- Preface
- The game of golf has always afforded the individual the opportunity to explore the possibilities that life
has to offer. It has challenged the individual to find balance between life's inner and outer worlds. Many
have spent a majority of their time trying to tackle these challenges through only golf's outer game. But, this
approach has left these individuals unsatisfied with the extent of their discovery. History has proven there
must be a balance between both the game's inner and outer influences. We know of all great players that
they had a unique ability to focus their attention on the task at hand. We also know that they commanded
great control over their physical abilities. Some argue that if you master the outer, the inner will follow.
While others believe that golf's inner activities must come first. It is my contention that without one you
cannot have the other. Without the physical world, there would be no game. But, without the inner there can
be no purpose to the game. Thus, the game is a blending of both the games inner and outer worlds.
Therefore, this book will explore the mysteries of golf's inner realms as well as establish a natural
approach to the game's outer foundation. As you read through this book, you will notice that the prescribed
approach does not fall along traditional lines. This approach will make it clear that the nature of the game is
deeply rooted in the way we learn and perform.
By understanding how we perform anything well, we can learn much about the game of golf. I am going to
begin this approach by expounding on the very essence of the game. That is, I am going to try and describe
the feelings, events, and experiences we encounter while we play. I am going to do so in an effort to assess
the reasons why we play in the first place. Lastly, it is my hope that an inquiry into these happenings will
illuminate even further the need to cut away any unneeded information.
In this way we can begin with the game's true imperatives. Then around these imperatives we will develop
our fundamentals. With the fundamentals established we will have accomplished our first goal. That is,
creating an outer foundation from which we will journey inward. This outer foundation will help provide
confidence in our approach, and will create a home base from which we will have the courage to venture into
the unknown - golf's inner game.
To complete this journey you will have to commit considerable time to the development of your physical
skills as well as your mental ones. During the beginning stages of your development, you may find this work
tedious. But, with continual practice you will become more and more proficient with the drills, you will solidify
your outer foundation, and more significantly will internalize the importance of the inner side of your game.
You will also find a balance between mind and body, as well as performance and experience. In the end, this
whole process will provide you with a much more productive and enjoyable way to play. I hope you find this
approach to the game insightful, inspirational, natural, and if nothing else enjoyable.
- PART ONE
- Insights into the Nature of the Game
- Chapter One: The Games We Play
- Throughout history man has played many games. However, only one has attracted so many to its challenge.
Ancient Romans played a game with curved sticks and a small ball. The object was to play the ball continually
until you struck a pole a designated distance away. Although a primitive representation of golf, it was definitely
among the family of golfing games. This is not the only story of golf like games predating modern origins. There
are many theories as to where the game originated. I like to believe that the game simply evolved from a variety
of different sources, some of which arose spontaneously without influence of each other. No matter what
historians might argue, the modern game is generally accepted to have originated in Scotland.
The game has such a lure, that even in ancient Scotland, where the modern origins are so strongly rooted, it
was once outlawed. Golf became so popular that the people of Scotland preferred playing the game to practicing
archery. Since archery was the country's main line of defense, something had to been done about golf's
overpowering influence on the population. Hence, golf was declared illegal. What a testimony to the game.
The game is like a huge cultural beacon, luring all to its mystique. In every part of the world, and across
numerous cultural boundaries, golf has become the most unifying of games. No matter where you are from, what
language you speak, and what ideologies you might hold true, the game of golf touches all. Players in one
country can watch players from another, and still understand the inner struggle all golfers go through. If you are
a golfer, you certainly understand the type of strife every other golfer experiences while engaged in the golfing
journey. Thus, even though you search for your own answers, you also sympathize with everyone else's
struggle. Throughout this process you are sure to understand the yearning to master what's truly possible for
your game. Although you may believe your goal is to master the external the game, you must realize that you are
truly trying to become the master of your own destiny, and you search for mastery by engaging in the game and
testing your understanding of life.
For most individuals, the best way to mastery is the natural way. One of the fundamental premises of the
natural way is that the game should be played and controlled by your natural hand.
Throughout the ages, all sports have been designed to challenge, or test our natural abilities. The challenge
was to heighten our awareness by utilizing our senses. The test is to apply this awareness under the most
adverse conditions. In order to achieve these goals, you must command the sensitivity of your body, the mentality
of your mind, and the fortitude of your inner resolve.
Among all the available challenges, I believe golf to be the ultimate test. The physical demands are of a most
precise and technical nature, while the inner challenges are the game's greatest attraction.
The greatest challenge in life is not competing against an opponent, or facing death. It's enduring, adapting,
and overcoming your own internal struggle. It is finding out what makes you truly happy. It is discovering the
limits of what you alone can do. It is finding fulfillment out of life. It is deciding for your self what success really is.
Furthermore, it's achieving peace of mind. You must find these things out for yourself, and yourself alone. Along
the way, you must face your fears and uncertainties head on if you are going to find meaning in your life.
The reason golf is so luring, is that golf is one of the only games which provides you with the opportunity to
accept total responsibility for your actions. The way you deal with the enfolding of the game is your responsibility
alone, and it is the product of your internal actions. This is not to say that you have total control over what is
going to happen, it is merely to say that you must make your choices, and live with them, without placing blame.
With this in mind, I believe each player knows for himself that only he is to blame for his poor play, even if he does
not outwardly admit it. Since you must accept sole responsibility for your actions, you alone deserve the
pleasures of success. However, as you watch others execute extraordinary performances, you too may rejoice.
Since you can sympathize with others struggles, you can also celebrate in their glory. This is partly because their
success renews our beliefs in what is truly possible for our selves.
Golf's field of play is the most interactive of playgrounds. It combines the elements of nature, the pressures of
conflict, and our own internal struggles. Our position in relation to the hole is always changing, and the
possibilities are infinite. The elements of nature provide us with the struggle for survival. This struggle challenges
us to endure, to become adaptable, to have courage and fortitude.
The opponents we face may not be those who we compete against. It may be the person who developed the
course design. Many golfers never compete in tournaments. They simply enjoy the gifts the game provides.
However, these players too have an opponent. It is often said, "The player must play the course." When we play
poorly, we often say, "The course got the best of me today." Well, isn't it really the golf course architect who got
the best of you that day?
Architects design our fields of honor, by assessing the lay of the land and integrating it through their skills and
knowledge, into an immense playground of opportunity. The architect himself knows the quest, because he
himself is looking for the answers to his own questions of life. The architect imagines what others might fear, as
well as utilizes his own uncertainties. Thus, whether consciously or subconsciously, he expresses his desires
through course design, challenging us to clarify our deepest doubts.
The fact is, no man enters this world completely enlightened. Therefore life becomes a journey, or quest, for
such understanding. We are, however, born with the skills necessary for meeting the challenge. Along the way,
some hide from the invitation, while others feel life's fire burning deep in their soul. Some give up at unassuming
moments along the way, others give everything they have to honor life's quest. No matter who you may be,
whether hider, or voyager, all know the adventure while playing on the fields of honor. In other words, Golf affords
us all the opportunity to both pursue and experience, the most valuable lessons of life. As you encounter each
pole, you must assess for yourself what you must do next. In this manner you cannot escape your own
uncertainties. Thus, even without the elements of nature, and the architect’s choreography, you would still have
to face your own mentality.
Although most of us think we know why we play the game, I believe it's because of the reasons we are not yet
aware of that keep us coming back. It is precisely because we have not answered the most allusive of life's
questions that we renew the search another day. No matter what level of accomplishment you reach, the game
always seems to have more to offer. Furthermore, whether we want to or not, everyone brings all aspects of their
life to the golf course. For golf is life, and life is golf. Whether happy, sad, frustrated, arrogant, or humble, you
cannot put aside your emotions, or your character. Thus, you come to express your inner self through the game.
As you begin to express your inner self you come to understand that you are truly in search of balance
throughout your life and golf. You also realize that the product of this balance is peace of mind, and that the only
way you can achieve this peace of mind is by becoming truly open with yourself. Once at peace with your self, the
world appears as a totally new environment, one that is more vivid and intriguing. At this point, life becomes
extraordinary.
- Chapter Two: The Golfer's Journey
The golfer tees it up at the first. He shows himself in front of the clubhouse, the world, and God. At this
moment he cannot remember a time he felt more naked. For, the events leading up to and surrounding the first
tee experience are sure to expose the depths of the player's character. The way the player tees up his ball, the
club he chooses to play, the time he takes to prepare himself, the undertaking of his practice swing, and the
mannerisms induced by the awareness of such exposure, all illuminate the extent of the player's character. The
golfer instinctively knows that the quality of his tee shot will disclose much more than the level of his golfing
accomplishment. It shows whether the player has the courage to overcome the uncertainty of even further
exposure. It shows whether his Will is strong enough to overcome his fears and doubts. It shows whether he has
enough confidence to take a chance with his inner self. It shows whether he has trust in his destinal resolve.
Furthermore, the way the player reacts to his play further illustrates the fortitude of the Self.
As the golfer prepares to play his first shot, he's overwhelmed with feelings of uncertainty. For within the next
few moments the possibility exists the player will reveal much more than he wishes. The possibility also exists that
something truly extraordinary might happen. Therefore, even though the player may have to face the
consequences of his insecurities, he is compelled to take the chance that he will express his potential. Hence, the
essence of the game is rooted in the dubious nature of the golfer's journey. Consequently, to say that the score
is the important thing would truly be an injustice.
Even though every golfer understands the mystery of the first tee, we all continue to accept the game's
challenge. You might say the quest is an addiction. For although the game's side effects can be quite unsettling,
the game's mystical flavor keeps us coming back for more. No matter how low our slumps may take us, the
exhilaration of the highs keep our hopes for the future alive. It is precisely because the future provides us with
the possibility that all the energies of the game will come together within one majestic moment that we are
habituated to playing. The first tee experience is also like a trigger that sets the whole adventure into motion. For
it is the anticipation of what might come next that compels us to forge our way off the tee and into the playing
field. Once the trigger is pulled, everything that follows will inevitably unravel like a mystery.
As the player walks off the first tee, he embarks on an adventure that is certain to be full of discovery. Along
the way, he is sure to come face to face with the rogue in himself as well as the dignitary, the coward as well as
the hero, and the doubter as well as the venturer. Within his first couple of steps off the first tee, he feels as if
he's passing through an invisible portal. It's as if he's stepping into another plane of existence. The air feels
crisp, the colors of nature seem more conspicuous, and the sounds of the game seem to be more resonant. The
game has a way of awakening our senses to a higher level of receptivity. We tend to notice the freshness of the
grass under our feet, the warmth of the sun on our skin, the smell of the flora in the air, and we enjoy the courses
whose aesthetic appeal reaches beyond the ordinary. When the views are spectacular, we seem to tap into some
imperceptible source of cosmic energy. We seem to be filled with this energy, as if we are charged by the beauty
of it all.
As the player approaches his ball, he has visions of grandeur. He imagines what it would be to experience his
best round, and he calculates how he's going to go about realizing this vision. The player assesses the lie of the
ball, and in doing so appraises the extent of his abilities. He finds some correlation between the difficulty of the lie
and the level of confidence he has in himself. If the player gives in to the doubter, then he may find himself
searching for a preferred lie. Where as, if he honors being a venturer, he will play it as it lies. With the decision
made, his work is only just begun. He must plunge forward, finding some way to play the next shot.
Before playing the shot he must pin point his target, and evaluate the relationship between the ball, the target,
and his talent for the game. He must assess the lay of the land, and determine the magnitude of the obstacles
that lie ahead. He must establish a line of flight and formulate a course of action. The player can opt to be
conservative by choosing a play that is entirely within his comfort zone, or he can dare to play beyond his present
level of confidence. If his present goals involve the quality of score, then he would be wise to play within himself.
However, if he'd rather experience the full extent of sport, then he may choose to take a more bold approach. If
his goal is to expand the limits of his present horizons, then he should anchor himself well within the outer limits of
his game while routinely braving the unknown that lies just beyond his present boundaries.
No matter what choice the individual might make, his sole responsibility is to accept the consequences of his
decision. If he decides to stay within his comfort zone, he must accept the fact that he has passed up an
opportunity to experience what's beyond his present understanding. If he chooses to dare the uncertainty that
lies within the outer regions of the game, then he must accept the fact that he may become captive to the
precarious nature of the unknown. Whatever path the player decides to tour, the eminent experience is sure to
afford him the opportunity to expand the limits of his awareness as well as his state of mind.
As his second shot flies through the air, there is a feeling of anxious anticipation. For within the next few
moments, the ball may come to rest within the safe haven of the green, or it may find some hazardous demise. As
we watch the ball fly through the air, we truly wish it to find a generous position in relations to the cup. Even
though this is the case, we will not be truly happy unless it reaches this position in the proper manner. No one is
happy with a shot that is sculled up to the pin, nor are we happy with the shots that ricochet off pending
obstacles. We may graciously accept the gift of good fortune. However, we know in our hearts that we are
searching for much more than these simply random strokes of luck.
If the shot does not find the cradle of the green, then we are reminded of the fact that no matter how difficult
the job, we must continue until the job is finished. We must find a way of forging on, making up for any
misdirected efforts we may have encountered. Then once we reach the green, we are presented with precisely
the task of finishing the job. We find solace in the act of holing the putt.
Because, no matter what preceded the holing of the ball, the fact that we holed it shows that we've stayed
dedicated to the basic commitments of life. Furthermore, it shows that we understand these commitments and
value their gravity. There's a sense of completion, fulfillment, and integrity upon holing the putt, and until you do
so, it would not feel proper to move on. For anything left undone is sure to weigh heavily on the future of
confidently achieving our goals.
As the golfer continues to play, he experiences this process over and over. However, this is not all the game
has to offer. During the course of play the golfer comes to know the individuals he plays with. There exists a sort
of bonding that can only be understood by the golfer. We find new friendships in old relationships, and we find
fellowship among strangers. Nowhere else in life have I seen such tremendous acceptability of strangers. Just as
our own personalities come to the forefront, so do our playing partners. There's a type of joining in spirit there. A
bonding that is understood, yet rarely spoken of. This sense of companionship continues until shortly after the
turn. For some reason, we seem to fade into our inner relations on the back nine. This transition seems to take
place around the middle of the back nine. I believe it has to do with the fact that all golfers inherently understand
they must find a way of bringing the whole round to an auspicious conclusion. As we prepare ourselves for the
task, we come to respect each other’s necessity.
The group as a whole becomes more quiet. This is partly because we all know we are running out of time. We
know in our hearts that we must make the most of the day. If our play has been something less then magnificent,
then we must find some way of finishing in as noble a fashion as possible. If our play has been truly majestic,
then we must find some way of completing our play without the conclusion being anticlimactic. Finally, once we all
finish out on the 18th, we proceed to congratulate and console each other, whatever the appropriate salutation
might be. Then, if time permits, we take the journey one step further. We gather in the 19th hole, where we can
discuss the mysteries of the day, along with the moments of splendor and humility.
This gathering at the end of the round has as much to do with the golfing experience as does the play itself.
For it is within this gathering that we get to express the meaning of the game, and those experiences we just
endured. As we rejuvenate ourselves with food and drink, we find a clarity that brings the events of the day truly
into focus. There is something about this gathering that makes everything all right, no matter what the outcome of
the round might have been. Even the sulker finds peace of mind, whether induced by drink or the reality that golf
is just a game - a marvelous game, providing us with extraordinary opportunities, yet simply a game.
As the events of the day come full circle, we individually go our own ways. During the drive home, we once
again sink into the solitude of an introspective view of the game. We search for the pieces of the puzzle that
seem to be missing. We wonder whether the answers lie within the intricacies of the swing, or within the
complexity of the psyche. No matter how much time passes before arriving home, we are inevitably unable to
untangle the enigma. We may formulate some theories on the game. However, the future generally proves these
conclusions to be little more then theoretical. At the end of it all, we are left with not much more than the solace
that our hopes are still alive. This is because we understand that the game's possibilities will always exist, despite
how we might play.
What this all means, is that our journey has brought us right back to where we began. Intrigued by the
mysteries of the game, fascinated by the endless opportunities the game has to offer, and compelled to join the
quest for such possibilities another day. This is true no matter what level of accomplishment you might possess.
Whether winner or loser, competitor or novice, we all are left with questions that have not been answered.
This being the case, how then do we get a handle on the game, and how do we become content with our
progress? These answers lie within your approach to the game. As you approach your play, you must find a way
of playing as naturally as possible.
- Chapter Seventeen: Journeying Into The One
- It was a warm July day as a man walked off the eighteenth hole of a championship golf course. He had a
calmness about his presence embodying a sense of completeness. A completeness born from the realizations
he had just experienced. Throughout the events of the day, he accumulated a mere Sixty-seven strokes, five
under par. However, the score was not the important thing. Nevertheless, this round was unlike any other he
had played. It tasted of excellence, faultlessness, balance, and a sense of awareness that brought all the
energies of the game to a single focal point. Throughout it all, he gathered an impression of an Awareness of
the One. A oneness which flowed with ease, never deviating from the way.
The swings of the day felt like nothing at all, completely void of effort. He could not explain where the
inspiration came from. He did not feel in control. Nonetheless, he felt as if he was absorbed into the
nothingness that directed his play. He came to understand that it all happened because he became captivated
by the presence of having no mind. There was no concern for the direction of his shots, no questions about
whether to start the swing with this move or that one, no calculations as to how his play would affect his score.
He became aware of his unconscious, and the void that it called home.
As he became aware of the fact that he was not consciously in control, he began to wonder whether he was
playing the game, or whether the game was playing him. Whether he swung the ball into play, or whether it
was the ball that coaxed him into play. The further he ventured into this experience, the more he understood
that it was all the same thing. The ball, the swing, the course, and the presence of the golfer all belong to the
same experience. Once blended through the activity of the unconscious, the game itself became the One.
He was not completely unfamiliar with such a presence. He had enjoyed it during the sports of his youth.
Only he knew not the nature of its existence. He remembered playing baseball, football, and tennis. He
remembered becoming completely absorbed into the activity of the game. Then he simply let go of himself and
played. He also recalled experiences of the opposite flavor, ones that were always less inviting. He realized
they fell short because of their conscious desires to obtain the game's outer perfection. Perfection grounded
in the desire to achieve excellence through the manipulation of one's physical skills. He understood that by
striving to achieve this type of excellence, the golfer is sure to miss out on the deeper meanings of the game -
the meanings that open the doors to the unknown, and guide the way into the One. Thus, as he experienced
his present state of awareness, he played the game from the inside out. He realized that it was only through
letting go of himself and committing to the possibility of the One that he would experience the type of play he
desired. Finally, he realized that it's the game that was the important thing, not the score. For it was the
thought of playing the game that lured him to into action, and it was the mysteries of the game that kept him
coming back.
So what is this journey into the One, and how can we come to know it? It's the coming together of all the
energies of the game, the giving in to the psychic forces of golf. It's taking an interest in the quality of the
experience, instead of the sum of our strokes. It's acquiring a taste for playing the game. For it's the possibility
of experiencing this taste which leads us into the game's inner fascinations.
Do you remember your first taste for the game, the moment when everything came together just right? It
was as if you yourself took to flight, as if you went on the journey. You could feel the connectedness of it all.
The coming together of the outer forces - the swing, the ball, and the target - and the coming together of the
inner ones as well- your energy, your presence of mind, and all your knowings. Was it not the majesty of the
moment that captured your attention, your fascination? What else could it have been called, besides The
One. That is, the one thing we are continually in search of experiencing. This is precisely why we react to the
shot by saying, "That's the One."
I believe all golfers experience the fascination, and only later come to understand the scoring game. We
are so conditioned to the importance of the score, that we come to forget why we play the game in the first
place. After all, if the score is the most important thing, then wouldn't most of us have given up by now. But,
the fact remains that something keeps us coming back for more. And this something is not the score.
For most, the game becomes like having a taste for steak yet settling for tuna fish, like having a taste for ice
cream yet settling for marshmallows. When you have the taste for one, settling for the other is totally
unfulfilling. Therefore, if you want to eat steak, eat steak. If you want to eat ice cream, eat ice cream, and if
you want to satisfy your taste for the game, then play golf.
As with anything else in life, you must acquire a taste for what you want. Then you must focus on savoring
this taste. If you do not acquire the taste, then there is no purpose to the journey. Therefore, it is the act of
tasting which makes the journey worthwhile. You can have a taste for shopping, cooking, painting, literature,
sport, love, or any other endeavor. No matter what the enterprise, you will not actively engage in the
experience unless it affords you the possibility of a pleasurable taste. Without the taste, there can be no
flavor, without the flavor there can be no interest, without the interest there can be no value, and without the
value there can be no passion. Therefore, to have such passion, you must acquire the taste, and to acquire
the taste you must experience The One.
Therefore, once we first taste the flavor of the game, we are inevitably captured by the game's allure. This
allure reminds us of the infinite possibilities the game has to offer. As you learn to commit to these endless
possibilities, you are sure to acquire the taste of a good experience. The better the taste, the more enjoyable
the experience will be.
To reach the next horizon, you must focus on the coming together of all the forces of the game, the
blending of the inner and the outer, and the projection of your Will into the future. As you focus on these
activities, you'll begin to feel the gathering of all your energies. Once gathered, you'll have to let them flow
outward with complete freedom. As your energy pours forth into the world, you'll feel as if your going along for
the ride, and every shot will bring with it the possibility of a new adventure. You can either become absorbed
into the adventure, or you can stand on the sidelines like an anxious observer. It's your choice. If you honor
the quest, you'll take the journey. In which case you'll have to learn how to aim at your inner relations instead
of the score. While aiming at yourself, you'll become absorbed into your presence of mind, you'll become more
attentive to your total approach to the game, and you'll have to believe in the possibility of a favorable future.
The goal of the game will be that of sinking into the experience of The One, and maintaining a taste for the
game. Therefore, your focus will be attentive to the quality of your experience, instead of the results of your
play. You'll learn how to attend to the goals of mastery, mastery of the Self, yourself, and your future. In this
way, your intentions will take on new meanings. Your new goals will focus on cultivating your activity from the
inside out, mastering the balance between the mind and body, understanding the limits of your consciousness,
and actively engaging in what's possible.
Thus, as you play the game, GOLF becomes an adventure who's main focus is Gaming Out Life's
Fascinations. As you experience these fascinations, you engage in such endeavors as finding your comfort
zones and sinking into your settle point. You search for the state in which you feel totally absorbed into the
activity of the game. You realize that it's the moment of sport that guides you into The One, and it's the
experience of this Oneness that brings the joy of the game into your heart. Thus, the results of your
performances become merely secondary to the concerns of your inner fulfillment. In this way, the quality of the
experience holds much more gravity than the sum total of the score. Little children understand this gravity.
They imagine what they want the game to be like, become absorbed in the activity, and simply act out their
fascinations. They gather energy while imagining how to play. Then they express their energies outwardly.
What more can this describe then the experience of truly playing. It's the possibility of this experience, the
absorption into the game, and the expression of our desires outwardly which draws our efforts into action, and
projects our total attention into the awareness of the one.
With every passing day, you will journey further and further into the profound awakenings that await you
there. This journey will be endless and will require continual commitment to your approach to the game. Your
approach will involve committing to the quality of your experiences while living into a favorable future. In the
end, only you who finds the courage to journey into the game's inner regions will find fulfillment in your games.
If you choose to take the challenge, you are sure to experience the fascinations that will inevitably present
themselves to you. You will find inner strengths you always believed you had, as well as inner understandings
you never knew you possessed. This journey will be one of the most rewarding that your life has to offer, and it
will provide your future with new opportunities. Along the way, I can only hope you'll imagine what's truly
possible, while staying focused outward, and above all enjoying the adventure.
I n n o v a t i v e C o a c h i n g F o r G o l f e r s
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