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!

The sand trap is on the green

Sand-scrapes in the country

Path to putting

There are some large golf courses in rural Australia but most are small courses in small regional towns. The local golf club often cannot support the green keeping staff needed to look after grass greens, so they opt for sand-scrapes which are easier and cheaper to maintain.

I have been avoiding playing on sand-scrape courses even though they are closer to my place than the “proper” course complete with real greens that I normally play at. Snobbery I suppose!

Recently I played with these guys in the Twilight Competition at Avoca Golf Club. I am told that the greens are of a high standard for sand-scrapes…unlike my round where I just could not cope with the greens. Putting is not my forte however 3 putts were the rule for me not the exception!

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?