Shivas Irons Society Shivas-Talks-source

Shivas Talks - Alan Shipnuck on "Rory"

Ben Kline — Tue, 05 May 2026 00:33:27 GMT

Shivas Talks welcomes Alan Shipnuck talking about "Rory" and other exciting projects including a new biography he has started writing on Michael Murphy.

Shivas Talks - Fred Shoemaker - A Fresh Start & A New Beginning

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Shivas Talks - Meet David Roy

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 23:20:00 GMT

Shivas Talks with Dr. Pierre LaMothe

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 22:16:38 GMT

Shivas Talks with Dr. Joe Parent and Psychotherapist Martin Wells

Ben Kline — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:43:43 GMT

Joe and Martin lead a discussion about rebirth and new beginnings. In this conversation, you will hear how can we get out of our own way and let the nothingness into our golf swings?

Coaches Corner - The Power of Commitment

Ben Kline — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 19:25:58 GMT

The importance of commitment to a routine.

The reason why I’ve found it so important to commit to a routine is because it takes decision making out of the equation during the time of the routine. When we are not questioning what is happening, there is a whole slough of events that carries forward in support of the commitment.

I find it extremely valuable to have a routine for almost anything I do associated with golf. The night before a round, the morning of the round, a warm-up routine and a pre-shot routine; all of these are important. When you know what you are up to at any given moment and you know what’s coming, you can be more in your body rather than spending time in thought- or in your head- a place where “nae goffer” plays their best round.

An effective night-before-the-round routine includes: getting your bag ready with balls, tees, gloves, snacks, drinks, sunscreen, and making sure you have an extra battery for your rangefinder, etc. It can also include making sure all your grooves are clean and your grips are washed and tacky. I also like to include checking the weather for the duration of the upcoming round and gathering the necessary clothing it may require. This might be a bucket hat for sun, extra socks for a 36-hole extravaganza, or an umbrella for rain.

Once that is all set and ready to go I usually have a light stretching routine I end each night with that gets my body ready for tomorrow’s game. This would include three or four mobility exercises and stretches that I know support my swing; and I like to set aside five to ten minutes to just mess around and get into my body with whatever feels natural or needed. I do this nearly every night, some nights I don’t, but I would never miss the opportunity for this extra time the night before a round of golf.

The morning of a round I give myself plenty of time to prepare without feeling rushed. It’s never as easy as I want it to be but it’s paramount. Good golf typically doesn't come from feeling rushed because this can spike our nervous system and create tension (something that the great Fred Shoemaker once told me was the great killer of good golf swings). I want to feel relaxed the morning of the round because I want to feel relaxed on the first tee, so I set that feeling as early in the day as possible. I eat a good breakfast, breathe, and get to the course with plenty of time to feel at ease during my warm-up.

Once I’m at the course I always start with a ten-minute mobility routine in a spot where I won’t be bothered and somewhere away from the driving range (a locker room can work but I've done plenty of my warm-ups in a banquet room somewhere in the clubhouse behind a stack of chairs). This routine would be a bit faster than the night routine because I'm getting my body warmed up and blood flowing rather than to help relax. In fact, we know that golf requires a certain amount of energy and so if I'm feeling sluggish I might add some jumping jacks or a few extra squats with an added jump to get my adrenaline flowing- this’ll help me hit it further but may not help me make a short touchy putt.

This is the thing that makes golf so special- we have to balance the nervous system and be ready to use a soft touch in our hands if necessary but also be ready to hit a big drive a minute later- it’s a real challenge to balance the nervous system and something that makes golf so appealing to many without even knowing it directly.

Once I get warmed up in the locker room I head to the putting green and roll some long flowing putts for 5-10 minutes to get my hands moving on the club and begin to connect with the speed of the greens. After that I’ll hit balls for roughly 15-20 minutes by starting small and working to full swings with some short irons and eventually moving into longer clubs (15-20 minutes should be plenty). After full swings I’ll head back to the putting green, hopefully stopping somewhere to hit a few chips and a bunker shot or five if available. Now I’m ready for the first tee.

Finally, a pre-shot routine is something designed to keep you in the moment. It has to be busy enough to keep your attention but not so busy that you feel bogged down by the thought of it (it’s a fine line but typically less is more). I usually have a routine for putting, a routine for chipping and then another routine for full shots. A full shot routine would start with a deep breath, triggering the beginning of the routine followed by the same number of steps into the ball, maybe two or four. Once I address the ball, I may check my grip a few times during my routine and look at the target two to three times. If there’s something I'm working on in my swing, I'll usually take an exaggerated practice swing with that in mind. Finally, after the last look at the target I let it go with nothing held back- I know I've done everything I could possibly do to prepare myself to hit the shot at hand and send the ball at the target.

When you are truly committed, you eliminate any chance to pull back or hesitate and you are guaranteed to either get the result you want or learn something about your game. By letting go you may realize that when you give yourself trust you are greater than you ever thought possible.

By Isaac Weintraub

Isaac is a PGA of America and PGA of Canada Class A Member. He is the Head Teaching Professional at Spring Hills Golf Course in Corralitos, CA (Santa Cruz) and in 2024 Isaac was given the honor of an Askernish Golf Club Honorary Lifetime Member (Outer Hebrides, Scotland). Isaac is the Project Manager of the Pogonip Golf Course Restoration Project and a Shivas Irons Society/Golf in the Kingdom Golf Camp Coach.

Shivas Talks with Dr. Bob T. Jones IV

Ben Kline — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 19:56:36 GMT

Dr. Bob talks about his grandfather, the incomparable Bobby Jones, winner of golf's only Grand Slam and a total of 13 major championships in an eight year span. Bobby Jones also co-designed Augusta National Golf Club and co-founded the Masters golf tournament.

Shivas Talks - w/Markus Westerberg

Ben Kline — Mon, 13 May 2024 18:47:18 GMT

Enjoy this Shivas Talks conversation with SIS member Markus Westerberg, co-inventor of deWiz Real Time Wearable Swing Analyzer, Golf Coach, and former Tour Player!

New Events Coming in 2024

Ben Kline — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 20:47:14 GMT

We are actively planning new golf events for 2024. Stay tuned for details about Shivas golf events in and around the Poconos, Chicago, Carmel Indiana, Austin/Dallas (Austin CC) and South Carolina. Also, in the planning stage is golf in the San Francisco Bay Area as well places far away such as Scotland in Spring 2025 and maybe even a Ryder Cup inspired event in Iceland.

Obedience Training for your Golfing Brain

Daniel Renteria — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 01:33:17 GMT

This is an Video Presentation for SIS Members only by Golf and Performance Coach, Tim O’Connor. Tim talks about lowering your golf score with obedience training for your brain. He also shares wonderful stories of Mo Norman, maybe the most accurate ball striker of all time. You can find the video on Member Content/Videos. If you are a Shivas Irons Society member and have trouble logging in, please send a message to contact@shivas.org.

Golf Smarter Podcast

Daniel Renteria — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 01:37:24 GMT

Shivas Irons Society Executive Director Ben Kline appears on episode #831 of Fred Greene’s golfSMARTER Podcast.

The recorded interview starts out with Ben saying that “No one should be a member of the Shivas Irons Society”…. A little out of context as what was meant is that if you are kind of golfer that loves Golf In The Kingdom, loves playing golf for a variety of higher minded reasons and would enjoy playing golf with like minded golfers, then you might want to consider becoming a member of the Shivas Irons Society. Check it out!

https://www.golfsmarter.com

The Shivas Irons Society joined ITP International

Daniel Renteria — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 18:58:00 GMT

The Shivas Irons Society joined ITP International on October 4, 2021 for the ITP-I’s 11th annual fundraising and golf event at Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco, CA. It was a great day of golf and community and conversation.

Shivas members, please check out the video of the conversation between Michael Murphy and Fred Shoemaker as they discuss golf, transformation, mysterious occurrences, Homer Kelly’s Golf Machine and more. To view the video (SIS members only), log in, then click on Member Content, then Video Gallery.

GOLF GUY PODCAST WITH BEN KLINE

Daniel Renteria — Sat, 03 Apr 2021 20:15:46 GMT

TALKING GOLF WITH THE GOLF GUY-SEASON 6 EPISODE 1 WITH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BEN KLINE, OF THE SHIVAS IRONS SOCIETY.

Click on this link to listen: https://www.jeffgolfguy.com/talking-golf-with-the-golf-guy-season-6-episode-1-with-executive-director-ben-kline-of-the-shivas-irons-society/

ALAN SHIPNUCK ZOOM CONVERSATION WITH THE SHIVAS IRONS SOCIETY

Daniel Renteria — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 21:06:00 GMT

In case you missed it live, please enjoy this SIS Zoom call with Alan Shipnuck from 3/16/21. Alan announces the Fire Pit Collective on our broadcast. Michael Murphy attends the call but his connection is scrambled by his Redwood trees. However, his presence is felt and Alan shares his big news with us and discusses Bryson Dechambeau's influence on the game and his special relationship with Michael Murphy.

Click here to watch this entertaining hour-long talk.

FOLLOW THE 2019 SHIVAS IRONS SOCIETY GAMES OF THE LINKS IN SCOTLAND

Daniel Renteria — Thu, 02 May 2019 18:40:00 GMT

Shivas Irons Society Board Member John Rousseau is in Scotland with the Shivas Irons Society and the Golf Historical Society of Canada. Follow the trip on the Shivas Irons Society Website BLOG!

WELCOME TO THE SHEEP RANCH AT BANDON DUNES

Daniel Renteria — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 21:56:00 GMT

GOLF’S MOST MYSTERIOUS COURSE OPENS TO THE PUBLIC IN 2020. It was alluded to in Journal 4 of the Journal of The Shivas Irons Society in Hilton Tudhope's reflective homage, Golf At An Undisclosed Location. We are talking here about the Sheep Ranch at Bandon Dunes. Golf Advisor Editor Matt Ginella provides a wonderful description and history of the Sheep Ranch in this video and article. Click here for information and a teaser from the folks at Bandon.

GOLF YEAH PODCAST

Daniel Renteria — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 20:50:49 GMT

Check out Golf Yeah, a podcast by Shivas Irons Society member Gordon Andrew. In this episode, Gordon interviews Shivas Irons Society Executive Director Ben Kline.

Golf Yeah showcases people who have built successful businesses and rewarding careers based on their love for the game of golf. Golf Yeah podcasts feature their life stories, lessons learned, sources of inspiration, future aspirations and advice for others.

Click here to hear the conversation

On a previous Golf Yeah podcast, Gordon interviews golf course photographer extraordinaire and SIS Member Evan Schiller.

Click here to listen to Evan

WELCOME TO THE NEW SHIVAS IRONS SOCIETY WEBSITE

Daniel Renteria — Sat, 09 Feb 2019 21:22:42 GMT

At long last, we proudly present the new Shivas Irons Society Website. It is the same www.shivas.org but with a lot more capability. Our new website utilizes secure and current technology, designed with and created by Boots Road Group and powered by Drupal™. We hope you enjoy it and bookmark it and come back often. Over time, we will have more and more interesting content.

If you are already a Shivas Irons Society member, you will soon be receiving an email message inviting you to log in and create your new password for the site. This is time sensitive for your protection, so please sign in within 72 hours of receipt of the email if possible. At that time or later, you can create your member profile allowing fellow members to know a little or a lot about your golfing life; where you golf, your preferences and experiences. There's even a spot for a favorite quote and a profile photo. The more information you provide when filling out your user profile, the more easily other members will know your golf preferences and common interests.

Members will have access to content not available to the general public. Members will also be able to privately reach out to other members individually or in secure group messages to arrange golf dates or just to chat.

If you have not been a member for a while, please reconsider joining the Shivas Irons Society. We have many more events planned, and through the new website, a much better way to connect with other like-minded golfers.

Since this is all new, you may have questions or need help setting things up. That's perfectly understandable. Support is only an email or phone call away. Hope you enjoy our new electronic home for the Shivas Irons Society. Comments and suggestions are encouraged.

In true gravity,
Ben

BORDER CROSSING TO PGA TOUR

Daniel Renteria — Thu, 10 Jan 2019 16:37:00 GMT

Click here to read the GOLF.com story about the harrowing journey of 41-year old PGA Pro José de Jesús Rodríguez. “El Camarón,” as Rodríguez is known, says when he first emigrated from Mexico he was "pretty sure that I would die."

El Camarón tees off Jan. 10, 2019 at 1:30 Honolulu time at the Sony Open. After reading Alan Shipnuck's touching story from GOLF.com, even if you had never heard of Rodríguez before, you just might find yourself rooting for him.

PLAY MORE SHIVAS GOLF IN 2019

Daniel Renteria — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 19:57:00 GMT

More Shivas Golf

Look for more golf opportunities in 2019 for Shivas Irons Society members and supporters to gather together. We are off to Scotland in May with the Golf Historical Society of Canada, and we will be back in Bandon Dunes from September 22-27. We also have plans for golf in Sedona, AZ, and Nashville, TN, in 2019. That's not all: events are brewing for golf in the Chicago area, in Toronto, Canada, in Texas and in California.

Also, members can use the new website to promote new connections and reconnect with former connections for golf and conversation! Just click on Contact Shivas here or at the top of the webpage for answers to your questions.

DR. LYMAN VAN SLYKE

Daniel Renteria — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 21:30:00 GMT

Thoughts And Prayers For Van.

Some of you may know Dr. Lyman "Van" Slyke from past Society events. If not, let us introduce you to a pillar of the Society, someone whose efforts well pre-date the 1992 birth of The Shivas Irons Society.

In addition to being a close and personal friend to SIS Founder Steve Cohen, Van was an early advocate and supporter of Steve's vision that golf could be a vehicle for an examined life, a place where one could learn about him/herself as learner, golfer and human being.

Van is a charter and advisory board member, has been a board member, a Society writer and a driving creative force behind the creation of The Journal of the Shivas Irons Society. He is a passionate learner, lover of all aspects of the game, and even a club-fitting hobbyist. He is a distinguished teacher, author and historian of Modern China at Stanford University, someone who has generously shared his knowledge on Society trips to destinations such as Bhutan.

Above all, Van is a friend who is currently facing health challenges so we ask that you keep him in your thoughts and prayers.