| Good golfers are always 'in' the game, especially | | | | themselves. The player feels the breeze, |
| before each and every shot. | | | | recognizing its force and direction, but effortlessly. |
| While to the onlookers, this may seem effortless, | | | | Then they notice the feel of the grass as they |
| but there is so much going on in the mind of a | | | | walk down the fairway, but they are still not |
| golfer. | | | | under pressure to be thinking about their shot. |
| This reminds of a scene in The Legend of | | | | The player will then note the distance to the |
| Baggera Vance, where Bobby Jones steps up to | | | | green, the weather conditions and select |
| the ball, to tee off. Will Smith tells Matt Demon to | | | | appropriate club. |
| look at Jone's eyes, and tells him to observe how | | | | The player will focus on only one thing that the |
| he looks at the field. He concentrates, takes his | | | | next shot and nothing else, but again without the |
| position, takes his practice swings, his mind and | | | | pressure of thinking about it. |
| body in rhythm. The result is nearly perfect as a | | | | The pressure to perform makes the player tense |
| drive should be. | | | | and this spoils the shot. On the other hand a Zen |
| This point of view may be far fetched and some | | | | golfer would be calm and would trust his or her |
| may even object to it, but many will find some | | | | body. Once the mind and body are in sync, and |
| truth in the statement - Golf is a Zen experience. | | | | then make the shot. |
| This is true for all golfers who are good at it, no | | | | He is aware that his shot may not be perfect |
| matter how much they joke around and be | | | | always, as the golfer would have intended. The |
| goofing off. | | | | difference would be in the attitude. For a Zen |
| Zen is exactly this - being present physically and | | | | golfer, a bad or imperfect shot will not affect him |
| mentally in each and every moment at all times. | | | | at all and he would get ready for the next. But |
| As some people call this living life to its fullest, but | | | | this will definitely adversely affect others, who |
| this feeling is different. Zen is experiencing energy | | | | stress over every shot. |
| in every moment of life. It's a feeling of living life | | | | Non-Zen golfer would get bogged down and keep |
| to the fullest and appreciating every moment for | | | | thinking and cursing. These negative thoughts |
| what is given. | | | | would affect his entire body language and will feel |
| So can we then call Golf, a Zen Experience? | | | | defeated even before the result. Since the body |
| Let's see... | | | | and mind are not in harmony, the entire game |
| Zen coincides with Golf in all aspects of the game. | | | | after the bad shot will get affected; this would be |
| When the heart and soul is in the moment, a | | | | followed by another bad shot. Any good shot will |
| golfer takes notice of everything around | | | | be looked upon as an accident, luck or a fluke. |