When Im working with any player, I teach three things in order to help them see the changes they want: wisdom, simplicity and flexibility. I understand that the accepted approach focuses on psychology but I find that that the wisdom principles lead clients toward real and change that occurs quickly and that remains solid over time. What do these three elements mean? Well, wisdom refers to an understanding and an application of the wisdom principles; meaning the laws and principles by which we all produce outcomes. Truth is; clients discover that intelligence is not the same as wisdom and that intelligence is not the sole factor in success. In fact, there are a lot of intelligent golfers who still sabotage themselves and under perform so clearly intelligence is not the key factor in success since all my clients are intelligent. When you apply wisdom, simplicity occurs naturally for you because you become more centered and clear. The majority of my clients have a strong desire to simplify their game. When wisdom and simplicity are at work, you automatically become more flexible. This means you move through any situation or challenge with ease and awareness. Put them all together and everything you doyou do at a higher level.
In thinking about simplicity one day, I am reminded how many of my clients were anything but simple when they first called. For them, simplicity was replaced by a busy mind, choppy emotions and a tense body, all of which led to less than ideal experiences on the golf course. There was nothing simple about what they were doing even though they craved the feeling of simplicity. Then I began to think about the golf swing and all the different styles and types of swings there are out there and how far technology has come with the use of video and the hours some people spend breaking down the golf swing. While Im a big fan of video for learning purposes I wonder sometimes if we rely on it too much. After all, what did players back in the 30s, 40s and 50s do without video and all the analysis? (visit http://www.powerfeelgolf.com and click on the free e-book to learn what Jimmy Demaret, 3 time Masters Champion, said about the simplicity of the golf swing and a lot more!).
Im sure there are positive and negative arguments for the use of video and everyone has their opinion about it. But, what did players like Demaret, Hogan and others do without all the fancy equipment we now have? They had to rely on feel and simplicity. They had to pay attention to their bodies. Can the over-use of video be counter productive? Notice I used the phrase over-use because I know from experience that the golfers who tend to already be over analytical can add even more mental work to their already busy minds. As a result, their game gets tighter and to them, simplicity seems miles away. They want to experience simplicity while at the same time making things just the opposite of simple.
Sometimes we might analyze and break down the golf swing so much that we get bleary eyed. How did Hogan and Demaret get along so well without it so many years ago? This question makes me laugh at my own reactions when my computer takes 20 seconds to do something that earlier in the day took less than 5 seconds to do and I get impatient. What did they do 50 years ago when they didnt even have computers and here I am getting frustrated that I have to wait 20 whole seconds? Whats wrong with this picture?
What about you? Are you so wrapped up in mechanics that your mind is distracted, your emotions uptight and your body too tense? The science of simplicity might be just the ticket for you.
To your best golf!
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David Breslow is a National Speaker, Author and Performance Consultant. His book, Wired To Win is available at 888.280.7715. David works with clients all over the world via telephone so it doesnt matter where you live, work or play! His clients include professional athletes (PGA, LPGA and other sports), juniors and all amateurs. He also works with Businesses of all sizes. He brings a fresh, direct, no-nonsense revolutionary approach to Human Performance, helping people make quicker and more powerful shifts in attitude, behavior and action. David is the weekly Mental Game Columnist for Golf Channel where his articles are read by over 4000,000 people. For more info please visit: www.theflowzone.net, email: daviddavid@theflowzone.net or call: 847.681.0247
