Ever since my little mishap a couple weeks ago with the lake where I splashed 2 balls from 95 yards out to quadruple bogie the last hole after getting to even par, I seem to be having issues with water.


17th at Big Island CC by Achrisvet at flickr.com

A couple days later, I played a 9-hole event and skipped a 5-wood across the lake on the par 4 1st, but still got up and down for par. But I put another ball in the lake on the par 3 8th and double bogied. In a best-ball tournament last weekend, I hit a 5-iron into a lake on my 2nd shot on 9 after playing 8 really good holes, and tallied another double. And this week, I hit a drive that rolled into a lake on the first hole. I did manage to make a pretty nice up and down for bogie though.

I've played with many golfers who seem to think they'll always hit the ball in the water or who have a certain hole that always plaques them, where they consistently hit a horrible shot. But I've never experienced this before. I nearly always avoid water hazards, and give them little attention. I've always had pretty good success in focusing on where I'm trying to hit the ball instead of all the hazards lying in front or to the side.

I'm playing again today and I'm eager to see if I can face this apparent new fear and regain my fearless focus on the target! Golf provides so many opportunities to face small fears and to learn to rise above them by trusting in that higher artful self of ours.

Labels: Disciplines, Fear, Rounds

In the Podcast I mentioned in my last post, Fred Shoemaker also talked about doubt and fear. He shared that many golfers, when standing over a shot, see before them a threat instead of safety. They view the narrow fairway, the trees, the shrubs, the lake, the stream, the bunkers, and the rough as threats. In fact, there is nothing physically threatening out there, nothing to be afraid of. By viewing these obstacles as threats instead of safe, the golfer experiences doubt and fear and the body's muscles naturally tense. And of course, the ball ends up getting offline and going right where the golfer feared it would.


Carefree on the Range by Giantlogie at flickr.com

I have a friend who describes himself as a scratch golfer - on the range. He hits every shot long and straight. But as soon as you get him on the tee, look out. His drives transform into something more like a dying quail. Fortunately for him, he has a great recovery game - he gets a lot of practice at it.

When I first heard Fred Shoemaker's Podcast, it occurred to me that every shot should be as carefree as a shot on the range. Now, anytime I face a tight fairway or obvious hazard, I look out, admire the beauty and visualize a wide-open range before me. I pick a precise target, make a tangible connection with it, then swing freely. Although I still occasionally loose my focus and hit my ball offline and into a hazard, at least I wasn't scared about doing so. The freedom I felt increased the odds that my ball would find its target.

Labels: Disciplines, Fear, Fred Shoemaker

I've found that golf, like any other pursuit in life, requires certain disciplines for effective learning and improved performance. You can't just show up at the course without any physical or mental preparation and expect to enjoy yourself or score well. To excel at golf, you need a plan, an attitude, a reason, and an ability to play.

To keep things simple, I've turned G.O.L.F. into an acronym that identifies the disciplines I've discovered that help me play artful golf - a creative game that I continue to enjoy and improve at.

G.O.L.F. = Goals, Openness, Love, Freedom.

G is for Goals - the plan for play. The Artful Golfer sets goals for every shot, every hole, every round, even every season. Each shot is taken only after conditions are evaluated, a club is selected, and a precise target and flight path is determined. A tee shot follows an exact plan for how a hole will be played, based on evaluation of course conditions, hazards, and ability. A round of golf begins after the golfer determines desired results, whether it's the enjoyment of the surroundings and friends, to swing freely, or to improve execution of a certain attitude or skill. Goals for entire season are set with the intention of increasing not only performance, but enjoyment and maturity.

O is for an Open mind - the attitude for play. The Artful Golfer is open to possibility, open to creativity, open to risk, open to patience, open to consequences, open to luck, open to guidance, and even open to technology. The Artful Golfer is open to and expectant of the extraordinary, while at the same time open to and accepting of poor or ordinary results. While open to the possibility of extraordinary play, he accepts the ability, luck, and lack there of, that he brings to the course each round.

L is for Love of the game - the reason to play. The Artful Golfer knows why he plays. He may love the competition, being outdoors, being in nature, being with friends, being challenged, making putts, hitting long drives, learning more about himself, or the opportunity for personal growth. His love of the game produces the integrity to play by the rules and the gratitude to appreciate that he has the health, finances, and time to play.

F is for Freedom - the ability to play. The Artful Golfer plays with a complete sense of freedom - freedom from fear of failure or disappoinment, freedom from swing thoughts or formulas, freedom from impressing others, freedom from judgement, and even freedom from hope and expectation. The golfer's ability to develop skills and to reach his creative and physical potential can only be realized when his mind is free from fear and interference. As Fred Shoemaker shares, "Freedom is stepping up to a shot unburdened by the past, with a future full of possibilities."

The Artful Golfer Loves to play with the Goal of swinging Freely, Open to a future of extraordinary possibilities. I'll explore these artful disciplines in more depth in upcoming entries.

Labels: Disciplines, Fear, Goals, Love, Openness