All us newcomers to the game of golf love to get tips from people who are more experienced. I myself can sit for hours and listen to people talk about the techniques the used to improve their game. I too have tried a great many things in the quest for this better game, and I finally realize, that only one point holds true in regards to golf.
I realized this only after years of trying this, and trying that, and trial and error learning. Gaining experience along the way, I took advice from many more experienced players. I even paid for some personal training from a professional I befriended. But I still was lacking something that would get me where I felt right about my game.
The feeling of lacking something began to take me over. I tried to put my finger on it, but my mind could not come up with what it was. I entered a lot of different tournaments, and in some showed well, and in others tanked out. My game seemed to be stuck where it was. An understanding friend loaned his best golf instruction book to me, and I eagerly read it through and added some of the strategies to my game. I still had that lacking feeling.
Deep inside, it was like I knew if I ever found what it was, I would be in full swing and on top of my game. I just knew that I would have a newfound confidence that seemed to allude me at this time. If only I could put my finger on the missing ingredient. I purposely played really tough courses, hoping to stumble onto something that would suddenly make my game over. But it was no use.
I finally got to a point where my game just stayed at about the same level. I went up some, and down some, but generally stayed around the same level of ability. I was getting stale, and a little discouraged. I laid awake nights trying to figure out what it was I felt I was missing. But nothing came to me. I figured maybe I was as good as I was going to get.
Days went by, tournaments came and went, and my game averaged out about the same. I decided to try to stop thinking about it so much. To get it out of my head. Just let it go. Then I was some kids playing on the sidewalk, and it hit me. I knew instantly it was the missing key I had been searching for. It was so simple, but so powerful.
While I was watching, the kids were digging around in their yard, and found a pretty little blue marble. They all smiled and wanted to hold it. And as they passed it around, each one closed their hand around it and made a wish. That was it! Since we were children, we have all believed in having a good luck charm. Before I teed off in the tournament the next day, I put my rhodium plated wedding ring to my lips and kissed it. I golfed the best game of my career. Simple, and yet very powerful. Belief was the missing ingredient.