My 2nd golf lesson yesterday – chipping to the green – this time using hips – just as in Tai Chi with some conscious adjustment needed to accommodate the mechanics of the club but basically pulling it through from the centre as one pulls a sword or ones arms in silk reeling – controlling power and body position by sensitivity of the feeling. Ultimately a case of creating an intention ( to put the ball in the hole ) and then letting the unconscious mind/body get on with it. A good example of a complex action requiring consistent perfection – achieved with mindfulness and simplification according to basic principles – very much like practicing a Tai Chi form – with instructor James providing skilled correction and an excellent example to model – good fun!
sport
Never having played golf in my life I had my first golf lesson on Thurs last week and did some practice on my own yesterday – it was interesting to note how loose I need to hold my shoulders to putt properly. And to turn about the chest chakra. Very Sung and soft with a very light grip so that the putter is like a soft extension of the arm – and the arm/putter swing from the body like a flexible pendulum – a weight on a rope pulled by the body movement.
I managed to sink 2 out of 4 from – 4 feet, 7 feet and 14 feet and left with a sense of being able to recognise when I get it right – quite satisfying.
To see an article that relates – click here.
To contact James at Mount Pleasant Golf Club – click here.
I had some thoughts recently about Tai Chi in life a general sense and put some notes together – there are 3 quite short pieces which may provoke further thought :
Application of Tai Chi practice to other activities, e.g. golf, swimming, football, manual work etc
Levels of exercise – why not go all out?
In addition we have several new links to interesting videos on Youtube – click here to see more
I have noticed over the years that I have had a number of students with sporting interests - such as golf or running – who have told me of their improved sporting performance following a period of Tai Chi practice. I think the first I remember was one who said he reduced his handicap by 3 or 4 strokes – and another who altered his running gait and so relieved a leg problem. This seems to be a common Tai Chi experience – for example with Ballet dancers learning Tai Chi to improve their balance and fluidity – and is summed up in the expression ” you can put Tai Chi into anything, but you can’t put anything into Tai Chi”.
Given a history of 400 years plus of studying the human body and it’s movement in relation to other people and the rest of the world - it is not surprising that Tai Chi already encompasses most aspects of the human experience and so forms a core resource – a repository of refined information of great value to all paths of human interest.
