Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game by Joseph Parent
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Book Reviews of Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game
Book Review: For golf and beyond...
Summary: 5 Stars
I really enjoyed reading Dr. Parent's book. It's quick reading, but not lightweight if you take the time to consider the lessons in the words. I'm a relative newcomer to golf and I think I have done well to improve my game in each of the four years I've been playing. A big part of this has been my outlook on the game and the ability to manage the inevitable bad shots that come as a starting golfer.
The lessons presented in this book are great for golf, but they can also be applied to other areas of life. If you don't worry about the results, but are mentally prepared to handle the outcome then you are a leg up on most people. Worry can be crippling on or off the golf course. (Note: this does not mean that you don't care about the results. There's a big difference in not worrying and not caring.)
I've read books by both Dr. Parent and Dr. Bob Rotella. Although both focus on the mental aspect of the game, I find the Zen Golf by Dr. Parent to be more practical. He gives specific examples and exercises that you can perform to make the Zen discipline a part of your practice and your game. That's not to knock Dr. Rotella - I've gotten good use of his books, too. I just find the Zen Golf to be a little more guided in helping you to seek the mental clarity that golf demands.
Book Review: Once Is NOT enough!
Summary: 5 Stars
I read Zen Golf and immediately thought that this was THE best book on how to improve your golf game and how you enjoy it. The book is NOT how to create the perfect golf swing. It is all about the mental side of the game and how you can improve your results by improving the way you think. Shortly after reading the book, I realized that reading it only once and expecting to achieve the intended results was simply not enough. The book must be read multiple times, use a hi-liter to mark the passages you want to improve on. There are so many wonderful mental suggestions that it is almost impossible to pick them all up the first time you read the book. I thought so much of the book, I purchased the book on CDs. I have read the book three times and listened to the CD's twice and will continue to read and listen until I have a clear picture of exactly what I want to accomplish. Since I only play on weekends, the time between rounds/practice tends to dull the lessons learned if you read it only once. Once is simply not enough! I know of no other book on golf I would recommend more. The principles also apply to life in general and sales specifically. The similarities between golf and sales are incredible!Book Review: shot my best golf after reading this book
Summary: 5 Stars
I was constantly looking for that next "tip" for my swing mechanics that would help me play a better game of golf, but all each tip did was give me one more thing to spin around in my head as I approached the ball, and by the time I got around to swinging the club, I was losing focus.
I was inconsistent, frustrated and was thinking of giving the game up, since I wasn't having any fun. Then my cousin recommended this book for me. I read it in a week's time. My first round of golf after that, I shot an "OK" score, but I enjoyed my time out on the course so much more than before.
Two days later, I shot the best round of my life.
This book really has changed the way I approach the game, each hole, and each shot. I enjoy myself so much more, am more relaxed, and most importantly - I am having more fun playing the game.
Dr. Parent's visualization techniques are very helpful. And he doesn't just tell you how you should approach golf, he shows you. Well worth every penny!!!
Book Review: An excellent component to your overall golf game
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought the audio book before an annual golf tournament as something to get me mentally ready for four days of competitive golf with friends. The short of it is: this system works. I am a 16 handicap and shot 84, 95, 89 and 85 to win the tournament (all of the golfers are 16-20 handicappers and we play a regular stroke play tournament). Most golf rounds I play I shoot between 86 and 90, with an occasional mid to high 90's round and a few rounds below 85. What is important to consider is that my lowest score EVER is 84 and I shot that score and and 85 on courses I'd never played before (!).
What this book specifically helped me to do is the following: 1) focus on your target and close out everything else; 2) stay in the present through effective breathing; 3) practice effectively; 4) eliminate "anyway shots"; and 5) to fall in love with the process of golf and the challenge of the day.
If you read this book and apply these principles, I have no doubt you will be successful as well.
Book Review: The Point
Summary: 5 Stars
What's the point of golf? What are we trying to achieve while we're out there? Simply put, the point is to get the ball in the cup as quickly as possible and enjoy the process. I played a round early this summer, had an awful time, came off the course stressed and feeling bad about my behavior. I was literally hyperventalating over putts. Turns out I scored well. So something was amiss, right? This book has me enjoying the game again. Zen Golf is not a deep and difficult treatise of the deeper meaning of life and golf. It is closer to an instruction manual on how to play better golf and enjoy the game more. It addresses concepts like trust, confidence and positive thinking. I now enjoy those 3-iron punch shots out of the trees. I'm learning to enjoy those 5-footers. Every shot is an opportunity and there's no need for fear or negativity. My "evil caddie" seldom comes around, and when he does, I know what to do. This is simply the best golf book I've ever read.