Quick Nine with Golf Zen Master Dr. Joe Parent
1. GolfDash: How does the mind “influence” the physical body and vice versa?
Dr. Joe: I like to say that the golf swing is 90% mental and 10% mental. That is to say, there is nothing that we do physically that is not, at some level, controlled by our mind.
The key is finding a way to let the “thinking” mind do all the preliminaries to physical performance – selecting a target, judging the lie, gauging weather influences, etc., then letting our “intuitive” mind take over, to let our bodies make a free swing.
2. GolfDash: What is the best “state of mind” to play golf in and how can we maintain it throughout the round?
Dr. Joe: This is what might best be called “not too tight, not too loose.” If our emotional intensity is too low, we will not perform up to our capabilities, but if it’s too high, our performance can also suffer.
By maintaining a level of intensity that keeps us engaged, but not over-stimulated, we allow ourselves the best opportunity for peak performance.
The way we do this is presented in ZEN GOLF as the PAR Approach™: Preparation, Action, and Response to results. We rely on a pre-shot routine that reinforces commitment, focusing on execution rather than outcomes, and using a post-shot routine that clears negativity and gets you ready for the next shot.
3. GolfDash: What are a few simple things we can do to improve our mental game?
Dr. Joe: One is working with your breathing – deep breathing and tension are incompatible. Freedom from tension allows the most fluid and powerful swing you can possibly make. Deep breathing also has a settling and centering effect, which helps posture, tempo, and balance.
Another is to be decisive – pick a positive target and commit to the type of shot and the swing you believe has the best chance of getting the ball there.
A third, and perhaps most important, is to be accepting – even the best players know that they won’t hit every shot exactly where they intend to during a round of golf. Pre-accept a range of results. Having a precise target and at the same time a larger acceptable landing area gives you the most freedom to swing without fear of missing.
This will also allow you to be in the proper frame of mind to learn from your misses, and if you did let something distract you, to figure out what it was and correct it in the future.
4. GolfDash: How can we foster relaxation when playing so we can tap into that “relaxed and effortless” power in our golf swing?
Dr. Joe: As I said above, breathing is the number one way of reducing stress and allowing our bodies to function with freedom, and therefore power. Before every shot, I suggest taking a slow, full breath and letting it all the way out, just before you walk toward the ball to set-up for your swing or putting stroke.
5. GolfDash: What are some common mental “mistake” patterns that you see in your work?
Dr. Joe: Something I like to call the “anyways” are perhaps the single, most fixable symptom that I see in golfers at all levels. “Anyways” are exactly what they sound like – “I stood up to the ball, and something didn’t feel right, but I went ahead and hit it ANYWAY!”
Every golfer has done it, probably more often than they realize. In that state of mind, you are almost certain to swing tentatively. (I give instruction on how to change this habit and other unhelpful habits like it in ZEN GOLF).
Another problem I see is that of negative attitudes and destructive self-talk. This mindset is very detrimental to playing to potential. I deal with this problem in ZEN GOLF in the chapter “Fire Your Evil Caddie,” but the problem boils down to the fact that we are willing to treat ourselves badly, in ways that we wouldn’t treat someone else.
We punish ourselves for bad shots, and downgrade any good work we’ve done. Both of these sabotage the upcoming shots.
6. GolfDash: How important is visualization in playing good golf? Should it be done on the course, off the course or both?
Dr. Joe: Visualization is a very popular term, but I prefer using the term “image.” It’s really the same as imagining something, rather than seeing it like a movie. By getting a strong image in your mind’s eye, of ball flight or the path of a putt for instance, you are transmitting information to the muscles that need to perform the motions that will produce the image.
It should be done for every shot. Off the course, it’s valuable to spend time the night before a competitive round visualizing yourself playing the course, executing each shot well.
7. GolfDash: What can we do “off the course” to strengthen our mental game?
Dr. Joe: Many of the exercises that I offer in ZEN GOLF or ZEN PUTTING involve mindful awareness practice, breathing and stress reduction, and habit changing techniques that can lead to better performance not only on the golf course, but in all facets of our lives. There are also more specific exercises that deal with routine building, improving touch and feel and proper warm-up and practice sessions.
8. GolfDash: What new mental discoveries (or distinctions) have gotten you really excited?
Dr. Joe: Much of the mental game material that I teach comes from the Buddhist mindful awareness tradition that is over two thousand years old, so in that respect there is very little in the way of “new” discoveries.
Two of the distinctions that I’ve found really powerful in my teaching are the concepts of the “Anyways” in #5 above, and pre-acceptance of dispersion patterns. Pre-acceptance allows for realistic expectations, less pressure on oneself to be perfect, and more enjoyment of the game.
I’ve appreciated studies of performance by Dr. Robert Cristina which prove the superiority of external cues to internal cues when it comes to implementing “swing thoughts” in your golf game.
I’ve always taught the use of “feel keys” for the swing rather than instructional thoughts – that’s why there’s a chapter in ZEN GOLF titled, “During Your Swing Is Not the Time to Give Yourself a Lesson.” It’s nice to see some bio-physics science validating that approach.
9. GolfDash: What mental products or resources can you recommend for the recreational golfer?
Dr. Joe: Of course I’d recommend my three books – Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game,
I also offer a 4 DVD collection of instructional videos. You can visit my website, Zen Golf, to purchase any of these and to see the other resources that I offer. There are also lists of references and suggested readings at the back of both ZEN GOLF and ZEN PUTTING, as well as on the website.
Related posts:
- Quick Nine: Interview with Golf Fitness Pro Katherine Roberts
- Mind Control
- The Secret to Hitting Good Golf Shots
- We Can Figure How To Play Better
- The Secret To Better Golf
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Comments
Thanks for the tips… though if you saw my swing, you’d wouldn’t say its 90% mental and 10% mental 
Its pretty bad.
That is awesome that you got interview Dr. Joseph Parent. He is one of the biggest influences for me in how I approach the mental aspect of the game. Great read!
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