It is said that the game of golf is 90% mental and every year, numerous books come out that are geared towards mastering the mind game. While some are good, most fall into the category of “it might work for someone, just not me.” This book by Dr. Parent is an interesting read and unfortunately, it really doesn’t rise above this old cliché. It’s a good read and most golfers should be able to get at least something out of the book, but it’s not one that will change your life.
The Zen way has become increasingly popular throughout the years. From the Tao of Pooh, to Zen Golf, numerous books all preach that if you can find your inner center, you’ll unlock your potential. While golf is largely mental, it’s tough for a lot of players to adopt an Eastern philosophy and sense of calm when they’re at the bottom of a bunker. If you’ve got a naturally laid back personality, than this book is probably well suited to your needs. Type A personalities however probably won’t be able to get much from it. It’s a bit frustrating at times, and although there is a lot of truth to the advice, it’s just not advice that everyone can use.
The book uses a lot of parables to illustrate the exercises that players can use to overcome mental blocks and start playing an enlightened round of golf. While they are very cute, sometimes too much so, they are not very helpful if you have a consistent problem staying focused. Some of the recommended exercises will work, but there is no one cure for fixing any one golfer’s game. We all have issues, and chances are, they are unique to your own personality. There is no one-size-fits-all approach that works to fix a mental game, and this book tries a bit too hard to get into this category.
All of this said, it still is a worthwhile read and you should be able to get at least a few tips out of it that can help you tweak your game. At the end of the round, it’s all about mastering YOUR mind, not someone else’s. No one can simply use techniques from one book, there has to be a balance of several methodologies that can all be put together to form the desired result.
We appreciate the effort that went into this book and while it’s not one of our favorites, we would still recommend it to golfers. Novices might find ways to overcome a few common problems and those that are still struggling with their mental game can also walk away with a few tips. Many golfers literally swear by these methods, so it is worth the time to give it a try. If you go into the book with the right mindset, realizing that there really is no magic bullet when it comes to working on your mental game, then you should be able to glean at least a few tips out of it.
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