| The Golf Whisperer: An Interview
with Dan DeMuth by Wes Hamilton Third in a seven-part series The more I try to understand the best way to lower my golf score, the more confused I get! I believed that I would continue to play better golf in a gradual progressive manner, however the more I try to remember all the rules -- hold my arm straight, keep my eye on the target, keep my eye on the ball, relax, remember the natural flow -- the higher my score increases! (for non-golfers, the lower the score the better the game!) After playing a few more games of golf and becoming very frustrated, I decided I had better get back to Dan DeMuth and ask him, "How do I unlock the happiness in my golf game? And if I unlock the happiness, will I lower my golf score?" Dan, what process do you coach your clients to "unlock the happiness on and off the course"? DeMuth: We start by asking our clients, "Why are you playing golf and what do you want out of the experience? What is your intention? If you're clear on what you want, it becomes a lot easier to achieve your desired results. Let's imagine you went out to play golf and shot a score of 90. For the sake of conversation, it took you 10 seconds to line up and hit the ball each time it was your turn, it would have taken you 10 seconds x 90 hits = 900 seconds (900 divided by 60 seconds to a minute equals 15 minutes) to play the golf game. This shows us that in a typical four-hour game of golf, playing 18 holes, you really are only playing, hitting the ball, 15 minutes during the golf game! You need to become aware of what you're doing for 3 hours and 45 minutes of the game when you're not hitting the ball. This is where you get to choose how to bring your intentions into the game. Dan, how do you connect happiness on and off the course? DeMuth: The game of golf is just like life: It has its ups and downs. This 3-hour-and-45-minute period of the game is designed to give you time to change your thought pattern to get you back into the game. We get very attached to "good" and "bad" shots that can send us to the outcome, instead of staying connected to the present moment. When you're experiencing the highs and lows, it's your ability to stay connected to the present moment that gives you the skills to reconnect to your intentions and change your patterns. Look at how you are managing the big picture of your game, and then take a few moments to look at your life's big picture and how you are managing that! They are connected. You ask your clients to create an image of themselves as a golfer. What purpose does this exercise have for us? DeMuth: Who do you want to be? Look at yourself, not just your game. It is very important to activate the visual image of what you as a golfer looks like. When we give ourselves permission dream and pretend as we play the game we begin to live into the image. We begin to excel. Remember we have 3 hours and 45 minutes to develop the image of who you are. Do you see yourself playing well and enjoying the game? Or are you focused on what you did wrong on the last hole? You have a very unique method of connecting me to my game. You give us permission to throw the golf clubs. How is this exercise helping me play a better game of golf? DeMuth: Club throwing allows you to connect to your natural swing that you have inside of you. Most golfers spend hours of their practice time working on their golf swing. The club-throwing practice unlocks the natural golfer inside of us. I have videotaped hundreds of golfers and non-golfers swinging a golf club at a ball and then throwing clubs at a target. The picture on the left is the ball hitting and picture on the right is the club throwing. Observing these pictures gives us a visual of the natural swing we were born with. This natural swing was unlocked in this client in five minutes. Now the challenge for this client is to stay connected to the natural swing, instead of analyzing how the swing is supposed to be executed. Acceptance of common sense solutions can be more valuable than rigid principle, as we learn to play better golf. Next month: Course management and how you take charge of your golf experience for each game you play. Dan DeMuth is the Golf Whisperer inspiring people to play "Better Golf" on and off the course. The Better Golf Studio is located in Golden Valley, Minn. Contact Dan at (763) 513-9285 or e-mail dbgolf@qwest.net Wes Hamilton is a Realtor-Broker for Minnesota Lakes Realty Inc. in Wayzata, Minn. Working with clients buying and selling "Magical Kingdoms." Contact him at (952) 476-2553. Visit www.Weshamilton.com Copyright © 2004 Wes Hamilton |
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JUNE 2004 |
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