Upwards Forward

Champion golfer and commentator, Nick Faldo, made an analogy during the 2018 Waste Management Phoenix Open to golfers playing styles as being either pilots or artists. It was an interesting insight into not only golf but leadership and life as well.

Pilots depend on numbers, rules, and gauges. Artists depend on feel, sight, and imagination.

Staying with golf, Bryson DeChambeau calls himself “The Golf Scientist.” He was a physics student and employs science to modify his equipment and predict shots (read more). Phil Phil Mickelson is another who you could compare to a pilot.

http://vplayer.golfchannel.com/p/BxmELC/gc_player/select/NbyCWAw9XiIe

When it comes to golf “artists”, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Seve Ballesteros, Bubba Watson would all make the grade. Creativity and style rule their approaches.

While all of these golfers have a primary approach to the game, either “pilot” or “artist”, I believe they use the other approach as well. For instance, what creativity DeChambeau used to think up shortening his clubs and testing golf balls. And what science Bubba uses in his equipment alone, which all is tediously tested by every company.

While all of these golfers have a primary approach to the game, either “pilot” or “artist”, I believe they use the other approach as well. For instance, what creativity DeChambeau used to think up shortening his clubs and testing golf balls. And what science Bubba uses in his equipment alone, which all is tediously tested by every company.

So next time we’re faced with a challenge to solve or a decision to make, will we be pilots, artists? What is your default do you think? Can we combine both? Yes. And when we do, they are a magical combination.