Lesson Three - One Shot After stepping onto the First Tee, the preparation or prayer toward and about the round is to be let go. Good golf strategy helps the golfer focus on the play at hand. Whether thinking is target oriented, or ball oriented, the player works to be completely into the shot, tuned absolutely on the ball. Regardless of the reason to keep entertaining how good or bad the last shot was, when the ball stops rolling, the next shot has begun. As with the First Tee, all pretense, pressure, work or intentions into the previous hit are now gone. The player's golf maturity must take over and go forward. It is time to play a new shot.  Keeping the current shot 'alive' in the best way is what good play is about. Staying in each shot gives the player ample time to work out 'the plan' for the upcoming hit. Taking in interesting and noteworthy course and game variables can be inspiring and elevating and sometimes is very important. But often the time available between shots must be totally committed to sensing or figuring out what the next play is going to be rather than enjoying the landscape. Determining the next play can be hard work and some rounds may demand a lot of this kind of work. In other rounds, the ball and shots come off without a bit of concern for the tactics or statistics, flowing along like a river. Since every shot is a little different, golf is about flexibility and adaptability, qualities that the golfer works to demonstrate as each new shot appears. The player must understand that their involvement in a golf shot from start to finish is with whatever helps them enjoy and succeed hitting each particular target. The professional player knows what is appropriate thinking and feeling because they have learned what works and what doesn't work to contribute to the shot. What the player comes to realize is that the more that they can keep their awareness comfortably and enjoyably in the shot, the more intuitive, creative and successful they become with the shot. The golf professional is charged with exuberance and anticipation toward each shot, or at least aspires to be so. They are completely interested in what is happening with their ball and they are committed to what can be done with it. Good golf is about keeping this focus and being excited to "see what happens" with each shot played. © 2000 Design Mode LLC