Zen Golf - Mastering the Mental Game By Dr. Joseph Parent

June 17th, 2009 | Book Review

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.

Originally posted 2008-07-25 05:55:40. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Related Posts

Swing Machine Golf: The Fastest Way to a Consistent Swing by Paul Wilson with Ken Steven This is a book that has been the subject of countless discussions and although it's lack of availability has hurt its success (it's available only from the publisher, Storytrend and not in bookstores) it is still an interesting read that is well worth the time it takes to get......
Review: Golf My Way: The Instructional Classic, Revised and Updated by Jack Nicklaus and Ken Bowden with illustrations by Jim McQueen This is quite possibly one of the most popular golf instructional books that was ever written. The first edition appeared in 1974, and the book has since gone on to sell more than 2 million copies. Fast forward to 2008 and the old favorite is back, updated, and better than......
A Lifetime of Lessons: More Than 50 Years of Expert Instruction to Help You Play Your Best Golf Now By Marshall Smith with David Denunzio Marshall Smith is one of the most recognizable names in golf instruction, and if you’ve ever wished you could get a lesson with him, this book has the whole experience down to a tee. You’ll feel just like you’re right with Smith, learning and growing as a golfer. If you......
3 Tips for Getting Mentally Prepared to Play Golf The old saying is definitely true. Golf is 99% in your head and as maddening as that is, if you're not getting the right mindset for your game, you may never be able to achieve your goals. If you're ready to get that score to where you want it to......
Breakthrough Secrets of Psychological Golf By Peter Cranford Although there are plenty of books running around on the mind game of golf, few that we have found are this erudite or thought provoking. The author put 25 years of research into this book and it definitely shows. If you are looking for a book that dissects why golf......

Related Websites

Review: The Marriage Game by Fern Michaels By: Cara Lynn, guest reviewer The Marriage Game by Fern Michaels is a light summer read. I figured by the description it would have some humor, and it does. Samantha Rainford returns from her honeymoon to find she has been served divorce papers. She is both shocked and heart......
Games For the Brain In the course of my constant quest for illustrative graphics, I visit Google Images most often. I've become aware of several games that involve Google Images, so I decided to feature one here today......
Top five ways to kill your retirement dreams Darren Rowse threw down the gauntlet with another group writing project. This time it's a Top 5 post extravaganza. So here's my take on the top five ways you can kill your retirement dreams.Count on anyone to provide for you in your old age. Expecting a big inheritance? Medical bills......
The cost of frugality Kirby on Finance has a few great posts that address an interesting question: Can you afford to be so frugal? With this he makes an excellent observation: "So often we talk about the time value of money in terms of saving, but we rarely think about money value of time......
Review: Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes and How to Correct Them By Gary Belsky and Tom Gilovich This fascinating book by a popular financial journalist and a college professor may not be the newest book on the shelf, and it may not have the most hype, but by far, it is one of the most interesting personal finance books we have ever read. This book goes where......