Harold Varner III is a damn good pro golfer who earned his PGA Tour card after his internship on the Web.com Tour. Same as many other guys on the PGA Tour. Harold got his start in golf almost before he could walk. Same as many guys on Tour. Harold had a dad who encouraged him early […]
Famous Golfers
Tracking Matt
The word “natural” implies an athlete who came into this life with his or her skills. Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Bode Miller, Babe Zaharias, Michael Phelps, and Serena Williams come to mind. When you see them run, jump, walk, swim, or swing, most of us can spot a natural straightaway. There is a certain grace about them, […]
A Simple, Repeatable Swing
One of the challenges of the game, as many handicappers and pros will attest, is bringing your driving range game to the course. And I think the main reason for that is the nature of both venues. On the range, everything is the same: same lie, same terrain, same target, same time between shots, same […]
Deep Stillness
There’s an interesting book that just came out called The Art of Stillness by Pico Ayer, the renown travel writer, describing the inner journey. I can think of no better book for the golfing aficionado, even though there is not one mention of the most interesting game in the world. But to approach golf, you must experience […]
Bad Rounds
We’ve all had them. I had one yesterday. Frustrating. Demoralizing. Even embarrassing. They hit like a sudden cold that we didn’t see coming. First the sore throat on the warm up range where say 7 of 10 shots are not hit well, but 3 are solid, and we think, “Great. I’m ready. I’ve got it […]
Boxing for Better Golf
Lately, I’ve taken up boxing training in my gym. It’s a great way to practice timing and rhythm, and is actually a good aerobic workout. Of course, after a long work day, I can put any number of adversaries on that punching bag and let loose. But punching that stand-up bag has led to some […]
The Challenge of Concentration
As we see from the playing of the British Open this week, golf requires sustained and all-encompasing concentration on every shot. This is a daunting task that most golfers often back down from. I remember during a three-month meditation retreat at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, Massachusetts years ago, I reached a point […]
Zen Putting: Overcoming Age and Doubt
In my informal research as a student of the game, I have observed that the older we get, the less adept we are in reading greens. This, of course, doesn’t always hold true, but witness Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker, Vijay Singh, Davis Love III, John Daly, and other pros in their late 30s and 40s. […]
The Key Move
The key move in the execution of a golf swing turns out to be a simple one indeed. I don’t know why it’s not emphasized more. I’ve taken a number of lessons over my 50 years in the game, and it was never mentioned once. Not even hinted at. People always asked Hogan what was […]