Callaway, Take Me Away

I loerve me knew 7 iron.  I just do.  Compared to its fat-ass girlfriend (my fairway driver) this 7 dances like a ballerina, with a slight “swoosh” as she floats by…

Win some, lose a ton

The last two days at the range have sucked – I didn’t hit one straight ball. Not one. Last week I felt I was really progressing well. During a three day routine I was hitting about half of my shots dead straight on a full swing. Today was a mess. Slice, Slice, Slice.
I think two things were happening:

1. I think I was lifting my torso up and pulling my posture open at contact and follow-through, leaving the club further behind my body and causing a more outside/in swing.
2. I suck.

I’m hoping to get a cheap video camera soon and start doing tape studies.  I’ll be posting them on here so everyone will have a chance to be helpful or give me grief.

The Fool On The Hill

Hello friends, strangers, golfers, duffers and spectators.  I’ve opened this blog not so much to exhibit my flailing about, but to connect with more experienced golfers and track my progress as a student of the sport.  Though it would be technically inaccurate for me to say this is my first venture into golf, I don’t believe the three months I spent in college skipping class to play rounds at Audubon Park 12 years ago amounts to anything other than kicking the tires.   When those cheap clubs were stolen out of my car at the end of the semester, I didn’t even miss it.

This time out is a little different.  At 33 I found myself looking for an activity that will provide an opportunity to learn a little self-discipline, something which has been sorely missing through many other endeavors in my life.  It is quickly apparent how humbling golf can be for anyone who picks it up, regardless of any past athletic achievements.   Luckily, I have no emotional connections with the sport, such as those that came along in my musical pursuits.  I can fail or succeed and focus on the objective aspects of analyzing the outcomes.  The sport has a cannon of instructional materials to learn from and there is a clear path of study for those that make the time to practice.  Anyone who knows me from the old days knows I’m not one for that.  So let’s say the goal of golf is my personal renaissance.  Being out in the sunshine 3 or 4 days a week will also do wonders for one’s sanity.

Of course, the day I made the decision to move forward I ignored the advice of the salesman at Edwin Watts and made my first club purchase a fairway wood.  Silly huh? The fact is he couldn’t accomodate me with the correct purchase of a 7 iron because I am too tall for stock club lengths and the special order would take about 10 days.  But I was at the store and needed satisfaction and to his credit the salesman did try to talk me into waiting.  I decided to make the best of it and bought a book and a DVD to study the proper mechanics of the swing.  After 3 weeks I’m starting to feel comfortable in my stance and my wicked slice is straightening itself out as well as can be hoped for.

So, I’m off and running and will be ordering a proper iron or two to practice with.  I’m spending my time at the driving range at Wildcat Golf Club and will be signing up for lessons in short order.  In the meantime, advice is always welcome.

Fore!