Purpose Driven Golf
I want you to meditate on a couple points for a moment:
1. Why an earth are you
playing golf?
2. What are you getting out of each round?
3. What is the point?
Have you ever thought about any of these points before??
Here is an excerpt from "The
Dave Way"... if you already own "The Dave Way" please read this one more time to get a few
ideas of why you are on the course every weekend.
Pride
It's almost like a proud
parent raising a child successfully. You start out hardly knowing anything about the game.
Your scores are usually horrible (in my case around 125) and your swing mechanics are usually
pathetic. Your shot making is non-existent and your drives are short and very
unimpressive.
And then, round after round (and after many nights and $'s spent at the
practice range) you slowly start to improve. I remember the first day I broke 100 - and then
the first day I broke 90 - and then the first day I broke 80... few feelings in the world come
close.
Status
Let's face it, golf is rich in tradition. And whether right or
wrong, those that have mastered the sport are generally stuck at the top of the social ladder
in the clubhouse locker rooms and sometimes even in the workplace.
Let's say you're
talking to your buddies about a local golfer and then somebody in your group mentions this
person is a scratch golfer, no matter what you though beforehand you hold that person in a
higher regard for some reason.
Focus
Even though focus is not necessarily why a
person would pick up the game of golf, after playing for a little while you will realize the
game can improve your mental toughness, your mental awareness, and eventually your outlook on
life.
Now I know that may sound a little deep and possibly a tad cheesy, but it's the
honest truth. If you have been playing golf (even for just one season) you know there are many
ups and downs associated with the sport. Those ups and downs can be found between years of
playing, between rounds, between holes, and sometimes (but hopefully not) between shots.
Through all these good times and bad times you learn perseverance. You develop goal setting
skills. If you stick with the sport (I can't tell you how many times I've heard "I'm
going to sell my sticks in the paper tomorrow!") you will build up a "stick to
it" type of attitude.
Your mind will become sharp!
No wonder those that have
mastered this sport are generally known as over-achievers.
Health
Even though I
have listed health as number 4, this is one of the main reasons I picked up a golf club.
My body was never in, what you would call, real good or athletic shape. And when I would
watch golf on the tube I noticed a some of the men playing had guts? excuse me? un-chiseled
abs J. Kind of like yours truly.
I though to myself "All my buddies are skiing,
shooting hoops, hitting tennis balls, or playing golf? looks like golf is the best way I can
fit in".
But what I soon found out is that golf has a sneaky way of adding a little
bit of exercise to your life. And that's great for those of us that hate to take the time out
to exercise.
On a side note, I would encourage everyone to walk the course once in a
while. Here is what I suggest to my students who are golf newbie's: After playing a year or
two, instead of trying to back up from the white tees to the blue, try to walk more this year
and wait until next year to back up to the blue tees.
Fun
When I play golf I have
a great time.
Fellowship with friends or being paired up with someone I don't know and
making new friendships is another awesome benefit golf has to offer.
And there is
nothing more exciting than dropping an approach shot next to the pin, sinking a monster putt,
or smashing a long drive in front of your playing partners.
These are some of the
reasons I play, but I think it is very important to figure out why you are out slapping balls
around too.
Figuring out the purpose of golf in your life can only make you a better
golfer... let me explain:
When I started off playing, I was not that good, as I'm sure
many of you weren't. That being said, I would get so frustrated at the poor shots, the missed
putts, the doubles and triples, and double pars. And most of the time I would act like a
complete fool. I would get frustrated to no end... slamming my clubs down, or throwing them,
and it was a given that I would be ticked off the rest of the day.
I can't imagine what
I must of looked like, probably an imbecile. There are guys that I'm playing with that are
20-30 strokes better than me, but I'm the one acting like an idiot. And there is no doubt in
my mind that this foolish behavior and mindset totally stunted my growth as a baby golfer.
Then I realized, the only way to learn and get better is to play purpose-driven golf...
even if the only purpose for my next round was strictly just to have fun.
What I would
like for you to do before the next time you go play a round is ask yourself "Why am I going
out today?"
If you keep a focus through your round that:
I am out here to have
fun
or
I am out here to hang out with my friends
or
I am out here to
get healthy and be physically active
or
I am out here to feel like I accomplished
something today...
then you will have that reason and not let your mind run aimlessly
with emotion.
I'm sure some of you old-timers have learned this over the years (and by
the way I would love to hear from you if you have a relative story. This is usually why if
you have hit a round with a person that has played for years... they may not have the talent
that you do... but they can score right with you or sometimes beat the snot out of you.
Let the poor shots go away, let the good shots not get you too emotionally high... just learn
from each swing!
