Breaking Through the Upper Limit: How a Round of Golf Exposed My Greatest Saboteur

Presence Golf is a spiritual practice.

It’s not about perfect mechanics.

It’s not about score.

It’s about awakening — using golf as a mirror for a deeper understanding of who we really are.

And in my latest round of golf, that mirror lit me up like a lightning strike. What felt like frustration, embarrassment, and anger in the moment turned out to be one of the greatest gifts I’ve received from the game.

The Front Nine: Ease, Flow, Presence

I played golf with my son this past weekend — one of my favorite things in life. We were paired with two guys we had never met. Orlando was bright, warm, and refreshed after a night of Florida-level thunderstorms. The course was wet, sloppy, and unforgiving. Fat shots splattered mud on my face. Pure negative reinforcement.

But on the inside, I felt calm and grounded.

I played a beautifully solid front nine. My son even commented on how good my wedge game was — the part of my game I've struggled with most. That meant something to me because I’ve been working on that exact weakness with patience and intention.

This wasn’t the round of my life, but it was damn good golf. Yes, a couple of loose shots cost me penalty strokes, but overall I was hovering near even par in terms of ball striking.

Then came the moment.

One of my playing partners looked at me and asked,“Did you shoot even par on the front?”

He noticed how good I was playing. And without knowing it, he triggered my oldest wound.

I brushed it off politely — “No, I had a couple penalties.” But inside… something shifted.

The Back Nine: When Ego Takes the Wheel

As I stepped onto the 10th tee, I didn’t notice the change at first. But a subtle fear slid into the driver’s seat.

I lost Presence.

And my ego — that old familiar voice — whispered: It’s not safe to be great. Don’t shine too brightly. You remember what happens.

My childhood conditioning rushed up: Be perfect… but not so perfect that you outshine others. Stay small. Stay safe.

And that’s exactly what happened on the back nine.

Skied tee shots.

Fat shots.

Blackouts during my swing.

The yips — which didn’t show up once on the front — took over with full force.

I doubled down on mechanics.

I tried harder.

I forced it.

But I never fixed anything because the swing wasn’t the problem.

My consciousness had changed.

And whenever consciousness shifts out of Presence and into fear, the body follows.

Inside I was boiling, but outside I looked composed. I didn’t realize the ego had slipped in so quietly. I didn’t see the pattern until later — the exact moment my playing partner acknowledged my great play.

My Upper Limit snapped shut.

The Aftermath: The Real Reason I Was Sick to My Stomach

For two hours after the round, my stomach was in knots. Not because of my score. Not because of mistakes. Not because I embarrassed myself.

Most golfers would have been thrilled with the score I shot.

What made me sick was this:

I betrayed my Self by cutting off my greatness.

I shrunk.

I hid.

I sabotaged the part of me God created to shine.

And the instant my ego felt the spotlight, it slammed the door shut.

Enter Gay Hendricks and The Big Leap.

The Upper Limit Problem: The Invisible Ceiling on Your Greatness

Hendricks describes an “upper limit” — a threshold we hit when things go too well. When we rise too high. When we get too close to our potential.

My core wound?

The fear of outshining.

Growing up, shining brightly wasn’t safe.

Being exceptional invited criticism or rejection.

Love felt conditional.

So I learned:

Stay small. Be invisible. Don’t threaten anyone with your brilliance.

This shows up everywhere in my life — not just golf.

But golf exposes it with ruthless honesty.

Presence Golf doesn’t hide our shadows.

It reveals them.

It brings them to the surface so they can be healed.

And this round did exactly that.

The Gift of the Back Nine

As I reflected on the round the next day, clarity hit me:

The back nine was a gift from God.

Not to punish me —but to show me exactly where I’m still limiting myself.

Golf is not just my sport.

It’s my teacher.

It’s my spiritual path.

It’s my mirror.

Here is the vow I made to myself:

I will no longer shrink back.

I will no longer dim my light to protect others.

I will allow myself to shine — for the glory of God, not for ego.

My athletic gifts are not accidents. They are invitations.

And next time the ego whispers that it’s unsafe to be great, I will return to Presence — to breath, to body, to truth — instead of diving into mechanics.

The Call to You: Where Are You Limiting Yourself?

Every golfer has an Upper Limit Problem.

PGA Tour pros.

Scratch players.

Weekend warriors.

All of us.

Where do you sabotage yourself?

• The moment you get close to a new personal best?

• The tournament where you’re finally in the lead?

• The shot that could change the round?

• The dream you tell yourself is too big?

• Winning your first major or your next one?

What part of your brilliance are you denying?

Golf is just the doorway.

When you break limits on the course, you break them in your relationships, your work, your health, your purpose, your connection with God.

That is the path of Presence Golf.

The back nine showed me exactly where I was still hiding.

I’m done hiding.

I’m ready to live from Presence, not fear —and let God shine through me without apology.

If You’re Ready to Break Through Your Own Upper Limit…

I offer Presence Golf Mentoring as a Spiritual Caddy —helping golfers who feel called to go beyond mechanics and into the deeper game:

• dissolving self-limiting beliefs

• overcoming performance anxiety and the fear of shining

• mastering Presence under pressure

• learning to play golf as a path to Self-realization

• transforming swing blackouts, yips, and sabotage from the inside out

Presence Golf isn’t mental coaching.

It’s spiritual training.

It’s soul evolution through the vehicle of golf.

If you’re ready to break through the ceiling you’ve set on your greatness…if you’re ready to step into the player — and person — you were created to become…I’d be honored to walk with you. To be your Spiritual Caddy on this sacred path of Self-mastery.

Send me a message if you want to explore Presence Golf Mentoring. Your next breakthrough round is already waiting within you.