Book Review: Quantum Golf

by Kjell Enhager

I was given this book to read when I was 10 years old, by my tennis coach in South Africa. I remember reading it and something clicking in my young brain at the time, the idea of your swing being superfluid, smooth, effortless. Taking a deep breath in on the backswing, and out on the follow through. And it became second nature to me - I still do this every time I hit a tennis ball.

How amazing are our human brains?

Since taking up "the mental game" once again, now well into my 30s, I've been searching high and low for this legendary book. I saw it referenced by one of the author's students - Pia Nilsson, in her book "Be a Player" (book review to be published soon), but had not been able to find it in any bookshops - anywhere.

Then, fortuitously, I was perusing the library at my golf club a couple of months ago. Lo and behold - there was the little book with the title Quantum Golf: The Path to Golf Mastery by Kjell Enhager. And a thrill of excitement ran through me - I'd found the hidden grail!

Since then I've read it twice and lent it to my father and partner. I've also applied the techniques he proposes to my own golf game to good effect. And I highly recommend anyone interested in the mental game, and some legendary inspiration, to read it (if you can get your hands on a copy - I do believe it’s available on Amazon).

What is the book about? 

In short, the book is about a high-flying executive who is having a hard time playing his best game. Threatening to quit, he gets by his course pro sent to a "reclusive sage" living in remote town in Iowa to help.

 Linc St Clair is his name, and he teaches "Quantum Golf" - the antithesis to classical golf, or rather the game that includes the whole experience of the person, nature and consciousness itself. In his words:

 "In Quantum Golf our attention is not actually on the ball… it's not on any part of the swing, or any particular part of the body….your attention shifts to a more complete picture - to the whole of the swing. The parts are included, but they are a secondary consideration. It is the whole swing that is all-important. We no longer think of the body or the muscles - we put our attention on the inner flow of consciousness."

Quantum vs Classical Golf

First published in 1991, Enhager (through the character St Clair) is ahead of his time, putting forward a theory consistent with what is currently understood in neuroscience as optimal performance of the brain. He advocates instead of trying to perfect every little mechanical detail of your swing, to find the perfect swing that already exists inside you:

 "In Quantum Golf the focus is on allowing this automatic procedure to happen every time. Somewhere inside us, each of us already has the perfect swing. Every golfer has his own perfect golf swing, according to that person's individual constitution, physiology, psychology, and temperament. The thing each of us has to do is find it."

He gives analogy to a professional making a speech on a subject in which he is proficient, or a dancer who intuitively knows all the moves:

 "When you dance well, you're in tune with the music. There's no thought about the steps, you're only aware of flowing with the rhythm… once you've familiarized yourself with the basics of classical golf you have to stop putting your attention on the steps. Your emphasis must be on the flow, on the rhythm of your swing."

How to find our “flow”

We've all hit that shot that feels so perfect, and we've all played in that zone where everything is effortless.

 "Flow and feeling are the glue that sticks everything together. They make the whole of your swing bigger than the sum of its parts. When you swing correctly, it is totally effortless and natural.. It shouldn’t tire you out to play golf. … every time you swing, instead of losing energy, you should gain it."

The book gives numerous exercises to achieve this state, and to move out of old limiting patterns of thinking, to a broader, more holistic approach to the game. For example:

"Before you approach the ball, say the words "super" and "fluid" to yourself… Then, on your backswing you take your club back, say "super" and gently and easily inhale, and the on your downswing and follow through, gently exhale and say "fluid". There should be a distinct gap in time between the two words, coinciding with the moment of rest at the top of your swing, at which time the club appears to almost stop… Put your attention on the wholeness of the swing instead of its parts." 

Playing your own game

He also speaks to managing difficult thoughts and emotions, and the importance of playing your own personal game (and not replicating someone elses'). He points to the idea that players tend to place more focus on the results of the swing than the swing itself. If the result good - they're happy. If not - they're disappointed. Their responses and mood is dictated by the result, their happiness attached to little white ball.

 "Everyone has to deal with some degree of frustration and anger… The key is to turn your negative around to your advantage. Don’t dwell on the mistake. Don’t feed it with energy by putting your attention on it. What you put your attention on grows stronger in your life. Just treat the mistake with quiet indifference. Keep the pendulum swinging smoothly and save your energy for the next shot."

Just being out on the glorious golf course should be enough to be happy - isn't that why we play?

Quantum homework: the Q-score

I'll leave you all with one more exercise I quite often use use when I feel my game is a bit off, it’s called the Q-score.

Instead of (or in addition to) counting your shots in a round of golf, count your quantum shots. That is, for each shot you make, reflect on whether it was:

1) a truly quantum shot (you felt effortless, superfluid, and you didn’t focus on the result straight away), or

2) a classical shot (you put lots of effort in, your mind was busy or distracted, and you immediately reacted to the result)

Next to each shot, mark a Q if it was quantum, or C if it was classical. At the end of the round, calculate your percentage of superfluid swings. Try and improve on this each time you play.

The more you focus on internal rhythm and letting your swing be superfluid, the less “busy” your mind will be with results, and ironically - your results will actually improve. Again, your Q score is focussing on what you can control - and enhances your confidence and performance.