The Coffeehouse Investor's Ground Rules

5Wall Street Unwound

 

I love the game of golf, and the older I get the worse I play; but I know one thing for sure – it isn't the clubs.

I love the game because I love trying to figure it out, even though, deep down, I know I never will. That's what keeps me coming back for another 18 holes and another hour on the driving range.

There is no shortage of golfers who will give me tips on my golf swing; but the one tip that sticks with me was offered up by my hero, a golfer named Speedy.

Speedy is my hero not because he is a great golfer, although he is. Speedy is my hero because he is a great human being. He takes the time to care about people in his life, he cares about his community, and he cares about our country.

When we were playing golf a while back, halfway into the round Speedy sensed I was struggling (he's good at tuning in to the obvious). He paused, and then, in that southwestern drawl of his, told me to spend less time staring at what's in front of me (the ball), and more time visualizing the outcome.

Later on, he mailed me a book, The Natural Golf Swing, written by one of the greatest ball strikers you've never heard of, George Knutson.¹

George Knutson played golf as if the golf ball wasn't there. He told a story about shooting a score of 67 with his eyes closed on full swings. In his book he goes on to say,

Having a clear image of the target in your mind gets ...