Are There Some of Us Who Just Aren't Meant for Golf?
 

I've worked very hard over the past four years on this game, e.g., practice, lessons, more practice, more lessons, books, videos, clinics, etc., and I still struggle mightily. I can barely drive a golf ball 200 yards, assuming I hit it straight (over the weekend I played with two 12 year old's who consistently out drove me). I played today and shot a 92. Luckily I had 24 putts or I wouldn't have broken 100. I'm also tired of losing golf balls (I average about six to eight penalty strokes a round).

Simply put, I don't know how to swing a golf club. I don't know how to make the transition. I don't know how to sustain lag. I don't know how to compress a golf ball. I understand Joe Dante's concept of coefficient of angular momentum. I understand Bobby Clampett when he discusses where a divot should be in relationship to the ball. I understand how the lower body is supposed to work in the golf swing. However, I slap at the ball, I don't hit it. A good 7-iron for me is 135 yards.

I have a lesson with Drew on Thursday and am looking forward to it. However, what if I'm just to dumb to figure it out? Are there people like us out there...we just aren't meant to play this wonderful game?

Absolutely not!

Drew will get you going, no doubt in my mind!

You've been to instructors, but you've not been to an TGM / LBG oriented instructor.

Keep the faith my friend, Thursday will open a whole new world for you!

Kevin

You keep rocking 24 putts . . . and you work with Drew . . . YOU ARE GOLDEN!!!! Your life is fixin' to change . . . in a very good way.

We'll expect a full report on your lesson and how you've picked up 15 or so yards on that 7 iron . . . you gotta be cutting across the ball I'd suspect. If you have a chance to hit balls between now and your Drew time . . . try the shut face drill. Close the face WAY WAY down at address and try to hit balls that don't start way left . . . will teach you to lean the handle . . . if you don't get the handle forward the face will look too far left to get your startline right. Try it "static" first . . . set up with the face well closed like you could hit the ball 50 yards left of your target . . . now start pushing the handle forward so the face starts looking square. That will get you leaning the shaft . . . like Trevino said "gimme a club with loft and I take it off of it." To hit the short irons far you need to take loft away by shaft lean.

Can you hit the ground in front of the ball? If not get in a bunker put a line in the sand vertical to your stance line where the ball would be and practice taking sand on the left side of that line.

It doesn't have anything to do with being dumb really . . . there are PLENTY of mouth breathing slobbering morons on tour just driving nails. You just need to get a few concepts right. You don't have to be good at EVERYTHING. Mr. Hogan said (paraphrasing) . . . I didn't have to be good at everything just a few important things. Gotta figure out what your important things are. If you want more pop in your 7 iron . . . gotta learn to nick the loft . . . and have the clubhead coming from IN . . . and hit the ground infront of the ball not behind it. Feed your swing hard punch shots monitor your alignments (did your left wrist breakdown or stay flat . . . is your right wrist bent) and do that closed face drill . . . you can't back the shaft up and do that drill right.

Ben Hogan believed that the average guy could play in the 70's . . . time for you to believe . . . go get 'em catdaddy. Dry your eyes and stick your chest out . . . you can do it. Especially if you can putt that good. You got the hardest part licked.

Gone G.O.L.F.ing
 

I am looking forward to Thursday :) .

Thanks, Kevin. I hope so!

Thanks! I'll try the drills you mentioned. The shut face drill sounds very intriguing. I hope Hogan is right. :-)

Be careful what you wish for. LOL!

In another week you will be looking at blade irons and laughing about this post.

I hope so!

A Masterful Thursday
 

The first round of the Master's starts on Thursday and the golf season begins a new. While Yoda is checking on Brian Gay's Alignments at Augusta National's practice facility, I will be checking the same exact Alignments many miles away up north with you :) .