The Don't Sweat Guide to Golf: Playing Stress-Free so You're at the Top of Your Game / Edition 1

by Richard Carlson

Overview

So many people are trying to improve their golf game nowadays, but many don't realize how bringing the stresses and worries of the workday onto the course hurts their score. In this book, the editors of Don't Sweat Press show both beginners and fanatics how to relax before teeing off as well as during the entire game, so they don't wind up in the sand trap!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786887835
Publisher:	Hachette Books
Publication date:	04/17/2002
Series:	Don't Sweat Guides
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 6.50(h) x (d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

During his life, Richard Carlson, Ph.D, was considered one of the foremost experts in happiness and stress reduction in the United States and around the world and was a frequent featured guest on many national television and radio programs. Don't Sweat the Small Stuff continued to be a publishing phenomenon with over twenty titles in the brand franchise, two of which were co-authored and authored with his beloved wife, Kris. He died of a pulmonary embolism in December 2006, at the age of forty-five.

Hometown:

Northern California

Place of Birth:

Northern California

Education:

San Jose State University, Pepperdine University; Ph.D., Sierra University

Table of Contents

	Foreword	11
1.	Remember That It's Just a Game	15
2.	Resist the Urge to Criticize Other Players	17
3.	The Score Isn't Everything	18
4.	Remind Yourself That Everyone Was Once a Beginner	20
5.	Refuse to Let Noise Distract You	22
6.	Learn to Laugh at Yourself	24
7.	Skip the Hole-by-Hole Accounts	26
8.	Play the Wind	28
9.	As You Warm Up, Think Tempo, Not Results	30
10.	You Have to Play the Ball Where It Lies	31
11.	Play the Hole That You're On	33
12.	Approach Each Hole with a Game Plan	35
13.	Practice Humility	37
14.	Keep Your Perspective	39
15.	Become More Patient	41
16.	Play Gratefully and Gracefully	42
17.	Don't Blame Other Things for Bad Shots	44
18.	When in Doubt, Let Someone Else Go First	46
19.	Agree with Others' Assessments	48
20.	Make Peace with Slow Play	50
21.	Don't Let the First Hole Ruin the Game	52
22.	Stop Striving for the "Perfect" Shot	54
23.	Trust Your Instincts	56
24.	Leave Your Complaints at Home	58
25.	Expect Bad Bounces, Breaks, and Bunkers	60
26.	Look for the Ordinary in the Extraordinary	62
27.	Practice Makes Better, but Don't Overdo It	64
28.	Breathe Before You Tee Off	66
29.	Learn the Lingo	68
30.	Do One Thing at a Time	70
31.	Change Your Game Plan as Needed	72
32.	Dare to Play the Tougher Route	74
33.	Mind Your Own Game	76
34.	Accept That Luck Plays a Part	78
35.	Stick to the Basics of Etiquette	80
36.	Let Your Kids Caddie	82
37.	Look for Incremental Improvement	84
38.	Respect the Short Par-3s	86
39.	Understand That Golf Isn't Always Fair	88
40.	Become a Less Aggressive Driver	90
41.	Accept That You Can't Truly Understand "Par"	92
42.	Let Go of Your Expectations on the Course	94
43.	We All Make Mistakes	96
44.	Tolerate the Soft Spikes	98
45.	Count to Ten at Tree Roots	99
46.	Use Your Imagination--Carefully	101
47.	Quiet Your Mind Between Shots	103
48.	Lighten Up Your Pre-Shot Routine	105
49.	Be Grateful for the Occasional Flyer Lie	107
50.	Give Up the Cart	109
51.	Practice Patience	111
52.	Don't Overdo the High-Tech Gear	113
53.	See the Forest for the Trees	115
54.	Embrace the Humor of Golf	117
55.	Get Over the Previous Hole	119
56.	You Can't Always Play Your "A" Game	121
57.	Get Your Game Off to a Peaceful Start	123
58.	Don't Get "Over-Golfed"	125
59.	Out of Bounds Is Part of Golf	127
60.	Stop Comparing Yourself to the Pros	129
61.	Go with the Twists, Turns, and Doglegs	131
62.	Accept Praise Graciously	133
63.	Don't Be a Backseat "Driver"	134
64.	Embrace Golf's Endless Variety	136
65.	Vary Your Practices	138
66.	Keep All of Your Lies True	140
67.	Remember What "Play" Means	142
68.	There's More Than One Way	144
69.	Play One Stroke at a Time	146
70.	Separate Golf from Everything Else	148
71.	Give Your Partners a Break	150
72.	Develop a Reset Button	152
73.	Learn to Stay Centered	154
74.	Stop Magnifying Your Flaws	156
75.	Take the Game as It Comes	158
76.	Think About Plays That You Made Correctly	160
77.	Be an Example of Good Sportsmanship	162
78.	Remember That This Game, Too, Shall End	164
79.	Avoid the 80-20 Trap	166
80.	Become a Little Less Stubborn	168
81.	Get Yourself--and Your Game--in Balance	170
82.	Your Emotions Affect Your Play	172
83.	Play to Your Strengths, Accept Your Weaknesses	174
84.	Learn to Chill Out	176
85.	Don't Get "Lessoned Out"	178
86.	Pros Miss Three-Foot Putts, Too	180
87.	Remember the Golden Rule	182
88.	Don't Try to Explain a Bad Score	184
89.	Take Lessons from the Pros	186
90.	Don't Let Your Warm-Up Dictate Your Game	188
91.	Play the Mental Game	190
92.	Become a Less Aggressive Putter	192
93.	Play a Round Without a Scorecard	194
94.	Play a Round Without a Full Set of Irons	196
95.	Save the Analysis for After the Round	198
96.	Avoid Practicing After a Bad Round	199
97.	Get Over the First-Tee Jitters	201
98.	Let Your Kids Play	203
99.	Remember the Spirit of the Game	205
100.	Again, Remember That It's Just a Game	207