Golf’s Higher Plane

Tiger Woods’ performance has certainly taken golf to a higher level—an obvious fact that no one would dispute. You could point to his supple strength and developed coordination, his polished swing mechanics, or his steely concentration and disciplined mental approach. Yes, both the mental and physical sides of his game are the result of inspired actions to excel at golf, but I maintain that those are not the only keys to his success.

The question that arises then is “Why is it that others have not duplicated Tiger’s prowess?” The Tiger Phenomenon has been around now for more than ten years, long enough for others to emulate and improve. What separates Tiger from the rest? What separated Nicklaus or Jones or Vardon from their competition? What keeps extremely talented young players from elevating their game to major league status?

I maintain that along with the necessary swing mechanics and mental toughness, there is a third area that heretofore the golf industry has not attended to – the Spiritual side, “Golf’s Higher Plane”. Whether by happenstance or design, it is his mastery of the “x-factor” that has separated Tiger from his many very talented peers.

My position is that for the mental and physical attributes in golf or anything to really shine and come together, there must be a solid third leg. – that spiritual side. We all possess it all the time, and continually attract either positive or negative energy to us. Those who truly excel in any endeavor have either consciously or somehow attracted the positive energy more often. Sometimes our spirit is strong and attracting really positive energy. At other times, it is not.

When it is good, we are more apt to succeed. Otherwise, even with great effort and a positive mental attitude, we may become baffled by our failures. What if we were to learn how to more effectively channel that which we desire into our lives and golf games? How special would that be?

It has been written long before I was born that golf is a microcosm of life, to which I wholeheartedly agree. If so, it would appear that the Laws of Nature would then also apply to golf as well. There is one such law of nature that appears to be so relevant to our lives and our golf - The Law of Attraction. Simply stated, you attract everything, and I mean everything, into your life – eagles, double bogeys, friends, accidents, teachers, life lessons, money, health, you name it.

We are all nothing more than energy, and our thoughts create feelings, which emanate energy into the universe. That energy attracts like energy back to us. All the World’s major religions actually align themselves with this message. The Law of Attraction has been written about in English for more than one hundred years, and scientists have now proved through quantum physics that The Law of Attraction is, indeed, real and universal.

Golf is like that 3-legged stool. Remove a leg from our 3-legged golf stool of mechanics, mental, and spiritual planes and it collapses. Could that be the missing ingredient why one player closes a win and another lets it slip away? Why a player slumps?

Why one is unlucky and another always seemingly getting better bounces. Beyond effort and mechanics, or a positive mental attitude, there is the spiritual side that forms the platform for everything else. Whether consciously aware or not, I maintain that this is what Tiger Woods has learned to channel this, his hidden asset. From my perspective, Tiger Woods is The Law of Attraction personified.

Michael Murphy in his 1972 classic, “Golf in the Kingdom” writes glowingly about the joys of playing golf through the spirit, and spins on about the effects of doing so. It is a terrific read, but never really seems to discover or explain the “how” to its character, Shivas Irons’ success. The Secret or “how” is The Law of Attraction.

For me, we have only been scratching the surface of human performance and golfing excellence. Those who specialize in swing mechanics and mental coaching will continue to be integral to our success and enjoyment of golf. Add to that, however, a third area, the platform that enhances the first two, the spiritual side through The Law of Attraction, and you will find your life and your golf elevated to a position you may have never realized possible.

Bob Fagan, Associate Editor for Golf Today Magazine, will be soon publishing a book on “Golf’s Higher Plane – Using the Power of The Law of Attraction to Enhance Your Golf and Your Life.” Fagan is a former golf professional and Executive Director for the Northern California PGA, as well as a Hall of Fame Member of the Golf Nuts Society. Subsequently turning around troubled operations for thirty years, he now spends his time executive mentoring and coaching, setting up Private Family Foundations, and, of course, golfing. All of Bob’s proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to charity. A resident of Pleasanton, CA, he can be reached at rsf4653@aol.com