"Don't Play Golf to Relax..."
In which the author discusses the importance of nervous system regulation in order to play our best golf and live our best life.
Golf is often considered to be a leisurely and relaxing pastime. Hardly. Golf is a constant parade of maddening challenges willfully embraced- not because they are relaxing, but because they are challenging.
George Knudson was a Canadian golfer with a beautiful swing. He appeared on several episodes of Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf to the delight of many afternoon living rooms. Not only did Mr. Knudson display terrific style and tempo, but his affable and somewhat self-deprecating demeanour was refreshingly welcomed by his peers and many fans.
“Don’t play golf to relax. Relax to play golf.”-
George Knudson
Does this sound familiar-
Standing on the first tee of a bright and sunny and much anticipated morning, I notice a numbness begin to creep from my hands up along my forearms. I haven’t played in awhile. Frantically searching for my ‘lucky’ ball marker, I made myself late to the course.
My much needed and much hoped for ‘warm up’ was rushed. Thinking about my swing, I realize that I wasn’t even looking at the range balls while hurriedly swiping away in a half-hearted attempt to get my groove
Other golfers whose game I admire begin milling around the practice green adjacent to my first tee podium. And now there’s a dog looking at me…
And this guy wants me to relax???
Nervous system regulation (NSR) is a fundamental step in becoming sovereign. Not only is NSR the sole responsibility of every individual, post adolescence, it is also a terrific weapon in defending ourselves from the ‘slings and arrows of outrageous fortune’. Taking charge of our nervous system is the antithesis of victimhood.
A Google search for, “Nervous System Regulation” yields over 322,000,000 results. After extensive review, and analysis (at least the first couple of pages) the following are the 7 most commonly referenced methods to regulate our nervous systems- not just on the golf course, but maybe more importantly in our everyday lives:
Control your breathing.
Respond rather than react; pause.
Replace negative thoughts with positive visualization..
Be in nature with fresh air and sunshine.
Establish a routine on which to rely.
Get some gentle exercise.
Co-regulate; share, laugh.
Based on these findings, it would appear that golf is the ideal antidote for a dysregulated nervous system. So why all the first tee tension?
The answer to this question is the same as the answer to the ‘why’ concerning all the other anxieties beyond the tee box; because we believe a story. In other words, we are pretending that a falseness is true, when of course it can only ever be false. ‘ (The power of belief will be addressed in a future post.)
So let us add an 8th method for Nervous System Regulation:
8. Drop the story.
One of the better ways I have found to drop the story, that perpetual printing press of possibility and conjecture- is to ask myself, “What is going on right now? What can I actually vouch for?”
My answer should be only that which I can verify with my present senses. Anything that I cannot see, hear, smell, taste or feel is a story. And I can simply drop it. It is of no concern to the actual moment and I can let it go.
Perhaps that is what Bobby Jones meant when he said,
“You swing your best when you have the fewest things to think about.”
Oh sure, the rest of the world is out there, maybe, but it is superfluous to presence. And presence is where sovereignty reigns.
The purpose of a round of golf is to feel satisfied with our attempt to do our best and present our best self. Not to feel relaxed afterward.
At the Jedi level, the purpose of golf is to do. For the rest of us commoners our purpose is to try- really hard. And the best way to try is in a relaxed frame of mind, also known as a regulated nervous system.
All seasoned players know, or at least have felt, that when you are playing your best, you are much the same as in a state of meditation. You're free of tension and chatter. You are concentrating on one thing. It is the ideal condition for good golf.
Harvey Penick
Back on that morning tee box…
I hear a whispered, ‘Play away, please.’
“Just a sec,” I respond as I close my eyes and take two long, deep breaths that linger on the exhale. I do a little Jiyai Shin bounce to shake it all out, visualize the drive I want to hit and where I want it to land.
“While we’re young,” someone mutters and we all chuckle. I check my grip, posture and stance- one more controlled breath and I let one fly…
I may have driven better, but I have certainly driven worse. Most importantly I have taken control of my nervous system and am now solely in command of the experience that I am about to have. Someone says, “That’ll do,” and off we go.
Whatever the task at hand, we must put ourselves in the best position to achieve that goal. Working in the trades, a mantra commonly heard is, ‘Plan your work and work your plan.’
By having a simple plan, a basic routine, we give ourselves a firm place to plant our sovereignty so that we may proceed with calculated confidence. The adapting of that plan as the task unfolds and inevitably changes is where mastery takes place.
And don’t forget the breathing- make the exhale longer than the inhale.
Take heart, carry on!
P.S. This was a brief thought on a large topic. Each of the 8 methods for NSR could have their own post. More to come…
P.P.S. Bonus viewing-
The following films wonderfully portray, in grand cinematic fashion, the concept of ‘dropping the story.’
The Mission. A beautiful, though tragic masterpiece. The scene of Robert De Niro’s character reaching the top of a mountain trail, after an extremely arduous journey of self imposed torment, was nothing less than absolute brilliance.
The Piano. Jane Campion’s vividly alluring film is another fantastic metaphor of how a limited personal identity can drag us down.
I will spare the readers further elaboration so that they may gain the most satisfaction through the viewing of these fine films- if they have not already done so.