Some more golf habits...To describe the sins of golf more golf habits
Habit ‘Nine’The seven deadly sins! The emotions that make up the seven deadly sins of golf are: adoration, anger, anxiety, fear, grief, hate and joy.
We can, within a split second; both adore and hate this game. Joy and anger are sometimes difficult to separate and anxiety, fear and grief reign supreme.
There is however one quality that can control all of these emotions and that is 'patience'. This realises itself best in golf using a picture perfect pre-shot routine.
It was Tiger Woods who said when asked about what he was thinking of before a moment of brilliance or moment of madness on the course, "Patience means we stick to our ritual, hitting the checkpoints we have proven work for us, time after time, shot after shot, right to the end, finishing the game." ´Zen in the Art of Golf` by Joseph McLaughlin. If there were no more golf habits, I would put the pre-shot routine at the top of the pile. I discuss this in full on the private member page and I explain how this piece of choreography is the secret to a perfect swing. I have studied many of the top tour players and find they all have this skill timed to perfection. I would go as far as stating that this routine is almost 90% of the outcome of the shot. I have put together a well choreographied routine that works exceptionally for every level of player.
Go to the private member intro page.
Play the game as described! "God grant me the sincerity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference." Of all the games that have found their way into my life, golf is clearly the most intriguing. Most or all of us have at some time bent the rules of this game. From improving our lie, moving or clearing something that obstructs the swing-path/ball-flight, or not counting that missed 30" putt that you would normally make. How many of us have counted a few of these missed putts as made and called them pars or birdies instead of the bogeys or worse that they really were. We seem to convince ourselves that our playing partners are complete morons who can't count, have trouble seeing and don't understand your version of fair and honest play. I am deliberately not using the word cheat as this would be rather harsh but we are fooling nobody. We do have many more golf habits that are scarring this game.
I know it wasn't an albatross, perhaps one or all of my playing partners that day also knew. But if anyone ever asks me if I have ever had one, I immediately relay the story of my two on that par five. I have however recorded an honest albatross since, again on a par five, and I have been able to substitute some serenity to my claims. I rarely claim to have recorded two albatrosses. I personally see my second one as a wonderful gift from the golf gods and do believe that they have given me a second chance to play this game with the serenity it deserves. So I thank these gods for giving me this peace and say these words to them, "Dear golf gods, grant me the sincerity to accept the way any ball comes to rest, courage to play it as it lies and the wisdom to know that I will never seek to play it any differently."
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I once holed my second shot on a par 5 for my one and only lifetime albatross. It does however grind at me that I improved my lie when my perfect drive found a divot. I have endlessly convinced myself that the middle of the fairway shouldn't be in such disrepair.
