In this excerpt from my original golf diary way back in 1999, Belinda and I are still on a plane to New York to go visit my brother Guy. I record my tenth birdie ever (if I include the one at the simulator at Dave and Buster's), and I am figuring out the things that Mike, my pro, is teaching me. Near the bottom, I have an epiphany of sorts. I figure out... the importance of learning a full swing in order to make it more automatic. Explaining it like I just did does not do it justice, though. I explained it much better back then, and I use volleyball as a comparison for the first time.
Beaver Creek-Par Three Course-Hole 3
My ninth birdie! Ten if you count the one in the bar. I got ten in one year, sort of. Next year, I’ll try to double that number! I got to go play in Beaver Creek at a par three, a very short par three. One hole was only fifty yards. I was playing with Curt. I think it was hole #3. I used my toe-up to toe-up swing to get it on the green. It really took such a small swing to get it on the green. It ended up below the hole about twenty-five feet away, but still on the green. I mishit the putt on my new $50 Bob Toski putter, but it turned, headed straight for the hole and dropped in! I laughed and Curt high-fived me. I was so happy to get ten birdies in one year. Sort of.
I secretly wanted to get better in one year before playing in Jeff’s tournament again. Well, sadly today is that day. I had every intention to play in his tournament again, but Guy got these tickets, so here I sit… and write. At least I know I am a better golfer now than I was a year ago. Ten birdies better.
I’m reading Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book now. Mike taught at one of his schools before coming here. Here are some things I need to try or learn more about. The forward press? I guess this means to move forward slightly before the back swing begins. I need to ask Mike. He’s the one who told me about the book. Also, head behind the ball. I’ve already started that with my new lateral head move, but it’s a tremendous source of power. Slow-motion drill and left foot-right elbow magic move. He teaches or says to do a full swing in slow motion, slower, no slower, even slower than that. This drill teaches all the right moves including starting the downswing with your left heel planting and your right elbow touching your side at the same time. You do it all in one move. He also says finish with your elbow in front of you. I need to clarify that with Mike also.
It occurs to me that I will need to practice and become aware of all these moves in order to not have to be aware of them anymore. In other words, I will eventually move into trusting my swing and focus more on targets again. That is what I was beginning to do until I went to see Mike, but these new teachings will make me worse temporarily and much, much better permanently in the long run. In even more “other words”, when I was playing volleyball, winning volleyball, I was concentrating much more, if not solely on doing, and very little, or no thoughts, on “how to do”.
Next time, a very competitive indoor putting contest, the handicap thing, me teaching golf, more golf lessons, and playing in Yuma, CO, of all places, again.
My ninth birdie! Ten if you count the one in the bar. I got ten in one year, sort of. Next year, I’ll try to double that number! I got to go play in Beaver Creek at a par three, a very short par three. One hole was only fifty yards. I was playing with Curt. I think it was hole #3. I used my toe-up to toe-up swing to get it on the green. It really took such a small swing to get it on the green. It ended up below the hole about twenty-five feet away, but still on the green. I mishit the putt on my new $50 Bob Toski putter, but it turned, headed straight for the hole and dropped in! I laughed and Curt high-fived me. I was so happy to get ten birdies in one year. Sort of.
I secretly wanted to get better in one year before playing in Jeff’s tournament again. Well, sadly today is that day. I had every intention to play in his tournament again, but Guy got these tickets, so here I sit… and write. At least I know I am a better golfer now than I was a year ago. Ten birdies better.
I’m reading Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book now. Mike taught at one of his schools before coming here. Here are some things I need to try or learn more about. The forward press? I guess this means to move forward slightly before the back swing begins. I need to ask Mike. He’s the one who told me about the book. Also, head behind the ball. I’ve already started that with my new lateral head move, but it’s a tremendous source of power. Slow-motion drill and left foot-right elbow magic move. He teaches or says to do a full swing in slow motion, slower, no slower, even slower than that. This drill teaches all the right moves including starting the downswing with your left heel planting and your right elbow touching your side at the same time. You do it all in one move. He also says finish with your elbow in front of you. I need to clarify that with Mike also.
It occurs to me that I will need to practice and become aware of all these moves in order to not have to be aware of them anymore. In other words, I will eventually move into trusting my swing and focus more on targets again. That is what I was beginning to do until I went to see Mike, but these new teachings will make me worse temporarily and much, much better permanently in the long run. In even more “other words”, when I was playing volleyball, winning volleyball, I was concentrating much more, if not solely on doing, and very little, or no thoughts, on “how to do”.
Next time, a very competitive indoor putting contest, the handicap thing, me teaching golf, more golf lessons, and playing in Yuma, CO, of all places, again.
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