Katrin Muff
Since 2005, Katrin has worked with more than 100 golfers across Switzerland on understanding and improving the mental aspects of the game. From beginners to professional tour players, the goals are widely different, however the aim remains the same: to discover and strengthen a player individual personal power and to develop an attitude towards the game (and often also towards life) that facilitate a player to have his or her best performance emerge without effort. Tools, practices, approaches are as diverse as the success stories of the many individuals who seek to enhance their enjoyment and performance in the game. Methods are there to help each individual find his or her best approach and not to preach a truth for all.
As of spring 2008, Katrin has accepted the position as Dean of the Business School Lausanne (part of the Lemania Group of School), while continuing her activites as a film producer with Oscar-winning Catpics Coproductions in Zurich (most recently: Late Bloomers by Bettina Oberli, the Swiss entry for the 2007 academy awards in the category of Best Foreign Language Films). She is therefore limiting her Golf Coaching activities to accompany high potential youth and professional players.
Dimitri Bieri, PGA Head Pro of golf club Vuissens and Katrin Muff, professional coach
The team of pro Dimitri Bieri and coach Katrin Muff have launched in 2006 a series of courses and projects from 3 days to a season long support where the mental and technical aspects of golf are combined to embrace the entire golf game.
check out Dimitri Bieri's website: www.golftrainingcenter.ch
Why do I love the game of golf?
Quite simply, to me golf is the ultimate challenge and perfect game of life. It shows immediately and directly where I am at, whether I like it or not. I can make it the completely best or worst possible human experience, it depends all just on me. Much like life, I can't just resist it. Loving life, I can't but love golf. Sorry! :-)
I started to play golf because I knew no better. Tired of monthly networking dinners of our local coaching group, I proposed that the next time, we play golf instead. All other members where golfers and they were delighted. Not understanding the implications of what I proposed, I simply felt challenged by the slightly sarcastic glances they exchanged before they insisted that I should count at least 2 months to get there. I proposed 6 weeks and accepted the bet lightheadly. It was not until I signed up for an inter-mediate (I had no time to be a beginner) and an advanced golf course with as little as 2 weeks in between, that I noticed that I needed a rules & etiquette exam done as well. I ended up eventually realizing what kind of challenge I had so lightheartedly taken on. But not succeeding was never an option. While it certainly wasn't technique or my swing, I am sure it was sheer determination and will power that got me to obtain my "permission to play" at my first little tournament just 4 days ahead of my first business golf appointment. I have some unforgettable memories of this first time I played 18 holes, but mostly I'll never forget the faces of my business acquaintances when I actually showed up at the first tee. It was only when I attempted to get a handicap (any handicap!) that I started to develop respect for the game.
But my fundamental behaviour hasn't changed: I still play just a handful of tournament a year to reduce my handicap and try to get away with minimal practice time. I just love the pressure of performance and I know that I can deliver. My mom reminded me that I learned bridge the same way: during my Moscow years, I took on the challenge to learn a game I had no clue about in one week to participate in what turned out to be a major diplomatic events - I barely survived but obviously didn't seem to have understood the lession. Is this the best way to do things? Quite probably not, but it's the way I do it and I am the person who I am playing with - and sometimes against - on the course.
So, why do you play and who are you playing with?
It didn't take long to realize that golf is the perfect example and visualisation of any professional or personal development path. It shows you - sometimes brutally - where you are. You have direct feedback on whether you are aligned inside or not. You can't cheat. The precision at the moment of impact, the complexity of the movement (golf is considered the second most complex movement in sport, after high-jumping that is) are ideal to reflect the complexity and interaction of body, mind and everything invisual around and about. A perfect swing won't do, neither a perfect attitude, the right mood and perfect serenity are challenged with every mishit shot. You are alone in this game, yet you are spending an extensive walk in company of others, just as in life. What helps you in life, will help you on the golf course and consciously or not, you are applying the same tools and methods in both situations. The way you talk to yourself on the course, is - unfortunately for quite some of us - also the way, we talk to ourselves in life. What if you would consider life as a game? Most of us can't even consider golf "only" a game - at least that's not the way many of us behave on the course.
These just some examples - I may add to this some other time. But hopefully this serves as a small introduction and indication why I love the game and I believe this is the ideal play-ground to develop and grow, and yes, why not having fun and enjoy the results of it as well.
Katrin Muff
