Sudoku vs Golf Blog

I learned how to solve Sudoko puzzles recently and found I was spending the time I was supposed to write this blog obsessed with number play. I woke up this morning stunned at this discovery and decided to make up for lost time.

There are extremes in (probably) all activities. Ben Hogan was an extreme in the practice of golf; Johann Gauss was an extreme in his solving of statistical equations; Wolfgang Mozart was an extreme in music. We associate extremes with genius, accomplishment and irrationality; something to admire but not necessarily to emulate. Yet, the phase before extremism may be a single minded focus that can be wonderfully productive.

I re-discovered this while working out Sudoku puzzles and I realized (again) how important such focus is for improving one’s golf game. I hope to hold on to this thought as I get back into a golf practice routine. I went from solving “gentle” puzzles to “moderate” puzzles in about a week and decided I could effect that same progress on the golf course applying a similar intensity.

It takes courage to stick with something where one has to work hard to make up for inadequate talent or natural ability. Focus can develop courage, a prerequisite for confidence, and with confidence anything’s possible.