Dan's Papers - June 19, 2009 - Golf: Not Just a Physical Challenge

Recently, the winner of the men's club championship at the course where I teach approached me to ensure that he started the season off with all the right fundamentals, a very common request this time of year in the Hamptons. After several minutes of conversation it was clear how much he loved the mental challenge of the game. Golf challenges the player both physically and mentally. One can't become proficient at golf without mastering both.

The book Golf: The Art of the Mental Game is a compilation of tips to help the aspiring golfer understand the mental and strategic challenges. As the editor Christopher Obetz describes it, golf is a unique game because it combines "technical ability" and "the ideal attitude." Golf: The Art of the Mental Game also contains illustrations by arguably golf's greatest artist, Anthony Ravielli, who is best known for his work in Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf. Ravielli, once again, does not disappoint with classic images.

Obetz edited 100 tips, not all of which relate to the mental game. As with all tips, use caution and make sure that it applies to the reader. Specifically tip #40, "Hand it over." This tip is a classic to describe the position of the right hand (for the right handed golfer) at the top of their backswing. It says, "Instructors often tell a player to feel like he or she is balancing a tray full of drinks in their right hand." This tip would be disastrous for a player who struggles with hooking the ball. One of my favorite tips is tip #1, which states, "The cornerstone of the mental strength of champions is confidence." Having had the opportunity to be around Jack Nicklaus for several years, I have seen the confidence the "bear" possesses. It is a confidence that intimidates people. It is a belief in oneself where confidence is "unconditional," even when playing poorly. This is a tip that would apply to even the non-golfer. As with the other books Obetz has edited, the compilation of tips are wonderful, but the reader should hesitate and make sure that each applies to his or her own game.

In my experience with mental health, I find that most golfers have an expectation that inhibits their ability to score lower. Golfers try to play shots that are above their ability. This means a bogey golfer tries to hit shots that a scratch player would hit. To maximize your score (which should be the goal of most golfers), players should realize their capabilities and hit shots to their ability. This is a lesson I find myself teaching frequently and would have like to have seen mentioned in the book.

If you have had the opportunity to watch The Haney Project, starring Charles Barkley, one would argue that Barkley's glitch comes from the mental fear of hitting the ground too steeply and violently. Barkley loves the game and this fear is causing him to doubt his ability to continue playing. Hank Haney has done a wonderful job technically rebuilding Barkley's swing by helping him approach the ball from a flatter angle, but he still needs to conquer the mental fear of the game. If you struggle, like Barkley, with the mental side, pick up a copy of Golf: The Art of the Mental Game and you will have a better understanding of how your mind works playing golf.