short game
Can anyone tell me why it is that the better I hit the ball in practice, the more I’ll stink it up on the course? Is this a simple extension of Murphy’s Law?
A few weeks ago, I bought a shag bag and went out to the practice green at Jimmy Clay a few times. Pretty soon I felt I had made amazing improvements to my short game. I was hitting my short irons consistently and accurately onto or just near the green, and suffering very few mis-hits.
Inspired by my progress, I headed over to Bergstrom municipal course last weekend and went out for a round. Wouldn’t you know it: I couldn’t hit a green to save my life. I hit the ball pretty darn well off the tee, usually the weakest part of my game, but I was reminded very quickly of the old adage that you drive for show, putt for dough. But I can’t putt for dough, or glory, or anything else if I can’t put the damn ball on the damn green, now can I?
To sum up: grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Golf make Hulk angry.
In other news, I got to do something really fun last night: play bluegrass as backup for a choir. The Hays County High School Choir enlisted my buddy Jamie to put together a little group to back up the choir at their recital, since they’d be performing two songs from the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. The choir was split up into several little sub-groups, so we also got to play fiddle tunes out in front of the curtain during the stage changes. The school district’s performing arts center is a brand new, gorgeous facility… after all my gigs in dank, sweaty bars and nightclubs, it was nice to experience that touch of class for a change.
Spider Boogie | November 30th, -0001 at 12:00 am
I like and subscribe to Yogi’s philosophy! If your thinkin’ your stinkin’.
If you find yourself needing to focus on something, think about how lucky you are to be outside playing on God’s Great Green Playground.
Think about the folks at home, beathing recycled air, holding down the couch in their living rooms… "Nice shot!"
Bluegrass at Hays High: Glad to see tax dollars going to good use. Hope you had a good time. The sweet thing about it is that you very well could have turned a kid onto playing an instrument. You da man! I miss playing with you.
Bunker | May 20th, 2004 at 12:24 pm
Ah, the joys of golf.
Practice is easy, play is hard. No mind games to distract you at practice. But mind games galore on the course.
Remember Yogi’s line: "You can’t think and hit at the same time."