I took up golf a little later in life than most. I was into my 50s. By then, I figured, I didn’t care as much about hitting it long and scoring low. Well, “as much” being the key phrase. I still cared, just didn’t dwell on it. With more time on my hands now, I play more often; and equally as poorly, so far.
So, I took a lesson because I kept squibbing shots off the tee that would go about 10 yards forward and 40 yards to the right. Could NOT figure out what I was doing wrong, but clearly it was something. So, I went to see Steve the Pro, who I took a couple lessons from before.
He diagnosed it pretty quickly: I wasn’t taking my swing back far enough and, thus, didn’t have room for my hands to do what they need to do for an effective swing. To use technical golf terms: I was squinched up thus squibbed balls to the right.
Funny, when you’re right there with the pro, your wedge shots, which before were traveling maybe 80 yards and offline, now would go wayyyy upppp in the airrrrr and fly about 25 percent or more further -- and straight! If only I could afford for Steve the Pro to follow me onto the course for a round or three.
Now, I’ll take that lesson to the course and see if I can swing as well as I was swinging with Steve the Pro watching. I also realize that Steve the Pro was doing a job a lot like I did when I was a consultant: I’d advise clients, basically, what they were doing wrong. After all, if I was telling them what they did right, why would they need me? And, more importantly, why would they gladly pay me? Like I happily paid Steve the Pro to tell me something I should have known on my own (like my former clients).
I like Steve the Pro. He doesn’t seem to take the game too seriously. And he tells me not to take it too seriously. I’ve also learned that the better a golfer is, the less seriously he tells others to take the game. Easy for him to say. He goes out and shoots par golf while the rest of us are shooting 115 on a good day.
Seriously.
So, I took a lesson because I kept squibbing shots off the tee that would go about 10 yards forward and 40 yards to the right. Could NOT figure out what I was doing wrong, but clearly it was something. So, I went to see Steve the Pro, who I took a couple lessons from before.
He diagnosed it pretty quickly: I wasn’t taking my swing back far enough and, thus, didn’t have room for my hands to do what they need to do for an effective swing. To use technical golf terms: I was squinched up thus squibbed balls to the right.
Funny, when you’re right there with the pro, your wedge shots, which before were traveling maybe 80 yards and offline, now would go wayyyy upppp in the airrrrr and fly about 25 percent or more further -- and straight! If only I could afford for Steve the Pro to follow me onto the course for a round or three.
Now, I’ll take that lesson to the course and see if I can swing as well as I was swinging with Steve the Pro watching. I also realize that Steve the Pro was doing a job a lot like I did when I was a consultant: I’d advise clients, basically, what they were doing wrong. After all, if I was telling them what they did right, why would they need me? And, more importantly, why would they gladly pay me? Like I happily paid Steve the Pro to tell me something I should have known on my own (like my former clients).
I like Steve the Pro. He doesn’t seem to take the game too seriously. And he tells me not to take it too seriously. I’ve also learned that the better a golfer is, the less seriously he tells others to take the game. Easy for him to say. He goes out and shoots par golf while the rest of us are shooting 115 on a good day.
Seriously.
RSS Feed