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 times like these, keeping some perspective is critical. So don't get obsessed with the small stuff, and keep the important stuff in its proper place. Life's a lot easier to deal with when you do.