| iv> | | | | take risks and go out and secure the food and |
| | | | other necessities for the survival of himself and |
| Men and women would appear to have, generally | | | | his mate. The woman, on the other hand, learnt |
| speaking, a different attitude to playing golf. Is | | | | that it was better to be more cautious and relied |
| there a deep-rooted reason for this? | | | | on the man to look after her. Men in those earlier |
| Why do ladies and men's approaches to golf | | | | days were forced to compete whilst women |
| seem to differ so much? Of course, this is a | | | | learnt to be rather more submissive. The effect |
| generalization...but one always hears men harping | | | | of this programming is evident in our genetic |
| on about this or that lady who "doesn't hit the ball | | | | disposition in the current day. |
| that far", but it "stays on the fairway"; this | | | | If you watch young children you will see that |
| accompanied by an intonation or expression which | | | | boys are more inclined to take things apart, to |
| infers that it's not really fair, almost as if women | | | | see how things work, etc, whereas girls are more |
| cheat by not hitting it as hard or as far as the | | | | likely to ask to be shown what to do, and are |
| men - that it's not "proper" golf! | | | | more inclined to look after things in their present |
| By comparison of course, you more often hear | | | | form instead to destroying them in the interests |
| wonderful stories of the hugest slice or hook that | | | | of curiosity. |
| this MAN hit, or the incredible distance this shot | | | | Parents also encourage their children to learn to |
| went...or the terrible tantrums such and such a | | | | play in different ways and to perform gender |
| man displays to all and sundry. I personally recall a | | | | specific roles. Different toys and games are |
| wonderfully entertaining moment while playing with | | | | provided depending on the gender and |
| three gentlemen. One tees up on a relatively | | | | preconceived ideas of how a man should act or a |
| straight and open par 5, swishes his driver a few | | | | woman should act is imposed upon the growing |
| times and then grips his jaw in readiness for the | | | | psyche. Thus we are not only genetically |
| strike, sending the ball three hundred yards | | | | programmed but also conditioned through |
| straight left into a field of unsuspecting cows. The | | | | experience to learn, act and behave differently. |
| replacement ball, still hit with the same force (if | | | | "Men are from Mars and women are from Venus" |
| not more), flies three hundred yards straight right; | | | | as the bestselling book is titled, and so it should |
| and one of my other playing partners commented | | | | come as no surprise that women and men |
| that whilst both balls had travelled an enormous | | | | approach the game of golf in unique gender |
| distance, there was still greater yardage between | | | | specific ways. And, as those of you who have |
| the points where they eventually came to rest! | | | | read past articles of mine will know I keep saying, |
| What a wonderfully entertaining game this is! | | | | everything in life starts with a thought; how you |
| The fact is that women tend to, in general, be | | | | think about something and your mental approach |
| more cautious than men. And this is part of our | | | | and expectations will dictate your outcome. You |
| genetic programming. Going back to "cave man" | | | | play golf from the platform of you the person, |
| days, a man had more chance of survival if he | | | | you the woman or you the man. |
| displayed strength and power and so he had to | | | | |