By Leonard Finkel
If you let cloudy water settle, it will become clear. If you let your cloudy mind settle, your course will also become clear. Buddha
Good players are good because they come to wisdom through failure. William Saroyen
I can’t think and hit at the same time. Yogi Berra
The less effort, the faster and more powerful you will be. Bruce Lee
Enjoyment is not a goal, it is a feeling that accompanies ongoing action. Paul Goodman
It goes without saying that as soon one cherishes the thought of winning the contest or displaying one’s skill in technique, swordsmanship is doomed. Takano Shigeyoshi
I never blame myself when I’m not hitting. I just blame the bat, and if it keeps up, I change bats… After all, if I know that it isn’t my fault that I’m not hitting, How can I get mad at myself. Yogi Berra
Perhaps analysis and the separate mastery of each element are required before the instincts are ready to assume command, but only at first. Command by instinct is swifter, subtler, deeper, more accurate, more in touch with reality, than command by conscious mind. The discovery takes one’s breath away. Michael Novak
A good putter is a match for anyone. A bad putter is a match for no one. The woods are full of long drivers. Harvey Penick
The ability to concentrate is good, but thinking too much about how you are doing what you’re doing is disastrous. Trust your muscles and hit the ball to the hole. Keep it simple. Harvey Penick
Only the mediocre are always at their best. Jean Giraudoux
Mistakes are essential to progress. The willingness to learn from them is the backbone of any progress. The object is to succeed, not to count your mistakes. Tae Yun Kim
31) Think of the sweet spot and the ball belonging together. Just see it that way. Golf in the Kingdom
Natures’ way is simple and easy, but men prefer what is intricate and artificial. Lao Tzu
TRYING – When an archer is shooting for enjoyment, he has all his skill. When he shoots for a brass buckle, he gets nervous; when he shoots for a prize of gold, he begins to see two targets. Chuang Tzu
Golf is deceptively simple, yet endlessly complicated. Arnold Palmer
Golf is a compromise between what your ego wants you to do, what experience tells you to do, and what your nerves let you do. Bruce Crampton
Never tell yourself you can’t make a shot. Remember, we are what we think we are. Gary Player
A buoyant, positive approach to the game is as basic as a sound swing. Tony Lema
Most golfers prepare for disaster. A good golfer prepares for success. Bob Toski
As I get older, I try to think of the bad things that happen to me on the golf course as “tests”. They’re not hurdles; they’re not bad marks or punishments. They’re things I need in my life, things that bring me back to reality. Frank Beard
Thinking instead of acting is the number one disease in golf. Sam Snead
My reaction to anything that happens on the golf course is no reaction. There are no birdies or bogies, no eagles or double bogies; there are only numbers. If you can learn that, you can play this game. Jim Colbert
Leonard Finkel is the author of The Secrets to the Game of Golf & Life and former editor in chief of Golf Journeys Magazine. His work has been featured in almost 200 publications including Golf Magazine, Golf Digest, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Golf Illustrated, Golf Tips and Player Magazine. He has written more than a dozen cover stories for Golf Today Magazine. He has written extensively about golf and travel and has added poker to his writing repertoire. Finkel also works as a marketing and public relations consultant. His specialty niche is writing advertorial copy. Prior to his career in golf, Finkel owned a chain of retail stores and a consulting and import company based in Asia. He attended the University of Utah.