hildren can benefit greatly from Zen golf.  They start out as Zen athletes and quickly, fear and expectations destroy that ability and they turn into "Western athletes."

I want to contrast the difference between what I call a "Zen Athlete" and what I  call a "Western Athlete."
 
 
Western                                                                                                                        Zen
 
1. A constant struggle for external recognition.                                                             Looks for internal satisfaction.
 
2. Measures self-worth solely based on outcome.                                                        Measures self on what they gave.  Ethic, honor, effort, etc...
 
3. Focus on attaining perfection.                                                                                   Sees life as a journey in search of excellence.
 
4. Treat goals or sport as something to conquer.                                                          Tries to achieve "oneness" with activity.
 
5. Unrealistic expectations leading to frustration, anger and disappointment.              Realistic expectations, sees the process.
 
6. Blames other, cheats, makes excuses to calm anxiety from fear of failure.               Focus on what has been learned and effort given.
 
7. Competitors are the enemy.                                                                                     Competitors are partners who facilitate improvement.
 
 
A Zen athlete eventually "arrives at the level they want to achieve and no longer see themselves as students or feel the need for improvement.  This day comes when the maximum amount of enjoyment can be achieved with the current level of ability. 
 
Western athletes never have an "arrival" stage because the fear of losing and pursuit of perfection does not allow for this phase.  Given that this is a "recreational" pursuit, being a continual student your whole life doesn't make sense if the maximum amount of recreational enjoyment has been achieved. 
 
If you discuss this with a Western athlete they will tell you, "You should always try to get better."  My response is "Why?"  If I achieve a level that gives me maximum fun, why should I improve when fun was my goal?  I love going to a ski resort, golf course or tennis court and not think about anything but how much fun I am going to have.