COMMUNITY

Is the game of golf really that difficult to master? I mean, all you have to do is hit that little white ball straight, bag a par and shoot even for the day, how difficult is that? Well, I have been playing for roughly 10 years, and still cannot post a good score. I went for about 2 years without playing and then started playing again and now it is like I have never played before. I have not been able to break 90 for the past 2 years and it is so frustrating that I am ready to give the game up.

My stats are as follows: 45 years old. 5'6" tall, 150lbs. Yeah, I am a little guy. My lowest score was a 78 about five years ago and my longest drive was about 295. My average distance with a driver now is 220 to 240 yards and is all over the place. Sometimes dead nuts straight, or a severe left pull and even a big right banana ball slice. My iron shots are just a complete and utter mess. Short irons are sometimes straight at my target, but usually pulled left or pushed right or hit fat and short. I hit so many balls fat and a few thin. My long irons are even worse. All my irons have been cut down 3/4 of inch, lie is standard, mid-size grips. I have no distance with my irons at all. I will hit my 9 iron 125 yards on one shot and then turn around and knock one 135/140 yards. Is age starting to take affect already?

I have watched so many videos, read so many articles, listened to so many different swing tips and tried so many different drills that I am adjusting my swing every week to try something else. I cannot get my self to swing down on the ball with my irons so I usually scoop the ball and when I focus on hitting down to hit the ball first and then divot, I hit it fat.

I have changed my stance, my grip, my speed swing, spine angle, swing plane, head position and feet alignment. I have changed clubs, balls, tee's and occasionally change my frickin underwear in hopes of some good luck. I have videoed my swing and really don't see anything wrong when I play it back. I guess it is time to go see a PGA pro and take a lesson.

I have had people tell me, "man you have a beautiful swing", "O-Really". Then why the hell do I play like an idiot? Am I trying to hard? am I not taking the game serious enough? am I zigging when I should be zagging? "I just don't get it".

They say golf is a billion dollar industry, well, I can attest to that for the amount of money I spend on golf balls every other week to replace the ones I lost. I played on Saturday at a course that I have only played once and shot a 92 and thought, man, if I would have just shaved 3 strokes I would have shot an 89. I played Sunday at my favorite course and bagged a "sweet" 106, "Yippie".

So now what? I guess I just keep limping along until the day comes that I figure it all out.


Here is one scenario that happened on Sunday my favorite course. Hole #1 par 5, 535 yards. Water (lakes) on both sides of fairway. Tee shot was a dead left pull into the left lake, tee up my third shot and "BAM", straight down the middle now sitting 210 out from green. Wait a minute, does that mean I just yacked out a 325 yard drive?, Yeah, okay, yardage must be way off. Shot 4, dog leg right over the right lake (all carry) is a 3 wood straight at the pin, (first time ever that I have made it over with a tee shot and a 2nd shot), but unfortunately that was my 4th shot and I am now about 10 feet from the pin putting for par. Nope, not to be, bagged a bogey. "Love It"