Quote:
Originally Posted by Hannu  Thanks Charles,
I have read books like "Inner golf" and "Zen golf". I like them and in a way of the idea of "clear/empty" mind. I think I am at first steps on clearing my mind, too. First step for me is to be aware of my thoughts and state of mind. Well, it's clear that I'm not doing a good Job for first 2 - 3 holes:-)
I'll check clearkeygolf.
I karate clear mind "happened" after years of training. (And I have only practiced golf for 2 years - karate more than 20:-) All techniques were automated. It's easier to react on fight situations than in golf. Golf ball does not give you any stimulus to trigger your motion. (OK - thats why we have a swing routine - to prepare are mind to locate the correct program for upcoming swing.)
Even though I've played golf only for two years, I feel relaxed and balanced at a driving range, short game practice area and lately on practice rounds. (For me this tells that I have a lack of self confidence or I do not recognize my mental tension.)
I would not compare golf to a "form" a.c.a "kata". In a form technique is always the same. I would compare it to fight a.c.a "kumite", were you apply the technique to different kinds of situations. In golf you practice technique in range and situation is always relatively staple. When playing a round all shots are different: ball lay, down hill, up hill - shorter than full swing etc. (And on one round I did not hit the fairway with any shot before 8 hole - so there was a lot of variation.)
(Today I'm playing a round again and I'll ask my golf buddy to shoot my swing on the golf course. I have a Nokia N92 phone that has a nice video-cam in it. previously I have not used it for shooting my golf swing. I hope this will show me, if my swing changes much from range to golf course.) |
Hannu,
A statement like "aware of my thoughts" for me would have to be followed by "but I let them go".
"Golf ball does not give you any stimulus to trigger your motion." Depending on the NLP technique that you use ANYTHING can be a trigger - note Ian's method of staring at the golf ball, which is a trigger.
A preshot routine if done correctly can be used as a trigger, which leads into ....
IMO, just about anything can become a "form" (not a kata because this is specific to karate). In your words, "In a form technique is always the same." So if you want you could turn many things in life into a "form", and it only really requires that the action can be repeatable and hence "practicable" (i.e. pouring a glass of water, sweeping, raking, mowing your lawn, etc). I believe that some of these are actually used in some martial arts training.
In golf (like karate) there are many forms:
fairway lie form,
rough lie form,
uphill lie form,
downhill lie form,
sidehill lie form,
bunker form, ...
Once these forms become instinctive then you can deal with the slight variants (uphill bunker lie) during an actual round, which would be more like a kumite like you said.
Another thing that struck me was your "karate clear mind "happened" after years of training" comment. The clear mind "happened" but was the
clear mind what you were trying to achieve when doing the forms for all those years, or where you trying to "do" the form correctly? I would guess the latter.
If your goal is to achieve a clear mind which method would be preferred:
Practicing a specific activity (form) to the point where a clear mind will happen.
OR
Practice achieving a clear mind with the aid of a specific activity.
I will leave it up to you to answer.
Charles