Gives players the inside track to improve their mental game and their scores For the first time, a book that shows you how to put mind and technique together for winning performance! Begin using Smart Golf today and enjoy taking your game to a new level.-- Dr. Shane Murphy, Chief Sport Psychology, United States Olympic Committee (1987-1994) All golfers know the importance of their mental game. Smart Golf is the first book to translate the mental aspect of playing golf into a simple format that golfers at all skill levels can actually use. In this innovative new book, pro-trainer DeDe Owens and sports psychologist Dan Kirschenbaum join forces to give you the inside track on improving not only your mental game, but also your scores. The authors use the acronym PAR (Plan-Apply-React) to summarize the key elements of smart golf. Applying scientifically researched and field-tested principles of sport psychology, Smart Golf presents state-of-the-art techniques for focus, relaxation, self-regulation, anxiety and stress management, and performance enhancement.

He was never considered to be the best driver, chipper, or putter on the PGA Tour, but Hale Irwin did manage to do one thing consistently--win. His 20 PGA Tour victories, including three U.S. Open victories, place him fifth on the all-time list. Today, he is the most formidable player on the Senior PGA Tour. In Smart Golf, Irwin shares the secrets he used to forge a reputation as the thinking man's golfer--smart game management and smart course management. Focusing less on mechanics and more on practical and tactical strategies, Irwin shows you how to steer your game and handle the course to arrive at a better score. Smart Golf is a practical, easy-to-follow guide for golfers frustrated with complex swing diagrams and cryptic putting physics. Although the fundamentals of golf are addressed, Smart Golf is not overburdened with mechanics. Instead, it focuses on practical and tactical strategies to help golfers--at any level--get the most out of their game. "Every golfer, regardless of age, skill, or physique, has a brain--so every golfer should know how to use it. I've learned the hard way that playing smart and getting the most out of my game was the only way to succeed. Put another way, there are a lot of ways to play golf. You just have to find the one that's right for you. "To that end, Smart Golf differs from other golf books. It won't just show you an ideal swing and then tell you that's how you should be swinging. Instead, it will focus on getting the most out of the game you already have. And as everything we discuss will be firmly rooted in logic, a smarter game will be something you can hold on to, unlike so many swing changes that golfers make." -- Hale Irwin, from the Introduction to Smart Golf

Very few golfers naturally find the elite golf swing--but it does exist. Golf science has helped reveal the Stock Tour Swing--the swing that exhibits the movement patterns common to all elite golfers. This book presents a problem-solving method to evolve your swing into the Stock Tour Swing, using a key framework that asks: What should the club do? How can the body do that? What are the best ways to train that? This program will teach you to understand the elite swing. It will teach you to understand your own swing. By the end of this program, you will be able to self-coach--to participate in your own improvement and manage your game. You will have a true understanding of what makes your swing work, why you struggle with certain areas, and what you can do to train for long-term improvement.

A highly original and groundbreaking book from a noted PGA coach and Buddhist instructor • “The lessons in Zen Golf make the mental game seem so simple. Dr. Parent has given me very effective methods for working with thoughts and emotions, and for taking the negatives out of the picture.” —Vijay Singh, Masters and PGA Champion By combining classic insights and stories from Zen tradition, Zen Golf helps eliminate the mental distractions that routinely cause poor shots and loss of concentration, allowing golfers to feel in “the zone” that professionals have learned to master. The best players know that golf is a game of confidence, and most important, concentration–the ability to focus and block out distraction. The goal of achieving clear thought is also at the heart of Buddhist teachings. PGA coach and Buddhist instructor Dr. Joseph Parent draws on this natural connection and teaches golfers how to clear their minds, achieve ultimate focus, and play in the moment for each shot. Zen Golf presents a simple system for building “mental game mastery.” Dr Parent’s unique PAR Approach (focusing on Preparation, Action, and Response to Results) guides golfers with specific techniques for each aspect of their games. In chapters such as “How to Get From the Practice Tee to the First Tee”, “You Produce What You Fear”, and “How to Enjoy a Bad Round of Golf”, the author shares a personal teaching regimen that has helped improve the games of professionals and amateurs alike. Clear, concise, and enlightening, Zen Golf shows golfers how to prepare for, execute, and equally important, respond the results of any golf shot. A different approach to golf instruction, this book shapes ancient philosophies into new teachings.

Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed, and future directions for research are suggested. The possible significance of developmental intelligence for talent development across sports is discussed.

Whether you struggle to break 100 or consistently break par, you've already discovered that golf is the most mentally demanding of all sports. Dr. Richard Coop, one of the foremost sports psychologists in the country, has developed a unique mental approach to the game, helping both skilled pros and beginning amateurs alike to play better. Mind Over Golf examines all the demanding psychological challenges of golf and explains in detail how to conquer them. Golfers have discovered that there are ways to lower their scores that go beyond getting tips on their swing and stance. In order to play better, you have to find the key that allows your natural athletic ability to come to the fore, without being impeded by anxiety about making a poor shot. By following Dr. Coop's principles and ideas you'll be in the strongest possible position, both physically and mentally, to put your best swing on each shot. As Payne Stewart says in his foreword to Mind Over Golf, "Not everyone can swing like a tour pro, but most everyone has it within himself or herself to think like one, and Dr. Coop lays the foundation for that within these pages."

"The game with yourself is often tougher than the battle againstany opponent. Smart Tennis shows you how to win the inner matchwhile having fun along the way."--Lindsay Davenport, world's #1ranked player for 1998 Become a More Competent-and Confident-Tennis Player Smart Tennis is the secret weapon that tucks right into your tennisbag. Apply these proven principles of sport psychology to your gameand gain a winning advantage both on and off the courts. "Smart Tennis is a must for players at all levels-from beginners toWimbledon champions! An outstanding book for understanding andimproving your mental game."--Vic Braden, tennis telecaster andresearcher "If you ever want to use the title of this book to describe how youplayed your last match, then Smart Tennis is for you."--DavidHigdon, senior writer,Tennis Magazine "This is an excellent book of psychological skills that can beimmediately applied on the tennis court."--E. Paul Roetert, Ph.D.,Administration of Sports Science, United States Tennis Association