When is enough? If we are always searching, are we ever really satisfied with our golf game? If you read the biographies of great people, they all have one thing in common: they never stopped searching. They were always on the lookout for some better way to do something, to improve something, or to invent something. Their tenacity or quest to improve never stopped.
Great golfers are the same way. Players like Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods were always searching for that one skill to give them the edge over their opponent. As they continued on their journey to improvement, they reach dizzying heights most people see as out of their reach. They should be commended for showing us the way, but their quest of improvement also had one common theme: they never forgot their roots.
Golfers seem to have an innate understanding of when something in their swing has stopped working. Over a couple of rounds, they may experience a swing glitch that results in an unintended hook or slice. As a result, they search for a solution for their woes by adjusting something.
Whether they adjust their grip, stance, follow through, or weight distribution, they try something to fix their swing problems. As they work on their swing through trial and error, their frustration and befuddlement increases until they are completely exasperate. Eventually, they find the solution and become relieved that their game is back on track. Little do they realize, their swing looked exactly like it did before their challenges started.
Basically, they are back to their roots of their swing. That spot in time where they were perfectly happy with the results and everything seem natural. If they could have hit the reset button earlier, they could have saved themselves plenty of time and grief.
The difference between amateurs and great players is that the latter would hit the reset button earlier in the process and moved forward from there. Searching to improve your golf swing is a good thing, however searching to correct a glitch is not the same thing. For both, the most efficient method to improve is to take a lesson from your local pro. I am certain they will remind you of your roots and help you create a new normal.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Grateful Golfer 
I’m ready for another lesson. It’s been just over a year since the first and I feel the need to both tighten up what I learned in that first lesson and see what else they can teach me. That first lesson made a radical difference and I see a lot of value for the minimal expense. Though it did take quite a while before those changes felt comfortable because they pretty much made me do everything different. From how I grip the club to my stance and posture.
I played today. It was cold out for Florida (60 degrees) with 18-25 mph cross winds for almost every shot. I had on three layers and my hands were cold all day which didn’t help. My game felt a bit like a roller coaster. I did entirely too much scrambling for hitting almost every fairway. I have some more learning to do playing in the wind after the lesson. I hit a much taller ball than before which gives the wind more opportunity to effect the flight. And I struggled with distance when I tried to hit a knock down shot today. Thankfully my putter saved my game. I couldn’t seem to get close but I made a bunch of 10-12 footers today.
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Kevin
Your round sounds like an adventure. Having cold hands is the worst. It is hard to get any feel going if you cannot feel! If you feel it is time to take another lesson, then it probably is. As much as people love to give advice, only you really know for sure. On a side note, we are still a month away from the courses opening here…..bring on spring.
Cheers
Jim
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Jim,
Sage advice here my friend, and advice I am utilizing this winter 🙂
Is it golf season yet?
Cheers
Josh
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Josh
I wish it was spring already! Soon, very soon.
Cheers
Jim
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Jim, great points. The differences between a great shot and poor shot can sometimes come down to one degree of face angle open or shut, which is why it’s often hard to detect any change in our swings. What an incredibly difficult game we play!
Thanks,
Brian
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Brian
You are so right, but that is also why I love this game. The finer points can make or break a great round. The trick to so capitalize on those points. Hope you are hitting the links.
Cheers
Jim
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Jim I should be good to go shortly. The media- hyped blizzard that wasn’t dumped a total of two inches on the DMV. We are on the tee!
Brian
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Awesome. Hope you played well.
Cheers
Jim
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