Top 10 Life Lessons That Golf Can Tell Us
Golf is an amazing mirror of life. Yes, other sports provide life lessons as well, but golf happens to be my favorite sport and the one I understand the best. It is an addiction, a mystical experience, a test of character, an escape, a source of rare joy and excruciating pain. No psychological test will tell you as much about a person’s character as a round of golf. With the arrival of spring, here are some of my observations about golf and the game of life:
1. Expectations & Flexibility. Golf, like life, is not mastered in a season, and it is particularly frustrating if we approach it with stiff and inflexible expectations. Great golf begins with stretching, bending, loosening up, and matching my desired outcomes with the realities of a body grown lazy over the winter. A sense of humor, and a sprinkling of humility go a long way!
2. Clarity of Purpose. Many golfers never stop to think about why they play the game. To win? To have fun? For social reasons, or for the challenge? For the exercise? Just as striving to become rich and famous often creates frustration and disappointment, few will ever play professionally, and striving for perfection is a setup for “failure”. Know why you play the game and where you find your satisfaction and joy in it.
3. Equipment. Most golfers play with clubs that don’t fit them, or that no longer suit their games. Graphite shafts and new club designs have revolutionized golf. Active golfers should have their clubs checked for loft, lie, and length, and have them re-gripped every season. Almost any job is easier with the right tools.
4. Solid Foundations. Golfers go to extremes. Some take lesson after lesson, trying to fix the tiniest flaw in their quest for the perfect swing. Others, ignore the classic foundations of grip, stance and swing in their eagerness to “do it my way.” Success is usually found in a healthy balance of learning from the wisdom and experience of others, while celebrating your unique style and approach to the game.
5. Profitable Practice. On the day of a big tournament, I often go to the practice green and watch skilled, dedicated golfers practice missing putts. With a small crowd milling about, they quickly hit putt after putt, destroying their rhythm, timing and confidence. Then, in frustration, they wonder what ever happened to their carefully honed putting stroke! In golf, and in life, practice smart. Practice for success!
6. Smart Preparation. Tour players always play practice rounds. Ben Hogan used to walk the course at twilight before a tournament to learn all it’s hidden tricks and traps. Top players rehearse every shot in their imagination before going to the golf course. They prepare in advance so they are ready when the moment of truth arrives. It pays off.
7. Show up. The biggest challenge for many Nike Tour and other young players is to play their best golf without a nickel in their pocket, often lonely and far from home. They have reasons to be distracted. What are your excuses? Ram Das said, “Be here now.” In golf, and in life, it’s hard to win if you don’t show up, or only show up for every-other swing!
8. Warm up. Every great athlete, the ones in the best physical and mental shape, respect their bodies enough to loosen up, stretch and rehearse before competition. Unfortunately, most amateurs don’t go to all that trouble. We jump out of the car, grab the clubs, and head for the first tee. Before any important event, arrive early, walk around, relax, and warm up to the task at hand.
9. Focus on Results. Every golf stroke creates a result. Sometimes the ball goes in the hole; sometimes it goes out of bounds. Golfers tend to focus (1) on the result they would have preferred, which is merely wishful thinking, or (2) on beating themselves up for being so “stupid”, which is painful. Learn from every swing. Observe the results you actually get. Life never lies!
10. Review and Adjust. If you aren’t getting the results you want, find the reason. You can trust the ball; it goes where you hit it. If you want a different outcome, change your setup, routine, or other actions until you get the result you prefer. Someone said, “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is a mark of insanity.” Successful people learn quickly; others learn eventually.
© Copyright 2003 by Philip E. Humbert. All Rights Reserved. This article may be copied and used in your own newsletter or on your website as long as you include the following information: “Written by Dr. Philip E. Humbert, writer, speaker and success coach.
sylvia
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Categories: golf life Tags: Arrival Of Spring, Eagerness, Excruciating Pain, Favorite Sport, Game Of Life, Golfers, Graphite Shafts, Great Golf, Humility, Mirror Of Life, Mystical Experience, Other Sports, Psychological Test, Rare Joy, Right Tools, Sense Of Humor, Solid Foundations, Sprinkling, To Extremes, Uniqu
TaylorMade Releasing Burner SuperLaunch Irons
The Burner irons released in 2009 have proven to be extremely popular, but TaylorMade admits that slower-swinging players and golfers who naturally produce a lower ball flight don’t get the full benefit of the clubs.
With the release of the new Burner SuperLaunch irons on April 1, TaylorMade hopes to address that shortcoming.
According to a release, the Burner SuperLaunch offers the highest moment of inertia (MOI) of any iron the company has ever produced, which means it will resist twisting on off-center hits and be more forgiving than just about any irons in TaylorMade’s lineup.
Like last season’s Burner irons, three sub-groups make up a single set of Burner SuperLaunch irons.
The long irons have an extremely wide sole that helps them work through the turf effectively and lowers the center of gravity; thin faces to create more ball speed; and a lower profile to make them easier to hit. In contrast, the short irons have a thinner sole, slightly thicker faces and higher, more-traditional profiles. The mid-irons bridge the other two designs.
Unlike better-player irons, the Burner SuperLaunch has a thick topline, which is reassuring and helps high-handicappers and slow swingers hit straight shots more easily.
The standard set of Burner SuperLaunch irons (4-Attack Wedge) will retail for $599 with steel shafts and $799 with graphite shafts. A 3-iron and sand wedge will be available separately.
See-Try-Buy: Learn more about TaylorMade clubs, and schedule your fitting with GolfTec.
ClubTest 2010: Max-Game Improvement Irons
Related: Follow David Dusek on Twitter
Categories: golf putting Tags: April 1, Ball Flight, Ball Speed, Center Of Gravity, Clubtest, David Dusek, Game Improvement, Golfers, Golftec, Graphite Shafts, Mid Irons, Moment Of Inertia, Sand Wedge, Shortcoming, Steel Shafts, Straight Shots, Swingers, Topline, Turf, Twitter
Powerbilt Dynasty Complete Golf Club Set
Super High M.O.I. 460cc Titanium Driver, with matching 3 wood, provide explosive power with unmatched durability (graphite shafts) Hybrids (3 & 4) – easy to hit hybrids that put the fun back into hitting long irons Traditional Irons (5-PW) – deep cavity, perimeter weighted irons with stainless steel heads Deluxe Stand Bag – durable automatic stand mechanism, backpack style dual straps and plenty of pockets. Matching rain hood is also included Sleek Hi-Tech Putter included Stylish coordinating head covers included for all woods and hybrids.
Categories: golf putting Tags: Amp, Backpack, Cavity, Complete Golf, Dynasty, Explosive Power, Golf Club, Graphite Shafts, hybrids, irons, Perimeter, Plenty Of Pockets, Rain Hood, Shopping, Stainless Steel, Titanium Driver, Unmatched Durability, Yahoo
ORLIMAR WOMEN’S BLACK ICE PRO GOLF SET W/BAG PUTTER NEW
table align=’center’ border=’0′ cellpadding=’0′ cellspacing=’0′ width=’100%’ tbody tr td/ /tr /tbody /table br/ br/ p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ INCLUDES: /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ 460cc BETA TITANIUM DRIVER WITH 100% GRAPHITE SHAFT AND MATCHING HEAD COVER /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ STAINLESS STEEL #3 FAIRWAY WOOD WITH LIGHTWEIGHT GRAPHITE SHAFT AND MATCHING HEAD COVER /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ STAINLESS STEEL #3 AND #4 HYBRID IRON WITH LIGHTWEIGHT GRAPHITE SHAFTS AND MATCHING HEAD COVERS /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ 5-PW STAINLESS STEEL LOW CENTER OF GRAVITY IRONS WITH LIGHT STEEL SHAFTS /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ PUTTER WITH POLYMER INSERT /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ DELUX STAND BAG AND MATCHING RAINHOOD COVER /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ FEATURES: (11 TOTAL CLUBS) /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ BLACK ICE PRO DRIVER: 460 CC BLACK ICE PRO HIGH M.O.I. BETA TITANIUM 10.5 DRIVER GIVES YOU POWER AND CONTROL OFF THE TEE, DESIGNED TO OPTIMIZE SWING SPEED AND DISTANCE /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ BLACK ICE PRO FAIRWAY WOOD: EASY-TO-HIT STAINLESS OFFSET 3 FAIRWAY WOOD IMPROVES YOUR SHORT DRIVES AND LONG FAIRWAY SHOTS WITH AND IMPROVES M.O.I. PROFILE, ALLOWING YOU TO HIT THE BALL STRAIGHTER AND HIGHER. /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ BLACK ICE PRO HYBRID IRONS: STAINLESS 3 AND 4 HYBRID IRONS GIVE YOU THE POWER OF A WOOD AND THE ACCURACY OF AN IRON /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ BLACK ICE PRO IRONS: STAINLESS 5 IRONS AND PITCHING WEDGE MAXIMIZE YOUR POTENTIAL FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE COURSE. A MILD OFFSET PREVENTS SLICES AND MISSED HITS WHILE THE BALANCED WEIGHT PROVIDES POWER ON EVERY SHOT /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ BLACK ICE PRO PUTTER: FEATURING A STYLISH DESIGN AND PERIMETER BALANCED CONSTRUCTION, PUTTING HAS NEVER LOOKED OR FELT BETTER. SOFT POLYMER INSERT FOR THE ULTIMATE IN CONTROL AND SOFT FEEL. /font /p p
Categories: golf putter Tags: Beta Titanium, Black Ice, Cellspacing, Center Border, Center Of Gravity, Fairway Shots, Fairway Wood, Graphite Shaft, Graphite Shafts, irons, Light Steel, Lightweight Graphite, Orlimar Golf, Pitching Wedge, Pro Golf, Speed And Distance, Steel Shafts, Stylish Design, Swing Speed, Titanium Driver
ORLIMAR MEN’S BLACK ICE PRO GOLF SET W/BAG PUTTER NEW
table align=’center’ border=’0′ cellpadding=’0′ cellspacing=’0′ width=’100%’ tbody tr td/ /tr /tbody /table br/ br/ p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ INCLUDES: /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ 460cc BETA TITANIUM DRIVER WITH 100% GRAPHITE SHAFT AND MATCHING HEAD COVER /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ STAINLESS STEEL #3 FAIRWAY WOOD WITH LIGHTWEIGHT GRAPHITE SHAFT AND MATCHING HEAD COVER /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ STAINLESS STEEL #3 AND #4 HYBRID IRON WITH LIGHTWEIGHT GRAPHITE SHAFTS AND MATCHING HEAD COVERS /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ 5-PW STAINLESS STEEL LOW CENTER OF GRAVITY IRONS WITH LIGHT STEEL SHAFTS /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ PUTTER WITH POLYMER INSERT /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ DELUX STAND BAG AND MATCHING RAINHOOD COVER /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ FEATURES: (11 TOTAL CLUBS) /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ BLACK ICE PRO DRIVER: 460 CC BLACK ICE PRO HIGH M.O.I. BETA TITANIUM 10.5 DRIVER GIVES YOU POWER AND CONTROL OFF THE TEE, DESIGNED TO OPTIMIZE SWING SPEED AND DISTANCE /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ BLACK ICE PRO FAIRWAY WOOD: EASY-TO-HIT STAINLESS OFFSET 3 FAIRWAY WOOD IMPROVES YOUR SHORT DRIVES AND LONG FAIRWAY SHOTS WITH AND IMPROVES M.O.I. PROFILE, ALLOWING YOU TO HIT THE BALL STRAIGHTER AND HIGHER. /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ BLACK ICE PRO HYBRID IRONS: STAINLESS 3 AND 4 HYBRID IRONS GIVE YOU THE POWER OF A WOOD AND THE ACCURACY OF AN IRON /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ BLACK ICE PRO IRONS: STAINLESS 5 IRONS AND PITCHING WEDGE MAXIMIZE YOUR POTENTIAL FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE COURSE. A MILD OFFSET PREVENTS SLICES AND MISSED HITS WHILE THE BALANCED WEIGHT PROVIDES POWER ON EVERY SHOT /font /p p font face=’Arial’ size=’2′ BLACK ICE PRO PUTTER: FEATURING A STYLISH DESIGN AND PERIMETER BALANCED CONSTRUCTION, PUTTING HAS NEVER LOOKED OR FELT BETTER. SOFT POLYMER INSERT FOR THE ULTIMATE IN CONTROL AND SOFT FEEL. /font /p p
Categories: golf putter Tags: Beta Titanium, Black Ice, Cellspacing, Center Border, Center Of Gravity, Fairway Shots, Fairway Wood, Graphite Shaft, Graphite Shafts, irons, Light Steel, Lightweight Graphite, Pitching Wedge, Polymer, Pro Golf, Speed And Distance, Steel Shafts, Stylish Design, Swing Speed, Titanium Driver
What specific golf clubs does a beginner need to play?I know you need a driver and a putter but what else?
I just ordered a driver on line and that is all I own. I’m going to practice driving at a virtual golf place until it gets warmer outside. I am an absolute beginner. What would be the minimum clubs I would need to actually play a round? I am an older (54) female so think the hybrids would be good for me. I am not actually looking for brand recommendations here, but club types. That said, the Callaway GES system sounds good to me because it apparently only has seven clubs which sounds about right to me but I am having trouble finding it. Does anyone know how I could replicate that buying individual clubs? I don’t really want a full set, at least not yet. And carrying 14 clubs around, many of which I probably wouldn’t use at least not soon, sounds like a waste of energy. So what is the minimum and what are they? Please be specific because a lot of what I have read is pretty confusing. So many choices! Thanks.
I am 58 yr old golfer – been playing for 18 months. I use Driver, 3 wood, 4 iron 6 iron 9 iron pitching wedge sand wedge and putter. My irons are all hybrid, and all my clubs are ladies grade with graphite shafts. Very easy to use. Good luck, you are starting a brand new life. I wish I had started years ago.
Categories: golf putter Tags: Absolute Beginner, Brand New Life, Buying Clubs, Callaway Ges, Choices, Driver 3, Golf Clubs, Good Luck, Graphite Shafts, Hybrid, hybrids, irons, Lot, Pitching Wedge, Sand Wedge, System Sounds, Virtual Golf, Waste Of Energy
Do i need a golf putter headcover?
I have a headcover for my driver, woods and hybrids and was wondering if i needed to get one for my putter?
Well not only would be protecting your putter, which could be the most expensive club in your bag….BUT also you would be protecting your other clubs as well. Because the putter is soo short, typically, that metal head banging around on the graphite shafts of the other most expensive clubs in your bag…the Driver and metal woods. This could be game over if your were to get a significant ding in a graphite shaft. If you can’t find the right head cover, go to Ebay…they have ‘em all it seams. But I think the are well worth it ! $250 putter + $300 driver shaft…….
Categories: golf putter Tags: Ebay, game, golf putter, Graphite Shaft, Graphite Shafts, hybrids, Seams