THE HANDBOOK OF ZEN GOLF

By Ray Miller and Jim Wisniewski

AKA Jack Random and wZ

AKA Shivas MacDuff and Rufus McGhee


Copyright 1995 Crow Dog Press









LESSON ONE


BALANCE


It is difficult to imagine anything in life or in golf more important than balance. The force that is necessary to propel a standing object 200, 250, 300 yards from a fixed position toward a given target is astonishing. We have seen that force raise a large man off his feet and seat him firmly upon the earth. We have seen it hurl the striker in a full sprint at a ninety-degree angle from the flight of the ball.

With such tremendous forces at work in the swing of a golf club, each possessing the inert power to send the shot awry in any direction, it is imperative to remain planted and centered in the position of addressing the ball. Locate your center and the field of balance surrounding it. Sense the circular boundary, acknowledging that you can lose your balance on the forward-backward plane as easily as the left-right plane. The coil of your swing must remain within that field of balance, focused at the core, even while shifting weight throughout the course of the swing. Find you optimum stance and stay within yourself.

Without balance there are no other lessons. With balance all things are possible. As a wise being once said: When life is in balance, the soul is lightened.



LESSON TWO


RELAXATION IS KEY


What is the worst thing that could happen? Relax, breathe deeply, and place yourself in a cool breeze state of mind. Smile. Nothing destroys the tempo, balance and rhythm of the swing more assuredly than tension.

Where does tension center in your physical being? For many it is in the shoulders. For others it may be the lower back or the gut. Locate the tension centers of your body. Close your eyes and imagine the waves of a calm ocean or a scenic lake. Use that image to create waves of relaxation and send them, wave upon wave, throughout your body, focusing most intently on your own centers of tension. Think of nothing else. When you have achieved a state of relaxation, begin your swing. Swing slowly, smoothly, careful not to disturb you relaxed state of being. Practice your relaxation techniques on each and every shot, including putts. Become aware of the presence of tension. Locate it and calm it.

Allow nothing to come between you and your calm: Not the score, not the taunting of playing partners, not an event of perceived misfortune. You and only you are the master of your state of being. Don’t panic. Remain calm. Breathe. Relax.



LESSON THREE


SMOOTH AND EASY TAKES YOU HOME


In the words of the immortal Julius Boros: Swing easy, hit hard. Anyone who has seen the master play knows the meaning of poetry in motion. Grip the club firmly but gently, give it a playful toggle, step to the ball and let it fly. It requires no strength, no great effort, and no mental torture. Just a smooth, natural easy flowing motion, a sense of rhythm and grace, and a feel for the sweet spot.

Let everything else go. Think of Boros or Casper. Think of a flowing river. Picture the waves of a calm Pacific Ocean or sailing off a tropical island. See the flight of the condor. Consider ballet or the running motion of Joe DiMaggio circling under a fly ball. Think blue velvet and the voice of Lady Day. Picture yourself on a starlight flight, no cares and no worries.

Swing easy and the pendulum sway of the club head locate the sweet spot on the round white sphere below. Be patient. It will happen. Golf is a game of opposites: Swing easy, hit hard.



LESSON FOUR


VISUALIZE THE SHOT


Everything is energy. Everything is alive. Everything is surrounded by fields of light and shadow, color and sound, waves of pulsating, breathing life force. The aura surrounding all living beings, observed by mystics and psychics since the beginning of time has been recorded by cerulean photography. Audio recordings have documented the storage capacity of trees and stone. Believe it. It is so.

See the ball in a new light. Use your peripheral vision. Use your third eye. Focus from you inner vision until you see the aura surrounding the ball. Sense its pulse, its vibrant energy, its self-generating all force. See the aura of the club head, the shaft, your hands and arms. See the trace aura remaining in the path of the swing’s arc. See the fields of light become one with the ball, the swing, the club and you. See the trace of the ball in flight. Visualize the aura of the ball uniting with the aura of the club and enveloping the golfer, bringing together the motion of the swing with the flight of the ball.

Look around. See the fairway before you as fields of energy in shades of light and color. See the aura of the wind, the trees, the sand, the water, the rough, the grass, the earth and the heavens. Become one with all.




LESSON FIVE


IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SCORE


Golf is a sacred game. It is a game that can bring you closer to the heavens and closer to the earth. It can bring you in touch with forces infinitely greater than yourself. It can give you a sense of profound well-being, exhilaration, joy and love of life. To those of us who truly love the game, though we may possess no more than a minutia of true understanding, it has nothing to do with the score.

We have seen a golfer hit the drive of his life only to end up in misery over a missed putt. We have seen grown men transformed into nursery school children because of a number placed on a scorecard. We have seen seemingly honorable persons pretend they cannot count to seven. To these people we have one suggestion: Ping-pong. You may well be content with your game but the game and the individuals forced to play with you will be better off without you.

What would you rather do? Play good golf or score well? The Zen golfer has no conflict. Play the game and let the score take care of itself.



LESSON SIX


TAKE TIME TO ENJOY THE VIEW


It is not a pleasant coincident that the game of golf is played in some of the world’s most beautiful settings. The oceanside links can inspire absolute awe. The mountain course in a forest of pine can elevate the spirit. Even the flatland course has its own charm for those attuned to it.

No matter where you’re teeing up today, take time to enjoy the view. There is nothing more disconcerting that the golfer who is so absorbed in his game that he would fail to notice the Grand Canyon or a small tornado on the horizon. Yet the clearing of a throat or the landing of a butterfly will distract the same golfer during his backswing.

Find the beauty. Begin by acknowledging the blessing: Another day in Paradise. Observe the trees be they pine or oak, maple or dogwood. Become aware of the coloring in shades of green, blue, brown and gray. Notice the presence of wildflowers, sage, ice plant or shrubbery, the birds and wildlife that inhabit these hallowed grounds. Enjoy the view from all perspectives. Become a part of it. See yourself not at the center of this wonder but only as one of the all. It will then be impossible to assume a negative mindset.



LESSON SEVEN


FIND YOUR CENTER


The golf swing is like a spinning top. When perfectly balanced and centered it is a marvel. The marriage of force and counter force, motion and stability. When it loses hold of its center, even by a fraction, it wobbles, stumbles and falls.

Centering is more than balance. It is grounding and mental focus. It is feeling the earth and the power of gravity below your feet and blending with that force in perfect harmony. It begins with balance and finishes with grace.

Begin by assuming a well-balanced stance. The imagine a line, like a string or a rod, from the heavens to the core of the earth, traversing the top of your head, the middle of you body, between your legs to the center of your stance and beyond. Forget about striking the ball. Forget about your grip. Forget about keeping your left arm straight and your head down. Concentrate all your energy on centering your swing on its axis, from it backswing coil to the follow through. Consider the spine as the center of your being. Maintain spinal alignment. The centered golfer is the consistent golfer. The centered being is on the path to spiritual awareness.



LESSON EIGHT


TRUST YOUR CREATIVE IMPULSE


No two shots are alike. Like the lilies of the field, they may look alike but they are not. Each is varied, however subtly, in texture, shades of coloring, shape and posture. Each has its own distinctive being, though its essence is shared. It is one of the blessings of golf that its variables are infinite. Play the shot as if it is the only chance you will ever have to make it for in fact it is.

When you understand this you will begin to allow your imagination to roam freely. You will see possibilities that did not before exist. You will appreciate the constant challenge of the moment. You will not think back to a previous shot. You will not look ahead to the next. You will notice the peculiarities of the lie, the subtle shifts of the wind, the bend of the trees, and the shape of the fairway. The shot awaits and beckons your creative powers. Answer the call.

It is a mistake for the makers of golf technology to aim at eliminating the variables of the golf shot. They limit us. The fade, the banana slice, the draw and the hook, the high ball and the low, are as much a part of the game as the straight ahead shot. Paul Azinger won the PGA by using his imagination. Corey Pavin won the US Open in like manner. Trust your creative impulse. Free your mind and play the shot.



LESSON NINE


FEEL THE ALL FORCE


You can’t see it but you know it’s there. You can’t hear, touch or smell it but its existence is beyond doubt. You can feel it. It is the all force. It is the wellspring of all power and energy. It is accessible to those who can locate it and call it to their service.

The all force exists deep within the soul of the self. It is the universal self, the self that denies the self. It can be found through meditation, zazen, music or any other means of achieving higher or altered states of consciousness. Once found it can always be summoned. The force is within you always.

Begin by clearing your mind. Focus your awareness on the center of your being. Some say it is the solar plexus: the area at the back of the gut or third chakra. Some say it is the fourth chakra, the area of the heart. Still others say it is an area of the diaphragm between the third and fourth chakras. It is the spring of the force within. Find it, feel it, summon it. Let it guide your swing. The all force be with you.



LESSON TEN


PURE THOUGHTS YIELD GOOD SHOTS


So you like to play mind games? You’ve come to the right place. Golf is a game of the mind. In fact it is possible to play a round of golf without clubs, with ball, without anything, within the fertile confines of the ever-expanding mind.

Can you bend the path of the ball with your brain waves? Can you send it soaring like a rising gull with a thought? Everyone who plays the game, from the unskilled hacker to the master, knows the negative power of the mind. The negative thought is the surest way to destroy the golf swing. Watch out for that trap on the right sends the ball like a magnet straight to sand. Pulling out the marked ball for a shot over water geometrically multiplies the odds of a one-stroke penalty. The mind betrays us. Or rather we betray the mind.

Relatively few know the positive power of the mind. Believe it and it is done. Know that you can make the shot and let the body deliver it. Brain the ball. Talk to it. See it in the mind’s eye. The mind is the power. Free it of distractions and watch with amazement the miracles it will deliver.



LESSON ELEVEN


PAY ATTENTION TO THE SIGNS


By the third tee at Wawona Golf Course at the southwest corner of Yosemite National Park there is a sign: Beware of rattlesnake without rattles. Some signs are easier to read than others. One does not look for lost golf balls in the thick rough of Wawona’s third hole.

Most signs are more difficult to read. The Zen golfer must be open and aware. When you receive a sign, interpret it as best you can and heed it. The signs may come from many sources. A black bird sounding a woeful caw, a ray of sunlight through the shadows of tall trees, a burst of chill wind or a sudden calm. The signs may generally be interpreted in two ways: A warning or a blessing. In golf as in life there is a time for caution and a time for running with the wind. One’s approach to the game at any given moment should be determined not only by awareness of the inner self but also by an equal awareness of the surrounding environment. You are never alone on the golf course, even when playing solo. With practice and careful attention, you can benefit greatly by reading the signs your environment provides you.

The signs may mean different things to different people. Be aware, interpret and learn from your mistakes.



LESSON TWELVE


THE INFINITE ROUND


Henry Miller said: Sit still and watch the world go round. The Buddha presented the Lotus. How do we describe the essence, the Zen, the life within the life, the essential core? We must first recognize that it is not the Lotus. We must then realize that it is.

Contemplate the white of the ball. It is not a color. It is the presence of all light. It is the white path of the Cherokee. It is the white buffalo of the Lakota and the sacred white owl. It is the moon, illumination and purity of spirit. Consider the infinite round. It is the great wheel of life, the wheel of dharma, the life-death-rebirth cycle, the four seasons and the endless motion of transformation. Consider the meaning of the hole: The unknown, the void, the dark forest and the Great Mystery.

The white of the ball, the infinite round, the number nine and the path of the fairway: Such sacred mythological symbolism is not coincidental. Yet we can only scratch the surface. Golf is everything. Golf is nothing. Golf is life but golf is not important. Sit for a hundred years and then you may begin to understand.



LESSON THIRTEEN


THE GARDEN OF EARTH IS HEAVEN


Is there golf in heaven? Without doubt. Heaven is the garden of earth where the game of golf is played. How do you choose to conduct yourself in paradise? Shall you lose your patience with your fellow players? Shall you set yourself above all others? Shall you vent your frustrations on the venerate staff? Shall you glory in the misfortunes of others? Shall you rant and rave and curse the sacred sphere? Shall you cheat on your score as if it really mattered?

You are in the garden. Behave yourself. Be aware of golfer’s karma. Replace divots, repair ball marks, rake the sand trap. Allow the foursome behind you to play through. There is no hurry in the garden. Be patient. Give praise where praise is due. Be understanding of other’s shortcomings, even when they begin to wonder what’s wrong with you. Be humble. Take that two-stroke penalty with a contented smile. The sun will rise in the east and set in the west. The great wheel of life will continue to turn. For now, be there. Smell the flowers. Enjoy your time in the garden.



LESSON FOURTEEN


EVERY ROUND HAS ITS LESSON


The game of golf is as complex as life itself. It is the chess of sport. No one source could even attempt to cover all the possibilities. The lessons of the round are infinitely varied as the game.

As you play your round ask yourself: What is this round teaching me? The first answer may be balance, as it so often is. As the game progresses, however, you may begin to realize the uniqueness and complexity of the round. It is rarely as simple as balance. It may take hours or day to realize the lesson of the round. Always it is directly related to life outside the realm of golf. The lesson may be humility. Are you focused on yourself to the neglect of your surroundings and those who share the view? The lesson may be pleasure. Are you taking your work too seriously? It may be values. Can you see the forest for the trees? The possibilities are endless but you can be sure that whatever is going on in life will reveal itself in a round of golf.

A Zen golfer was playing a miserable round, convinced that fatigue was the reason. He awoke the next morning with the thought: Welcome adversity. The round was preparing him for an event still to come.



LESSON FIFTEEN


WELCOME ADVERSITY


Take a moment to recall a few of you most memorable shots: The low fading riser out of the rough, through the trees, below the overhanging branches, bending with the fairway, soaring like a hawk, landing like a butterfly safely on the green. The bank shot through the sand. The blind draw over the valley of death to an elevated green. These are the moments inspired by adversity. It is the challenge that often triggers the creative instinct.

The most memorable moments of a round are almost always against the odds. They are almost always the outcome of a wayward shot. The Zen golfer does not seek danger but he or she welcomes the opportunity it presents. Adversity builds character. It is only on the edge that one appreciates the infinite. Only from the precipice can one envision the depths. It is only when we wander from the path that we discover the illusive keys to greater understanding of the divine forces that guide and instruct us. It is only when we test the limits that we illuminate the divinity within. There are no limits save those we impose on ourselves. There are no boundaries save those we have constructed from the collective consciousness. Break the boundaries. Accept the challenge. Welcome adversity.



LESSON SIXTEEN


GOLF EMBRACES THE SIMPLE


In the beginning there was the knobby and the feathery. A good hickory stick and a skin wrapped ball of goose down. In the beginning it was as simple as grasping the club and striking the ball. It is important to return often to this fundamental. Don’t think, don’t procrastinate, don’t analyze, just hit the ball.

We have all observed the beginning golfer just after a half-hour lesson on the techniques of golf. We can verbalize the mental process as he stands sweating over the ball: Left arm straight, right shoulder under the chin, weight shift, elbow in and don’t forget to keep your head down. By the time his litany ends he has forgotten its beginning. We want desperately to advise: Just hit the ball! But he would not understand.

It is never as simple as it seems and never as complicated. Nature embraces the simple. Golf is nature. Therefore, golf embraces the simple. When in doubt return to the fundamental: Grasp your knobby and strike the feathery.



LESSON SEVENTEEN


CLEAR YOUR MIND


It has been said that the average human mind cannot hold more than three simultaneous thoughts without impairment of physical activity. When the activity is as complex as the golf swing it is best to begin with a blank slate. When the mind is clear, the Zen golfer can achieve a level of focus far beyond that of the average golfer.

It is important to begin a round of golf clear of the worries, pressures and problems of life outside the round. Breathe deeply and focus on the trees, the wind and the natural beauty of the golf course. With each exhalation let go of the worries, let go of the appointments, and let go of the tension and mental processes. Visualize the letting go. Watch the worries rise above the tree line, like rings of smoke, and fade into the distance. Focus on an abstraction: the aura of the fairway, the roundness of the ball, and the sway of a pendulum. When the mind is empty of conscious thought, you are ready to begin the round.

If you choose this message in the middle of a round it is a reminder that you should return to the blank mind. It is a reminder not to carry the thought of the last shot into the next. Clear the mind and begin each shot anew.



LESSON EIGHTEEN


PRAISE THE GODS


The gods of golf are watching. Always. They hear your thoughts. They know the content of your heart. The gods are cold and harsh to the unworthy. They are forgiving and kind to the humble. They appreciate gratitude and grace. They appreciate the golfer who is aware of those around him. They appreciate the well-mannered player. They frown upon those who complain and curse and fail to offer thanks. They punish those who offer insincere praise or knowingly cheat or wish their playing partners ill fortune. The gods are the keepers of the scales upon which karma is weighed. The gods control the flow of yin and yang. The gods giveth and the gods taketh away.

Take heart when fortune appears to have turned its back. It is a test of your character. Know that in the absence of anger, blessed fortune will soon shine upon you. Remember that it is easy to be calm, cool, collected when all is well. The challenge is to maintain the balance when all is not well. When good fortune returns, give praise. Be humble. The game is big and you are small. Give thanks and collect you blessings.