A Novel Approach to Learning About Mental Golf

I recently read a book that I am enthusiastically recommending to my fellow Positive Golfers titled Straight Down the Middle, by Josh Karp. Having the complete title of Straight Down the Middle: Shivas Irons, Bagger Vance, and How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Golf Swing, the book is a first-hand account of a real-life golfer's quest to gain a greater understanding of positive mental principles and practices and then put them to use in order to transform his mindset, his game, and his life. The author, Karp, is a journalist and, at the beginning, an 18 handicap golfer who realizes there is great potential in the mental realm, and having a great desire to enrich his game and his life he is inspired to explore various mental philosophies and approaches. Karp becomes a mental golf guinea pig, in essence, and immerses himself in learning from various gurus and masters and applying their wisdom on (and off) the course. He shares his experiences in great detail so the reader gets a very clear picture of what is taking place. Along with the details, Karp is open and forthcoming about his thoughts and feelings throughout, so the reader can follow his deepening understanding and development (and sometimes drawbacks). Karp also has a keen sense of humor which makes the reading enjoyable as well as enlightening.

All in all, Straight Down the Middle is a memoir of a noteworthy quest to understand, evolve, and improve. Karp delivers great insight into lessons learned about golf, patience, letting go, and much more. He presents the scientific aspect of positive mental practices as well as the practical side. And he illustrates how to put it all into real-life practice out on the course, with his own mental and physical game as a proving ground. By the end of the book and the odyssey of discovery, Karp has indeed discovered the effortless swing and lowered his handicap. He has achieved a deeper understanding of the game and himself as well, all of which have enriched his golf experiences and his life. In his final comments he says, "Most importantly, my swing became a source of pleasure, which more often than not brought my scores closer to par."

Straight Down the Middle leaves the reader with plenty of ideas to think about and act upon in one's own quest for golf improvement. You will gain a greater awareness and understanding of the mental realm and likely be inspired to begin or expand your own efforts in that arena. As a Positive Golfer who believes in the value of the mental game and who continually strives to strengthen my own mental golf mindset, I gained some new understanding and useful tools myself, as well as some inspiration from Karp. I also enjoyed the book as an all-around good read. It was especially engaging because it was written by a "real-life golfer." On the book jacket, it refers to "a journey of a common man in search of an uncommon kingdom." I recommend Karp's book to anyone who wants to enjoy a more relaxed, fluid swing, a lower handicap, and more positive experiences in golf (and in life!). If you feel positive mental practices are too advanced or impractical, then this book is really for you! You'll see the mental game from a whole new perspective in Straight Down the Middle. Check it out this summer! You can find it at Amazon.com.

Here's to great golf!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com