Golf: An Unlikely Antidote to Attention Deficit
It may seem unlikely at first, but is it possible that something like golf is an antidote to attention deficit? It’s an easy game to become romantic about, but I never thought of it as a mental health practice.
The other day I was at the driving range, and it dawned on me what I value so much about the game. Yes, I enjoy being outside. Yes, It’s something I can practice and witness improvement, something I’ve missed since quitting hockey. Yes, I’ve always been able to lose myself in structured competition. It ticks so many boxes for me. The other day though, I realized what exactly I appreciate about it currently.
Golf is a game of focus. It’s an instant feedback of the condition of the mind and body. If your body is out of whack you’re going to feel it in your golf swing. If your mind can’t focus, you’re going to hit the ball left when you’re aiming right. It’s agonizingly difficult and that’s because it’s bloody hard to control the body and focus the mind, I’m certainly no exception to this.
Focus has always been something I’ve struggled with. There wasn’t a single teacher I had in grade school who didn’t insist on me being tested for A.D.H.D. (A.D.D. at the time). In retrospect, I’m glad my Mom refused to ever have me tested and medicated for it, thanks Mom!
So as I spent an afternoon working on chipping and putting, I started to observe how much I was able to focus with minimal effort. This state flow-state was remarkable given the scattered nature of my mind throughout the rest of the day. I no longer have upset teachers telling me how much of a distraction I am, but that doesn’t mean I’m free of consequences from a scattered mind.
Focus continues to be difficult for me, and increasingly so given the addictive nature of my smartphone. I’ve become a master of distraction which means I need to actively practice the opposite. While chipping that day, it dawned on me just how much golf is a game of focus. Anyone who’s played knows that if you can’t maintain a clear mind, then forget it, the game eats you alive. As I was practicing, I began to pay attention (see what I did there) to the clarity of my mind that was coming from this seemingly trivial pursuit. It came naturally because I was enjoying it. This state sure felt like the opposite of attention deficit.
If I compare something like my smart phone and golf the impacts are total opposite. On my phone, social media floods my mind with ideas of what I should be doing with my life, what products would make me happy, what others are doing better than me, the list goes on. It’s like a bazooka of stimulation in a matter of moments. Golf is different. My mind gets quiet as I send my focus on the little white ball in the green grass. I do my best to remain in control of my body as I try to pop that ball up and have it land somewhere close to the hole. I think this is a large part of my attraction to the game. It helps foster presence instead of sending my mind in a million different places.
I’ve tried a lot of things to improve my focus over the years. Meditating, tai chi, exercise, medicating, self-medicating, supplementation, ice-baths, you name it I’ve probably tried it. A lot of the stuff I just mentioned has helped me, but I don’t enjoy any of those things as much as I enjoy golfing. It begs the question; does it always have to be work to be beneficial?
Playing golf helps me improve my mental fitness. The more we enjoy doing something the more motivated we are to do it. Playing golf is an opportunity for me to practice my focus and it doesn’t feel like a chore to get myself to do it. Maybe there is a life hack here. Not all acts of self-improvement have to be a grind, a hustle, or work. Why can’t we play our way toward better health?
As much benefit as golf provided my mind, it did require a certain level of health from my body. The past few years have been stressful to say the least. There were times when I needed a mental break but my body succumbed to the stresses and physical pain sucked the joy out of golf. This was a double edged sword of dealing with discomfort and losing a coping mechanism. I needed to take care of the body to keep playing a game that was so nourishing to my mental state. So out of necessity I spent the winter of 2021–22 creating the Golf Played Well program. I designed the program to help anyone take care of their body so they can enjoy golf and the mental benefits that can come with it. Whenever I golf now, my body is quick to let me know if I’ve been taking care of things.
This serves as an important reminder for me. I often view the mind and the body separately. In this case, however, it was clearly important to take care of my body, so that it can do the thing that provides some care for my mind.
Golf might be a game, but at times like these I’ll take any act of play that is good for my mental health. For me it’s been golf; but I wonder,what are some other fun ways we can practice our mental fitness?
