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 Zen Golf Newsletter - December 2004

Happy Holidays - Holiday Gift Ideas

Zen Golf Schools – New Winter Home

Next School: January 15-16, 2005

Vijay Singh – An Historic Season

New Website

Zen Golf Lesson:
Game Plan for Playing Par 3’s

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 Happy Holidays – Thank You

The Zen Golf staff wishes you all a very happy and peaceful holiday season. Thanks for your appreciation of the wisdom to be found through Zen Golf and through Dr. Parent’s teaching – his individual lessons, schools, and speaking at corporate and charity events.

Thanks for the inspirational emails we’ve received from readers and golf school alumni telling us how much the Zen Golf approach has meant to them. They emphasize not only how much more they’re experiencing success and enjoyment on the golf course, but also how much they’re applying it to many other areas of their lives. That is really what it’s all about for us. You can read from a selection of these emails by going to http://www.zengolf.com/testimonials1.htm

Thanks to all of you who have shared your experience by recommending the Zen Golf approach to others.

Thanks for the heartwarming response to the last newsletter’s appeal for supporting childhood cancer research. Dr. Parent’s niece who was diagnosed a year ago turned 10 last month and is about to finish her year of chemotherapy with the cancer still not reappearing, which is good news so far. Golf Digest Senior Writer Guy Yocom (an early fan of Zen Golf) has a daughter who had the exact same cancer several years ago and is doing well, and his encouragement was very much appreciated.

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Holiday Gift Ideas

The Zen Golf Book – for that special friend who borrowed yours and hasn’t returned it yet. At all bookstores and online at http://www.zengolf.com/html/buy_the_book.shtml

The Zen Golf Audiobook – great even for those who have the book. It’s a 4 CD set that many golfers find even more valuable than the printed version. It’s the full book, unabridged, and you hear Dr. Parent’s voice teaching the material as if you’re getting your own private lesson. It stays with you and comes to mind easily when you’re on the course. Tracking by chapters lets you select your favorites and program them for your personalized prep session as you drive to the course.   
           The Audiobook is available at Barnes and Noble bookstores, and on-line at http://www.zengolf.com/html/buy_the_book.shtml

Zen Golf Gift Certificates – for golf schools, individual/small group lessons, or phone consultations. Go to http://www.zengolf.com/html/individual_sessions.shtml for fee schedule. Gift certificates can be issued in any amount, to go toward the recipient’s choice of programs.

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Zen Golf Schools – New Winter Home

We are pleased to announce our Zen Golf Schools’ new winter home:

The JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa
74855 Country Club Drive, Palm Desert, California 92260

Call the Zen Golf office at 888-874-9928 or email to info@ZenGolf.com for school registration. You’ll receive information on special room rates.

Winter Schedule – Zen Golf Schools at Marriott Desert Springs Resort

January 15-16 (Sat-Sun): Zen Golf School

January 31-February 1 Mon-Tues: Zen Golf Alumni School

(immediately following the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic)

February 26-27 (Sat-Sun): Zen Golf Mind-Body School

Priority for registration given to professionals in body-mind disciplines such as yoga, pilates, chiropractic, sport conditioning, sport psychology, etc.)

March 10-11 (Thurs-Fri): Zen Golf School

March 12-13 (Sat-Sun): Zen Golf Coaches-in-Training School

(prerequisite: completion of regular Zen Golf School or comparable individual lessons)

Please go to http://www.zengolf.com/schools.htm for daily schedule, fees and registration information or email to: info@ZenGolf.com

Special Notes:

1) Schools may be added if there is additional demand. Schools that do not meet minimum registration 21 days prior to the date may be postponed.

2) Dr. Parent may be available for a speaking engagement or an individual lesson on the days just before or after the schools in Palm Desert.

3) Dr. Parent will continue to offer individual/small group lessons, custom requested schools, and corporate events at our home course, Rancho San Marcos Golf Course, Santa Barbara, CA, as well as venues around the country.

Zen Golf School Alumni
– a Special Request for December 31 Deadline

          Please help get Zen Golf Schools listed in Golf Magazine as one of the “Best Golf Schools” by taking just a moment this month to put a recommendation on the Golf Magazine Survey (just go to: http://www.shawguides.com/survey/ and find Zen Golf Schools on the drop down menu).  Deadline for next year’s issue is Dec 31. Your support is much appreciated!

Please note: the often requested Alumni School has been scheduled for January 31-February 1. Hope to see you there!

Zen Golf School for Juniors

          We would like to schedule a school for competitive juniors (low handicap amateurs ages 14-22). If you are interested, please notify us of your spring break dates and/or other available dates. We will schedule schools to accommodate the most juniors.

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Vijay Singh – An Historic Season

Congratulations to Vijay on accomplishing one of the greatest seasons in the history of golf, winning 9 events and nearly $11,000,000. It includes his third major championship, ascension to the #1 World Ranking, his first PGA TOUR Player of the Year title, his first Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average, and his second consecutive Leading Money Winner title.

Earlier in the year when he was struggling he made a very Zen Golf-like assessment, saying that focusing getting the Number One ranking (a result) was interfering, and if he just focused on playing well each week (process) the result would take care of itself. It certainly did.

          Another player coached by Dr. Parent had a great “comeback” year: Carlos Franco of Paraguay won for the first time since being PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year in 1999. He played well enough through the season to finish 29th on the money list, earning a trip to the Masters next year.

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New Website

You may have noticed the new look of the Zen Golf website. Having evolved through the able hands of Steve Moore and Larry Stewart (thanks to both of you for your work), it is now under the excellent webmastership of Lee Warren, Internet Resource Centers USA, www.ircusa.com .

Website modifications are still in process as we complete the transition.  If you have any comments on the strengths and weaknesses of the new design, PLEASE let us know by emailing to info@ZenGolf.com. Your feedback will help us to make it as user-friendly as it can be.


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Zen Golf Lesson:
Game Plan for Playing Par 3’s

Reviewing Vijay’s statistics for his amazing year revealed an interesting scoring pattern. He played the par 5 holes this year in 194 strokes under par. He played the par 4 holes this year in -51. He played the par 3 holes in +8. He led the Tour in scoring on par 4’s and 5’s, and played the par 3’s to make pars and minimize the big numbers. It seemed to be a good game plan.

Recently I was working with Eric, a very talented high school player who consistently made scores far higher than his ball striking ability would indicate. We looked at his scoring chart, and a pattern similar to many low-handicap golfers emerged. Par 5’s averaged around par, par 4’s a bit over par, and par 3’s substantially over par.

One factor contributing to this is that the approach shot for par 5’s after two good shots is sometimes a putt, chip or pitch, and at most a short iron. The approach to a par four after a good drive is almost always a full swing shot with a short to middle iron depending on the length of the hole. Par 3’s are usually longer than the average approach distance for a par 4, and also are usually set up to play tougher: deep bunkers or water hazards close by, tighter pin placements, smaller or more undulating greens. Think of #17 at the Tournament Players Championship or #12 at the Masters and you get the idea.

I asked Eric to imagine where he’d aim for a 190-yard approach shot from the middle of the fairway to a tucked pin on a par 4. He said, “Middle of the green.” A little later on I asked the same question about a 190-yard par 3 with a similar pin position. He said, “At the pin.”

Why would his answer be different? We consider par a good score on a long, challenging par 4. On a par 3, we get to tee it up at our best angle on the tee so we think we should always be trying to make birdie. Clearly this is mistaken thinking that more often than not leads to a bogey or worse.

A better strategy for playing a challenging par 3, and this goes for golfers of all levels, is to play for the safest spot on the green. Also include in your plan the factor of choosing the easiest direction from which to putt.

Eric started playing smarter and his scores dropped dramatically.

An additional point: there’s no rule that says you have to play for the green on your approach shot. Tom Watson said, “Courage is being willing to lay up on a par 3.” One example of a hole for which this would be a good plan is Cypress Point Club’s #16, a 225-yard carry over the Pacific. Most caddies there recommend laying up to the open area fronting the green, then pitching on for a chance to putt for par. Of course, if you ever get to play that hole it may be the only time, so you’ll probably want to go for all the marbles. But in any other case, if you’re playing for score—and don’t want to lose your marbles—play smarter.

© 2004 Dr. Joseph Parent

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Here’s wishing you a happy holiday season and a wonderful New Year. Please don’t hesitate to let us know if there are other topics you’d like to see addressed in our Zen Golf Newsletters, or any other feedback that will help us serve you better.

Yours in Clarity, Commitment, and Composure,

Lee Woodard
Zen Golf Program Director

 

 

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