I play disc golf and compete in PDGA (Pro. Disc Golf Assoc.) tournaments. I was a competitor in the 2011 pro world championships, where I achieved my goal of not finishing DFL (dead f'ing last)—but only barely. Though I've improved my game a lot over the years, I've struggled with my mental game. So before a big tournament last weekend, I gave the audiobook of Zen Golf, read by the author, a listen. amentals. This process elicits a much deeper understanding on a somatosensory level which invokes a sense of competence and more importantly confidence. For lesson bookings please follow this link.... When you’re “in the zone”, you are what’s called “synchronized” – that is, there’s a balance and harmonization between your left and right-brain. Having selected the best shot using your left-brain, your cognitive thinking is turned off and replaced by relaxed-concentration. You’re totally aware, but non-judgmental of the things that are going on around you. It’s just you, and the target. This state of mind, could also be thought of as Zen Golf. For me, it is one of the best golf books I have encountered. Let's not stop there.... Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game is a great business book.... well... life book. First, it is the best aide I have experienced for teaching business owners/executives on how to create and execute vision. Second, every exercise and practice offered by Dr. Parent is at its core focused on increasing awareness, setting intention and follow through, all foundational approaches, in which I believe and use. Essentially, meditation for golf gives you more control over your mind, improving your ability to stay present and not judge yourself or what is in your environment. You won’t stop the negative thoughts, you just get better at ignoring them and staying present. As you practice meditation, you’ll also notice you have more time between, “action” and “response”, which means that you can choose better reactions to misses and not let it affect your mood ahead of the next shot.

Awareness training to access these innate movement chains to discover your most efficient sequencing and release patterns. This elevated level of awareness shifts the mindset to enable you to action the potential that is discovered. The master said, “Actually, the answer is quite brief and simple: In every situation, conduct yourself as if your five-year-old child were watching you.” ‘

Hi guys, we've recently launched our GRF Golf Travel Club winter schedule and our first trip is a return to the Gloria Golf Resort in Turkey. This book is now a little bit dated due to some of the references and because knowledge of mindfulness practices is becoming more commonplace. Still, this is a good read for anyone who loves golf or who wants to think about how mindfulness can support a fitness, sports, or competitive practice. I wrote a review of this book for the Brilliant Legal Mind blog here: A Zen student went for an interview with his master. The student said, “I know this may require a very lengthy and complex answer, but I request guidelines for conducting myself wherever I am, so that my attitude and behavior are always excellent.” Adding a Zen Green Stage has transformed my coaching and business. Offering players a dynamic environment for their training through a moving floor allows for markedly improved performance.’

Zen aspires to drive the game of golf into a brighter future. To be more inclusive and open up the benefits of golf to everyone. To provide those at the top of their game with tools to get better.

Here we're allowing the lower body to take up some of the tensioning in our swing that might have previously been distributed to less functional parts of our body.

The lessons in Zen Golf make the mental game seem so simple. Dr. Parent has given me very effective methods for working with thoughts and emotions, and for taking the negatives out of the picture.” One thing I have found to be a huge advantage to having clients putt indoors on this green is they can’t see the breaks as well as they think they do on the course, forcing them to use more feel with their feet and less with their eyes. They actually find out how much their eyes were deceiving them on the course. A Game of Honor- a short closing section of the book that reflects on a few stories about mindfulness and the "way of the warrior" Zen Golf, Mastering the Mental Game by Dr. Joseph Parent, contains three main sections. Getting Started: A different Perspective, The PAR Approach: Preparation, Action, Response to Results and Following Through: A Game of Honor. Getting Started: A different Perspective, starts of with either a story, puzzle, riddle, quote and relates it to golf and Buddhism. The PAR approach: P stands for Preparation and talks about how to gain confidence by practicing the 3 c’s , Clarity commitment and composure. This section includes such things as imagery, getting rid of doubt or hesitation and staying calm and focused. A stands for Action and discusses having an ideal state of mind, staying in the present and getting your body and mind synchronized. The goal of this section is to allow you to execute a shot free from interference of mental chatter or paralysis by analysis. Response to results is the last stage of the Par Approach. This section includes post shot routines, ways to recognize and undo negativity and self sabotage and techniques for changing habits. The goal of the section is to reinforce good shots with positive feelings and self encouragement, have minimum emotional distress around poor shots, maintain a sense of humour and refrain from beating yourself up. These ways of responding to results will give you the best chance of success. The last chapter is called Following Through: A Game of Honor, is based on shambala golf and its values of virtue, discipline, humor, dignity, gentle inquisitive fearlessness and Friendship.

I first came across Marcus in 1996, when my wife Sue and I ran the Professional’s Shop at Newark Golf Club, near Nottingham in England. I was the Head Club Professional and we were looking for another member of the professional team. Marcus applied, and we thought there was something about the then 19-year-old. I could not have predicted then where Marcus would take his career, but I recognised that he had a special sauce that made him stand out. Well if you've been used to swinging with an early release and you start to release the golf club later then all of a sudden you might find yourself losing shots to the right or flipping to the left (inverse for the left handed golfer).