I was recently flipping threw one of my GolfDigest magazines when I stumbled across the “What’s in My Bag” section. OK, I’ll admit it…I don’t enjoy reading about what clubs a player hits and how far he can hit them. The article did get me thinking again about the quote, “It’s the Indian, not the arrow” tho.
The clubs aren’t what make or break scores as much as you may want to think (or blame). Golf is more of a mental game than anything and if you’re going to think your clubs are holding you back, then your mind will allow that to happen. You will start to shank shots and push putts. If you just play loose and don’t worry about what’s in your bag, then you will play fine not even realizing how expensive or inexpensive your clubs are.
The first step to becoming a solid golfer is to perfect the basics. Buying $1,000+ in clubs isn’t going to instantly transform you into Dustin Johnson or Jordan Spieth. If that were the case, then if I switched bags with Cristie Kerr before we played a round…then I’d be the one earning 1.4 million a year.
OK, now back to the “It’s the Indian, not the arrow” quote…The saying has been frequently applied to sports equipment (such as golf, tennis, etc.). It all comes down to a individual’s ability to do the job and not relying on tools.
I have clients and people every month who ask me things like:
- What are your thoughts on getting acupuncture?
- What do you think about dry needling?
- I see that you do Kinesio Taping, how come you’ve never taped me?
- What do you think about Cryotherapy?
- I could go on…
I understand what they are asking and then I tell them that it all comes down to the practitioner.
For example, I had someone come into my office the other day who was experiencing a great deal of neck pain and numbness in their entire arm (not even sure if “train wreck” quite described their condition). The person explains to me how they have been to their chiropractor, “Deep Tissue” massage therapist, and have even seen a ‘doctor friend’ about their condition. Since none of these have worked, they go on to say that they were ‘desperate‘ and then heard about me. Is that really supposed to be a compliment to me???
As this person goes on to explain in detail how their “deep tissue gal” had “worked and worked and really dug into their nerve pain until it bruised him” I winced. When the person saw this, they asked…”so, you don’t believe in deep tissue massage?” Needless to say, this was NOT the time for me to break out my ‘soapbox’ and give my usual speech on chasing symptoms.
I responded, “Not exactly, its more the Indian and not the arrow” that bothers me. It’s all about how someone uses tools that makes the difference in the outcome.
I’m glad to report that this person left my office that day without pain or numbness. Their last comment to me was “You never went after the pain or my nerve today. You addressed other areas in my body and then pain and numbness just went away. How did you do this?”
I answered…“it’s the Indian, not the arrow” and smiled.
We have all been there. Golf is a frustrating game. As you’ve probably been told before, a great Pro can help you develop your game. You are the Indian, clubs are your arrows, and your Pro is the Chief. A great Pro can analyze your swing in a few minutes and then set up a sequence of lessons to improve your game.
In my experience…lessons are money well spent, especially if you find the right Pro.
Cheers and Happy Halloween!
drock
Perform, Recover, Repeat 