core of their philosophy is that extraordinary golf begins with great vision. Without vision, we tend to set our expectations too low and limit our potential. Our vision must stretch us and expand the beliefs we have about ourselves. Nilsson and Marriott tell us to "imagine the impossible, and then figure out how to make it happen." They suggest as an example, envisioning that we can shoot a birdie on every hole in a single round! You may not be able to achieve a score of 54, but you can stay committed to a process that can make it possible. The commitment to the intention of shooting 54 is the secret.

Whatever you envision for yourself, they urge us to "dare to be as good as we are, believe in the potential of yourself and others, stay open to possibilities, and remember, your past is not your future." Sounds a little like something Fred Shoemaker would say!

For some inspiration in finding your vision and following your dream, make sure to listen to Steve Job's commencement speech at Stanford University, made available here by John Richardson at Scratch to Scratch.

Pia Nilsson, Lynn Marriott, Steve Jobs, and John Richardson have inspired me to step back and rededicate myself to playing extraordinary golf. I've drifted a little lately because I've lost focus on my original vision and goals, resulting in practicing and playing without purpose. Look for that to change!

Labels: Books, Disciplines, Every Shot Must Have a Purpose, Lynn Marriott, Pia Nilsson, Purpose, Vision

"You’ll come away from the links with a new hold on life, that is certain if ye play the game with all yer heart." -- Shivas Irons

I'm currently rereading Golf in the Kingdom by Micheal Murphy. I'm drawn to its unique insight into the game of golf and the spirit with which it can be played. Shivas’ reminder that "your handicap is not an exact mirror of your soul, it is your relation to your score that really counts," reminds us that the game can be about self-discovery instead of just about performance.


Surreal by insight32 at flickr.com

Golf is played at many levels and for many reasons, but as Murphy shares, "Golf is first a game of seeing and feeling. It can teach you stillness of mind and a sensitivity to the textures of wind and green. Golf is also a game to teach you about the messages from within, about the subtle voices of the body-mind. And once you understand them you can more clearly see the ways in which your approach to the game reflects your entire life."

That's what golf offers at its deepest level, that opportunity to discover more of who we are and to evolve towards who we can be. Instead of playing golf as a simple pursuit of recreation or competition, golf can inspire us toward inner growth. For, as Flower A. Newhouse shares, "evolution is working on us, chiseling and refining us, bringing all its tools of experience to bear on us." And golf is one of evolution's tools!

After rereading this novel, I discovered the Shivas Irons Society, which was formed fifteen years ago in response to the popularity of the book and the outpouring of letters from readers. This non-profit society is dedicated to furthering the game of golf as a mindful pursuit and as a tool for personal growth and transformation. Having a similar philosophy, I decided to become a member. I'm looking forward to meeting some of the 1000+ members who share a common love for the game and a respect for golf's deeper dimensions.

I've also been inspired to reevaluate my goals. Instead of focusing solely on shooting lower scores and lowering my handicap, I'll place more attention on raising my awareness and developing my character. It doesn't hurt that the self discoveries and transformations that I've already made have also improved my game! Approaching the game with a humble spirit has helped me the most in making such swift progress. The challenge now is to stay the course and not become focused on those results, but continue on the path of self-conquest that enabled those results.

Labels: About, Books, Flower A. Newhouse, Golf in the Kingdom, Michael Murphy, Shivas Irons Society

I know from past mishaps that there is a valuable lesson for me in my not so artful finish yesterday. I believe my willingness to meet and overcome failure has been the biggest contributor to my relatively quick improvement in golf, as well as other successes in my life. Finding the hidden lesson in my collapse on 18 yesterday will help insure I meet the challenge next time I get the opportunity.


Sunset Golfer by hugo on flickr.com

Last night I began reading The Cosmic Laws of Golf by Printer Bowler. In his chapter on the Law of Polarity (cause and effect), he challenges us to "trust that you are creating your experiences, as a way your soul has chosen to teach you about your choices and beliefs." He later explains that, "if you aren't getting the results you expect, take a gut-check to see if you truly want it because you always get what you accept and believe you are.

That pretty much says it all. Bowler is suggesting that I created my collapse, or sabotaged my chance to win, to teach myself who I truly believe I am. At some level, I wasn't ready to win.

I started playing competitively to further challenge and test myself. My intention hasn't been to win tournaments or be the best. However, I can't ignore the fact that I've improved to a point now where on any given day, I can win.

I worked harder than I ever have yesterday to make every shot my best, to make birdies, to save pars - up to the point of the collapse. Going 3-under for a stretch of 13 holes with no bogies is perhaps my best performance in a round ever. It took intense focus over every shot and every putt. I feel like I played to my potential for the first time. But I failed to finish it off. Not because there's still a part of my game that needed improvement, but because at some level I just wasn't ready.

I don't think my problem was so much a fear of success, but that I was simply unprepared to win or shoot level par in a tournament. This was new territory for me. Like anything else, you can rarely do something you haven't done before until you first try, and fail.

The second time I got to 3-under after 7 holes, I pared the 8th instead of quadrupling it. The second time I got to 17 at 1-under, I parred the round instead of finishing with a triple and double bogie. And the next time I get a low round in a tournament, I'll birdie 18.

Labels: Books, Cosmic Laws of Golf, Disciplines, Failure, Printer Bowler

Our artful self is always present, waiting on the sideline for its chance to play. All we have to do to invite it's artistry into our game is surrender our ego. Creativity only appears after we let go of the ego and it's urge to impress, control, manipulate, and cling.


Solitude by hb19 at flickr.com

Deepak Chopra discusses surrender when putting in Golf for Enlightenment when he states that, "Only when you give up and surrender to the putt does it start pouring into the hole as if drawn by a magnet or a string. Under those magical conditions, even distance doesn't seem to matter. A 30-footer will go in as surely as a 2-footer. If I couldn't control the magic, I could give in to it. So now, after taking my stance and gripping the putter the way I was taught, I take one look at the cup and inside myself I say to the hole, 'I'm giving my ball to you.' Only then do I hit it and just let go. I trust that there is always a string tied between the ball and the cup. The string isn't a mystery, it is a form of exact coordination that can be organized only by a higher intelligence. Putting is one of those deep riddles best solved by knowing you can't solve it. When you truly know that, the door of simplicity opens. You perform the necessary setup without worry, repetition, and fuss."

I've only had one experience where I completely surrendered my ego to the higher intelligence of my artful self.

I had just hit a great drive and lay-up on a long par 5, but left myself with a downhill lie in front of a large bunker protecting a raised green. The pin was tucked in front with very little green between the pin and bunker.

I decided to play it safe and just get the ball on the green, although I'd be faced with a slippery downhill putt back to the front of the green. I got tense and hit my wedge a little too strong and ended up on the back fringe, 70 feet above the hole.

I stood over the putt, confident that I had no chance of 2-putting from here. Any putt made to the hole would run down off the green's false front and back into the fairway next to the bunker. If the putt was short, I'd face the same dilemma on the next putt.

With a feeling of complete helplessness, I just closed my eyes and said to myself, "okay Artful Self, let's see what you can do". I surrendered completely. I opened my eyes and looked at the ball without looking up at the hole, took the putter back, and stroked the ball. I then looked up and watched as the ball rolled down the middle of the green, then broke left towards the hole, and finally slowed down - and dropped!

I've never made a putt anything like it since. It was quite a memorable birdie for everyone in the foursome.

As Fred Shoemaker shares in Extraordinary Golf, "When you disappear, Golf as Art shows up."

Labels: Books, Deepak Chopra, Disciplines, Ego, Golf for Enlightenment, Surrender

I recently listened to a Podcast at TeeTour.com where the host interviewed Fred Shoemaker about his books, Extraordinary Golf and Extraordinary Putting.


Autumn Redux by Linda's Manymuses at flickr.com

During the interview, Shoemaker shared that he doesn't recommend that golfers use swing thoughts or pre-shot routines. He believes that both of these common practices in golf actually remove you from the present moment. The act of having to remember or think about a swing though or routine takes your mind from the present and puts it in the past. The golfer is only capable of creating shots when he remains in the present moment.

Hearing this was music to my ears since I've resisted incorporating swing thoughts and pre-shot routines into my own game. I've found that you can't be creative in visualizing and executing a shot if you just go through the same routine on every shot. Perhaps you can find a level of consistency from routine, but consistency can be boring and limiting.

Breaking out of a routine opens the door to creativity and artful golf.

Labels: Books, Disciplines, Fred Shoemaker, Routine, TeeTour

A good practice session yesterday paid dividends today. I worked on becoming aware of the errors I've been making in my swing and putting stroke in order to improve them.

A large component of my goal to shoot scratch golf is to do so without instruction, in order to prevent the endless cycle of depending on others to find and fix my problems. This goal requires that I develop a keen sense of awareness.

Many golfers resist awareness since no one really likes to look at his weaknesses. In fact, the more you develop your awareness, the more weaknesses you find and the more it appears that you're getting worse instead of better. But awareness also highlights and develops your strengths, resulting in increased confidence, inspiration, motivation, and satisfaction.

Dan Millman explains in Body Mind Mastery that "life is a great school, and nature is the ultimate teacher - but without awareness you can't hear the "teacher." Awareness transforms life's lessons into wisdom; it can translate confusing circumstances and events into useful knowledge. Awareness, then, is the beginning of all learning.

So I headed out today to my great school, Monarch Dunes Golf Club, and joined up with a threesome including a father and son. I was eager to try out a few things I discovered during my practice yesterday that I hoped would improve my putting.


Monarch Dunes Golf Club 9th

I started strong with a par on the very difficult opening hole, another par on 2, and birdie on 3 with a nice 10-foot putt. I hit a wayward wedge on the approach to the par 5 4th and recorded my first bogie. Another par on 5 kept me at even par. I hit a fairway bunker on 6, then mishit a 170 yard approach shot and bogied.

Now 1-over, I parred 7, then put a 6-iron on the par 3 8th to 5 feet for a great birdie attempt to get back to even, but left it short dangling on the lip of the cup. However, the tap-in par began a streak of 9 pars in a row. I made several key putts to save par during this streak.

I stepped up to the par 4 16th still 1-over for the round and cut the dogleg with a great drive to 65 yards out. I began to consider that this might be the round that I beat my best-ever round of 75 at this 135-slope course. I'd had one other opportunity not long ago when I got to 17 at 1-over, but choked with a triple bogie on 17 and double bogie on 18 to finish with a 6-over 77!

Letting myself leave the present moment cost me again. I scalded my sand wedge to the back of the green and failed to get up and down for par.

Now 2-over, I launched a drive on 17, but pulled it and rolled across the fairway into a lake bordering the left-side of the fairway. I nailed a 5-wood after taking a drop, but landed the huge bunker guarding the green. I got on from there, but lipped out my short 2nd putt, resulting in my first 3-putt and first double bogie for the round.

Refusing to finish with another 5-over on the last few holes, I buckled down on 18 and finished with a par to get in with a 4-over 75 round, tying my best round at Monarch Dunes.

Letting my mind leave the present moment cost me a stroke on 16, and letting myself try to make up for it on 17 by over-swinging cost me another stroke and poor putt on 17.

At least I got another glimpse of the kind of round that's possible if I can learn to stay present and finish strong. Most importantly, I met my immediate goal of improving my putting. I only missed one putt that I should have made, and that was due to my mind lapse at the end of the round when I got preoccupied with the outcome.

Labels: Awareness, Body Mind Mastery, Books, Dan Millman, Disciplines, Monarch Dunes, Rounds

In my opinion, the biggest obstacle to playing extraordinary golf is self-criticism. Repeatedly, I witness friends and strangers beat themselves up over bad shots and watch their rounds deteriorate as frustration mounts. As any golfer knows, it's easy to do.

It's interesting to watch as others in the foursome try to encourage this golfer to help him remain positive and constructive. However, it rarely works. The only remedy for this golfer is to encourage himself and be the friend to himself that others are being to him.

Being your own best friend is a choice. Decide to be constructive and be gentle with yourself. If you will not be your own unconditional friend, who will be?

As Dan Millman points out in Body Mind Mastery, "if you are playing an opponent and you are also opposing yourself - you are going to be outnumbered."

Millman suggests that we "maintain an attitude of unconditional self-worth, free from self-criticism. You can agree that it is cruel and unnecessary to tell someone else they are stupid, a klutz, to give up, you'll never be any good. If you would never say those things to anyone else, why not pay yourself the same courtesy?... If babies carried around the same tendency towards self-criticism that adults do, they would never learn to walk."

This very advice changed me over a decade ago when I was playing softball. I was always encouraging other teammates after they made a mistake, but continually berated myself for the most minor physical and mental errors. Only after treating myself with the same compassion and respect that I treated others, did my game and enjoyment improve.

Although, being human, I still have bouts of frustration playing this most frustrating game of golf, I've found that my best rounds occur only when I allow myself to make mistakes and remain positive.

Expecting perfection is simply immature. I recently played with a golfer who shot a round of 64 once, but left the course pissed off because he felt he could have played better.

My weekend golf partner set me straight once after I lost my temper after a bad shot by reminding me that I'm not good enough to get that pissed off.

I remembered that wise remark yesterday after getting a little frustrated after ending my round with five 3-putts. That quickly helped me realize that in reality I'd just shot an extraordinary round, coming in with a very respectable 77, despite my 36 putts.

Although we all need to allow ourselves to make mistakes and expect a few of poor shots, I've found that the frequency of those poor shots decreases significantly when you cut yourself some slack and remain open to the possibility of following it up with your best shot. The experience I shared recently about hitting my second shot within 2 feet of the pin from the worst of lies after one of my worst-ever tee shots is a great example.

Labels: Body Mind Mastery, Books, Dan Millman, Disciplines, Self Criticism

What we have to do as golfers committed to improvement is believe in the possibility of our potential and challenge ourselves to reach it.

Regardless of our skill level, every once in a while we all experience a round where we get a glimpse of our potential. On these rare occasions, it seems that with little effort, the ball goes were we want, we hit more fairways and greens, and sink more putts. We're calm and relaxed and the game just comes to us.

It's during all the other rounds that we must remain open to the possibility of our potential and remain focused on our intention for each and every shot. It's during these rounds that we must make a choice to be confident, fearless - and artful.

Instead of letting our mind naturally wander towards thoughts of past or desired results, we must keep focused on the specific requirements of each shot. It's a simple choice, but requires our discipline and will.

Dr. Gio Valiante shares in his book, Fearless Golf, that "the opportunity to be a fearless golfer isn't dependent on anything other than our will to do everything possible to execute golf swings at precise targets, and to believe in the possibility that by controlling our interpretation of events and our approach to hitting a particular shot we have the opportunity to maximize our potential. Playing with confidence ultimately is not an after-affect; it is a choice. The power lies solely within us."

I had an opportunity to apply these disciplines in a round yesterday, coming off some very poor rounds in my recent outings and learning that my physical, emotional and mental biorhythm cycles are all at or near the bottom.

Nothing has been easy lately. I've been duffing chips, scalding pitches, and 3-putting greens. I've had more than my normal share of double and triple bogies, even a quintuple bogie! However, my commitment to focusing solely on each shot, one at a time, has lacked the necessary effort and concentration.

It appears that the confidence I gained by improving my game through these very principles, made me feel as if golf was now easy, and I could shot good rounds at will. Instead of striving towards even more improvement, I'd become self-satisfied and perhaps complacent. And now, far from being "in the zone", my scores and shot-making began to slip.

So yesterday, while playing with a couple scratch golfers, I made the choice to really focus, to remain open to the possibility of a great round, and to play artful golf. The worst thing that could happen is that I record another poor round, but it was also possible that I open myself up to playing closer to my potential, and even keep up with these better golfers. I did just that.

Even though I let my focus falter on a few occasions, resulting in horrific shots, I followed through with total concentration on the rest of my shots, yet remained detached about their outcome. Although nothing came easily, and a few shots were just plain horrible, I managed to score one of my best rounds ever at this difficult course, coming in with a 37-39-76. More importantly, I'd learned a valuable lesson.

The highlight of the round came on the par 3 5th hole. I topped my 9-iron off the tee and landed on the top of a mound of long fescue about half way to the green. It was one of my worst shots ever. Amazingly, I didn't let the shot phase me in the least. I didn't get mad at myself. I wasn't even feel embarrased in front these 2 scratch golfers, one of which I'd never played with, the other I'd played with only once. Instead, I took out my sand wedge and hit the next shot to within 2 feet of the pin and tapped it in for par! I stayed open to the possibility that my next shot could be extraordinary.

I can't wait to see what's possible when I make the choice to play artful golf during a round when shots are coming more easily!

Labels: Books, Concentration, Disciplines, Dr. Gio Valiante, Fearless Golf, Rounds

My recent progress in lowering my index-to 4 is largely a result of improved putting. My scores are getting lower and more consistent - I've scored between 77 and 79 in my last 7 rounds at my home course - even though many parts of my game remain inconsistent at times. Making more putts has increased my number of birdies which help offset those ongoing double or triple bogies, and has helped me save countless pars and bogies. This new confidence with my putting keeps me open to the possibility that I can score good rounds even after shooting a string of poor shots.



Fred Shoemaker in Extraordinary Putting says to consider "that the way you are in putting is the way you are in chipping, is the way you are in your full swing, is the way you are with your family, in your business, in life… Imagine that putting can show us our relationship to learning, how our actions and behavior are shaped by our point of view, how we view and relate to our body, and how the depth of our awareness is the only thing that will develop us. Putting can show us the assumptions and beliefs that we have come to take for granted. It can reveal the interference - the doubt and fear that stop us everywhere in life. It can also show the genius of our body and provide a pathway to performance and enjoyment that we can take to any part of the game, or to any situation in life... Consider the possibility that you may be far more able than you think and that when you let go of self-interference and increase your awareness, you will see exceptional ability emerge."

I've definitely found evidence that my strengths and weaknesses on the green are similar to ones I'm aware of in other parts of my life. Time will tell if my efforts to address these putting weaknesses and to find my own body's "inner genius" - to open up this pathway to performance and enjoyment through increased awareness - will translate to the rest of my game, and life.

Regardless, my increased awareness, resulting from being focused in the present moment, has transformed my putting from the worst part of my game into a part I am confident in and can depend on. I can actually now say that I love putting!

Labels: Awareness, Books, Extraordinary Putting, Fred Shoemaker, Putting

The primary motivation for many golfers is to earn recognition from others. For these golfers, what others say about them is more important to them than improving and developing their game. Rather than being lost in the thought of hitting the precise shot they want, these golfers often become indecisive and uncertain with the club in their hands - a quick way to unravel a golf swing.

In contrast, some golfers have as their primary incentive a desire to learn, improve and excel. A focus on learning and personal development is inconsistent with worries about how our results will be viewed by others.

In both these cases, a golfer's attention is on things related to hitting better golf shots - strategy, course conditions, tempo, and location of hazards. But the golfer intent on learning and improving is better able to stay focused and remain composed during their round.

And it's a pretty good bet that they're enjoying themselves a good deal more and worrying a lot less than their self-obsessed and self-conscious counterparts.

According to Dr. Gio Valiante in Fearless Golf, "these Mastery golfers get lost in the details, puzzles, and mysteries of the game, and they see their task as mastering those details and understanding the game's mysteries. Because they view mastering golf as a constant challenge, they find it easy to become fully involved in what they are doing, whether practicing chip shots or putting in competition. Their motivation for playing is not for awards or approval from others. For mastery-oriented golfers, the shot matters much more than the consequences. Awards, trophies, and public recognition are seen as natural consequences to excellence, not the primary motive for achieving that excellence."

Today I had the unique experience of playing a round with a local golfer who I just met last week online on a new golf community website. It turns out we both spend most of our time playing Monarch Dunes Golf Club - a new golf course designed by Damian Pascuzzo which was recently rated the top new course in California by Fairways & Greens magazine and among the top 10 new courses in the country by Golf Magazine. So, after a introducing ourselves via email, we decided to meet and play a round at our favorite course.


6th Tee at Monarch Dunes Golf Club, Nipomo

He had read my profile online which included information about my relative success in lowering my handicap from 16 to 4 in my 21 months of play, so I was a little concerned that I might feel a little pressure to live up to that level of play - and instead choke.

Instead, I stayed focused and relaxed, committed to play for my own enjoyment instead of impressing him or anyone else. I played well, hitting only a few poor shots.

However, going into the last hole with a chance to shoot a 76 with a par, I saw a couple course employees by the clubhouse, watching groups come in on the last hole. I had 180 yards in and thought to myself that it would be nice to give them a nice approach shot to admire on this hard-to-hit green. With that grand thought in my mind, I hit my 6-iron right into the lake well in front of the green. In all my many previous rounds, I'd never hit a ball into this lake! I dropped at 160 yards, hit a nice 7-iron to about 15 feet, but barely missed my bogie putt to end the round with a double-bogie 78. Argh.

Seems every round I play presents me with a new little opportunity to grow! I guess that's one of the reasons I play.

A funny side note is that when I finally met this new online friend face-to-face today before the round, I immediately recognized him. Someone in my group had rudely, but accidentally, hit into his foursome that was ahead of us a couple weeks earlier. He recognized me as well.

Labels: Books, Courses, Disciplines, Dr. Gio Valiante, Fearless Golf, Monarch Dunes, Motivation, Rounds

Artful golf requires the ability to tap into athleticism through imaginative and creative play. Unfortunately, golf quite naturally elicits the opposite response, causing most of us to over-analyze, think too much, and try to hard.

We all have natural creative and athletic ability. In fact, I believe that in every golfer there is a great, creative player just waiting to be set free. In my experience, the key contributor to stifling this natural ability to play golf is a busy mind rooted in self-doubt, causing stress which leads to a tense body.

A quiet mind is essential for intuitive and creative play. A relaxed body is necessary for the maximize use of natural and trained skills. By learning to quiet your mind and relaxing your body, you can take your game to the next level and beyond.

According to W. Timothy Gallwey in The Inner Game of Golf, "there is a state of mind more conducive to excellence. The true professional in every field performs from a base of solid faith in his potential to act successfully, and to learn to do what he hasn't yet achieved. He keeps his goals high, without letting himself become so emotionally attached to them that he fears failure. His sense of his own value is independent of external results. He doesn't listen to self-doubt, nor does he perform by rote. He dances to the tune of his intuitions... Inner golf can be an expression of skill for the sake of excellence. It can be art."

Golf can be art, when the mind is quiet and free from self-doubt. When I truly succeed in letting go of my thoughts of doubt and fear, a relaxed concentration takes over, where I'm open to my intuition and free to play.

Labels: Books, Disciplines, Doubt, Intuition, The Inner Game of Golf, Timothy Gallwey

Most people who succeed in their various professions each describes being fully immersed in the moment during performance, with little or no thought of technique or results of their efforts. They lose themselves in their own creative process.

In my experience, no other discipline in golf has proved more important than being creatively immersed or centered in the present moment.

Artful golf appears when the mind is centered. When you find your inner center, creativity shows up. Your mind becomes free from the anxiety and interference introduced by judgment of a shot just taken in the past and fear or hope of executing a shot in the near future.

Fred Shoemaker shares in Extraordinary Golf, "when you disappear - the thoughts, worries, and judgments you have about yourself - Golf as Art shows up… Golf as Art recognizes the enormity of the potential of the moment. This can also be called creativity. It is the realization that what could exist greatly exceeds what does exist, and it keeps each moment vibrant, alive, and full of possibility. When a person plays golf in this way - fully absorbed, full committed, merging with the game - it is a marvelous thing. It is extraordinary golf."

Many of us experience this immersion in the moment when we start playing golf, while our expectations are realistic and golf is still a game to us. However, for various reasons, we eventually begin putting pressure on ourselves to perform.

We begin to expect results and we get consumed by outcome. The joy of the game gives way to frustration as we obsess over making perfect shots, winning holes, and shooting lower scores.

I'm personally making progress staying centered during shots, and even at letting go of judgment and reaction immediately following a shot. However, I still struggle to stay in the present towards the end of good rounds. I begin thinking about results and trying to achieve an outcome.

My biggest lesson, among many, came last month when I was playing a round with a friend that promised to be my best ever.

I shot a personal best 2-under on the front nine with 3 birdies and a bogie. On the back, I managed to shoot more pars than bogies by the time I walked up to the par 5 17th tee. I was only 1-over for the round. My best round at this course up until then had been a 4-over 75. Even with a bogie on 17 and 18, I'd beat that score!

On 17, I drove the ball into a lake on the right, which I had succeeded in carrying in all my dozens of rounds prior. I followed that with a couple more poor shots and a 3-putt for a triple bogie. I then drove the ball into a grove of trees on the par 4 18th, and 3-putted again for a double bogie.

The golfer I was playing with was also shooting his personal best round. Entering 17, he was 4-over, only 3 shots behind me. Unlike me, he shot pars on both 17 and 18, succeeding to shoot his best-ever round, not to mention beating me by 2 strokes!

His ability to stay centered through the end of the round made a huge impression on me.

Find your inner center, swing freely, and trust that the outcome will take care of itself. Great shots always follow and Artful Golf shows up.

Labels: Books, Centeredness, Disciplines, Extraordinary Golf, Fred Shoemaker, Rounds

A lesson golf continues to teach me is to let go of expectations. I struggle with this more often than I like to admit. It seems each time I shoot a good round, I expect to follow it up with another good one. If I hit a par 5 in 2 one day, I expect to do it again every time afterwards. The list goes on. As anyone who plays golf knows, it doesn't work that way.

Bob Rotella shares in his book, Golf is Not a Game of Perfect, that "the first thing to do is to throw away your expectations as soon as you step onto the golf course, and just play."

Rotella goes on to say that, "expectations are great if you confine them to long-range considerations. It's fine, for example to expect that if you work at your game intelligently for an extended period of time, you will improve. But expectations can hurt you if they are narrowly focused on the results of a particular stroke, hole, or round."

This doesn't mean you can't believe you'll play well or hole a putt, just that you can't expect it. You need to replace expectation on desired results with goals of having fun and staying focused on every shot. Then the desired results just happen.

A round that stands out for me in bringing this lesson home occurred very recently. The prior day, I had played the first 6 holes with a young scratch golfer who works at the course. Amazingly, I found myself keeping right up with him, parring each hole. When we reached the 7th tee, we saw that the course was very backed up ahead of us with foursomes and that we were in for a long round as a twosome. Since he plays for free, he decided to quit. I decided to join him.

I came back out the next day, expecting to follow up where I left off - hitting fairways and greens, making 2 putts for pars. Instead, over the same 6 holes I parred the day before, I scored a quadruple bogie, triple bogie, double bogie and bogie. I was 10-over after 6 holes!

Fortunately, I realized what I had done - starting the round off expecting good results. On the 7th tee, I decided right then and there to let go of those expectations and just play. I played the final 12 holes 2-over!

Labels: Bob Rotella, Books, Disciplines, Expectations, Golf is Not a Game of Perfect, Rounds

Here at The Artful Golfer, I'll share insights and experiences pursuing Golf as Art, a unique approach to golf that I was inspired to explore after reading Extraordinary Golf, by Fred Shoemaker.

Shoemaker believes that anyone, beginner or pro, can play golf in an artistic way and have experiences so deep and compelling that they will benefit others as well. He shares, "when you disappear, Golf as Art shows up. The resulting void is where all the important discoveries, personal development, satisfaction, joy and fulfillment take place."

Labels: About, Books, Extraordinary Golf, Fred Shoemaker