The best advice—or at least the advice I recall most vividly—that I ever got from my father was not about golf, school or business. It was about how to talk to a girl. Early one morning in our suburban living room, both of us in our pyjamas sitting on our floral coach, I told Dad about my predicament. At my high school, there was this angelic black-haired girl with dark brown eyes and olive skin. I was completely head-over-heels. But I was in … [Read more...]
Sticking up for Yourself?
November 3, 2022 By
Other than at work, most guys would rather put their hand into a burning flame than tell another man what to do. Even if it’s couched as a polite ask. And even if whatever the other man is doing is bugging the hell out of us. We suck at speaking up for ourselves. It happens in golf all the time. Let’s say you’re setting up to putt, and you notice that a member of your group is standing behind you on your line. He’s gathering intel on how his … [Read more...]
What to Think About Over the Ball?
September 22, 2022 By
During a Zoom group coaching call last week, one of our participants was fidgeting like a five-year-old after a birthday party. My Golf is Life online group was discussing some on-course strategies when—with obvious exasperation—he blurted, “Yes, that’s great. But what do you think about when you’re over the ball?” Everyone laughed. He hit a collective nerve; it was a flashpoint of recognition of everyone's never-ending search for the … [Read more...]
Are You an Earnest Grinder?
September 6, 2022 By
Are you an earnest grinder? I’ll bet that, like the overwhelming majority of golfers that I know, you are. How to tell? Do you show up before your round in a desperate search for a swing thought that—'please dear golf gods'—will work today? Are you forever tinkering with your game, trying this and that, combing through your Rolodex of past swing thoughts, and recallilng snippets of wisdom from Uncle Steve? Do you consider yourself a ‘student … [Read more...]
George McNamara: Lessons of a Master
August 18, 2022 By
If you’ve had a coaching style for about 20 years, it would be human nature to think your approach is pretty good. You might think of yourself as an expert and a difference maker. Especially, if you've been certified as a Master Professional. But imagine that after two decades or so, you realize something quite alarming—that the approach you’ve been religiously following doesn’t help people. In fact, it prolongs their mediocrity. You might … [Read more...]
