Category: Listening to professionals

Having golf lessons again

You would think I’m too old to learn!

I am 77 years old and I haven’t learnt the obvious lesson with golf.

GIVE UP!

Joining a golf club in Ballarat has motivated me to try to improve my swing, and in this video I show what a few lessons can do. I haven’t been able to go back for more lessons because I pulled up with a sore back and hips.

Everyone tells me that I’m using new muscles by which they mean muscles that have rarely been used in the old swing. Ten days later I feel that I’ll return to the driving range again. Aches and pains of old age! Don’t get me started.

What I am learning is the importance of having a single coach. The internet is a repository of contradictions. One guru says practice with positions and another says go with feelings and ignore positions. What I ended with up was a crap swing dominated by too many swing thoughts.

I have noticed improvements in my swing which you may be able to see at the end of the video.

Thanks Angie!

Divot or not divot?

They all talk about taking divots

But not many high handicappers actually do

In fact the taking of divots could almost be a filter for the type of golfer you are.

When you see the champs on TV, they always take a divot (usually quite a large one) except, of course, when driving or putting. Coaches will tell you that you should look at the direction of the divot to see if you are impacting the ball correctly. It’s supposed to be the size of a dollar bill…well maybe a five dollar bill since we have dollar coins.

When you play with the locals, however, there is usually a distinct lack of divots or the divots are totally in the wrong place…behind the ball. They can’t all be wrong, can they?

This practice is dangerous to all

Golf practice in the yard

Backyard divots

We live in the country in a small town/village/hamlet and the nearest driving range is 75 kms away. Not easy to pop around for a spare hour or so.

So golf practice is against a  plastic net material strung up in a stall of the old stables.

This particular session was devoted to where the divots are created. I have noticed that I more often than not do not create a divot at all and here I am trying deliberately to make a divot after hitting the ball. This is what the pros always say “Hit the ground after the ball”.

I must reveal that hardly any players in the local club do not take a divot at all including me.

I probably should have paid more attention to nearby animals and humans than to divots!

Hilly Courses

What the pro tells you

Not so accurate

Since I had a quadruple bypass some years ago, I haven’t wanted to play golf on hilly courses. I get too puffed.

I have an electric buggy at home and had we known (believing the pro) we would have hired a cart. We played only nine holes. Lovely course though. You can enjoy the scenery as well as getting out of breath.