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New Release
The Fairway Of Life
Simple Secrets To Playing Better Golf By Going With The Flow ~
Rand Scott Marquardt
Life & Mental Golf Performance Coach 
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FacebookThe Zone
The Zone is our natural state of being. The Zone is not a place we seek or try or hope to find or get in to, it is us who have taken ourselves out of The Zone. The Zone is like The Sun it is always shining. “Removing the clouds does not cause the sun to shine, but merely reveals what was hidden all along,” Dr. David R. Hawkins.
Therefore, your work, if you so chose to embark upon it, is to one-by-one remove all the obstacles and blocks and clouds that are preventing you from being in The Zone. There are literally hundreds of them with different names. The categories are Fear, Ego, Limited Beliefs, Negative Thoughts, and other foolish self-sabotaging behaviors.
To learn more or to be coached personally pick up a copy of my book, The Fairway of Life, or call me. Only a few will put in the necessary work it takes. Many will give it lip service, and most will do nothing at all. Remember what Einstein said about insanity….repeating the same things over and over again expecting different results. You’ve got to change your energy within to get different results. You got to change your beliefs, your thoughts, your mind-set that get deposited into the treasury of your subconscious mind. Basically, you’ve got to re-create yourself anew becoming the next grandest version of who you really are.
The One Who Wins
“If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.”
–Henry Ford.
The one who wins is always the one who is clearest about his wanting and is most expectant of it. This is law without exception. She prevails because The Universe only knows whatever it is being asked, or desired deep from within – and this vibration within never lies. It is law. If you are scared you gravitate toward that. If you think you can’t, you won’t. If you doubt your abilities, if you are tentative you will reap whatever you are sowing. If you get angry, throw clubs, you take yourself further away from being in The Zone. If you don’t know what you desire, you end up getting that as well. Likewise, if you visualize and see your shot, and you just know you’re hitting a great shot (expect it), you’ll produce the swing and the result. That’s called eagerly anticipating, being on fire, or like Tom Watson likes to say, “licking my chops.” Why not experience more of the good stuff on the golf course? You can if you think you can.
The Universe only responds to our own vibrational energy within. Therefore, it pays to be clear, to set clear intentions, and certainly expect, believe, and know it shall be. Like Nick Faldo likes to say, “We gravitate toward the picture we are painting.” We become what we think. What script has been playing over and over in your mind, in your world, along the fairway of life? Change is an eternal process. You can get back in the game, or you can stay stuck in the mediocrity of your own self-imposed, limited belief comfort zone.
Solution: In order to break free from your own self-imposed comfort zone – and that’s where true growth begins – at the end of your comfort zone, one must choose change, one must choose to be uncomfortable, one must feed the subconscious mind with a new script, a new program that eventually squeezes out the old program that is no longer serving our best interest. You’ve got to deposit more and more of these “new” beneficial beliefs into the treasury of your subconscious mind, which runs 95% of your life. Your conscious mind a mere 5% or less. Will this new adventure be nothing but a bed of roses? Absolutely not! You will most likely venture into the juicy depths, coming face to face with all your demons. Most give up at the first sight of uneasiness when going within. It’s scary to go within. It is the most scary and the most liberating experience of all. So you can choose to play it safe or climb down the rabbit hole and take yourself to as far as you desire. Either way, it’s your call. What do you desire to be next?
Another simple, yet intriguing concept along the fairway of life is in understanding what exactly is going on here? First of all, life just is. Second of all, golf just is. There is only one thing really going on. You are playing a game of golf that man invented. You are hitting a little white ball down a fairway onto a green and putting a little white ball into a hole. That’s it. Nothing more. Now, you can certainly choose to enjoy your experience, to enjoy nature, to enjoy your camaraderie, to have fun and give thanks, to become better than you used to be – no better than anyone else, or not?
In the metaphysical world, the way life really is, as opposed to how you think it is, has no idea what competition is. Competition – truly is not. However, it is man who makes up the rules to the game, the prizes, trophies, medals, or money; man provides the platform to play the game, especially when it comes to tournament play. We put ourselves into a position where there is only one prize. Whereas, (in ultimate reality), there are plenty of prizes to go around. If there is any value in competition it is the stimulating of our own wanting and desires. There is incredible value through our role models in the golf arena; they inspire us to become better than we used to be – to rise up to our fuller potential, to push ourselves into becoming our own hearts desire(s). You are your own toughest opponent and that is whom you are always playing against and within.
So, let’s take a more succinct look at the statement: The one who wins is always the one who is clearest about his wanting and is most expectant of it.
The one is anyone and everyone.
Always means it is law, and it never fails.
Clearest is a mindset of understanding, a feeling of being.
Wanting is a hearts desire.
Expectant is a knowing, and a feeling that it shall be.
Here is another simple truth that may just spark a knowing, an understanding within you – that will allow you to get back on track in this manifesting game. Many human beings have simply given up on wanting because they have not received. The reason they have not received is because deep down underneath they have been given their attention to the lack of what they have wanted rather than to what they have wanted. When you give attention to the lack of what you don’t have – you get that too! The Universe responds equally to what you really, really want and what you really, really don’t want.
Examples of conflicting wanting / asking:
I want to have more money. I can’t stand being broke.
I want to play well; I don’t want to be scared.
I want to win this tournament, but I always seem to choke coming down the stretch.
I was playing so well, how come I end up choking?
I want to be a better golfer, but I’m not very good.
I’m a good range player, how come I can’t take it to the course?
I play well by myself, and I tense up around others.
I’m not a very good golfer.
There are literally thousands of scripts within your subconscious mind that is playing itself out time after time within the confines of your own brain. If you want to change, you’ve got to start writing a new script.
Mental Technique: Focus those last five minutes before bed on good feeling thoughts and what you do want. You marinate on what you are giving your attention, focus, visualization, and imagination upon. See your self as you desire to be. Socrates said, “Be as you wish to seem.”
Enjoy the process of co-creating your own reality.
Conditioned Patterns of Behavior
Our subconscious brain runs everything in our life, including our golf game. Stated another way, we become conditioned to same or similar patterns of behavior time and time again, unless we don’t. Unless we break free and create new neurological pathways. In other words, if we keep thinking the same thoughts, we keep getting the same results. How we play, how we respond, how we score, how we react are all conditioned patterns of behavior. It’s almost like clockwork. Over time these conditioned patterns of behavior fall into the realm of being in our comfort zone. Anything on either side of this comes across as a miracle, a fluke, being on, being off, or sometimes an outright aberration. However, for most of us we continue to stay stuck in the confines of mediocrity; within a few shots either side of our comfort zone. Our actual comfort zone can actually be pin pointed to a single score.
Finding Your Comfort Zone – page 279
Our Comfort Zone is actually comprised of a single score, while our general Comfort Zone in golf may on the surface appear to be three or four strokes either side of our actual Comfort Zone. It’s easy to find this single score. Once we find this score, we acknowledge it, know longer are we disillusioned or in denial. Applying the Mental Edge Golf Technique (MEGT) to our Comfort Zone can be a very enlightening experience.
It’s important for you to know your own Comfort Zone, without any self-deception, in order to start the process of lowering it. I also suggest you complete this procedure on a daily or perhaps weekly basis. How much time you invest in your own mental game is a direct match to what you reap.
Imagine lowering your Comfort Zone by a few strokes, or even a single digit or two. In the world of professional golf, the difference between averaging 69.5 and 70 could very well be millions of dollars. For many it’s the difference between making the cut, or not?
Here’s how you find your Comfort Zone. For the actual process of lowering it, buy the book, or let me Coach you.
Step One: Pick a score that is several strokes higher than what you normally shoot on your home course. The idea being that the first time you finish the statement, you will feel confident; it will feel true for you.
Example: I would pick 83 and begin there. If I were to play only 9 holes I would pick 42. Eighty-three, and forty-two is much higher than I normally shoot.
Step Two: Complete the following statement and then answer yes or no.
Statement: “I am confident I can consistently shoot _____ 83, answer (yes).
Step Three: Keep on repeating this process, one stroke at a time lower and you will get a feel for your own game. Keep on doing this until you get uncomfortable and you can no longer with 100 percent certainty say that you can consistently shoot that score.
Example: “I am confident that I can consistently shoot _____ 83 (yes), 82 (yes), 81 (yes), 80 (yes), 79 (yes), 78 (yes), 77 (yes), 76 (ah…no, can’t quite claim 76 consistently).” So, shooting 77 is my actual Comfort Zone number. The score just above where I could no longer say I can consistently shoot. Shooting a 76 (trombones) raised a doubt in my mind. I’ve just discovered my Comfort Zone. Have I shot 76 before, certainly! I also shot a few 70’s, 71’s, 72’s, 73,’s, 74’s, and 75’s. Besides my Comfort Zone limitation, shooting in the 60’s is also one of my self-limiting barriers that I wish to break through. I’ve only done it twice in my life.
Note: Disappointment is the understanding that we have settled for less than what we know we are capable of. Knowledge of this is critical to your ongoing and ultimate success. Most people want to think they are better than what their Comfort Zone tells them. It is okay to feel this disappointment. You’re supposed to feel slightly upset with yourself that you are not quite playing golf to your full potential. That’s what this book and my message is all about.
So, now that you know this what do you do to improve? One must change their internal programming in order to change what they get. It starts with your thoughts. You must create new thoughts that support your intention. What is your intention? What is your goal? What do you desire to experience yourself as? The MEGT will give you, your mind, body, and soul an opportunity to change and create new focus and beliefs.
In order to change, you’ve got to change your own internal paradigm. You’ve got to acquire new neurons and pathways to emerge from your new thoughts. You’ve got to believe it and practice it everyday. You’ve got to imagine the event happening already and it will find you. You’ve got to allow it to happen, and you cannot force it. You’ve got to feel it and actually become it before it has even happened. You’ve got to act as if it is already so. Then, the field of quantum mechanics and physics becomes a match to you.
My whole book can be summed up in one sentence – I’m gonna be a 5-handicap golfer…by July 4th. The time agenda need not be there either…I just didn’t want to procrastinate. Once I became a 5-handicap I set a new intention. “I’m gonna be a 2-handicap by the end of summer.” I ended that year at a 1.2 handicap index.
From this statement of intention, you don’t have to know how. Okay! Why, because that’s how The Universe works. The how’s will be shown to you when and only when you have fully committed. If you see the steps of how it’s unfolding, then that’s not it! Trust it, and it will unfold without your knowing of how. It will come even more wonderful than what you may have imagined. That’s exactly how the how’s started coming into my experience. The end result was even more incredible than I imagined it to be.
And – even before I set the intention, if I hadn’t done the internal work within myself, I wouldn’t have been able to get to the point to actually believe and trust the Universe / God in this process of creation. It would have been all woo woo kind of stuff, which most likely is for many of you. So, I get it…and each is on there own journey. There are plenty of paths, no one path better than another. I just share my message and what worked for me and believe me, I have dealt with plenty of demons and challenges and adversity on my way – and still do! It’s about keeping on!
Like I state in my book, The Fairway of Life, if you set an intention, or dream your dream and end up saying…but, or yeah but, or any number of negative statements, you end up killing the whole thing. I also give an in depth technique to lower our comfort zone. Like anything else, few will do it, some will only listen, and others will do nothing at all.
Life is like a circle. It is as simple, and as complex as that!
Behavior & Demeanor on the Golf Course
Unedited expression from Jack Zlotow
I’ve been able to incorporate into my golf thought process a couple of the principles in Rand’s book “The Fairway of Life.” I’m not playing a lot of golf this year. In fact, I’ve been on the course a total of six times. So - using his techniques in an effort to lower my handicap by a few strokes in one year wasn’t in the cards for me. I don’t know anybody who could pull that feat off by playing, on average, once a month or so. There are a couple of principles I’ve taken to heart that have increased my enjoyment of the game - and probably caused my golfing partners to enjoy playing with me more than they otherwise would have.
Let me back up a little. I’ve had a volcanic temper on the golf course since at least high school, when Rand and I would regularly play together - and regularly witness each other coughing up some titanic tantrums. I’d not only throw clubs - if I really lost it, I was famous for throwing my whole golf bag, clubs, balls, tees all flying. My playing partners were either disgusted by my behavior, or they’d try to stifle laughing at me behind my back. God help them if I actually saw them laughing at me . . .
That type of behavior on the course, unfortunately, stayed with me well into my adult life, finally moderating somewhat in the last couple of years. But - I’ve still had those moments that made me feel quite silly after I calmed down - if I calmed down - and made my playing partners uneasy being around me.
I finished reading “The Fairway of Life” early this summer. Shortly thereafter, I had occasion to play golf with three old friends I graduated high school with. Two of the three don’t play a lot of golf and aren’t accomplished golfers, but they’re a lot of fun to play with. The other plays a game close to mine, though I’ve played a lot more golf than him over the years and should beat head to head seven out of 10 times. The old Jack Zlotow would’ve been all keyed up on the first hole, intent on showing all three that I can still play like “the old days,” even though that was my third time on the course in 2010. I would’ve wound up, tried to smack it hard, and probably snap hooked it 160 or so yards - and maybe out of bounds. The day would likely have slid downhill from there. But this time something was different. On the way to the course, I was thinking over and over about one of Rand’s core principles -”Golf is Supposed to be Fun!” Here I was, on a picture perfect day, playing with three guys I’ve known for more than 35 years, and there was no way I was going to ruin it by trying to impress them that I could still play like I did in my 20s and 30s when I was playing four, five times a week. My plan was simple - I was going to enjoy the day, no matter how I played. “Golf is Supposed to be Fun.” And I enjoyed the round immensely, even though I shot 91, which is 10 - 15 shots worse than the scores I shot on that same course when I played it often and was at the top of my game.
The other principle I’ve embraced, and certainly embraced that day, is accepting the shot - great shots, good shots, lousy shots. It takes a while to learn to embrace bad golf shots, but you can do it. You let your mind wander a little, you’re not focused on the present, and you bungle a shot - skull it out of the bunker, push it 30 yards right of target. I certainly make those kind of shots, but instead of steaming on my way to the ball to make the next shot, I accept the result and do my best to recover. I’ve been able to calm myself down, and it’s helped me stay in the moment. It’s helped me stay on track and not ruin my whole round because I’ve made one or two bad shots.
Maybe next year I’ll be in position to play a lot of golf again, and if I am, I’ll apply Rand’s principles in a different fashion. For this year, these principles have allowed me to enjoy the game and keep from being uptight, and that’s more than enough for me.
Competitive Spirit & Temper
Competitive Spirit & Temper
Even Tiger Woods can do “better”…
I’ve been, wanting to write about this apparent insidious dichotomy for quite some time. For most of us having a competitive driven spirit with a burning desire to be our best almost seems to go hand in hand with short outbursts of temper tantrums whenever we hit what we consider a bad shot, or we at least give it some internal muttering. Does it have to be this way? Do you have a choice to be angry or not? What I have come to understand is to take the high road whenever I can when it comes to this apparent catch-22. Is it a perfect science, absolutely not! Like all of life, it’s an eternal process to become better than you used to be. You want to get so mad at yourself then finally you decide not too. That’s a big change and a big adjustment in most of our set patterns of behavior. And it is possible to do this WITHOUT losing one ounce of competitive fire, only to gain a “better” golf game in the long run! Is it possible to not lose your temper after a “bad” golf shot and still play your best from here on out? ABSOLUTELY! What do you think?
Geoff Ogilvy came to this understanding of taking the high road several years ago. Now look at his demeanor, without losing one ounce of his competitive fire. In an interview with John Huggan from Golf Digest after winning the 2006 US Open, Ogilvy shared some enlightening insights that he has come to understand with his golf game.
Q: As a young player, were you impatient on the golf course?
A: Oh, yeah. I was horrendous. I could hit five good shots in a row, then one bad one. I’m sure I was a nightmare when I was 16 or 17, as many at that age are.
Q: What sort of stuff did you do?
A: I’d throw clubs around. I broke a few. I used a lot of four-letter words. The temper stuff is easy to fix psychologically. You either get angry or you don’t get angry; you have a choice.
A: I realize now that I was getting angry for everyone else around me, not for me. When you get that, that’s the day you fix it. When you play by yourself, you never smack the bag with the club, or get angry…ever…because there’s no audience. That’s my theory, anyway. After you hit a shot you get angry because you want the person you’re trying to impress to think that you’re better than this. I think that’s the root of it for nine out of ten people. The other one is purely psycho.
Which one are you? Which one am I? Which one is Tiger?
Tiger Woods is still in the process of working through his own self-criticism and impatient issues. He gets mad at himself and drops some four-letter words, or uses the Lord’s name in vain, which I think is just a habit of attraction, not an intentional jab at God or Jesus. He’s stubborn, like many of us, as the day is long. He still thinks he has to get mad at himself whenever he hits a less than desirable shot to keep his fire and competitive spirit, which, by the way, I am certainly not judging. I am merely observing. I have been there most of my adult life.
Tiger states it this way after his comeback tied for 4th place finish in The Masters, “I received some criticism for bad language, which I apologized for immediately after Saturday’s round,” Woods said on his blog. “It’s tough when you’re in a competitive environment and in the flow of a tournament. I’m not perfect. All I can say is I’m trying to do everything I can without losing my fire and competitive spirit.”
The world’s most mentally tough athlete and golfer still struggles with his anger and foul language – perhaps it’s a habitual patterned response? He later apologizes as he seeks to work through this negative perception he is giving the public as a most recognized role model.
The real question is can one control, manage, or “be with” their apparent disgust of their “bad” golf shot while still keeping every bit of their competitive juices flowing? I say absolutely a resounding YES, but I invite you to experiment and experience it on your own. I shared some of this talk with the Petoskey High School golf team recently. Now I share it with a wider audience. These concepts and more are mentioned in my book, The Fairway of Life. Please visit me at http://golfissupposedtobefun.com and sign up for my free newsletter too!
Insights Along The Fairway of Life
Embrace the highs and the lows along the fairway of life.
Most will believe that “seeing is believing.” I say that, “believing is seeing” along the fairway of life.
Daily meditation equals greater awareness and clear focus along the fairway of life.
When I awake I intend and plan for a good day. My anticipation attracts and draws those experiences into my life along the fairway of life.
Reach for the best feeling thought along the fairway of life.
The moment you stop paddling upstream against the current and let the stream turn you in the direction of Well-Being is the moment you find relief along the fairway of life.
In order to BE our best we must become a match to who we say we wish to BE along the fairway of life.
Dialogue With Golf Enthusiast John Rowe
There is nothing more thrilling than a willing student!
John Rowe came to see me personally this past summer upon reading the article in the Petoskey News-Review regarding the releasing of my new book, The Fairway of Life. He just had to have an autographed copy and connect with me personally. I am so grateful he did. As it turns out he remembers my dad from many years ago. I recently received an e-mail from him and asked him if I could share it with all of you. I also provide some of my own feedback and questions back to John. Thanks John! Here’s to keeping on…
Rand,
I finally finished, “The Fairway of Life”. The delay was due mostly to a great September for golf! For the first half of the book it seemed a little like one of my pastor’s sermons; I found myself saying, “I get it, I get it!” Then for the rest of the book, I couldn’t get enough because I REALLY did get it! This is a must read for any golfer whether he’s there already or has lots of room for improvement.
John, interesting that you mention the part about a pastor’s sermon. That’s exactly what I thought I would be asked to become when I fully surrendered to God. I went on to ask John if in his opinion everyone could benefit from the messages in the book, including say a Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson?
As for Tiger and his peers, if there is such a thing, it seems to me that ANYONE can benefit from a continuing education. That is to say, if they live with an open mind, then they are receptive to new and enlightening concepts; much like rereading the Bible or other spiritual writings. NO ONE got it all the first time through! And surprisingly, many of these very talented athletes will mention a book about their field they have recently read. Phil Mickelson is taking, as well as giving, short game lessons; doesn’t that indicate a continuing desire to learn and teach? My answer is a resounding YES, to your question!
A good teacher teaches what they need to learn even more. Practice the Infallible Formula: cause another to become that which you desire to be even more. Phil does this with his short game video, and Tiger with his clinics.
As a result of reading your book, I have developed for myself 4 main thoughts in anticipation of playing a round:
1) SEE THE BALL, BE THE BALL!
This encompasses all the various swing thoughts such as grip, setup, alignment, spine angle, clubface angle, etc.
2) LET IT HAPPEN!
For me, this replaces my “slow the tempo” thought, which I need when I start to rush my backswing because of a previous miss hit.
3) I AM LIVING THE DREAM!
This a “warm fuzzy” thought on my way to the course to tell myself I am the luckiest guy in the world! It is also a great “comforter” on the course should I begin to doubt why I play the game.
4) I AM A CHAMPION!
The use of this phrase is self-explanatory!!
I put these to use the other day as I played Hawk’s Eye with friends and it really does work! The weather was windy and 45F; why go to Scotland? I played some of my best golf although my score wasn’t great. I three-putted too often.
Just got back from playing 18 at Little Traverse Bay today (10/18) 46F and breezy; my partner was very impressed with my game and I did not tell him of your book yet, because I didn’t want his unsolicited observation tainted. He says something wonderful has changed in my game. As a note to you for future reference, his name is R** L********; just so you know a name of a real person who didn’t know before hand what he was seeing!!
Thanks for the walk,
John Rowe
Coaching Andrew Ruthkoski
Andrew is both hungry and humble and now wants to play on the PGA Tour more than ever. I invite him to keep dreaming his dream and visualizing upon the kind of golfer he desires to be. Be as you wish to seem. Act as if it is so. Paint the picture and gravitate towards that. Walk, talk, play, and carry yourself like the champion that you are…all the while lightening up and having fun along the fairway of life. Not to take anything too serious here either. Isn’t being spiritual a weird thing? I know Andrew belongs, now it’s just a matter for him to realize that, similar to Baggar Vance. What will Andrew chose to be next? What will Andrew chose to do next?
Andrew and I texted back and forth on the phone and spoke at length from his disappointing return from Q-School last night while returning from South Carolina. 71-70-69-69 is nothing to be ashamed about. This time he missed by two shots. He has made it to stage II before. For the most part from tee to green his game is pretty darn good. It’s his putting that got the best of him on this particular trip and occasionally he gets ahead of himself out of the present moment thinking he must birdie future holes he hasn’t played yet. I also invite Andrew to think of a lie as just a lie, no judgments, simply an observation. Then commit to the shot.
At Q-School his putting let him down and a few other minor lapses. Like all of us, Andrew occasionally sends mixed messages to himself prior to executing his shots. I call this “vibrational energy” we are feeling. On certain shots he may think where he doesn’t want the ball to go, he sometimes gets in the mindset of having to guide it, and then when it comes to putting and certain shots he, “Wants to lose the junk and mixed messages, a feeling that I want to get rid of.” He said he has played and putted extremely well for the last three months, “now I couldn’t read the grain.” He got into a funk on the green unless he stiffed his shots. Notice when he said he couldn’t…that’s the energy we get back in return, usually in the form of a missed putt. Jack Nicklaus never made a putt that he first didn’t already make in his mind, in how he was visualizing it. There’s a feeling of allowing it v ersus resisting it.
I explain to Andrew that this vibrational energy is about aligning to the Well-Being and allowing that in. It’s about creating more and more beneficial beliefs and not trying to get rid of anything. That’s how we change. With golf shots or anything else we are either allowing the Well-Being in, going with the flow, or we are resisting, kinking up the flow. Resistance comes in many forms. In golf we call them demons: fear, negative thoughts, mixed messages, a limited belief about ourselves, and other foolish self-sabotaging behaviors like; anger; frustration, trying to impress others; or wanting something so badly we end up pushing it further away.
This Well-Being is what golfers call being in The Zone, pure positive energy flowing to and through us in the present moment. We are either allowing this in, or we are resisting it. To be more mentally tough is creating a champions or winner’s self-image by depositing more and more beneficial beliefs into the treasury of our sub-conscious mind. I also provide more insights about these and other enlightening golf mindsets in my new book, The Fairway of Life: Simple Secrets To Playing Better Golf By Going With The Flow. Remember the shot produces the swing, not the other way around.
Andrew knows he has two choices, and one of them doesn’t count. He can either evolve forward becoming better tomorrow than he is today…through his new awareness, or he can quit? Champion’s all overcame adversity by keeping on! Andrew’s asking to become better…and The Universe is answering. You must ASK! Now it is up to Andrew to allow it in. As we send our positive vibes to Andrew they return back to us.
Keep on keeping on!
Be as you wish to seem,
“Coach” Marquardt
Life & Mental Golf Performance Coach
Sport & Athletic Administration, MA
Inspiring Excellence Within!
* The one who wins is always the one who is clearest about his wanting and is most expectant of it. Expectation lies in our vibrational energy and it never lies. It is law. It’s a belief and a feeling of confidence in ourselves, or not? I invite you to post your comments at: http://golfissupposedtobefun.com
Tiger Woods Gives Putting Tip To Sean O’Hair
Day one in the final match of the Fed-Ex Tour Championship on The Golf Channel found Sean O’Hair at the top of the leader board leading Woods, Padraig Harrrington, and Stewart Cink by one shot. And to think on Wednesday’s practice round Sean got a putting tip from Tiger to help sharpen his putting stroke.
Imagine someone helping another while competing with or against each other for the same prize. Well, in my new world I know now that my own toughest opponent is myself, and in ultimate reality I’m really not playing against another. However, competition can stimulate our own desire to become better. All the while we help ourselves by helping others – that’s called the infallible formula. I write about these kinds of concepts (and more) in my new book, The Fairway of Life. Tiger practices mentoring and helping others to become even better themselves. As he does, Tiger naturally becomes better himself. I suggest that you practice this wisdom from the ages as well. Cause another to become what you desire to be even more.
The Putting Lesson
“De-lofting” was Wednesday’s lesson and seems to be the key to O’Hair’s newfound confidence with his flat stick. “I tend to deloft the putter and take it a little too square going back,” O’Hair explained, after telling reporters that Woods’ tips were “a little too complicated for you guys.” Woods suggested that O’Hair add loft to the putter for a freer release through the shot. “If you take it straight back and you deloft it,” O’Hair noted, “you’ve got to hang onto it going through or the ball is going to go dead left.” You have to open up the blade going back in order to properly release the putter blade coming through. *Hint – one of those putting arcs from your local PGA professional will help guide you, unless of course you’re tight with Tiger :).
O’Hair says he has much work to do to elevate his putting. “I’m not even close to doing exactly what [Woods] told me to,” he said. “Let’s face it, [my putting] is kind of what’s held me back for a long time.” The guy has a point. While he’s 17th on the PGA Tour in birdies and scoring averages, O’Hair’s 29.61 putts per round has him languishing in the 159th position.
When asked what’s it like taking tips from the world’s best golfer? O’Hair responded, “Getting advice from good players is obviously awesome,” O’Hair said. “But getting it from basically the greatest of all time is pretty cool.” Woods’ good will was no surprise to O’Hair. “We all know how…great of a player [Woods] is,” O’Hair said. “But I think the thing that impresses me more is the quality of guy he is.” The fact that his golf guru is also his opponent was not lost on O’Hair. “I mean, I’m his competition, and for him to help me out like he did was very classy,” he said. The teacher, for his part, was happy to assist. “It’s very simple,” Woods told reporters. “You always help your friends.”
Having Fun
…And did anyone else pick up on Sean’s comments about taking golf too seriously after the putting tips dialogue? Seems everyone wants to write and talk about Tiger giving advice, which is obviously very cool. O’Hair went on to say that for the last 6-7 weeks he wasn’t having as much fun, kind of down on his game. He said, paraphrasing, ‘after all, this is my profession and I’m supposed to take it seriously [he thought]. Yet when I arrived here I decided to let it all go and was just going to relax more and have fun.’ Sean allowed himself to relax and have some fun with his golf. That’s the big reminder to all of us. How easy it is to fall into the trap that it’s serious. Next thing you know we’re not having fun and our scoring reflects that. So, lighten up and have fun with it! Even professionals have to catch themselves from spiraling downward with the fun quotient. All it takes is a simple shift in perspective and many will not allow themselves to “go there” and have fun – they want to take it sooooo damn serious until it kills em. Have fun and lighten up for God’s sake!!! When you’re having fun, the scoring will take care of itself.
Appreciate & Go With The Flow ~
Going with the flow along the fairway of life means giving up control of trying so hard to figure it out, which usually brings frustration. (Believe me – I have tried to do it this way for 36 years of my golfing life). It means you’ve got to get out of your own way and allow the Well-Being in. It means you’ve got to get out of your head and into your heart space. Stop trying so hard to figure it out and surrender to the pure positive energy that is always flowing through you.
This pure positive energy is what golfers and athletes have come to call The Zone. In order to experience this comes the wisdom that you are not doing it. It is being done through you. You just have to let it be done and allow it to be. Let it be easy is the mantra. This is the simple secret that you have been asking for – and you already know it. I am just reminding you to the understanding of how life really works. The best and quickest way to get into this state of being in The Zone is by being in a state of complete and utter appreciation.
What all athletes and golfers really want is the freedom and understanding to fully express them selves. What all athletes and golfers really want is to play to their full potential - being resistant free or in a state of allowing. I am here to remind you that life is an eternal process and we will never get it all done. The spice of life is living joyfully in this gap between where you are now and where you desire to be next.
I am here to remind you that surrendering to this God or Life Force takes courage – perhaps the most courageous thing you will ever do is surrender. I believe that God wants you to know that nothing will be asked of you, lest what you are asking of yourself. Surrendering can seem like the most scary and most liberating experience of all – practically in the same breath.
So, stop trying so hard to figure it and find relief by dropping the oars. Stop trying so hard to figure out your golf game and golf swing. Instead of paddling really, really hard against the current upstream…learn to go with the flow paddling downstream where all the good stuff lies.
What to improve and get better? Set the intention and take action – the how’s will be shown along the fairway of life as soon as you make the commitment. Most are afraid to set an intention and therefore keep getting more of the same. For a more detailed description of this power that lies within pick up a copy of my new book, The Fairway of Life: Simple Secrets To Playing Better Golf By Going With The Flow ~. I eagerly look forward to your feedback.
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