No mind golf The mental state for golfers which can help you overcome stress, pressure, and all other forms of mental hazard and reach the absolute peak of your capabilities are known as 'the zone' in the western sport psychology - where your swing feels flowing,easy and effortless. The focused concentration that is associated with being in 'the zone' is the key factor that helps many golfers to realize a heightened level of excellence in their performance. However it's difficult for players to get into 'the zone' state. There is a mental state like 'the zone' named "no-mind" in Zen Buddhism - a mind not fixed on anything and open to everything, that allows flexibility and freedom to react and adapt to a given situation spontaneously. The phenomenon of "no-mind" is not a blank mind that shuts out all thoughts and emotions; nor is it simply calmness and quietness of mind. The ancient eastern martial art such as Kungfu, and Kendo employ Zen and try to get into "no-mind" that is immune to emotional influence. And it's well known that the power of warrior's mind origins from the state of "no-mind". The players who won in a big world matches used to say that they had played without any desire to win. This means that the winning is the result of a kind of "no-mind." It is very interesting that every winner from the eastern countries said he or she played with "no-mind." Izawari who won at sumitomo visa pacific masters competition attributed his victory to the shot at 18th hole which was from "no-mind". Hesaid it's the best shot which was rarely come to him a week. And the winner of 2002PGA Championship, Rich Beam said "I don't have any expectations of winning". From ages ago, in Tao of arts, it is said "A supreme stage will be attained through "no-mind". For instance, a dance in the costume of a crane should be performed with "no-mind" to accomplish a higher stage, and when master of a Korean harp plunk strings, he attains a state of "no-mind" and is being conscious of it as a part of their ownbody. This is connected to the concept of Zen that subject and object are not different one. Let’s cite an instance to help concrete understanding about "no-mind". A zen master named Takuan Soho (1573-1645) in Japan, recorded the way of being a master of swordsmanship in "The Unfettered Mind". According to this book, when a swordsman faces an enemy with sword, they do not concentrate his attention on specific point, for example enemy’s eyes or sword, but concentrate on all part of the enemy. This is "no-mind". In the other word, "no-mind" is not that we do not have attention, but it exists all over the object- not staying at one spot. It is clear that the highest state in any field is by "no-mind". Once you are established in the state of "no-mind," your skill arises effortlessly out of emptiness. How can we apply "no-mind" to playing golf? And how can we get into the state of "no-mind". Simply, applying "no-mind" to golf is the state of no desire to win. It means that you should play with the empty mind; however it is uneasy as saying. Mind would be filled with many things inevery moment. To get into the empty mind, you must stay at the present moment. There is nothing to fill your mind at the pure present. There are only ball and your swing in front of you. Players are advised to get an empty mind, and then realize how difficult it is. However, the empty mind would not be applied to something at easy, even if you understand the meaning completely. Do not get into the empty mindonly through words, but to get into the real empty mind. To do so, Zen training is indispensable. Empty mind is achieved through the long duration of training. If it is established for some time by consciousness, mind would be immediately filled with the vain thought. To maintain the state of empty mind is also hard, because mind strongly depend on external factors. Golfers are always staying in the thought for the perfect shot or putting. However, being on "no-mind" is not to cling for this kind of desire. In other words, golfers should converge all of their attention to the situation given to them. And the thought like “I should shot like this, or I should’t do this” are subjective and come from the desire. We know many golfers who do not even play asusual in a great game because of nervousness. In conclusion, to be the best in playing golf, we should stay with "no-mind". If you have any thinking, your mind can be affected by them, and every condition and situation catches your mind. You should have "no-mind,"and accept the given situation itself with the open mind, and unify yo
Leave a Comment