Domingo Lopez on Golf in General

For those of you who don't know, Domingo Lopez was Nancy Lopez's dad and swing coach. In her book The Education of a Woman Golfer Nancy included this quote from her dad, which even she says is an exaggeration, but there's a lot of truth in it. So I post it today for your consideration.

Golf is in its essence a simple game. You laugh in a sharp, bitter, barking manner when I say this, but nevertheless it is true. Where the average man goes wrong is in making the game difficult for himself. Observe the non-player, the man who walks round with you for the fresh air. He will hole out with a single care-free flick of his umbrella the twenty-foot putt over which you would ponder and hesitate for a full minute before sending it off the line. Put a driver into his hands and he pastes the ball into the next county without a thought. It is only when he takes the game in earnest that he becomes self-conscious and anxious, and tops his shots even as you and I. A man who could retain through his golfing career the almost scornful confidence of the non-player would be unbeatable. [p20]

Yeah, it's an exaggeration. But there's a lot of truth there, not only for golf but for life in general.

In instances like these, maintaining a few perspective is vital. So don't get enthusiastic about the small stuff, and keep the crucial stuff in its right place. Life's loads simpler to deal with whilst you do.