How to Make Faith Work for You

by Dr. Richard C. Myers

WWW.THINKANDREACHPAR.COM

Success in anything is hardly possible without faith, and this is true of success in golf. One way to develop golfing faith is to study experts.

Such watching builds up confidence that difficult shots can be made and that normal shots should be made. This causes many golfers to improve spontaneously, simply from the psychological lift that comes from a change in your attitude towards what can be done. Sometimes the improvement is permanent.

For instance, in track and field events, as soon as a given record is surpassed, there are almost immediate further breakings of what was the old record. This was true of the four minute mile. You years and years, runners tried to no avail to break the four minute mile. Until one day a fellow named Roger Bannister broke the four minute mile. Within weeks there were other runners that were breaking the four minute run. They then knew it could be done. The same is true with the 6 foot jump and the 15 foot pole vault. As soon as it was first done, there was a rash of athletes surpassing the old marks.

An obvious cause of low modern scores is the improvement in equipment, but an equally important cause has been the persisting psychological effect of the achievements of great golfers. Golf became much easier the moment Walter Travis displayed his genius with a putter; when Vardon showed what accuracy was possible with the woods; when Hagen revealed the possibilities of recovery shots; when Jones consistently began dipping into the sixties; when Hogan demonstrated what could be done with dedicated practice; and when Sarazen demonstrated what could be done by a senior golfer. And of course in modern time, what Tiger Woods has done for the sport of golf overall.

We hear much about the need for being realistic and in truth; it is an important principle in solving problems. But golf, like life, is difficult to handle if we rely too much upon hard and fast rules. We seem to drift from reality when we speak of an intangible like faith. Yet golf is a projection of life, and there are times in life when tit is better to be realistically unrealistic. It is best for the individual golfer to believe that there is no limit to what he can do, for it is by such beliefs that you can continuously surpass yourself.

I personally think it is ridiculous that only 10 percent of golfer break 90. Anyone can break 90 if they try.

It is also best for the game of golf if all of us have faith that we can excel, though obviously everyone cannot be tops in a competitive game.  But everyone can break ninety, and 75 percent of all players could beak 80 if they wanted too. In raising the level of play, we shall experience the pleasure that comes when we share in the excitement of witnessing original methods break through physical and psychological barriers to new records. Again, look at Tiger Woods.

If a golfer cannot believe that he can be best, he must believe that he can be better. Even such a limited faith can lead you step by step to a brand of golf you might never have believed possible. There is no doubt in my mind, with the proper instruction and with the proper mental attitude, that anyone can break 80 and enjoy a good round of golf. And I agree 100 percent that golf is 10 percent physical and 90 percent mental.