“Drunken Monkey” Driving Your Game?

(This is the first of a five part series inspired by yoga’s systemization of inner wisdom on the ‘Qualities of Mind’ and their applications to golf performance) 

Even when sober, monkeys jump randomly from one branch to the next.  Is this how you are approaching your golf game?

“The lowest level of the mind can be likened to that of a drunken monkey swinging from branch to branch: thoughts, feelings, and perceptions come and go in rapid succession.  We are hardly aware of them.” T.K.V. Desikachar

On the golf course, ‘monkey mind’ might sound like this: ‘Don’t hit it left. Keep your right elbow in, left arm straight. If you miss this putt, you’ll look like an idiot. These golf pants make me look fat. Squirrel!‘ All of this occurs within 1/2 second over a golf shot. This level of randomly letting the mind hop from one swing thought and feeling to the next will not produce quality golf shots or consistency.

We must first become aware of the ‘monkey mind’, then distract the distractor with a single point of focus. . .something useful (like a healthy banana) or a positive swing focus.  Steer the monkey driving your cart in a constructive direction. Leave the mental ‘branch hopping’ to the other monkeys on the course.

Dodie Mazzuca is the founder of Golf PROformance and teaches golf and mindset programs in Santa Cruz, CA.