Golf Aversions: It’s Going To Be A Bumpy Ride. ‘I hate this hole! I despise slow play! I can’t stand unsolicited advice!’ Sound familiar? AVERSION is the flip side of desire. Listed as one of the five human afflictions, aversion is the negative form of the ego’s relationship to worldly objects. When we are living in our limited state […]
‘I desire to have NO desires!’ DESIRE and ATTACHMENT (‘raga’ in Sanskrit) are listed as one of the five afflictions of the human condition. Attachment accompanies pleasure and it can easily sabotage our games and our mindset. A desire rooted in the perception of ‘incompleteness’ is the basic impulse of the ego. The ego will collect information, experiences, possessions and the latest and greatest new […]
Just like our ‘favorite’ oak tree guarding the par 3 (you know the one), our mentally sabotaging origins can be traced back to one deep seeded affliction: FORGETFULNESS (avidya in Sanskrit). It’s also translated as “not seeing, non-wisdom, and/or ignorance.” Avidya is the basic thing we do when we forget who we really are. . .our unlimited potential over […]
Standing over those nerve rattling 3 footers can often do more harm than good. When reading the green, don’t over think the line. Usually our first ‘instinct’ is the correct line and then we talk ourselves out of the right choice. Also, spending less time over the ball means less time for doubt and tension […]
Listed as one of the five afflictions of the human condition in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, Egoism (Sanskrit: asmita) can destroy our golf experience. The Ego’s attachment to a golf score and it’s influence on personal worthiness can bring our progress to a screeching halt. We’ve all been there. . . Consoling playing partners will mercifully utter after a bad […]
When attempting to hit over a bunker, new golfers will often try and ‘scoop’ or ‘lift’ the ball in the air. Contemplate the opposite! Golf throws us yet another paradox: TO MAKE THE BALL GO UP, HIT DOWN. Use your most lofted club and smoothly hit down at the back of the ball (then brush the […]
(This is the fifth of a five part series inspired by yoga’s systemization of inner wisdom and the ‘Qualities of Mind’) “In yoga (and golf) we are simply trying to create the conditions in which the mind becomes as useful as possible for our actions.” –T.K.V. Desikachar Like the calm eye of a hurricane, as mindful golfers we can […]
Obvious, but often over looked, is the importance of a sharp short game. Flubbed approach shots, bad bounces and missed fairways are unavoidable because of the complicated motion of the full swing. No one is immune. . .(even the best golfers in the world). How do we survive the inevitable? With a SKILLFUL SHORT GAME THAT MAKES UP FOR […]