Customer Reviews

Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game

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4 star:		(13)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

What's the point of golf? What are we trying to achieve while we're out there? Simply put, the point is to get the ball in the cup as quickly as possible and enjoy the process. I played a round early this summer, had an awful time, came off the course stressed and feeling bad about my behavior. I was literally hyperventalating over putts. Turns out I scored well. So something was amiss, right? This book has me enjoying the game again. Zen Golf is not a deep and difficult treatise of the deeper meaning of life and golf. It is closer to an instruction manual on how to play better golf and enjoy the game more. It addresses concepts like trust, confidence and positive thinking. I now enjoy those 3-iron punch shots out of the trees. I'm learning to enjoy those 5-footers. Every shot is an opportunity and there's no need for fear or negativity. My "evil caddie" seldom comes around, and when he does, I know what to do. This is simply the best golf book I've ever read.

The one time I had a perfect (for me) round of golf I noticed that the game seemed extremely simple. The rest of the time, I wonder how it can be so complicated to try and reproduce that simplicity. Zen golf gets to the root of this and offers a path there, and the opportunity to have that round at any time.
Joseph Parent's advice applies to all levels of golfers and is a guide to consistent and reproduceable results. It is one of those rare books on golf that doesn't fill your head with things to consider while you play, it does the opposite by showing you how to clear your head and in doing so clear away the obstacles that prevent us and our bodies from naturally performing the way we are capable of. I expect that the short time it took me to read this book will have a long-lasting effect on the way I will play golf from now on, and I am in the process of reading it for a second time.

As an avid, yet struggling golfer I was ready for just about anything that could improve my game, including a lobotomy. Zen Golf was not only straight forward, but incredibly useful. Shortly after reading the book, I went out and "trusting" my swing not only hit a lot of great shots, but actually began having fun again. I enjoyed myself so much that I scheduled a full day lesson with Dr. Parent. Talk about a book brought to life. He was wonderful. Not only was he full of insight and stress relieving approaches, but he was really fun to play with. In the last year or so, I have been shooting a lot of 80's and even some 90's. Employing Dr. Parent's concepts I shot 77 AND had a fun time. I don't dread golf anymore. I highly recommend the book to every golfer looking to play to their full potential and take the hernia out of the game. For those luckier still, I recommend a lesson with Dr. Parent. If you are struggling with your game, either take up tennis or get this book.

When I worked as the golf professional on Holland America's ms Westerdam, I told our guests that I saw the game of golf as four-dimensional: attitude, set-up, swing and course management. And I don't care if you are a tour player or a beginner, the very first thing that you take out of your bag had better be a good attitude, or you lose.

In "Zen Golf", Dr. Parent takes the game a giant step forward. He suggests that you never do or say anything on the golf course that you wouldn't do in front of your five year old daughter. What on earth does this have to do with improving your swing and game in general? Everything! Since I'm a golf instructor, not a preacher or counselor, I'll not even try to outline the many physical and mental keys that are presented in this book that'll help your game and home life after the game. I'll just say, "Buy it!"

I really enjoyed reading Dr. Parent's book. It's quick reading, but not lightweight if you take the time to consider the lessons in the words. I'm a relative newcomer to golf and I think I have done well to improve my game in each of the four years I've been playing. A big part of this has been my outlook on the game and the ability to manage the inevitable bad shots that come as a starting golfer.

The lessons presented in this book are great for golf, but they can also be applied to other areas of life. If you don't worry about the results, but are mentally prepared to handle the outcome then you are a leg up on most people. Worry can be crippling on or off the golf course. (Note: this does not mean that you don't care about the results. There's a big difference in not worrying and not caring.)

I've read books by both Dr. Parent and Dr. Bob Rotella. Although both focus on the mental aspect of the game, I find the Zen Golf by Dr. Parent to be more practical. He gives specific examples and exercises that you can perform to make the Zen discipline a part of your practice and your game. That's not to knock Dr. Rotella - I've gotten good use of his books, too. I just find the Zen Golf to be a little more guided in helping you to seek the mental clarity that golf demands.

Finally, after reading hundreds of books and attending numerous golf schools, I have found instruction on how to manage my golf game and play with the game I have. Dr. Parents "Zen Golf" is a guide to the meditative aspects of golf, in fact he offers step by step instuction to begin meditation and work it into your golf game. Anyone who has ever meditated and played golf sees golf as "meditation in action": What's Tiger Woods advantage over the field of PGA golfers? Mind control he has gained trough years of meditation practice guided by his mother (from Thailand). Dr. Parents shows us how to "be" on the golf course to increase enjoyment and lower scores, but more importantly to play with honor and dignity regardless of the outcome that day.

I bought this book because it had a quote from V J Singh on the cover. Singh endorses this book. Singh has been concentrating on the mental side of the golf game. For the amateur golfer, the first thing to do is groove a swing, and develop short-game skills. After that, there are dozens of sports psychology books waiting for you. I have read about 10 of them, and most of them gave me the same feeling, as if I was reading the same thing over and over. This book was a bit different. I felt that the tips were very basic, but a couple of them have really helped me on the course. They have probably helped me more than anything else that I have read. I would say that there were about 6 very good tips/thoughts in this book. And probably 2 of them will stay with me for the rest of my life.
One lesson helps you for when you hit a bad shot. Usually, I would get upset, and my mood probably wouldn't get better until the next time I hit a really nice shot. This book teaches you a very simple method which has helped me to not get upset on the course.
One note: to be honest, I don't think that the book has directly helped me hit the ball closer to the pin, or to play smarter. However, it has helped me enjoy each shot more, and I definitely do not get upset on the course, anymore.

I've played golf for 40 years and have had a 10 hcp for most of that time. This book is the best I've seen. I think most golfers would agree that the game is 80 to 90 percent mental, and this book addresses that 80-90%. It almost totally ignores the physical aspects, which might bother some golfers, but my results have been have been amazing. My scores for the last 2 months have been in the low 70's. I don't even think about the mechanics of the swing anymore. The principles are very easy to understand and implement. I would recommend this book for any level of golfer.

I read Zen Golf and immediately thought that this was THE best book on how to improve your golf game and how you enjoy it. The book is NOT how to create the perfect golf swing. It is all about the mental side of the game and how you can improve your results by improving the way you think. Shortly after reading the book, I realized that reading it only once and expecting to achieve the intended results was simply not enough. The book must be read multiple times, use a hi-liter to mark the passages you want to improve on. There are so many wonderful mental suggestions that it is almost impossible to pick them all up the first time you read the book. I thought so much of the book, I purchased the book on CDs. I have read the book three times and listened to the CD's twice and will continue to read and listen until I have a clear picture of exactly what I want to accomplish. Since I only play on weekends, the time between rounds/practice tends to dull the lessons learned if you read it only once. Once is simply not enough! I know of no other book on golf I would recommend more. The principles also apply to life in general and sales specifically. The similarities between golf and sales are incredible!

Joseph Parent truly succeeds in integrating what he has learned from his Zen teachers and teachings with one's round of golf. His book is a must for all golfers, beginners and experts alike, duffers and long hitters. Points that Parent makes including breathing, putting beyond the cup, and not hitting "anyways shots" will truly improve one's round of golf. It will also impact a reader's attitude toward hitting the ball... from approach to follow-through, from driving to putting. Zen Golf is a great book and the unabridged book on CD is a must for travelers. The book has my highest recommendation.