Playing Golf Around Your Body

I DO WHAT MY BODY ALLOWS me to do. None of us have perfect bodies. From basic structure, to genetics, to deficiencies, to illnesses and injuries, all the way to aging, each of us has to learn how to swing based on the bodies we have. Shotmaking and even scoring tactics should also take into account the body used to perform them.

Let me use myself as an example. I am a 54-year-old geezer who has chronically damaged knees, the webbing between my fingers is so tight it prohibits me from using overlapping or interlocking grips, my left leg is slightly longer than my right one, and I have relatively long limbs and a short torso. Add

to this that I am a bodybuilder who is perpetually stiff and sore. When the players with whom I work discover all of my "limitations," they are amazed I can hit the ball at all .much less take money off of them! Perhaps - precisely because of these physical liabilities is why I learned how to maximize my mental and scoring games.

I see many whiny golfers use their physical limitations as excuses. These become their crutches. "If only." is their standard phrase. "If only I didn't have this bum back," "If only I wasn't so stiff from yard work," "If only I didn't have these allergies," "If only I didn't have this gut," or even "If only I was taller,"... "then I could practice more and play better." Rubbish! The only person they are fooling is themselves. Golf is a pure and honest game which allows no excuses. Cowboy up.

Dennis Oliver is the head teaching pro at my home course. He is regionally renowned for having the best eyes arid communication skills in working with golfers of all abilities. Dennis is one of those teaching pros golfers go to when they experience roadblocks or slumps. He is magical how he helps players. Beyond his teaching prowess, Dennis has a special passion for helping golfers in The Special Olympics.

He reports that some of the most remarkable progress he has ever seen in any golfer are from players who should not have the minds and bodies to do it. These golfers courageously and passionately play with what they have. Dennis views himself as a kind of guide to put them on the right track. And, boy, do they respond.

Great teaching pros like Dennis Oliver work with the individual golfer's uniqueness. Sure, he teaches the fundamentals, but he then adapts to what the student's body will allow them to do. Whether it is more of a long arc swing or a compact rotation swing, Dennis helps golfers discover their own "natural" swings. There are many, many ways to hit the ball well and play the game solidly. You see, there is really no such thing as a classic swing. If you ask players who have always been recognized at possessing pure

swings, they would report they had to do a lot of compensating for their bodies throughout their careers. Steve Elkington, Patty Sheehan, and Tom Purtzer all have made adjustments to their "classic" swings to accommodate their bodies.

You may not have the challenges of a Special Olympian or a person coping with chemotherapy to have to adapt with your body. Your body is your performance vehicle. All of us have to learn how to play around our bodies. The body never stays the same; it is always changing. So not only does the course change everyday, so do our bodies we use to play.

Seen in these lights, golf is a game of continuous adaptations. Here is the key: acceptance. Accept the body you have. Accept the reality that there will be some things you will not be able to do. And accept that there are some things you can learn to do. The mantras of the sell-accepting golfer are, "It is what it is" and "I'll do what I can do." Now, acceptance does not mean resignation. Nor is it a rationale for making excuses. Acceptance focuses on maximizing what one possesses instead of lamenting over what one no longer has. You see, until you accept your body you will not be able to fully change things nor maximize other things. Sure, you may not be able to swing the way you used to, but you can learn to swing in new ways. In fact, most dedicated golfers report to me that they have received deeper self-satisfaction with the game through learning how to play around their bodies.

From a base of honest acceptance, golfers can learn how to maximize what they have. For example, we have all learned about the benefits of developing a system of stretching, both daily and prior to a round. And some of us have reaped the benefits of weight training. Regular practice and intelligent playing can more than make up for some physical disabilities. And your heart, mind, and playing savvy can get around swing limitations.

There are things you can do if only you accept yourself and give yourself permission to strive for them. Establish more appropriate and attainable goals . . .and then go out and do it. You will never know how far you can go with your body until you find out for yourself. I have always used the metaphor that golf is a human performance laboratory. The game can be played and enjoyed at so many levels. In the face of aging, illness, or physical disabilities, golf can still be enjoyed and even mastered at new levels. Most importantly, the processes of striving can become as meaningful as the new outcomes.

You have some essential choices to make. No matter your age, illnesses, or injuries, only you can decide how to approach the game. Are you going to be a victim or are you going to become a warrior? Are you going to stay in the past lamenting how you used to play? Or are you going to accept your current body, accommodate it, and learn how to play in

new ways? The choices are ultimately yours.

Some of you real students of the game are familiar with the writing of Bob Labbance. Based in New England, Bob has always had a passion about golf literature, classic course architecture, and the history of the American game. What few of you know is that while golfing in September he slipped on a slick bridge, fell head first into the creek bed, and suffered a severe spinal injury. He was immediately completely paralyzed. After three operations Bob is still partially paralyzed.

However, his friends say Bob is still talking about coming back to Ms beloved golf. He is striving daily to make progress with his new body. Sure, he a never swing the way he used to. But my money is on Bob coming back to the game and learning how to play it. and enjoy it .. in new ways. Bob, we're all waiting for you on the tee.

Cheers!

Tom

"Do you really want to listen to someone who actually makes sense about this crazy game? Tom Kubistant is almost a reclusive man, but golfers who find him are always rewarded by his complete system of the mental game, his practical applications, and his everyday wisdom. Tom has been a regular contributor to my radio show since 1997. I am continually surprised at how much he knows for every playing situation. He just makes so much sense. Doc is also one of the few in his profession who strictly maintains his professional ethics regarding confidentiality with his golfers. So he cannot say who he works with. But I can! I have seen him work with his golfers at tournaments and have even interviewed a couple of them for my show. He is their secret weapon"

Vince Mastracco - Host of the nationally syndicated radio program: "Golf Talk"

Dr. Tom Kubistant, sports psychologist has worked with world-class athletes since 1971. He is one of the most prolific writers and speakers on the mental game of golf on the planet. To take advantage of his decades of golf wizardry, visit Mind Links

Author of "Performing Your Best, Links Golf, Mind Pump: The Psychology of Body Building, business and sales training audios, over 280 articles for magazines and now.........Mind Links - The Psychology of Golf.