golfrewind.com

Dear Golf Diary:

Indulge me for a minute----this evening’s experience has been a long time coming. I’ve been playing the game ---or at least going to the practice range, hitting balls, reading, and taking a few lessons---for a little over eight months now. Progress has not come easily and, quite frankly, diary, I have been struggling with my irons of late---really struggling (I think that it was Ben Hogan who said that golers have to find there game "...in the dirt". Lately I'd been wondering whether Ben had actually meant for me to dig my way thru the dirt to China, divot by divot.)

But not tonight…

I just got in from a couple of hours at the driving range. Must have hit nearly 350 balls (200 more than ususal!--it was that kinda night) using my 4 thru 8 irons and for the first time in the eight months since I have taken up the game, my ball striking was much improved. Markedly. Really, diary. Shot after shot after quality shot. 7 irons hit to –and “at”--the 150 yard sign. In fact I regularly hit that sign, diary. And on purpose, too.

I suspect that I had maybe 2% or 3% mis-hits, fat or thin shots tonight. Maybe it was even less than that. This was a far cry from what had generally been going on over the past month or so. I suspect that in my last nine or ten range sessions, my percentage of mis-hits was in the 50% range---a statistic that makes you (or at least it did to me) consider the pursuit of fishing rather than golf and whether I should advertise my golf clubs being for sale on E-bay or in the local newspaper. It had become almost embarrassing to swing in front of other golfers. I think that a couple of little kids had even laughed at my "hosel rockets" a couple of weeks ago.

OK, so tonight’s heady experience wasn’t exactly like getting my first car or loosing my virginity. (And besides, except for her name, I can hardly remember anything about that long ago teen-age night.) But I think that in terms of the development of my golf game, maybe tonight was just as momentous. A light went on. (Light at the end of a tunnel, maybe?)

Earlier today, with the sun high in the sky, and in between client meetings, I had been messing around with my swing. Once, on one of my practice swings, as I went through my backswing, I saw my shadow move. Laterally, diary. Laterally. Then I saw my shadow move again in another attempt at a smooth backswing. I’d caught myself swaying darn it. Revelation! I then “bet myself” that the sway was the chief cause of all of the mis-hits. Couldn’t wait until the end of the business day to get to the range. I developed a new swing thought -----“stay stable”---- and widened my stance just a little. The net result was a real breakthrough in my still developing golf swing.

I guess that when you are learning how to do anything that is new and difficult (like golf) and you have 'a knowledge or performance breakthroughs' -when “the light comes on”, the feeling can be euphoric. I can’t wait to get back range in a couple of nights. Too bad that I have to work tomorrow. Can’t wait to turn on more lights---and maybe knock down that ‘150 yard sign’. Who knows, maybe those kids that laughed at all the hosel rockets a couple of weeks back will be there.

----Jimwill

Congrats on the breakthrough.

Great News!!! There are very few feelings on a golf course or driving range that are better than that "Bolt of lightning" revelation being put into practice and (Can you believe it?) IT ACTUALLY WORKS!!!

Not to play devil's advocate, but these epiphanies happen all the time when you're developing your swing. They feel great. However, be sure you stay humbled because ups and downs are part of golf. I can't even tell you how many times I've felt exactly what you descibed only to lose it the following week and punish myself mentally for it.

We seem to reset our expectations of how good we are every time we have a good round or practice session. Just realize that improvement happens in over a long time and you'll enjoy the game more if you keep that in mind.

Life Experience (i.e. specifically mine) says that you are ABSOLUTELY right! Don't worry about the humility part though. Even though I've been playing the game for less than a year, I have learned that it is game that keeps you humble----whether you want to be or not! (Where did Lefty finish in the Western Open? 65th, I think. See what I mean?)

A few weeks ago I was at the range one afternoon and I could hit the 3 iron and up. However my ball striking has come back to Earth and now I'm struggling again.

Who is this "dairy" person you seem to be talking to?