Theodore Stroukoff has taken on many challenging sports in his life, including golf and ice skating. However, in recent years Theodore Stroukoff has found that the lessons he’s learned from developing a good golf game have translated well to his professional and personal life.
Golf is largely a mental game, Theodore Stroukoff explains, with laser-focus and sharp mental acuity being equally as important as physical strength. The term “keep your head in the game” never applies more than it does to the game of golf, and Theodore Stroukoff observes that many new golfers have difficulty learning to concentrate.
It’s easy to let daily life intrude in the game, according to Theodore Stroukoff. Stroukoff places great importance of recovery. As with any sport, it is important for a player to focus only on the play at hand, separating out the planning phase with the active shot and coming down from the shot. During the planning phase, which is extremely important in golf, according to Theodore Stroukoff, a player evaluates the distance from the tee to the hole, visualizes the path the ball will take to that hole, and lines up his or her body to make the shot.
Theodore Stroukoff states that the importance of focusing on the moment to the exclusion of everything else has been useful in his work and personal life. A golfer shuts out everything but the shot at hand, Theodore Stroukoff describes, and thinks only about the now. It has been a lesson that has paid off well in Theodore Stroukoff’s work and home life, as he’s learned the art of honing in on the details of the moment, shutting out the stresses and worries of the day.
An important part of golf’s focus is being able to mentally shake off a bad shot, Theodore Stroukoff asserts. Sure, occasionally you’ll miss by a long margin and it will likely shake you up a little, but you can’t let that throw the rest of your game off, says Stroukoff. You must immediately shift your focus to the next shot, starting at a new beginning, according to Theodore Stroukoff. This isn’t quite as hard as it seems, says Theodore Stroukoff. It’s tied closely to living in the now, and also includes not focusing on the next shot, or the shot after that. Theodore Stroukoff says the key is to forget the past and the future in your game. Those are irrelevant. All that matters is the shot right before you.
And that, Theodore Stroukoff emphasizes, is the most important life lesson of all.
Cleo Griffin says
After reading this post, I now understand that it takes a lot of focused energy. It also takes intelligence. You pointed out some very interesting points. Good luck in everything that you do.
Theodore Stroukoff says
@Cleo Griffin – Thank you for taking the time to read the post. Any sport can be viewed in the same light – requiring a lot of focus and determination. But I just really like golf! Thank you for the kind words! – Theodore Stroukoff
Jeremy Sunn says
It sounds like you are a very well rounded person, Theodore! You have your degree in nursing, you’re a coach in ice skating, a tennis player and now a golf player. What can you NOT do? You are a very busy man!
Theodore Stroukoff says
@Jeremy Sunn – I am definitely not super man, but I try to be. HA! I just have a lot of interests and really don’t want to give up any of them! I can sleep more when I get older. – Theodore Stroukoff
Ruby Andrew says
I like your article about sports and golf, Theodore Stroukoff. It shows what intense determination and focus the pros have to have. Now I will look at them differently when watching them on TV.
Theodore Stroukoff says
@Ruby Andrew – I have a high sense of admiration for the pros like Tiger Woods. They are very highly underrated. Most people have no idea the amount of focus and stress they go through in games. Glad you were able to read about some of things that you have to have to play successfully! – Theodore Stroukoff
Jaime Caprice says
I cannot imagine walking that far just to play golf. You definitely have to love it to go through all of that! I’m not sure that I could do all of that for golf.
Theodore Stroukoff says
@Jaime Caprice – It IS a lot to just play the game. You certainly have to have a major love of it to go through the whole game and not quit half way through. I’m sure you have something that you just love so much that you don’t even think about the drastic measures you have to go through to participate in it? Every person is different! – Theodore Stroukoff
Helen Cruise says
You seem to have a knack for all types of sports. You are definitely multi-talented. Keep up the hard work – and who knows, we may see you playing in the Masters in the future!
Theodore Stroukoff says
@Helen Cruise – I doubt that I will make it to the Masters, but you never know! I just love playing for fun! Thank you for the kind words! – Theodore Stroukoff