Appeared in Golf Magazine
By Mike L. Mc Colgan
Have you ever hit a 'perfect' shot every time in the round of golf? Sure there have been 59's scored in golf, but to be technically perfect in this game one would have to 'Ace' every hole and score 18. Obviously this is impossible even for Tiger Woods. However, in Special Olympics Golf there are no bad shots. Every shot is 'perfect' as these amazing athletes overcome many adversities and inspire many as you watch them play.
My son MJ is one of these athletes and has accomplished an amazing amateur record in Northern California and around the world. He has won 3 National Championships, 9 straight N. California State Championships, many Regional's and been inducted into 3 Hall Of Fame's. In 2004 he was inducted into the San Francisco Hall Of Fame and in 2006 he was inducted into the Michigan Hall Of Fame having been born there. In 2011 he will be inducted into the San Ramon Hall Of Fame for his accomplishments on and off the golf course. He has also participated in 3 Summer World Games Dublin, Ireland Shanghai, China and Athens, Greece.
Having just returned from the World Games in Greece and seeing these amazing athletes from 185 nations, it inspired me to write this article about this challenging game called golf. CEO Tim Shriver summarized the Summer Games in Greece by saying,
"“The great examples of these athletes in the Games go on and on, but one thing is clear: as our athletes continue to spread the spirit of unity beyond the borders of Greece, we have an opportunity to join them. We can play unified with them, and we can live unified thanks to them.”
Golf is a difficult game. Pittsburgh Steeler and Hall Of Famer Lynn Swann has said, "I come off the golf course and I am always down. So I go home, take a shower, I put on my 4 Super Bowl Rings and say, "I am an athlete."
After being involved with Special Olympics Golf for many years, I am never down in golf. As long as the shot is in play, it is 'perfect'. Elizabeth Kubler Ross became famous for writing about the 7 stages of grief. These stages can also be applied to golf.
· Shock stage: Initial paralysis at hearing the bad news.-Hitting a Bad Golf shot
· Denial stage: Trying to avoid the inevitable.-Denying that one could hit a bad golf shot
· Anger stage: Frustrated outpouring of bottled-up emotion.-Swearing, throwing a club-getting upset
· Bargaining stage: Seeking in vain for a way out.- God-Get me out of the bunker and I will never be angry again
· Depression stage: Final realization of the inevitable.-Realizing that I will not be a scratch golfer
· Testing stage: Seeking realistic solutions.-Taking lessons to improve my golf game
· Acceptance stage: Finally finding the way forward.-Realizing that I will never break 70, 80, 90 or 100 and enjoying the game, the people the surroundings and making a few great shots or putts--
From changing times.com,
Getting stuck
A common problem with the above cycle is that people get stuck in one phase. Thus a person may become stuck in denial, never moving on from the position of not accepting the inevitable future. When it happens, they still keep on denying it, such as the person who has lost their job still going into the city only to sit on a park bench all day.
Getting stuck in denial is common in 'cool' cultures (such as in Britain, particularly Southern England) where expressing anger is not acceptable. The person may feel that anger, but may then repress it, bottling it up inside.
Likewise, a person may be stuck in permanent anger (which is itself a form of flight from reality) or repeated bargaining. It is more difficult to get stuck in active states than in passivity, and getting stuck in depression is perhaps a more common ailment.
Going in cycles
Another trap is that when a person moves on to the next phase, they have not completed an earlier phase and so move backwards in cyclic loops that repeat previous emotion and actions. Thus, for example, a person that finds bargaining not to be working, may go back into anger or denial.
Cycling is itself a form of avoidance of the inevitable, and going backwards in time may seem to be a way of extending the time before the perceived bad thing happens
Special Olympics Golf has taught me that there are no bad shots and to accept each shot as being 'Perfect'. Understanding this concept, will make the game more enjoyable for golfers at all skill levels.
Accept your skill level and realize that if you shoot your handicap that you will be doing very well. Studies have proved that if your handicap is legitimate that you will only shoot below it 25% of the time. Finally, learn and accept that there are no bad shots in this game, every shot is 'Perfect'.
