An ancient Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, felt that consulting our own experience and intuition is a wonderful way to gain insight. Unfortunately, many of us have never learned this lesson.
The only way that human beings could have ever survived as a species for as long as we have is that we've developed our human brain's decision-making to be capable of making very quick judgments based on very little information. As we human beings move through the day, we are blissfully unaware of the prodigious feats of coordination of mind, body and spirit that underlie the simplest acts.
How does this apply to getting a hole in one on the golf course?
There is data on millions of attempts at holes in one from events awarding prizes for aces. Two insurance companies that specialize in writing coverage for these basically agree on the odds for the typical amateur: Once every 12,750 shots on par 3s, says Mancil Davis, director of golf operations for the National Hole in One Association; 1 in 12,500, according to US Hole in One.
Forty years ago, Mr. Davis had a hot streak: three aces in a week, five in a month and eight in a year. He has 51 career holes in one. His secret is he aims for the hole. "Maybe because I made several early in my career, my brain focuses a lot better on the ultimate target," he says. Mr. Davis says doctors measured his brain activity at the tee for par 3s and found it similar to that of golfers staring at long putts.
Ms. Jacqueline Gagne says she just missed her 11th ace in four months by mere inches last week. "The only thing I thought about was the hole in one," she says. "I didn't think of my surroundings. It was the perfect shot." Then, reconsidering, she adds, "If it was the perfect shot, it would have been a hole in one."
Focusing on what matters, moment by moment helps us reach clarity.
B. Alan Wallace, Ph.D., tells us not to overlook the importance of attention. By refining our attention, we can focus and thereby rediscover the sense of well-being that emerges spontaneously from a balanced mind. Research tells us that geniuses of all kinds shared one mental trait, despite the wide range of their individual brilliance: They all possessed an exceptional capacity for sustained, voluntary attention.
Dr. Wallace's wife taught Tiger Woods at Stanford University before he emerged as a superstar of golf. What most impressed her was his powerful ability to focus---a skill that has evidently contributed to his recent achievements. Mr. Woods uses his talent of sustained, voluntary attention to maximize his strengths (his extraordinary long-game and putting skills) and minimize his weaknesses, like that of chipping out of a bunker (he was only 61st on the PGA tour in 'sand saves').
Source: The Wall Street Journal, May 18, 2007