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It's Too Late
Or is it? For your golf game? For your life? For the planet? To make a difference instead of just a living? I respectfully disagree. Click above on Carole King and cat companion and give a listen to the tune from her 1971 album Tapestry. Then c'mon back my way (it won't be too late) for some ideas on how to find - oh, it's there - right in front of you - the time for better performance on and off the links, as Autumn '18 looks you straight in the eye...
"Stayed in bed all mornin' just to pass the time
There's somethin' wrong here, there can be no denyin'
One of us is changin', or maybe we've just stopped tryin'"
Indeed - I'm guessing something's 'wrong' with how your golf ball is behaving:
- Not traveling far enough.
- Unable to start the sphere in the desired direction.
- The nugget insists on curving - while you insist on attempting to make it go straight.
Or, perhaps - worse yet - you are denyin' the fact that you can better manage its journeys around the golf park? Denyin' the reality that ever single time you put the peg in the ground, a brand and beautifully new adventure is awaiting? I know: you crave 'consistency,' sameness - hoping things will go just as you've planned. Indeed, you are in denial.
Yes, things are changing, amigos. But don't stop tryin'...
"Somethin' inside has died, and I can't hide
And I just can't fake it, oh, no, no"
Amen, Ms. King. Perhaps that old swing (or swing thought) has died. Or that trusty putter needs to be buried for something that could improve your steps on the dance floor. And the super-stiff driver with minimal loft that worked so well decades ago needs to be 'cremated' in favor of something that launches the ball higher, and farther.
Stop hiding. Stop faking. Isn't that just one of the things we cherish about this game? The costume you zip yourself into in other walks of life (how is your accountability there, people?) doesn't cut it on the links, does it now? "Oh, no, no."
'Cause this game (and others) will humiliate you. At each & every opportunity. And that, fellow golfers, is perhaps is greatest gift... Read on. It's not too late.
"It ain't about ball"
All-Pro L.A. Rams cornerback Marcus Peters' words atop image, re Tariq Azim's (pictured on the right) Front Street gym, Empower. And neither is the pastime we call "golf." You think what Azim teaches, preaches, and the experiences the athletes have under his roof, can't help with your game? I respectfully disagree, Part II. Click above to read the ESPN piece - it's never too late...
Fistful of CS takeaways, for your endeavors with ball and stick in the golfpark - and all other walks in life:
- "Azim teaches 'humility,' he says, and if NFL guys (and ESPN writers) struggle to lift even their own bodies, perhaps they will pick up on the deeper lesson of our temporality, how death is coming regardless and if one 'prepares for death,' one can seize each day fully, be not just a sack leader but a great husband, father, brother, human."
You seizing each day, preparing for death (oh, it'll come - like a miss-hit shot during your next round of golf), accepting that all is impermanent, and evolving daily as a golfer and denizen of the planet?
"Azim told them that they'd die anyway and that they needed to prepare for it, much as he had as a boy growing up in war-torn Afghanistan. By preparing for death, they could fully realize the gift that was life, and live as fully realized people, not just myopic professional athletes. None of this would be easy. To move beyond fear, they -- tough NFL players and combat sport pros -- had to first acknowledge they were fearful, which meant allowing themselves to be vulnerable, which meant being honest with themselves and everyone who walked into the gym."
- The gift of life. Vulnerability. Honesty. Jot those words/thoughts down on your scorecard before you next tee it - and read them on every hole. You think there's some magical swing tip that's gonna transform your game, or swing? Think again...
- "For Azim's faithful -- and they are 'not normal people,' he says of the iconoclasts and castoffs of the NFL and combat sports -- the workouts aren't only about getting 'comfortable with discomfort' but metaphors on the redeeming qualities of the human condition.
And you are not 'normal' either, boys & girls. Not some tech or trendy teacher's 'average.' Ever feel like a 'castoff' yourself? I understand, and you are not alone. 'Comfortable with discomfort?' Yes! Come for a dose at one of my upcoming Train2Trust sessions...
- "For Azim, emotional resilience and even physical strength are born from the moments that humble us."
Hence - so many fabulous opportunities and room for growth during a round of golf, huh?
Baloney Detection Kit
Garrett Chaussard's kit of this type is brimming... He's done as much research on the topic as anyone (+ his own experiences as a fantastic player, putter and teacher), and he's coming to Eugene Country Club this Saturday.
It's not too late to secure a spot!
The lowdown, below. More on Garrett by clicking on his image.
“Putting Truths & Myths”
Seminar with guest instructor Garrett Chaussard, PGA + private instruction
Saturday, October 20
Seminar: 9 AM – 12 noon in the ECC Clubhouse
Cost: $75 per person
Individual sessions: 2 PM – 6 PM
Cost: $125 per person
SPACE IS LIMITED!!
To reserve a spot in either the seminar, or to schedule a one-on-one putting session with Garrett,
please contact me:
CSmith@EugeneCountryClub.com
or
Christopher@ChristopherSmithGolf.com
"You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late,"
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
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