True Purpose: A Global Concept
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True Purpose - Golf:
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If ball-in-hole is the true purpose of golf, the intent of allowing this to happen must never be lost. Your mind, body, and equipment are the tools used to execute your purpose; they work together based on the body of knowledge you possess (what you know, or think you know, about golf and executing golf shots).
Herein lies the fallacy of traditional golf instruction that focuses your attention, and therefore your intention, on swing parts: weight shift, elbow location, head position, arm tension, knee flex, belt buckles, and finish positions. All with the hope of creating, at the very least, an acceptable golf shot. These “swing parts” tend become your purpose, a subtle but definitive shift away from ball-to-target.
Think about it for a moment - what do you think about, what do you intend, when you swing? Do you know? Sure, you intend to hit the ball to your chosen target, but what is that? On the first tee have you ever thought “just get it airborne,” “don’t make a fool of yourself,” “don’t hit it in the water to the right,” “keep your head down,” “swing easy”...or something like these? How’d that work for you?
These thoughts are messages that your brain listens to; these are intentions. These intentions are present moment and become your purpose. The question is, “Do intentions regarding your golf shot honor your true ball-to-target purpose?” Your brain, after all, is there to do what you ask. But it works best when it is given manageable tasks that are appropriate to your true purpose. So, how do we turn golf into a series of appropriate manageable tasks?
Herein lies the fallacy of traditional golf instruction that focuses your attention, and therefore your intention, on swing parts: weight shift, elbow location, head position, arm tension, knee flex, belt buckles, and finish positions. All with the hope of creating, at the very least, an acceptable golf shot. These “swing parts” tend become your purpose, a subtle but definitive shift away from ball-to-target.
Think about it for a moment - what do you think about, what do you intend, when you swing? Do you know? Sure, you intend to hit the ball to your chosen target, but what is that? On the first tee have you ever thought “just get it airborne,” “don’t make a fool of yourself,” “don’t hit it in the water to the right,” “keep your head down,” “swing easy”...or something like these? How’d that work for you?
These thoughts are messages that your brain listens to; these are intentions. These intentions are present moment and become your purpose. The question is, “Do intentions regarding your golf shot honor your true ball-to-target purpose?” Your brain, after all, is there to do what you ask. But it works best when it is given manageable tasks that are appropriate to your true purpose. So, how do we turn golf into a series of appropriate manageable tasks?
