Out-of-body experiences, alien abductions, and other things
Out-of-body experiences, alien abductions, and other things
I dream about when my golf game is in the tank.
Ty Webb was a very smart man.
This clip might refresh your memory if that name doesn’t ring a bell:
Ty Webb: I’m going to give you a little advice. There’s a force in the universe that makes things happen. And all you have to do is get in touch with it, stop thinking, let things happen, and be the ball.
It’s too bad I didn’t watch this before my golf league started. I could’ve saved myself a lot of pain. I won’t share the details, but here are two takeaways after a series of disastrous nines:
I went to the driving range once before my first round in the league. This means I was hitting my first tee shot of the season during league play. I know league play isn’t exactly the Tour, but I don’t love to embarrass myself. I should have played or hit the range at least once or twice to get the kinks out.
I was definitely not being the ball like our good friend Ty advised. The more I golfed that first round, the more I freaked out, overthought shots, and freaked out. The result? Epic s@*tshows for my first rounds.
I looked like a complete beginner.
I felt like a complete beginner.
Not that there’s anything wrong with being a beginner.
But I’ve been golfing since age 7 when my dad gave me my brother’s old clubs and took me to our backyard for lessons. I then graduated to the driving range, the practice course, and ultimately, the regular nine.
The struggle was real during those first years. I begged to quit many times. But my dad wouldn’t have it, insisting golf was an important, lifetime sport.
For example, when I wanted to ditch the golf team for the swim team in high school, my dad asked, “What are you going to do? Go on a date and say, Hey, baby, let’s swim around the lake. No, you’ll say, Let’s golf.”
Even as a rebellious 15-year-old, I got it. I stuck with golf, which turned out great, as it led to many rounds with my dad, even when he was in his 90s.
I also reached the point where I could hold my own on the course.
Or so I thought.
This brings me to last Wednesday. Yes, my dad was right about golfing with dates, and now my husband. We golf together all the time. In fact, this league I speak of is his company’s golf league.
But watching me play these first couple of rounds … you’d think someone had handed me my brother’s rusty clubs and said, “Go play.”
It was ugly.
And painful.
I mean, I’ve played this game my entire life.
Heck, I even write about the game for the LPGA.
Yet I played as if an alien had taken over my body, erased my brain’s golf chip, and inserted a cavewoman in my body.
Me. Hit. Ball.
I could not drive.
I could not chip.
And I’m starting a GoFundMe page to replenish the balls I lost.
I tried to recover and take my own advice - think like a yogi for better golf.
But remember… cavewomen don’t do yoga, play golf, or think.
So I left the course embarrassed and convinced I was either cursed or part of an alien experiment where some mysterious force interfered with every aspect of my game.
Back home, I realized it probably wasn’t the aliens.
It wasn’t even my game.
My problem was in my head.
I was putting a curse on myself and interfering with my confidence and ability to play.
I was the source of my own demise.
This leads nicely to:
What I’d Rather Be Talking About this week is Ty Webb’s genius advice:
There’s a force in the universe that makes things happen. And all you have to do is get in touch with it, stop thinking, let things happen, and be the ball.
Not sure if you ever noticed, but when we honor the force that makes things happen instead of trying to force them to happen… things go a lot better.
That theory really does work for golf. Overthinking shots leads to bad shots. Moving forward, I’m focusing on not overthinking and just letting things happen.
I’m working on being the ball.
With that, it’s time to tee off.
Wananananana,
Abbey
LISTEN
After my last few golf disasters, I’ve been working on my game - at the driving range, on the course, and in my noggin. I’m also trying to raise my vibe because a good vibe helps everything. Mike Dooley’s Spiritual Tuneup has tips on how to do this…. “Raising Your Vibe - The Truth Will Set You Free.”
Your vibe will be much easier to raise if your inflammation is under control, right? Get the details in this mini-episode of Feel Better, Live More - “Five Dietary Tips to Reduce Inflammation with Dr. Andrew Weil.”
WATCH
One solution for a golf rut is new golf clothes. I found some great deals here and here. Guy golfers, spruce up your polo collection here.
Wisconsin golfers/readers… want to support a small biz? Check out Old Fashioned Golf for men’s & women’s golf apparel and gear.
Not a golfer but looking to freshen up your closet? Check out these summer staples on a budget, how to elevate your style, and how to wear summer’s hottest new trend.
I tend to stream less in summer, but I will watch Max’s (i.e., the new name for HBO Max) Season 2 of And Just Like That (coming June 22) and Platonic (released May 26), starring Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen.
EAT
Stumped for summer meals? Try healthy meals for busy times, vegan Buddha bowls, or Mediterranean Rice Paper Rolls.
Save room for dessert and try a healthy, plant-based ice cream made from sweet potatoes (you read it right), beans (yes, beans), or (my favorite) fruit.
Recipe of the week. How about a Roasted Veggie Salad with Magic Green Sauce? I haven’t made it yet, but it looks easy enough, and honestly… the green sauce looks amazing.
READ
As promised, book reviewer Lizz is back! Check out what @lovingthislizz has to say about Nicola Yoon’s Every Thing, Every Thing.
BUY
Anti-inflammatory coffee, supplements, and gummies! I’m constantly looking for supplements and products that help with inflammation. In fact, I just ordered a batch of coffee and anti-inflammatory products to help me with my golf game. (Besides being a head case, I’ve also got a touch of osteoarthritis in my shoulder and need all the help I can get.) The products come from For Wellness - founded by my favorite golfer Phil Mickelson and world-renowned performance coach Dave Phillips. Phil also has arthritis (psoriatic arthritis), and along with lifestyle changes, found massive relief from this coffee and supplements that go along with it. If you want to try For Wellness, you’re in luck… I’m an ambassador for the company, so you can get 25% off your order!
ON A SERIOUS NOTE
Initially, I’d planned to wrap this issue up still talking about “being the ball” and letting things happen … hoping it might help my game and life in general and perhaps be a helpful nugget for anyone reading this.
But then I looked at the pictures I included of golfing with my dad. And with my husband. So many good memories. :)
And yet, all those memories included some bad shots. And good ones too.
But when it comes down to it, we’re the only ones who truly care about how well or crappy we hit the ball. Nobody else really cares.
Did my dad care that 7-year-old Abbey couldn’t hit the club to save her life? Of course not. Did I care that my 92-year-old dad’s drives were shorter than when he was 70? Give me a break.
When I think about past rounds, I realize the shots don’t really matter. It’s the good times… golfing with my dad, husband, family, and friends… and the hours spent on the range, conversations between holes, bets on the green, laughs, and the many golf lessons in driving, pitching, and putting.
Those are the moments that make a good golf game.
Those are the moments we risk missing if we get too caught up in our heads and stressed out about what we’re doing wrong. (In golf or life, really.)
You could even say those are the moments we miss when we’re not being the ball.
So, please. Timmy. Danny. Whatever your name is.
Be the ball.
Abbey
P.S. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads… those with us or those teeing up at the golf course in the sky.