When I first set out to write this post, it was going to be a list looking at some of the more creative players in golf history. That plan changed some as I leafed through the August 2008 issue of Golf Digest.  In Jim Flick’s column (p. 48) he related a story that I found so fascinating that it made me want to shift gears and talk about the role of creativity in golf. Flick shared a story where his colleague Mike Malaska was on the range practicing next to Johnny Miller a few years ago.  Malaska asked Miller what club he’d hit to a green 100 yards away.  Miller’s response: “I could use any of 14 clubs.” Sensing that he was misunderstood he tried to clarify his question.  Miller stopped him and then went on and hit the green with every club in his bag, including the driver and putter.  After that display, he went on to add that the minds of the most talented players are programmed to think creatively and that they’re

That’s right. I said it. You want to play better golf? Positive attitude is a great way to do it. I’ve never read a book that covers the mental game that advocates anything but a positive attitude on the golf course. I’ve never heard otherwise in a lesson or from a pro or from watching an instructional program on television. So why is it that so many players have such a poor attitude on the course? I’ll tell you why – they don’t realize the importance of the mental game and they let their emotions get the best of them. Golf is an expensive game. It takes a lot of time to play, and a LOT more time to play well, in the form of practice and exercise and lessons. Why would anyone want to get anything less than the maximum out of a round? I’m sad to say that I succumbed to negative attitude on the course a week or so ago. I was struggling with my finesse wedges. I had just duffed about

I was kind of surprised when I tuned in near the end of the Zurich Classic on Sunday, to hear Woody Austin utter the words, “I choked my guts out” in his post-round interview. He seems like a straightforward, honest guy, but I was surprised to hear that coming out the mouth of any professional golfer. I was even more surprised that he uttered similar comments to himself on the course while the walls crumbled around him. Choking is a terrible situation to be in. That which comes easy any other time is nowhere to be found. A lifetime of muscle memory and mental composure are out the window. Nothing is working right and it keeps getting worse. My guess is that it happens to most people at some time or another, at least those who find themselves in stressful situations. For professional golfers, it all boils down to a mental lapse of epic proportions. I find it fascinating that many professional golfers can’t even acknowledge that they’re choking. I’ve heard it said that Jack