The G-Man Golfeth...

JUNE 5, 2008

Any time you need to be reminded what it was like way back when you first started playing the magnificent game if golf, just take a good friend, on who is new to playing golf, out for a lovely day on the links.

"OH THE PAIN, OH THE HUMANITY!" Yes, your day will rank right up there with the Hindenburg Disaster on the classic scale of AGONY!

Right away let me explain a couple of things... First, your heart is in the right place. There is no better way to learn the game (short of lessons, which we will discuss later) than to get out and PLAY. Second, you MUST get over the guilt that you will feel for getting some perverse pleasure from your partner's "learning curve." Remember, at some point YOU were the "Newbie" golfer who provided the scorce of entertainment for your golfing friends. Beyond that you'll actually enjoy these "learning" rounds.

That's what G-Man and I enjoyed today at Dragon Ridge...at least I enjoyed it. G-man is a very competetive and athletic guy who still struggles with why he can't play golf at a high level, after only a handful of rounds, when he has always been able to excel easily in other sports.

What I can't quite get through to him is that with every club, except the driver, the golf swing is supposed to make impact with the ball with a desending angle. He still insists on trying to use the club to throw the ball into the air. Even my demonstrations can't seem to get that point ingrained in his mind. But I honestly enjoy his company on the course and can see what a better player he could be, which will make the game more fun for him. Right now, a shot from 100 yards into the pin, which most of us salivate over as we grab a sand or gap wedge, can be a disaster fro G-Man because his outcome all depends on how much he "scoops" the ball toward the green. He has made HUGE progress in this regard since at one point earlier in his education, he would routinely "scoop" his 6-iron 100 yards as a full shot. Today he has reduced his scoop to where a nine iron covers that distance most of the time, except for the times where he strikes the ball properly with a descending blow and air-mails the green ( and a lot more yardage beyond that.)

Today he "scoops" his way to a 125, which would and could have been higher except that he is a good putter! The best part is that he is anxious to learn and improve...and he will!