The Golf Diet

The Golf Diet

By Dennis M Clark

Have you ever noticed how most vegetarians, although a little on the slim side, appear to have a healthy glow about them? The gym junkies seem irritatingly energetic, and those who meditate or practice yoga have such serenity it’s spooky.

So that old adage of ‘you are what you eat’ would appear to encompass a greater form of diet that just food.

Just as we can destroy ourselves health wise with an inappropriate diet, stress, and lack of exercise, we can destroy our golfing ability in much the same way.

So to become that lean mean fighting machine on the golf course that we long to be, it's necessary to look at our GOLF DIET.

There are two basic elements of a diet, food intake (putting the good in), and exercise (getting the bad out), and these apply to golf in the same way they apply to health.

In a normal diet, the ideal scenario would be to eat and drink only what was necessary to provide us with the nutritional value needed to live healthily and energetically, and to have an exercise regime to compliment this, keeping us fit, strong, and supple.

A streamlined food and fluid intake, a streamlined exercise routine, doing only what was necessary. No wasted time, no wasted energy, and carrying no extra baggage. Sounds good doesn't it?

It is possible.

In putting this plan into action, first we would look to understand exactly what we need in our intake and what foods and liquids were necessary to provide this and in what quantities. We would also need to understand just why and how it worked. That knowledge and understanding gives us the ability to control our intake for the maximum benefit and begin to take control of our health.

Next we would look to understand exactly what exercise routine we needed to achieve our goal in the shortest time possible, and to maintain that level of wellbeing. It would be a waste of time and energy to do a whole lot of exercise that wasn't really necessary

We now have a constructive plan to implement that with discipline will allow us the life we want.

If we apply those same principles to the GOLF DIET we can achieve similar results.

Most people are over weight in their golfing life for much the same reasons as with health. Consumption of too much junk, and too little, or incorrect, exercise.

Golf is a mind game. Every physical action is preceded by a mental action (a thought); the body only doing what the mind tells it to. Therefore the thoughts we have toward our golf provide our dietary intake.

If we are to become that lean mean fighting golf machine, we must become aware that our dietary intake (our thinking) is for the sole purpose of adding nutritional value, and streamline it to this end.

Unfortunately with most golfers, there is just a hunger to be fed, and they jump from fast food joint to fast food joint, looking to temporarily feed that hunger without thinking about the excess kilos they are gaining and the long-term damage being done. Unfortunately it's not too long before they're hungry again (for that last piece of advice that was supposed to fix their game forever didn't last very long), and they're off on another binge, searching through books and videos, and taking advice from anyone offering it.

Often our best intentions cause us great damage quite unwittingly. After a bad shot during a lesson the pupil will sometimes ask what they did wrong.
My reply will often be, “Why, do you want to do it again?” This may initially sound rather flippant, but look at the logic behind it. They become so conscious of what they did wrong that that becomes the message their mind sends to the body. Especially on a swing following a bad shot, I would prefer they focus on what they should be doing correct. That is a much healthier message to send the body. Once they have re-established and reinforced the correct thought the difference between the two swings can be discussed.

Of course every person is unique and certain people have the ability to best make the necessary change by knowing their mistake, but the majority of club golfers are directly affected by the preceding bad shot, and if dwelled upon, can continue to produce the offending swing.

Even if the golfer knows what they did wrong and is focusing on not repeating it, what sort of a message is the body receiving? “Don’t make that same mistake, don’t make that same mistake.” And what is the main thrust of that message? ‘That same mistake’, and that’s not a quality diet. It’s also important to realise that you can’t not do something, you actually do something else instead. For example you may say “I’m not sitting down, but what is actually happening is, you are standing.

Always keep the thoughts on what you want rather than what you don’t want; it sends a clearer message to the body.

Other bad dietary intakes include the likes of “I can’t”, and “That feels awful”. These are both shocking for the health.

If we want to make them more palatable, see them for what they really mean.

“I can’t” actually means, “I don’t currently feel secure enough to let myself do it”. That’s fine, nobody expects you to become totally healthy overnight, and if you view it in this manner you leave yourself the option to change at some later date. Can’t on the other hand, has finality about it, and can leave you trapped in an unhealthy position indefinitely.

“That feels awful” means, “That feels different”, and just as well it does, for if it didn’t you wouldn’t be doing anything new and you couldn’t improve. It may feel insecure to begin with, but don’t be frightened by difference, embrace it. Difference means change, and change means growth.

These are but a few recipes from the GOLF DIET, and as with all good diets common sense and watching your intake will offer the best results. Of course there will be slip-ups but don’t make them the norm. Remember that you control the menu.

Start a new habit today. Rid yourself of those unwanted kilos of negativity and stress-ridden golf. Become the lean mean fighting golf machine you are meant to be. I promise, you will enjoy the new image.

Copyright Dennis M Clark 2005