Zen and the Art of Disc Golf

by Patrick McCormick

“The one book every disc golfer needs… If you only pick up one book on this list, make it this one… This is one of those books that will end up with highlighter and notes all over it as you read it again and again.” – Mind Body Disc Golf Reading List (MindBodyDisc.com) “It is a cool book to motivate and inspire you, speaking in terms that Disc Golfers can understand. Definitely check this book out.” – Bobby Brown AKA Cool Daddy Slick Breeze (The Disc Golf Answer Man Podcast) “Zen and the Art of Disc Golf is a perfect read anytime of the year to help your disc golf game…It’s safe to say that you’ll take something away from it and in the end, you’ll take steps to being a better disc golfer with the knowledge you’ll gain.” – Zach Parcell (All Things Disc Golf) Disc Golf is more than a game, Patrick D. McCormick carefully argues, it can be a window that shows us how we interact with the world. The way we play is the way we live. This book is about the sport of Disc Golf, but it also is about so much more than throwing a disc at a basket. For the passionate practitioner, Disc Golf becomes a meditation, and practicing not only has the potential to make us better players, but better people as we begin to focus on what we are doing on the course that is working or not working versus what we are doing at home or in the office. "Zen and the Art of Disc Golf" is about becoming the best players we can be and in turn becoming the best possible version of ourselves through cultivation of attitude, focus, determination, and mental strength. It is about mastering the mind, body, and spirit in such a way that we score better and live better. Inside this book you will
-What Disc Golf can teach us about life and success
-The secret formula for success on and off the course.
-How to create the proper attitude and focus to become better Disc Golfers and in turn live better lives.
-How visualization improves our game and our lives.
-Who you need to be playing with on the course.
-How to hit more chains and less trees.
-How to take yourself off autopilot and elevate your scores and your game.
-The 3 sides of Disc Golf and how to balance them. Most importantly, after reading this book you will walk away ready to Ace holes and Ace life. Disc Golf is life. Life is good.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Philosophy

117 pages, Paperback

First published October 9, 2014

Reviews

[Jamie]

I love this book! I have read it twice. It will help you on the course and off the course. Great tips for playing well in disc golf and playing even better in life. If you love disc golf read this book!

[Ed Schmauder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book, a lot of life lessons through the lens of disc golf.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I play a lot of disc golf. Earlier this year, I read a book called "The Inner Game of Golf" that reminded me a lot of "Zen in the Art of Archery." When talking about "The Inner Game," I would sometimes even call it "Zen in the Art of Golf." I was, then, quite surprised to discover that "Zen and the Art of Disc Golf" existed. I was curious enough to order it more or less blindly.

"Zen and the Art of Disc Golf" is a slim, self-published book about getting your mind in the right place while playing disc golf. It's... somewhat successful. To avoid turning this into a full on book report, I'll break it down into pros and cons.

PROS:
-There is some good advice here about visualizing, adjusting your mindset, and being generally mindful. Nothing groundbreaking, but I think there are plenty of disc golfers who need this kind of advice.
-Some of the parallels McCormick makes to real life are actually pretty insightful and neat. I had a few, "huh, cool" moments while reading.
-Some of the connections McCormick makes to Zen/mindfulness are spot on, based on my very basic understanding of the subject.
-It's easy to read. It's very conversational and casual. Despite the fact that I had some problems with the book, I didn't have any problem finishing it. It would be an easy book to finish in one sitting, if you were so inclined.

CONS:
-While relatively well done for a self-published book, Zen still very much feels self-published. There are a number of embarrassing grammar errors and typos throughout.
-The book is barely over 100 pages long, which is fine, but a lot of that is artificial length. Lots of blank pages before new chapters, large font, giant instagram-y motivational images with text lifted from the page you are currently on... If this was formatted in a more honest, straightforward way, it would probably be 40 or so pages long. There are very, very few times in this book where you will be looking at two pages next to each other full of actual content.
-The author repeats himself quite a bit.

Overall, I'm not unhappy I read this book, but I think with a little more fleshing out and some editing, this could have been a book I would happily recommend to other players looking to work on their mental game. As it is, I might suggest it with a big "but..." attached to my recommendation.

[Cameron Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book Zen and the Art of Disc Golf is a really good book that helps you with your disc golf game and outside of it to. The main theme that Patrick McCormick was trying to convey to the reader is that your attitude will affect your game. Let's say you're just broke up with your girlfriend that you dated for a year and then go out to your local course to play around of disc golf you are still thinking about your break up so you are focused which will cost you a lot of strokes mostly from short easy putts that you rushed on. If you have ever played disc golf you understand that you need to get rid of all your bad energy that you brought with you to the course and forget about it. One of the main things Patrick brings up is taking your time and being patient. Just saying that you are winning on your card by 3 strokes and have 2 holes left you think oh I got this win. But see the game isn’t over till you finish the last hole.
Imagine that you are being cocky and all and don't take your time and take a ten-foot putt for par and have your bag on one of your shoulders and you miss and then get a bogey while you friend takes his time and makes a 30-foot birdie putt. That is his focus because that must deal with on the course and off the course. If you are out in public and say you are trying to get somewhere but are stuck in traffic and get mad at the people in front of you and start honking and yelling, then you get in a accident. That is just like when you are on the course you are being inpatient and start rushing people and that makes the situation worse.
This quote is a very good quote for on the Disc Golf course and off the course. “The Disc Golf course is a smaller representation of your world. It represents just as much of your outer world as it does your inner world.” (Patrick McCormick) What I got from this quote is that the course is a smaller image of your actual life. If you have positive energy on the course you will have positive energy outside of the course and you will make yourself a better person. I would truly give this book a 4.5/5 rating because it's a really good book and all, but I wish it was longer of a story. I would recommend this book to anyone that has either played Disc Golf has seen someone play or even never heard about it but just wants a new way to think of life.

[Dave Gerhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the disc golf newbie, this book has a lot of good points, especially for the mental side of the game. I received this book for Father’s Day and I think it felt more like blog posts. If you get this book, read a couple of chapters and then go play. I will reread some of the chapters, but some of them aren’t relevant to me. Overall this book was good, but not great. The real life examples are a little forced and too short. Hopefully those will get revised in the second edition.

[Seshadri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is unabashedly a self-help book with a stretched metaphor paralleling disc golf with life. A work the cult of positivity would be proud of. If overwhelming positivity works for you, I would recommend it. For others, read it if you like disc golf for the casual 'not tips' and to be privy to the inner thoughts of a disc golf enthusiast. Could have been better with even a light amount of proof-reading & editing.

[x x x · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quiet your mind & better your round

Good zen tie in to a sport that reinforces good mindfulness in kinetic meditation. Six more words make this official, silly.

[wout · Rating 4 out of 5]

Appreciated the similarities between playing discgolf and being in the here and now; to focus only on the shot you are about to make. I do think you would have to be a more than average disc golf player to get the most out of this book and I am not sure if I meet those requirements. It was an enjoyable read, especially while playing a solo round of discgolf and trying to apply the lessons as soon as I heard them. I think this is true for many applied-type of books, ones that involve 'mindless' tasks, like running and cooking. I mean, I can't wait to read the Kitchen confidential while making some nice stews.

[Herman Kappes · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a newbie to the sport of disc golf, this book provides a great foundation for developing the right mindset toward the sport. I found the authors insight and experience helpful, and I found that the practical real world scenarios helped drive the points home. I originally started this in April, but I had to put it down because of other required study. I picked it back up this weekend and I was glad that I did. I will surely take these lessons with me when I go out on the course later in the week.

[Travis Sisco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I really enjoyed this book. Lots of great things to work on when I'm on the course. If you enjoy disc golf you'll enjoy this book

[Jordan Mardis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short and sweet. Good for disc golfers who want to improve the 'non-physical' aspects of their games. Could use a professional edit.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

backed this book on kickstarter. great book to get you in meditative mind set and enjoy the game.