Greetings
Golfers,
A
few weeks ago, a local Pro was talking about how he gets too wound-up in big
golf tournaments. I get it. You get it … we all get it. What’s the secret to
not losing your mind under pressure?
Here’s
what I told him: It’s good to be excited and nervous – that will make you
sharper than normal. However, too wound-up is like shorting out something you
plugged-in … it got too much energy. And, too much energy comes from NEEDING
it. It’s good to WANT it, but you can’t need it.
Ok,
what does that mean? He agreed with me, and instantly knew what I meant. But,
how do I put that understanding into words? Well, I think it goes back to
establishing priorities. If winning a golf tournament is the most important
thing in your life … it’s just too much pressure … you will freak out. The
problem is a lack of perspective … which I believe is a lack of priorities.
If
I had to point to one thing that is wrong with our modern society … I would say
that it’s a lack of priorities. I’m constantly hearing messages that “you can
have it all”. Well, that’s ridiculous. Our lifetime is limited … we don’t live
forever. We don’t have the time like Bill Murray did in the movie “Groundhog’s
Day” to master languages and art and music and sport and everything else. But
what I loved about “Groundhog’s Day” was that Bill Murray finally realized what
matters … he finally had priorities … not just a selfish, greedy guy trying to
“have it all”, but a guy who wanted a meaningful life with meaningful
relationships.
I
think a symptom of that “have it all” philosophy leads to people always being
in a hurry because they don’t have things prioritized. I play golf Down South
with a group of about 12 guys. In that group there are some guys who play golf
like it’s a race … and they’re always mad at the other guys for not playing in
2 1/2 hours. The other guys are not slow … it’s always under 4 hours and this
is a difficult golf course. So, the racers finish fast and then hang around in
the Clubhouse and are sort of bored. They have nowhere to go anyway – what’s
the rush? Well, they don’t even know … they just live like that. And, people
like that are always late for things. You’d think it’d be the opposite but it’s
not. They time things too close to try to “do it all” … but of course that
doesn’t work and then they screw-up by being late for an important meeting or
missing their airplane flight … while they stop for doughnuts on the way.
You
see it in everything. There used to be a saying called “a lazy man’s load”.
That meant when moving things, they would take too many things rather than take
another trip. So, by carrying too many things in their arms, they ended-up
dropping and breaking things. They didn’t prioritize. I think most modern
people would try to do this … and be proud of it.
I
just arrived in South Carolina. We drove from Minnesota and it gets crazier
every year. I can’t tell you how often somebody passes me on the freeway and
then immediately cuts over 3 lanes to exit the freeway. What!!!
They’re
risking our lives for nothing … zero advantage.
Golf
is very much a game of priorities. Many years ago I played with one of my son’s
college friends in Arizona. He hit the ball as solid as a Tour player. We
played at Gainey Ranch and he shot 81. I hit about 3 solid shots and shot 73.
He couldn’t understand what happened. I tried to explain course management to
him after his round … I remembered his shots better than he did … he had no
strategy – he just went for the perfect shot every time. No wonder he didn’t
remember – he never thought about his shots – there was no decision making.
Maybe
having priorities and making plans is too old-fashioned. Maybe it’s not “free”
enough to “do your own thing”. But are you really free when you’re not planning
and making decisions based on priorities … instead of just reacting?
Let’s
go back to the Pro freaking out under pressure and needing it instead of just
wanting it. The calmest people are not the people who don’t care about anything
… apathy doesn’t lead to peace of mind. Disorganization leads to anxiety not
peace. Simplification is a result of prioritization.
Golf
is the perfect antidote to the modern madness. And of course, the modern
“gurus” trying to “save” golf are emphasizing how golf should be more like the
modern world. That’s just dumb. The beauty of golf is that it’s timeless.
Of
course people need to get their priorities straight … but first they have to
prioritize. That goes against the modern idea of “having it all”. Happiness and
peace of mind come from knowing what you need – not from needing everything.
Happy
New Year!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Deer Run Golf Club
8661 Deer Run Drive
Victoria, MN 55386
(952) 443-2351
www.deerrungolf.com
www.facebook.com/DeerRunGolf
www.twitter.com/DeerRunGolfClub
