Steven Yellin, in his new book, The Fluid Motion Factor, takes an inordinate amount of time to say a few simple important things. He argues for developing a very soft intention in relation to the outcome of every golf shot, for developing a relaxed mind that trusts the mechanical skills involved in the golf swing […]
The Perils of Golf Instruction
John is my golf instructor. I came for help with my slice. He put my swing on the computer and compared it frame-by-frame with Ernie Els’ swing. Guess what? Els swing looked a lot better than mine! John showed me how I had a bit of a loop in my back swing and came down […]
(Reprinted from PGA MAGAZINE, 3/1/08) A lot has been written by golf professionals about what amateurs need to do to improve, but we read little from amateurs about what PGA professionals need to do to become better instructors. As a psychotherapist, I’ve always been interested in how people change. So, when I’ve gone to see […]
It used to be that mentioning “mindfulness” and “awareness” in connection to sports coaching would be greeted with smirks. One might as well be quoting the golf guru from the film Caddyshack telling his protégé to “just be the ball.” Today, however, fewer people are laughing, as practices derived from Eastern contemplative traditions have found […]
I’ve taken some bad golf lessons, but a recent one was the worst I ever had. I suppose I have to qualify this by specifying that, by “lesson,” I mean formal and paid instruction. Like most golfers, I get useless “tips” all the time, often from friends trying to be helpful. Such tips usually begin […]
The culture of golf thrives on “tips.” Every golf magazine is filled with them. The “Golf Fix” is one of the most popular shows on the Golf Channel. Readers and viewers hungrily devour them, hoping that the next one will be “the” key to a great golf swing or “the” remedy for a poor one. […]