Be The Ball - An Indiegogo Project To Make A Film On Golf And The Mind

Be The Ball is an Indiegogo project to fund a study—and the resulting film—about golf and the mind. Here’s the press info:

After establishing his thesis with background, interviews and commentary, (filmmaker Erik Anders Lang) will convene —at a group retreat—a master class of pros, celebs and amateurs—at a golf resort and put his theory of the mind-body connection to the test. There, the greatest minds from across the spectrum of human potential will focus on the mental aspects of training, utilize scientific techniques like biofeedback and physiological telemetry, and methods ranging from meditation to Zen archery. Teachers will include the likes of Dr. John Demartini; Tim Kramer; PGA Master Professional Scott Cranfield; Julie Elion; and Mahadeva Ishaya, the Scottish monk turned golf pro.

Subjects will play no more than an hour of golf at a time per day. A control group receiving conventional golf instruction will establish a baseline for the experiment. Then, the players will return home, resume their competitive play and the film will document their results. Lang expects to complete the film in time for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, where golf returns to medal competition for the first time in more than a century.

“People have tackled elements of the mind-body connection in sport—and in golf in particular,” Lang explains. “But nobody has yet undertaken a comprehensive overview, analysis, training and tracking of a multi-platform experience—a player’s surrender to the vast potential of the mind’s control over that little white ball—as BE THE BALL will do.”  He continues, “There are many different ways of accessing the zone; spirituality is one of several ways to get there. We are combining that with a number of mind-based stress reduction models to make it achievable for both pros and amateurs.”

Lang promises his film will ignite a global sports-spirituality movement. “There is no Holy Grail in golf,” he concludes. “But many little cups of wisdom, serenity and focus that, used together, offer real potential to make a fundamental change in a player’s success and satisfaction at every skill level. Our film promises to show players and fans the best of them.”

As my longtime readers know, I am a big advocate of the notion that you can become a better golfer by becoming a smarter golfer (see my book, The Five Inch Course: Thinking Your Way To Better Golf).  Focusing on the mental aspects of golf training, therefore, has a lot of appeal to me. I have long known that my physical golf skills are limited and are only going to get worse as I get older. My mind, on the other hand, has no such limits.

I hope this film gets made.