Dealing with the “Highs and Lows” in Golf

Golf is a game that is a great representation of life in general. How are you going to handle the variety of outcomes that come your way? Are you going to be so attached to the idea of success that you are totally miserable when things aren’t going your way? Or are you going to learn how to be steady in the midst of success and failure? The reason why Tiger Woods continues to be so successful is because he has mastered the art of detachment. Unlike many sports writers who consistently question Tiger when he has a bad week, Tiger understands that it is the nature of the game to experience highs and lows.

Often times when people think of being detached they think of someone who doesn’t care about the outcome. When we talk about detachment here, we are talking about someone who doesn’t allow the mind made self expectation to cloud their present moment awareness. You may not have realized that when you are so focused on a particular result you have lost the present moment. There is a great Zen teaching that deals with an archer who is in competition. The archer usually has all kinds of success when he is practicing but on this particular day of the competition he is having trouble. A spectator then asks the Zen Master why he isn’t performing up to his full potential. The Zen Master then replies that “His need to win drains him of his power.” In other words, his mental energy is being dissipated because he is so attached to the outcome. This mindset contradicts the old notion that you have to want something so bad in order to give yourself the best chance to achieve it. From the perspective of the Zen Master, if you are too attached to the outcome, you will be standing in the way of your true potential. This doesn’t mean give up your intention to be the best you can, it means give your best and then let go of the results. This is common philosophy of today’s best sports psychologists, and ancient wisdom echoed from spiritual traditions all over the world.

Many everyday casual golfers have experienced this phenomenon when playing a round that in their minds “doesn’t matter”. It is interesting to note that it is during these rounds, the golfer often experiences more glimpses of their full potential. It is during peak experiences that the golfer is detached from the outcome. They are totally embracing their full experience on these days. So how do you bring this type of mindset to the course every time? Keep a very simple mindset that is totally focused on this step forward in this moment in time. Find your contentment in the here and now, and play from the game from this point. Don’t make the future more important than now. From this perspective you are no longer attached and your true potential can flow through your game. This is the secret to Tiger Woods’ success.