Zen Golf

When you play a round of golf it is easy to think too much. During a five-hour round of golf you are only in the act of swinging a club for one to two minutes. A swing takes about one second and assuming you have an average score of ninety means you have swung the club for approximately two minutes. What happens the other four hours and fifty-eight minutes?
 
A player will think about their score, what happened on the last hole, good or bad, business plans, family events, playing partners, and a myriad of other thoughts. Some very negative.
 
It is ok to have these thoughts but you should be getting back to the present. What is the next shot and how should I approach it? It comes to the old saying “Stay in the present and it’s one shot at a time”.
 
In meditation, a person repeats a mantra over and over until they are thinking of nothing. The body gets calm and relaxed. This is what needs to happen during your round. Turn a negative into a positive.
 
Whenever a thought that does not deal with the present comes into your mind you need to flush it out. A good way of doing this is to focus on your breathing. Air through the nose and out through the mouth. The thought is ok to have but the quicker it is gone the better. The extra oxygen is also good for your body chemistry.
 
You will hear a great player talk about being in the zone. They are staying in the present and focusing on the shot at hand. From that shot they are instantly thinking of the next shot taking everything in. Wind, slopes, pin position, shot shape and body chemistry all can be observed in the present.
 
Zen in golf emphasizes enlightenment for a player by the most direct possible means. Finding a technique to help stay in the present by the most direct possible means is our objective. When you are staying in the present, your mission is accomplished.