Do Golf Lessons Really Help?

For many years I would go to Phoenix Arizona between Christmas and New Years to visit some relatives and friends. Every year my friend Ray and I would play Golf at least 3 times during my stay and every year it would be a contest to see who won the most games.

Over the years, I think we were about equally matched, we each had our good games and bad games, but over all I won more games then Ray did.

One year I won all three game of Golf and I could tell that Ray was a little frustrated. The last night of our stay, we met back at Ray's house for supper and Ray said if he couldn't beat me at Golf, he'll beat me at Chess. Well, I hadn't played Chess for years, but for some reason, I won all the games and Ray was even more frustrated, but we were still friends.

The following year, Ray called me at home right before I left for Phoenix. He told me our first Golf game tee time was the number one spot, early the next morning. After driving to Phoenix, knowing I had to get up early, I made sure I had everything ready for the next morning.

The next morning I drove over to Ray's house and when I got there he was waiting for me and was real eager for us to get going to the Golf course. He put his clubs in the car, got in the car and started putting on his Golf shoes while I was driving. When we got to the course, he had me drop him off at the club house before I parked the car and said he would meet me at the driving range.

After parking my car I went to the club house, signed in, grabbed a cup of coffee, got my Golf cart and drove to the driving range. By the time I got there, Ray had already gone through his worm up exercises and almost finished hitting most of his practice balls. He then told me to hurry up and put my Golf shoes on and take a few practice shots that we had to get going. I ask him why he was in such a rush and he said he just wanted to get started playing.

Normally we would take our time, BS for awhile, joke around and just have fun. But this time was different, Ray was real anxious and focused on getting started and I couldn't help but wonder why. After taking about three practice shots and gulping down my coffee, we drove over to the first hole. Ray said he wanted to tee off first and I said okay because I still needed to stretch and wake up.

Well, I found out why Ray didn't say much and wanted to get started that morning. He teed up, took a couple of practice swings, stepped up to the ball, swung and hit the ball. I watched the ball take off and after it looked like it would level off, it kicked in the after burners and kept on going. It was one of the best shots I had ever seen, on or off television.

After Ray took his shot, I looked at him and ask, when did you learn how to do that. He looked at me with a big grin on his face and said, I have been taking lessons almost every day since you left last year. He said he was so frustrated at himself, that know matter how hard he tried to beat me, it just wasn't enough. So, he said he made himself a new years resolution, that know matter what it took, he was going to learn how to play Golf better.

Needless to say, Ray was a lot better then he ever was and for me, well, Ray had to wait for me on almost every green until I got there. So, to answer the question, do Golf lessons really help?

I had taken a few lessons, that's why I was able to beat Ray most of the time before.

Paul Bittle is the owner of Article Bits and Bits N Wits, free articles and information you can use.

Maria Wing is a lawyer in Philadelphia -- 28 years old, single and in debt. Until recently, single women like her were largely ignored by candidates and disengaged from the political process. But she and thousands of others could prove key in Tuesday's Democratic Pennsylvania primary and again in November.

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Golf And Meditation?

For many years, one of the things I loved doing was watching the final day of Golf tournaments on TV. As the day begins perhaps 8 or 9 players have a chance to win, but by the time they are playing the final holes this number has shrunk to 2 or 3.

The fascinating thing for me was that on this day the level of individual skill was not the most important factor - these Golfers are already highly skilled but the event would be won by the player who could combine this with mental strength, and who could maintain their focus, remain calm and allow themselves to play their natural game.

I would watch the faces of these players and at some point it would be possible to predict who would fall by the way, and who would have the inner qualities to win.

When I learned to meditate I began to experience the zone that top sportspeople operate from for myself. I found sporting activities much more enjoyable and I became more effective as I used my meditation techniques.

A few years ago I felt attracted to play Golf, something I hadnt done since I was a teenager (a long time ago!), and found that it was a great opportunity to practice meditation with my eyes open.

When playing Golf I found that what was going on in my head would have a huge impact on how well or badly I played. For example, I may play a bad shot (and Ive had plenty of those!) and put more pressure on myself to play the next one well my body would become tense and my mind would be telling me all the things I had to do to avoid screwing up again! The result? Youve guessed it another bad shot. And so the cycle continues. (An interesting thing to note is that the lakes in most Golf courses contain not only stray Golf balls but the occasional club thrown in by frustrated Golfers!)

So, to have an easy and effective meditation technique was a lifesaver and has helped me improve and, very importantly, enjoy my game, exactly as it is.

Mahadeva Ishaya is a monk of the Ishaya Order, and also an avid Golfer. He is the publisher of Golfinthemoment.com">http://www.Golfinthemoment.com which is committed to helping Golfers of all abilities realise that mastery of the "inner game" of Golf is not only vital, but simple and enjoyable.

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