Dear Jim: Here we go again!
Haven’t written to you lately since absolutely nothing
happened in the last year. However, I am now good to go and am aggressively
devoting the remaining short years of my life to the game of golf.
I got all new
equipment, all new golf clothes, shoes etc. and started with a lesson the first
day the course was open back in April. Good health, fit, no worries and all
new. What could go wrong.
Just to give you a clue, my teammates have asked me to wear
a mask when we are playing…not for health safety but to ensure that no one will
recognize who they are playing with .
I lost 7 balls yesterday. No one will watch me swing for
fear of contagion ( some things cannot be un-seen so I am on my own when I hit.)
Well, some balls go
high and left…hard left, and some go straight up in the air and land 100 yards
away while the remainders are topped, scuffed, shanked, sliced or move 10 yards
slightly forward. If I don’t look up quickly enough, I have no clue where the
ball went. Since I do every swing exactly the same,( at least it feels that
way) I am in a constant state of stress, not knowing which direction to drive
my cart for shot 2.
It truly is amazing. For 40 years I have gotten out of the
sand every time. I have been fearless and could care less if I ended up in a
trap.
This year I go into the trap, take 3 or 4 attempts, bend
over and pick up my ball and put it in my pocket. Takes several minutes to get
the sand out of my neck, back eyes and
nose. Put me down for 7 please. You
would be amazed at your total score with
many, many 7’s or 8’s on your scorecard.
My trusty lob wedge has always been my money club. Getting
up and down was at least 50/50 even on a bad day. The other day I put down 100
balls on the chipping practice green. One after the other..perfect. I started
sinking them from 15 feet off the green. Even closed my eyes for the last 20 or
so.
As soon as they yell “Game on” all of this vanishes. First
chip after the practice- 8 inches. My distance control is laughable and when I don’t
skull it over the green, I chunk it 3 feet..10 feet if I get under it.
If there is a trap
anywhere near, I head right in there. Put me down for 7.
And putting. No exaggeration…went to the club 5 days in a
row and for one hour putted from 5-8 feet. Never made one. Now let me repeat
this…never made one. No one will give me a putt of one foot because they don’t
think I will make it. If I went to the Granby Zoo and gave my putter to any
monkey in the place, after 5 hours he would be draining those putts one after
another. Don’t waste time asking me if I’m
pushing or pulling or too hard or too soft..the answer is yes.
How is this possible? I went and re read several letters I
have written you over the years about golf and they all seem to have the same
theme.
I am no good.
Won’t ever be good and I have wasted 40 years fooling myself
in to thinking I was going to improve.
Basically, eye hand coordination scores ..2 on a 1-10 scale.
Strength…nope.
Motor skills..not measureable.
Ability to concentrate..poor.
Able to remember
swing thoughts or lessons highlights…evidence would point to that being a no.
Finding a groove…repeatability..consistancy…HA!
Cart driving…good to very good.
That is what I’m working with.
They say that Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and
expecting a different result.
By definition then ,I am insane!
Not giving up though. I feel I’m on the verge of a breakthrough
and I will let you know as soon as that happens. Everyone is giving me
suggestions and so far, I have 22 new swing thoughts that I’m going to try
beginning tomorrow. My wife is very helpful and gives me all kinds of advice
while I am trying to sulk after I get back home from my game. I silently nod at
each comment and think, just shoot me now.
I have been served notice that I have to up my game because
I’m causing the performance of my group to move down towards my levels and
there is clear evidence that they cannot concentrate while I’m whacking away.
This can’t continue I have been told.
There I am concentrating like crazy while the others are
hitting two balls, taking their putts over a few times or worse yet running in
to the practice tees to hit a few while they transition from the front 9 to the
back. Everyone has their own cart and one of the group told me it was because he couldn’t stand the conversation.
And in case you don’t remember. I have been to several one-week
golf schools, had 100’s of hours of specific one on one lessons and have had more video shots of my swing in action than
Tiger Woods.
So, I know what is what.
It is just that brain can’t seem to bring up the appropriate actions
required at the necessary time. It will come to me…soon…or else.
Will keep you posted.
Bill Meder
Billmeder.blogspot.com
