Trust Your Will
You know... Here’s one thing I love... the will. The will can be so strong especially when linked with a skill—but skill isn’t always what you need for the will to persevere.
A mom or dad can lift a vehicle from on top of their child and save their life, without any practice of skill yet their will creates the skill to save their child’s life. I know it’s possible because my dad did it.
Great golfers like Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Nancy Lopez have had golf swings that were individual to their own discoveries of what worked for them. It was their swing and it didn’t look anything like anyone else’s; their tempo, their rhythm, their swing shape was theirs.
One thing is clearly similar though. Their will to make the ball go into the hole. They owned their game because of their will to succeed.
Will is often developed by how you think so here’s how it can be developed in a golf game:
Off the course... Practice Your Imagination—see ball flight, ball roll (do this in a safe quiet place void of any distractions)... it’s what the L/PGA show you on during tournament coverage. Believe you can do it when you get to the course.
On the course During practice or play — before you take any action, imagine vividly what you want your ball to do, fly high, fly low and go into the hole.
Will the Crystal Clear Outcome You’ve Developed During Play—add to what you just imagined... Your Will... Will the ball into the hole as if it’s the last shot you’ll ever take like it and it is because there will never be another shot with the same placement.
Anyone would say it’s impossible to lift a half ton vehicle off someone but anything is possible when the will takes over.
And if my dad can lift an automobile onto its right side to save me, anyone can lift a ball into the air and into a hole. It was do or die and if that approach is taken with every thing you do, more gets done
I know some of you are thinking this is a bit harsh, but the truth is if you were to stop breathing you’d do anything to start breathing again.
So why not make the process pleasant... enjoy the game, see & feel your best shot to make it happen. Will the outcome you want. Feeling good can become something you chase and the more you feel good about the things you do the more it feels good to get more done. Make what makes you happy, happen by Willing it with what you do.
While I was playing a narrow golf course, my ball flight missed the fairway edge. But, I kept my eye on it and when it hit the golf path, and hit it again closer to the green, it bounced back onto the fairway and I watched it until it stopped. I faced the outcome until the ball came to rest, further out into the fairway than I could ever shoot without the help of the concrete golf path advancing it further. I believe, because I kept my eyes on the ball willing it to stay on play, it stayed in play. Because this happened once, I did it again, purposely and pulled it onto the green again. I took an error and placed it back into advancing forward.
Hideki Matsuyama willed his super talented ability to become the first Japanese man to win The Masters Tournament. His will linked with his skill has made a major achievement in history happen, not only for himself and his family but for his country.
The will is not a privilege that some people have or don’t. The will is always something you can develop to have & own, strongly & powerfully with whatever you do.
With sincere interest in building your best life,
Kalliope
For more about this and other golf skills, read by golf book series Play Golf Better Faster
