|
Zen Golf Newsletter -December 2003 Tournament Notes:Congratulations to Vijayand Annika Zen Golf: the Audiobook Holiday Gift Ideas Zen Golf Lessons: Excerpt from the Next Book Zen Golf Schools - Winter/Spring 2004 Schedule Combination Schools with Swing Technique and Yoga for Golfers Zen Golf for Businessand Life
Tournament Notes: Congratulations to Vijayand Annika Congratulations to Vijay Singh on finishing this year as the leading money winner on the PGA TOUR with $7,000,000 in earnings from four victories and an amazing 17 top-10 finishes overall. He moved up to number 2 in the world rankings, finished second to Tiger Woods in scoring average for the year, and is regarded as the main rival to Tiger in the voting for Player of the Year on the PGA TOUR. Vijay has won six times since starting to work with Dr. Parent in February 2002. Having just turned 39, he intensified his physical conditioning routine as well. Vijay is a model of the potent combination of dedication to practice, thorough physical conditioning, and mental game training. Well done, Vijay! Congratulations to Annika - in this case for Annika Windon, not her LPGA namesake. She is a senior at Peninsula High School just south of Los Angeles, and one of Dr. Parent's Zen Golf students. Annika led the Girls' Golf Team to their first California State Championship. Way to go, Annika! Good Luck to several of Dr. Parent’s students who are in the finals of the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament: Shane Bertsch, Richie Coughlan, Brian Gay, Ryan Hietala, John Riegger, Wes Short, and Mike Standly.
********************************
ZEN GOLF: The Audiobook Now in Bookstores For the first few months since publication, the Audiobook was only available on-line, through the ZenGolf.com website's link to Amazon.com. We're pleased to announce that it is now also available from Barnes & Noble and other bookstores around the country. (If your local bookstore doesn't yet have it, they can order it from the wholesale distributor Baker and Taylor Books.) Preparation for Tournaments We're hearing from touring professionals and amateurs alike that they are finding a special benefit from the Audiobook edition of Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game. Programming the CD player in the car to play selected tracks that "speak to them personally" has helped them prepare their minds for the tournament to which they are driving, most recently the preliminary stages of the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament. For many, hearing the instructions in Dr. Parent's voice makes a powerful impression on them, enhancing the communication beyond what comes through from the printed page. Dr. Ron Johnson of UCLA said, "Having listened to the CD's, when I'm on the course and recall a concept I want to apply, it sometimes comes to me as if it's in Doc's voice. It's like having him there as a coach while I play. And I've never played better."
******************************************
Holiday Gift Ideas There's the hardcover edition of Zen Golf for friends who haven't read it yet, and for those who've read it, the Audiobook adds the dimension of Dr. Parent's voice expressing the lessons. For a bigger and more personal present, email us from www.ZenGolf.com to order gift certificates toward golf schools, phone consultations, and private lessons for individuals or small groups. The Johnston’s from North Dakota gave each other the gift of a two-day golf school in Palm Desert for their 25th anniversary, and had a great time learning to play Zen Golf together.
****************************************
Notes on the Next Book Zen Golf Lessons: Taking It to the Courseis the working title of the next book. From discussions with his editor from Doubleday (who also is the editor for the #1 bestseller The DaVinci Code) Dr. Parent's second book of instruction in the Zen Golf approach will include sections on attitude, relating with playing partners, on-course situations, receiving instruction and practicing, and taking the Zen Golf lessons beyond golf to make them life lessons If you have suggestions orrequestsfor new topics or a deeper exploration of topics introduced in Zen Golf, please email us so we may consider them as the basis for chapters in the next book.
******************************************
Excerpt from ZEN GOLF LESSONS:Taking it to the Course
Just the Way I Pictured It “I never hit a shot, even in practice, without having a clear picture of it in my mind. I see where I want the ball to finish. I see the path, trajectory and how it will land. I see the kind of swing that will produce that shot. Only then do I address the ball.” Jack Nicklaus
Brad came for a mental game coaching session. He said, “Sometimes when I play I get a real clear image of the shot I want to hit. Those days I feel like I’m playing very well. Other times I hit a lot of shots with a vague idea, or no picture at all. How can I get more consistent, with good pictures for all my shots before I execute them? We approached a solution to this problem in two ways, both as part of Brad’s post-shot routine. One aspect of the solution was to use the rating system, combining intention and non-judgmental awareness. After completing each shot, Brad was to rate it on a one-to-five scale, on the quality of image. Without judging it as good or bad, he was to reflect on the extent to which he developed a clear image of the shot in his swing routine and maintained that image through the swing (5), versus an absent, vague or conflicted image, and/or a lack of image through the swing (1). This would encourage the movement of his imaging habit toward more clarity and continuity. The other aspect of the solution was to reinforce the process when he successfully maintained a clear image through the swing. He was to do this by saying, “That’s just the way I pictured it,” after every shot that turned out exactly as planned. There is an extra benefit to this response to a desired result. It feels especially good when you say that to yourself. Not only are you congratulating yourself on accomplishing a quality golf shot, but you are complimenting yourself on performing a version of “calling your shot.” We’re usually so hard on ourselves that when we hit a bad shot we feel we deserve it (“that’s what happens when I swing like that”) and when we hit a good one there’s at least some element of luck involved (“Don’t know where that came from, but I’ll take it”). By saying “just the way I pictured it,” you get to take the credit without boasting or bragging. You’re not proclaiming, “I’m the greatest;” you’re simply stating that the result matched your plan. And when you mean it, it’s one of the best feelings you can have on a golf course. Different people are more attuned to different senses – you might say “just the way I pictured it” for the visual sense, or “just the way I wanted it to feel” for the tactile sense, or “just the way I planned it” for the auditory sense (this refers to the verbalized description you mentally “said” to yourself before the shot). For any of the senses, you can say, “That’s just the way I imagined it.” For the shots that don’t come out “just the way you imagined,” practice finding an aspect of the result that did match your plan. It could be “the shape I intended,” “the line I was aiming on,” “the trajectory I planned,” or “the solid feel I wanted.” These responses still have a reinforcing effect on the act of developing a good image of the shot you want to execute. And of course for the ones that don’t have much in the way of redeeming qualities, you can say, “Hmm. Interesting. How unlike me,” and do your best to learn something from them. When we started the practice round, it was a little hard for Brad to say, “That’s just the way I pictured it.” It felt a little too self-congratulating, and he was well practiced in humility. The statement came out soft and tentative, and at times I had to remind him. But as he got accustomed to saying it, he was creating clearer, more vivid images and hitting more quality shots. He started to feel the pleasure at hearing himself say what he had accomplished, giving and receiving positive feedback that he deserved. From the last fairway, as the ball sailed toward the flagstick, he punctuated the shot with, “Doc, that’s just the way I pictured it!”
**********************************************
Zen Golf Schools - Winter/Spring 2004 Schedule At Rancho San Marcos Golf Club, Santa Barbara, CA For December through mid-March, all schools at Rancho San Marcos will be Custom Golf Schools that your group can schedule by arrangement. Special Package: Fess Parker's Wine Country Inn is offering a special package for Zen Golf School participants. Go to http://www.fessparker.com/html/zen_golf_getaway.html for details. An article in the January issue of "Departures" magazine, for American Express Platinum members, features Dr. Parent, Zen Golf Schools, and the Wine Country Inn package.
At Desert Willow Golf Resort, Palm Desert, CA January 5-6; January 7-8 February 9-10 March 1-2; March 3-4
*********************************************
Combination Schools with Swing Technique and "Yoga for Golfers" "Zen Golf and Swing Technique" Schoolsare co-taught withMichael Hunt, a Master Instructor at the Jim McLean Golf Schoolat the Doral Resort in Miami. These schools combine swing technique and Zen Golfmental gameinstruction, helping golfers to get the most out of the skills they've developed on the range when they take them to the course. These schools will be held in Florida and in California.Schedules to be announced. Please check the zengolf.com website for updates. "Zen Golf and Yoga for Golfers" Schoolsare co-taught withKatherine Roberts, America's foremost Yoga Instructor specializing in working with golfers. Her trademarked "Yoga For Golfers" program has been featured in numerous golf magazines and TV shows. These schools combine Zen Golf mental gameinstruction with yoga to help golfers enhance flexibility, balance and power in combination with clarity, commitment and composure. These schools will be held in Arizona and in California.Schedules to be announced. Please check the zengolf.com website for updates.
********************************************
Zen Golf forBusiness and Life Dr. Parent's corporate presentations have been highly praised as a special experience for current and prospective clients, as well as providing a valuable message for business and life at board meetings and staff training sessions. Don Davis of the CFS Advisory Board wrote, “Dr. Parent, I would like to say how much I enjoyed meeting you, hearing your message, and sharing time with you in Phoenix at the Advisory Board meeting. I may not be the best golfer, but I certainly like to enjoy myself and am open to different ways of thinking, both in golf and in life. I believe incorporating your suggestions will be helpful in both areas. Thanks again for a special time.” In 2004, Dr. Parent will also be offering "Combination Programs" for corporate events, enhancing his Zen Golf program with supporting lessons from nationally recognized swing instructors, yoga teachers and physical trainers (see "Combination Programs" above).
Wishing You and Yours a Joyous and Peaceful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year, The Zen Golf Staff (805)884-1978
|
||
 |
|
|
|
... |
||
