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Golf Swing Improvement - The Path To Golf Mastery

By John Lynch

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Published: 16Sep2008
Word count: 637
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Golf swing improvement and the path to golf mastery are filled with many plateaus - with brief spikes of improvement in between.

I learned an astounding golf secret about golf swing improvement from a zen master. Zen Master Dogen Zenji frequently spoke about the "four horses," which is a metaphor used by the Buddha in the Samyuta-Agama sutra. This metaphor of the four horses speaks about how we are on the path to golf swing improvement - four, one could say, classes of students.

The first horse, the superior class, is like a horse that runs fastest by merely feeling the whip's shadow. The second horse, the good class, runs fastest when the whip brushes its hair, the hair of its mane. The third horse, the poor class, runs fastest where the whip has actually touched its flesh. And the fourth, the lowest kind of horse, is the one who runs fastest only when the whip can be felt to the marrow of its bones.

At first glance we all want to be like the first horse in the superior class. These are the fast learners - the ones who seem to be a natural. Dogen Zenji says this may not be so desirable. A study of master golfers has shown that it is not the students with innate natural abilities who have achieved golf mastery. The golfers who have achieved mastery are mostly the students with average to below average natural abilities - the ones who have practiced their craft diligently. This is very interesting - why is this so?

If you were to chart the rate of golf swing improvement for all students you will find many plateaus in skill levels interrupted by brief spikes in golf swing improvements.

When the first class of student takes up golf they see an immediate spike in golf swing improvement and are very motivated. When they reach that ultimate first plateau where their golf swing does not improve despite hard practice, most gifted students get discouraged.

Gifted students are used to seeing fast progress, so they may blame the golf instructor or something else just so they don't have to put in the hard work that is needed to continue along the path to golf swing improvement - and the ultimate goal - golf swing mastery!

Many superior students will then give up the game of golf due to frustration.

Superior athletes who never make it big are seen in ALL sports. We all have heard countless stories about gifted athletes who never made it big because they weren't willing to put the time in needed to reach their innate potential.

The fourth class of student will see a slower rate of golf swing improvement, much time spent on plateaus in their golf swing skill level. If the fourth class of golf student stays with it and practices hard they will learn the golf swing to the marrow of their bones, like the fourth horse.

Before you can master the golf swing, you need to learn the golf swing to the marrow of your bones. To learn the golf swing to the marrow of your bones you need to stay at each skill level for however long it takes. Most first class students never learn the golf swing to the marrow of their bones because it comes easy to them. The time spent on plateaus for golfers who learn fast are shorter than the ones who learn slower.

The paradox of the four horses parable is we must accept the rate of golf swing improvement like the fourth class of horse to become like the first class of horse - And then to ultimately achieve golf mastery!

Hit 'em Long and Straight!

John Lynch is owner of No. 1 Golf Book Reviews and has helped hundreds of golfers lower their scores.To learn an astonishing golf swing takeaway tip, John Recommends you visit: GolfSwingTakeaway.com

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