Why Most Golfers Are Sheep?

Sheep, according to reports from those on the land, are truly delightful creatures. So, no bad s*** intended to besmirch the character of our hooven equipped friends. Why most golfers are sheep? It is because they tend to dress and do the same stuff in contrast to doing their own thing. Golfers all basically wear the same sort of attire. They seem to really like branded gear, as if they are in one of those movies where they flash in large letters place names on the screen. You know, like LONDON or NEW YORK or WHEREVER! Golfers love to emblazon their person with TITLEIST or TAYLOR MADE or PING or CALLAWAY. Hats, caps, shirts, bags, and umbrellas are walking, talking bill boards on course. Why golfers want to provide free advertising for these businesses whilst paying exorbitant prices for their products and merchandise is a mystery to most sane modern folk. 

Golfers & Belonging To The Tribe

It is, in my view (and I do it too), because we want to belong to the golfing tribe. Somehow, we see ourselves as more golfer by being branded by these golfing labels. The golfer bitten by the golfing bug wants to belong to the true believer’s tribe. Perhaps, it is, also, because the darn game is so hard to consistently master. We regularly lose our identity as golfers when we play like busted arses and flail our way around the course. Our game may not stand up to scrutiny but our branded attire does. The touring pros are paid sponsorship money to wear COBRA or WILSON STAFF gear but we pay the manufacturers for the same privilege in a bid to feel like we belong out there on the links. It could be viewed as a bit of a sad story but we don’t care what outsiders think. Playing golf is hard to do for a variety of reasons and I wont go into that here but the difficulty of the game contributes to our feelings of insecurity, I reckon.
https://www.golfdom.com.au/why-most-golfers-are-sheep/

Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of The Golf Book: Green Cathedral Dreams and How To Play Golf: Like A Winner. He has been writing about golf for more than a decade. More importantly, he has been playing golf intensively for many more years, because he loves the game. He is a member of the Bribie Island Golf Club in S.E. Queensland (where kangaroos roam the fairways).

On the history front, he majored in the study of Ancient History at Macquarie University BA and went on to complete post graduate studies Grad Cert in that same field. He is also the author of several titles on Ancient Rome, Greece, and Egypt, which are available via Amazon. 

He has a golf podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1793250 and the golf blogsite www.golfdom.com.au 

His YouTube videos can be found at Robert Sudha Hamilton

@robertsudhahamilton7073

 5 Tips For Inner Peace & Tranquility From The Stoic Golfer

We all want to be free of torturous desires and anxieties that unsettle our lives. One of the core beliefs of Stoicism is that individuals have little control over external events, but they have complete control over their own thoughts and reactions to those events. The Stoics emphasized the importance of accepting what is beyond our control and focusing instead on developing our own character and inner peace.

Tip No 1

Turn your focus around 180 degrees from out there to within. The answers to your quest for happiness will not be found out there, rather it will revealed by seeking within. Marcus Aurelius tells us In his book, "Meditations," - live in harmony with the universe by following the principles of wisdom, justice, courage, and moderation, and by using reason to guide your thoughts and actions. Marcus reflects on the Stoic principles and provides guidance on how to live a virtuous and fulfilling life. He writes about the importance of accepting what is beyond our control, cultivating inner peace, and performing our duties in life with integrity and wisdom.

Stop looking for short cuts and hacks in everything – the whole concept of giving less and expecting more is wrong. You ae not gaming the system by this approach you are gaming yourself and your own integrity.

Tip 2

You are not your feelings! The Stoics believed that emotions such as fear, anger, and desire could cloud our judgement and lead us away from the path of wisdom and virtuous living. They taught that individuals could achieve tranquility and inner peace by understanding the nature of the universe, accepting the inevitable, and practicing self-control and restraint in their thoughts and actions. Your emotional reactions to things that happen in your life and on the golf course are not who you are.

Tip 3

You are not alone; we are all connected to the life around us. Stoicism holds a universal ethical code, based on the principles of natural law and the common good. Everything you do impacts upon your family, friends, community, and eco system. It is not all about you, as many people think. Children have this me-centric attitude as part of their early years, but grow-up and out of it in the natural evolution of things.

Tip 4

Live life joyously in the here and now! Stoic Joy: A Stoic rejoices in the present moment and finds joy in living a virtuous life, regardless of external circumstances. When you strip away all the stuff from your life. Ditch the desires for endless material things. Discard the wants for this and that. Stop craving for substances to fill up your life. You will find that simply being alive can be a beautiful experience – not all the time, of course. Constant happiness is a furphy, another illusory desire. Allow yourself to be free enough of fear and desire to be joyous in the here and now.

Tip

The GolfDom Podcast explores the obsessive nature of the game of golf.
I am Addicted to Golf - a story for those who may play a little too much golf.
Then, listen all about my new book, just released.
The game of golf has long been associated with the pursuit of excellence, both physically and mentally. Whether you are an avid golfer, a weekend player, or simply a fan of the sport, you understand the importance of a strong, focused mind on the course. This is why the principles of Stoicism, the ancient philosophy that emphasizes the development of inner peace and resilience, are so applicable to golf.

In "The Stoic Golfer: Finding Inner Peace & Focus On The Fairways," I explore the intersection of these two seemingly disparate worlds and offer a new perspective on how to approach the game of golf with a Stoic mindset.

As a golfer and a student of Stoicism, I have found that incorporating Stoic principles into my approach to the game has helped me to perform at a higher level and enjoy the game more fully. Through my experiences and research, I have developed a set of practical tools and exercises that can help you to find your own inner peace and focus on the course.

In the following pages, you will discover how to cultivate a Stoic outlook on golf and life, how to use mindfulness and visualization to improve your performance, and how to navigate the ups and downs of the game with equanimity and grace. You will learn how to:

Develop a strong, clear vision for your golf game.

Let go of distractions and focus on the present moment.

Cultivate a positive and resilient mindset, even in the face of adversity.

Harness the power of visualization to improve your performance.

Deal with setbacks and failures with grace and determination

Find joy and fulfillment in the game of golf, no matter your level of skill.

Whether you are a seasoned golfer or a newcomer to the game, "The Stoic Golfer" will provide you with the tools and insights you need to perform at your best, both on and off the course. I invite you to join me on this journey to find inner peace and focus on the fairways.

In these pages, we will explore the teachings of the Stoics and discover how they can be applied to the game of golf. With each chapter, you will gain a deeper understanding of how to cultivate the mental and emotional skills that are so essential to success on the course. And as you work through the exercises and practices outlined in the book, you will develop a new appreciation for the power of Stoicism to help you find inner peace, focus, and joy in golf and life.

Understanding The Golfer’s Brain

It will not surprise some to know that a lifetime of golf affects the brain. Understanding the golfer’s brain can illuminate that journey, somewhat like reverse engineering. Particular activities and vocations make lasting impressions upon our mental hardware. A musician’s brain shows:

“Learning to play a musical instrument is a complex task that integrates multiple sensory modalities and higher-order cognitive functions. Therefore, musical training is considered a useful framework for the research on training-induced neuroplasticity.”

1.     (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2021.630829/full )

Similarly, a professional dancer’s brain reveals structural changes from the neural processing work demanded of that activity over many years. The region connecting the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex is enlarged in both musicians and dancers. The professional golfer and those who have devoted large chunks of their life to this pursuit will show structural brain changes via neuroplasticity. 

Why Do Golfer’s Brains Change?

Those of us who have embarked upon the mysteries of the golf swing via personal experience know how challenging this process can be at the beginning. Most human beings lack an innate biomechanical awareness, as the movements of our physical bodies are governed by an autonomic system. Once we have learned to walk as toddlers we do not spend a great deal of time thinking about how we achieve this mastery of ambulation and balance. Riding a bike is another example of this. Therefore, when we come to isolating the biomechanical sequences involved in swinging a golf club it is initially a tough gig. I have referred to the driver swing in previous books, as “dancing with wood.” If you think about it for a minute, the analogy fits, as we perform this ritualised series of movements, which must be executed perfectly for best results. Many players make practice swings in a parody of a repetitive modern dance movement. If aliens were watching this from above and knew nothing of golf what would they make of this spectacle happening on golf courses across the land? A strange mating ritual or war dance perhaps?

The Structural Changes In The Brains Of Golfers

Basic understandings of the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex tell us that the left and right sides are responsible for distinct types of neural processing. The left hemisphere is involved in data processing, crunching numbers and such like. The right hemisphere experiences the big picture and in golf may be responsible for playing the shot.

“In general, the left hemisphere controls speech, comprehension, arithmetic, and writing. The right hemisphere controls creativity, spatial ability, artistic, and musical skills… the left hemisphere of the brain is responsible for language and speech and is called the "dominant" hemisphere. The right hemisphere plays a large part in interpreting visual information and spatial processing. In about one third of people who are left-handed, speech function may be located on the right side of the brain. Left-handed people may need special testing to determine if their speech center is on the left or right side prior to any surgery in that area.”

2.     (https://mayfieldclinic.com/pe-anatbrain.htm#:~:text=In%20general%2C%20the%20left%20hemisphere,%2C%20artistic%2C%20and%20musical%20skills. )

You can visualise yourself on the golf course and the various processes taking place whilst playing golf. On the tee you are checking the wind factor, the length of the hole, the positioning of bunkers a

The Scottish soul of golf journeyed to the Deep South and found salvation there. Discover the Church of Golf and rest awhile in its warm embrace. 
Here at the Church of Golf we take all comers. We take sinners of many colours. You might be a chilli dipper or a shanker. You may even be a hooker or a slicer. We don’t care what your particular crime against golf is cause there is a place for you here. We offer salvation from the lonely path they call the bogey trail. We provide succour for the sinner who is way over par.

 The Church of Golf was built for the man and woman who is woe betide on that scorecard. The golfer who hath lost his or her way and requires the charity of the brethren of swingers. Ye shall not walk the course alone. Ye shall not suffer the indignities of failure without the helping hand of brother or sister. Golfers of the world unite under the banner of the crossed clubs and dimpled ball. That flapping flag up yonder beckons to us all. The sweet perfume of promised birdies in the paradise of tomorrow. The soaring drive that clears the trees to land so softly upon the Lord’s fairway. The rolling putt that drops unexpectedly from long range. These are the treasures inherent within the crucible if we can all just last the distance and turn the corner on our next round. Golf was never said to be easy. Golf was from the very beginning more challenging than any other activity of its kind. The game of golf – and is it really just a game – demands a great deal from its participants and adherents. 

Eighteen holes in which to do your best somehow. What is the significance of the number 18? Why did God choose to have 18 holes, with 18 greens and 18 tees? Two sets of 9 add up to 18.  Each 9 holes is a journey out in one direction. An expedition or adventure we all embark upon with hope in our hearts. Hope for the lightness of grace to fall upon our shoulders. That the round ahead may be touched by divinity or good fortune at the very least. 

It seems, that I am transitioning from mere human to robotoid – an enhanced version of me. Becoming Robby the Robot: A golfer’s journey from fallible flesh to digital design. My golfing arsenal now contains so many technological devices that I am questioning my humanity. The most recent acquisition is the Shot Scope H4 and it may well have tipped me over the edge. It joins my hand held laser, my Phantom GPS, and the MiScore app on my phone. Some folks might mention the term ‘overkill’ here but I find each of these devices offers something unique, as well as their shared abilities.
Discover my insights into the world of Enhanced Golfers.

Why do we falter at golf? What stops us from playing our best golf? Why do we fail to execute shots we know we can hit? Now, I am not talking about those miracle shot attempts but the stock standard stuff like pitching, chipping, and straight forward short putts. Why do we fluctuate so much in our abilities to play steady golf? This unreliability is what makes the game of golf so infuriating and maddening to us amateurs and hackers. Is it too much to expect that we can strike a small, dimpled sphere reasonably straight toward a pretty generous target? The evidence, in my own experience of late, suggests it may well be.
Understanding Golf Inside & Out
Looks at what is happening inside of us golfers and how it affects our golf. This informative podcast by Robert Sudha Hamilton provides solutions for many of the mental issues challenging everyday golfers. Discover more about your game and improve your enjoyment and ability to score within the green cathedral.
www.golfdom.com.au

Stoicism has great relevance for the golfer and the game of golf. Hands up if you have heard of the philosophy of Stoicism? What about Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations? The stoic golfer fits well alongside these markers and guidelines for a particular style of living. The stoic grins and bears it. He or she makes do with the status quo and doesn’t try to avoid the bad stuff when it happens. Golf is a game where unfortunate things regularly occur during a round. Bad bounces and the rub of the green are all part and parcel of the game of golf. Golfers frequently have to grind out a score in the face of adversity. 

A famous golf book is called Golf Is Not A Game of Perfect by Bob Rotella. This title sums up the stoic approach to life itself – life is not a matter of perfection. Real life happens in-between all our plans and desires. The stoic philosophy calls us to accept and surrender to the things we cannot readily change. To meet pleasure and pain with indifference, as pretenders on the true path to divine reason. Stoics endure hardships without complaint and displays of feeling. Think about those really bad moments out on the golf course when you read these words.

In this excerpt from my new book The Stoic Golfer I take the wisdom of Marcus Aurelius and apply it to the great game of golf. Remember  the movie Gladiator  with Russell Crow and you will get a taste for the Roman stoic approach to battle and life. Golf can challenge the golfer out on the links amid the wind and rain. Things can get rough out there and it is hard to hang tough sometimes. Enjoy some insights derived from one of the greatest sources of inspiration, which has come down to us through the ages.

Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of The Golf Book: Green Cathedral Dreams, which is available from Amazon.