|
|
Golf Specific Fitness Is Underrated
Golf specific fitness is mainstream on tour! There is no
way around it! To play your best, you've got to be in better
golf shape! Golf is physical...and requires both dynamic
strength and flexibility.
Gone are the days of the 19th hole!...
Golf Swing Problem And How To Fix It
Having a golf swing problem and not being able to correct it is the norm these days. Millions of golfers every year walk off the course in frustration. They all have a golf swing problem and have tried to fix it the “accepted way”.
What I mean…is...
Golfer: Keep An Eye on The Ball
You hear this mantra in every sport keep your eye on the ball! Its a perfect chant for the golf player at every turn. If you cant see the ball clearly, your chances of hitting it are slim to none! When you look at the ball, you want to keep your...
Here's To Better Golf Exercise
There is a lot of golf equipment to help you in your exercise
program. You've got weights, rubber tubing, and so on.
But what exactly is "proper" golf equipment, designed
specifically for exercise? This is the question that almost
every new...
Pilates - Uncovered After 80 Years of Dormancy, Pilates is Far From Dead.
In a way, he's a lot like Edgar Allen Poe.
The famous writer had been deceased for many years before he
miraculously cracked super-stardom, his once-buried work
revamped from the ashes to be relished by millions and millions
of literature...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Golf and Zen — Chaper Two
A series of articles dealing growing one's golf game — skills and enjoyment— through the application of Zen/Buddhist concepts.
About Golfing Zen: This is the second in a continuing series of short essays dealing with the application of Eastern spiritual philosophy to your golf game. The surface intent is that, as you apply the ideas, your golf and your enjoyment of the game will grow. However there is also an underlying motive: as you are able to see gains on the course, you’ll then be moved to alter your approach to life as well.
Today’s Topic: The Fundamental TruthIn these articles, I’ll be simplifying as we talk about the Eastern philosophies, and this topic title is a good example. Buddhism actually opens its doors with The Four Noble Truths.
The first of those is that our experience is marked by suffering. Living means to suffer. The Eastern term is dukka. The second shows the source of dukka to be desire, and the third shows how we can eliminate suffering: if it is desire that leads to suffering then the obvious solution is to stop desiring. Obvious, sure, but we would agree it isn’t easy.
This doesn’t mean we stop living, that we give up work, play, relationships, learning and growth, or even that we forsake goals. It does mean we stop agonizing about it all. Some things we’ll never have. I won’t be the next Senator from Pennsylvania, and I’m not going to make the PGA tour. That’s obvious enough, but most of us continue to hunger after things that are permanently outside our grasp, without admitting it to ourselves. Or, there are goals that we can eventually reach but that we don’t have this minute. I’d like to have a retirement home in Asheville, North Carolina. But I don’t, today, and if I obsess about it, I can easily lose sight of the pleasures of my current life. It’s a fundamental: hungering after something not yet here contaminates our today.
So, the fundamental truth we’re talking about is this. Whatever we have today is everything we need – today.
The last of the Noble Truths lays out how to let go of desire: by following the Eightfold Path (understanding, thought, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration). But the Path a big subject and is for the future; I’ll certainly do a piece on each of those steps along the Path in future articles.
For now, the connection to golf is obvious to any of us that have suffered on the course. And who of us
hasn’t suffered? Ever throw a club? Dress yourself down — either out loud or within your mind?Beyond the momentary outbursts, is your enjoyment of the game in general contaminated by not being good enough? Are you reluctant to play with people that are better? Do you despair about lack of improvement? Do you think about giving up?The First Noble Truth within Buddhism is equally true on the golf course; our golfing dukka comes from our excessive desire, from our grasping after success. And here’s the real secret… that comes from playing golf in an ego-driven state. If we’re playing to re-enforce our own ego — either to others or to ourselves — then we’re going to struggle.
The answer lies in a simple (granted, difficult) idea: we are, today, only what we are today; our swing is what it is; our mental game is what it is. Therefore — we’re perfect — today. We can let ourselves focus on the beauty of the walk in the park, on the companionship of friends. We can be alert, we can pay attention, we can be mindful of everything we see and experience, we can allow our game to be what it is, and we can trust that we’re on a path that will take us to higher levels as we continue move along. And that’s true!I’ll be giving you lots of ‘tips’ or ‘thought exercises’ as we move through these articles, and here’s one that applies to this subject. You can reduce your grasping (and thereby, your golf-course dukka) by detaching for the outcome. Laird Small, the head pro at Pebble Beach, calls it “NATO:” Not Attached To Outcome.
Here’s one way of doing that. Your golf-course job is to swing the club in a graceful, rhythmic, and balanced way. The Golf God’s job is to move the ball to a new point, for your next test. Your job is only to be mindful of how well you perform your task and to get out of the way and let the Golf God do his. Try that, next time out.
Next Time: You Already Know.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Wayne Smith is a former DuPont manufacturing manager, seminar leader, industry consultant, and is the author of two books: a manufacturing text and a golf novel (www.littleacornpress.com/books/thirdeye.htm. He is a close-up magician and has been a life-long golf searcher. A father of two, he lives in the Philadelphia area. Comments can be directed to wayneksmith@comcast.net.
|
|
|
|
|
Welcome to Golf.com |
Tournament golf coverage plus sections for courses and travel, instruction, site membership services and promotional offers. |
www.golf.com |
  |
PGATOUR.com - |
The exclusive home of PGA TOUR live scoring, and the most complete coverage of the best golfers in the world. Get news, tournament coverage, stats, ... |
www.golfweb.com |
  |
GOLFONLINE |
Golf, golf, and more golf. If you can't get enough of it, come to GOLFONLINE.com to find the latest golf news, stats, travel guides, golf equipment test ... |
www.golfonline.com |
  |
PGA.com :: Home |
Get golf information, golf tournament updates and golf news from the official site of the PGA of America. |
www.pga.com |
  |
TheGolfChannel.com - Golf's Home Page |
Golf news, features and commentary, tournament coverage, statistics and schedules, video clips, television listings, promotions and a shopping portal. |
www.thegolfchannel.com |
  |
PGATOUR.com - |
Tournament: World Golf Championships-Barbados World Cup ... Learn why the golf community is a better place today than it was yesterday. ... |
www.pgatour.com |
  |
Golf Digest: The #1 Golf Publication! |
Central hub including archived content and information for the magazines Golf Digest, Golf for Women, Golf World and Golf World Business. |
www.golfdigest.com |
  |
Golf - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
A golf school is often associated with a course or club. ... A golf hole is traditionally either a par three, four, or five. A few par six holes now exist, ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
  |
United States Golf Association |
The ruling body of golf in the US. |
www.usga.org |
  |
ESPN.com - Golf Index |
The latest golf scores, golf news, and leaderboards, all at ESPN.com. |
sports.espn.go.com |
  |
BBC SPORT | Golf |
Golf - Player and tournament news, articles and analysis, including video and audio news clips. |
news.bbc.co.uk |
  |
About.com Golf - Free Golf Tips, Club Reviews, FAQs, History, News ... |
A compendium of information and resources on golf, including an extensive directory of recommended links. |
golf.about.com |
  |
Golf.com | Coursefinder |
Data on more than 20000 golf courses. Search the database by course name, city, state, or country. |
www.golfcourse.com |
  |
Golf - The Enquirer |
Jim Flick is one of the leading figures in golf instruction over the last 30 ... With origins that may be as ancient as Rome, golf is a fascinating and ... |
www.cincinnati.com |
  |
SI.com - Golf |
Latest golf and PGA news, golf and PGA analysis, golf and PGA commentary, golf and PGA scores, golf and PGA tee times, golf instruction from SI.com. |
sportsillustrated.cnn.com |
  |
World Golf - Golf courses from around the world |
Golf courses from around the world plus course reviews, golf travel, articles and reference pages. |
www.worldgolf.com |
  |
Detroit News Online | Golf |
Golf great helps GM introduce new crossover in L.A.; vehicle is set to hit showrooms in June. ... Nedbank Golf Challenge - 11/29/06 - Read Story ... |
detnews.com |
  |
Callaway Golf |
Manufactures golf balls and the Big Bertha line of clubs. Site includes virtual tours of the company's factories. |
www.callawaygolf.com |
  |
Ladies Professional Golf Association |
Features results of LPGA, womens golf, player interviews, golf merchandise, youth golf programs, a database listing more than 1100 teaching professionals ... |
www.lpga.com |
  |
Golf . Sign On San Diego . com > San Diego Golf Guide : Courses ... |
Complete guide to San Diego Golf Courses. Search by name, location or price range. Find San Diego driving ranges, golfing retailers, golf vacation packages, ... |
www.signonsandiego.com |
  |
|