Dr_Parent

When you have an unusual or awkward stance for a golf shot, the unfamiliar feeling can distract you from your focus on executing the swing you need to make. The more familiar you get with the feeling of your stance and the angle of your swing, the more comfortable you’ll be playing the shot.

Take the club you intend to swing, and assume the stance you intend to take. Waggle the club a bit, feeling what it will be like to swing from that position. Let your body get used to the way ...

Working backwards from your goal is often helpful. Here’s a swing key that uses that approach.

Make a practice swing with a mid-iron into what you and your instructor agree is a good finish position. Hold that finish for a few seconds, with as much awareness of how your body feels as possible, thinking, “This is the finish I want to get to at the end of my swing.” Do this several times to ingrain the feeling.

When you play, make a practice swing before each shot, holding ...

Use at least part of your practice time to toughen yourself for competition. Have putting contests on the practice green, with friends or as self-competitions against a target score. Practice in the short game area until you get up and down a certain number of times. Hit shots out of a bunker until you get a certain number within six feet of the hole.

Gary Player took his self-competition and the added pressure very seriously. He was once late for a dinner party he was hosting at ...

The bigger deal we make of any shot, the more fear we have about a poor result. It can be a fear of failure if it’s a short putt to win a hole, a fear of ruining a good round if it’s your last tee shot, or a fear of embarrassment if it’s your first tee shot and people are watching.

It doesn’t do any good to deny the fact that we have fear. We know that isn’t true. But we don’t have to give in to fear- we can go beyond it.

To go beyond fear you first have to recognize ...

There’s a difference between having a thought come to mind and putting it into motion. You can think about playing a risky shot, but you don’t have to listen to that “bright idea.” How many strokes would you save if you took a moment to reflect on the consequence of a decision, rather than just acting on impulse?

Well into a round you may have the thought of playing a fairway wood to carry over a water hazard fronting the green. You can either listen to that thought, or ask yourself, ...

Golfers sometimes get so concerned with hitting the ball that they forget that the purpose of the swing is to send the ball toward their target. That’s why you see some practice swings that look pretty good, passing through the bottom of the swing arc, sweeping along the grass in the direction of the target.

Then they step up to the ball and chop down on it as if they are using an axe to split a log. They are swinging as if the ball is their target.

It’s a problem if ...

Best-selling Books, Audio Books & Instructional DVD Series

NEW: The Zen Golf Deck


Audiobook downloads are available at Amazon.com and iTunes

Find them at ZenGolf.com, GolfSmart.com, Amazon.com, & Book

...

Individual and Small Group Golf Instruction

Full Day or Half-Day “ZEN GOLF Experience”
Hourly Lessons – Practice Area, On-Course, and/or Phone Consultations

“ZEN GOLF Experience” (at the Ojai Valley Inn or your own event venue)
Components:
Zen Golf Mental Game Seminar (meeting room venue)
Routine and Practice Principles (instruction, exercises, and drills in
practice areas for putting, short game, and full swing)
...

Conferences, Meetings, In-house Training Programs:

Keynote Speaker – large group speeches; 45-90 minutes. Topics include “Bounce Back,” “Riding the Waves,” and “At the Top of Your Game” – ideal messages for challenging times. Also applicable as dinner or luncheon speeches.

In-house Training Seminars – for staff and/or management. Small group interactive training and discussion; from 90 minutes to full day, as well as ongoing weekly or monthly progressive programs. ...

“Dr. Parent has been a great influence on my mental game. ZEN GOLF is the best book at connecting golf and the mind together. It’s for everyone, it really helps, and you’re really going to enjoy it.”
— Vijay Singh, World’s #1 Ranked Golfer 2004-2005

Dr. Joe Parent has coached the mental game in business, life and golf for over 25 years.

After completing his Ph.D. in psychology in 1979, Dr. Joe trained in the tradition of mindful awareness practice, developing ...