Can't wrap my head, or body, around golf. I'm a PE graduate from Miami, best on the two weeks of golf instruction. Whole different experience, from age 21 to age 64. I close my eyes on contact! Keep trying...I live in The Villages.
Some years ago, the original, late 1800’s, Dogs Playing Poker painting sold for over half a million. Looks something like but nothing like what you can buy on Amazon today.
I remember reading the “Dogs” painting is more recognizable than the Mona Lisa in the U.S. It’s kitschy art that always gets a reaction. No different than Warhol other than Warhol’s schtick stuck and stuck schtick is worth a lot of money.
Doc, you are 100% right in thinking any improvements in one's golf game is only temporary. I have been playing 55+ years and realize there are ebbs and flows every year in this game. I can shoot 76-82 for a couple of weeks then it is back to being lucky to break 90. Also, the backswing shortens as you age so that part I have down. Still play twice a week and look forward to my Wednesday night league I have played in for 35 years. 14 of 20 in the league are now retired and to a man we all say that Wednesday golf is the best day of our week.
I played twice in the last week, after only playing 8x in the previous 4 years. Before that I put in 500 rounds in a 10 year span. I have the best possible golf tech in my bag (vikings would have been well served taking my shafts into battle), and I'm hitting 3 woods 300 yards, 250 yard 3 irons, even my p is going 150 with ease. They need to do something about the ball. This isn't how it's supposed to be played.
I'll be putting your theory to the test in about three hours. It makes sense to me. My biggest problem is that the harder I try to hit the ball, the uglier my already homely swing becomes. And that surely starts with the backswing. I'll thank you in advance, because the advice might help and surely can't hurt!
Ah, the Jack Nicklaus problem. You know, the man that redefined the game by setting the club at the top pointing at the target. Plus, being so good everyone thought that was the only way to do it correctly for decades. There were exceptions, of course, like Miller Barber’s flying elbow or John Daly’s grip it and rip it overswing. But now you’re going all Julius Boros on us, Doc - swing easy, hit hard.
This current generation proves definitively that whatever works for you works for you regardless of all you’ve been told. Think Scheffler’s wild foot work or Fowler’s laid off backswing but whatever you do, turn the channel immediately when Matthew Wolfe ties it up or you will be swing traumatized for life!
Golf is indeed a lifetime obsession for some of us. As a young man with persimmon woods, I was one of the longest hitters in the club. Now, I am thrilled when a drive rolls out 20 yards to 210. Or when the scorecard sniffs 90 from the white tees. When I admire teenagers ripping drives 280 plus, my thought is it’s all downhill from here young man - unless you’re Bernhard Langer. So, yes, WTF is appropriate for the aging golf obsessive. It’s just about the only choice when you think about it.
Jul 21, 2023·edited Jul 21, 2023Liked by Paul Daugherty
I'm just happy when one shot, one birdie, one long putt, one long fairway wood, happens.
To stop being mechanically minded, I just locate a target, generally a tree in the far distance in line with the pin, and aim for that. "Target" is the cure for me. And, if you get angry that happens occasionally on the golf course...One pro told me when you use your irons hit them at 80% percent of your power and hit your driver at 90%. Surprising how softer swing can correct many errors, such as, "I'm gonna kill this shot!!" However, whatever works for you is a gift from the golf gods, so use it while it's happening. The golf game won't adjust for us, so we need to adjust for the game. Follow the flag, and catch it when you can. My latest lesson is to: Stay In The Box when you set up for your swing. The lower body movement can be your enemy, or not having the movement may be your friend. Crazy game, yeah?
Golf is a disease, not a sport. Nearly incurable. But a shorter backswing does tend to help.
I had a 4x6 Elvis tapestry (acquired by my sis in Pigeon Forge) that went to the booth they year Marty & Joe decorated for the King ('96 or '97). Sadly, it didn't survive Marge's purge and I never got it back. Nor have I found another like it since.
I’ve come to accept after 25 years I’m never going to get any better at golf. About a 20 handicap now. I play just hoping for that one round where everything comes together.
Repeatable swing people. Buy a 20 dollar metronome and some plastic practice balls on Amazon.
It’s incredibly hard to hit a giffle ball straight. Shorten your backswing a tiny bit at a time. Once your cadence is down you will LAUNCH those giffles straight as an arrow and into your neighbor’s yard four houses down. It will take 30 minutes or so to do that but when it does…BOOM…er…TH-WICK. You got it.
Oh, and spend 90% of your practice time on a putting green.
I t worked - much better.
Can't wrap my head, or body, around golf. I'm a PE graduate from Miami, best on the two weeks of golf instruction. Whole different experience, from age 21 to age 64. I close my eyes on contact! Keep trying...I live in The Villages.
I learned how to commit golf when I was 12 years old. Got kinda okay. Played with the Old Man. He beat me like I stole something every time.
Went off to college. Gained a bunch of weight. Had to learn how to play again. Figured it out kinda. Came back home. Still got beat.
Lost a bunch of weight. Had to learn how to play again. Figured it out. Kinda. Srill got beat.
I got serious. Read some books. Got a coach. Hit buckets and buckets. Practiced. Got WAY better than I used to be.
Played with the now REALLY old man, who proceeded to hit 7 birdies in a row on the front 9.
"I don't know how this is happening!" he said. "I haven't played since the last time we played a year ago."
Maybe curling is my sport?
Then, I moved to Florida. Life is weird.
Doc just to ask the question- aren’t you taking lessons from Mike A? He’s such a good teacher!
Some years ago, the original, late 1800’s, Dogs Playing Poker painting sold for over half a million. Looks something like but nothing like what you can buy on Amazon today.
I remember reading the “Dogs” painting is more recognizable than the Mona Lisa in the U.S. It’s kitschy art that always gets a reaction. No different than Warhol other than Warhol’s schtick stuck and stuck schtick is worth a lot of money.
"Practice? We're talking about practice?" - AI
Hickory is a nice layout, but always had rather bad greens when I played there a lot growing up.
Doc, you are 100% right in thinking any improvements in one's golf game is only temporary. I have been playing 55+ years and realize there are ebbs and flows every year in this game. I can shoot 76-82 for a couple of weeks then it is back to being lucky to break 90. Also, the backswing shortens as you age so that part I have down. Still play twice a week and look forward to my Wednesday night league I have played in for 35 years. 14 of 20 in the league are now retired and to a man we all say that Wednesday golf is the best day of our week.
I played twice in the last week, after only playing 8x in the previous 4 years. Before that I put in 500 rounds in a 10 year span. I have the best possible golf tech in my bag (vikings would have been well served taking my shafts into battle), and I'm hitting 3 woods 300 yards, 250 yard 3 irons, even my p is going 150 with ease. They need to do something about the ball. This isn't how it's supposed to be played.
Not sure if it's exactly what you seek, but apparently you needed to go to Turkey in the 1970s, not Tijuana...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/235098558993
(Edited to add the link that says Made In Turkey: https://www.ebay.com/itm/144717986267)
I'll be putting your theory to the test in about three hours. It makes sense to me. My biggest problem is that the harder I try to hit the ball, the uglier my already homely swing becomes. And that surely starts with the backswing. I'll thank you in advance, because the advice might help and surely can't hurt!
Ah, the Jack Nicklaus problem. You know, the man that redefined the game by setting the club at the top pointing at the target. Plus, being so good everyone thought that was the only way to do it correctly for decades. There were exceptions, of course, like Miller Barber’s flying elbow or John Daly’s grip it and rip it overswing. But now you’re going all Julius Boros on us, Doc - swing easy, hit hard.
This current generation proves definitively that whatever works for you works for you regardless of all you’ve been told. Think Scheffler’s wild foot work or Fowler’s laid off backswing but whatever you do, turn the channel immediately when Matthew Wolfe ties it up or you will be swing traumatized for life!
Golf is indeed a lifetime obsession for some of us. As a young man with persimmon woods, I was one of the longest hitters in the club. Now, I am thrilled when a drive rolls out 20 yards to 210. Or when the scorecard sniffs 90 from the white tees. When I admire teenagers ripping drives 280 plus, my thought is it’s all downhill from here young man - unless you’re Bernhard Langer. So, yes, WTF is appropriate for the aging golf obsessive. It’s just about the only choice when you think about it.
I'm just happy when one shot, one birdie, one long putt, one long fairway wood, happens.
To stop being mechanically minded, I just locate a target, generally a tree in the far distance in line with the pin, and aim for that. "Target" is the cure for me. And, if you get angry that happens occasionally on the golf course...One pro told me when you use your irons hit them at 80% percent of your power and hit your driver at 90%. Surprising how softer swing can correct many errors, such as, "I'm gonna kill this shot!!" However, whatever works for you is a gift from the golf gods, so use it while it's happening. The golf game won't adjust for us, so we need to adjust for the game. Follow the flag, and catch it when you can. My latest lesson is to: Stay In The Box when you set up for your swing. The lower body movement can be your enemy, or not having the movement may be your friend. Crazy game, yeah?
Thinking this is the YouTube clip you want for today's TML
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5CkmKGQDb0
Golf is a disease, not a sport. Nearly incurable. But a shorter backswing does tend to help.
I had a 4x6 Elvis tapestry (acquired by my sis in Pigeon Forge) that went to the booth they year Marty & Joe decorated for the King ('96 or '97). Sadly, it didn't survive Marge's purge and I never got it back. Nor have I found another like it since.
I’ve come to accept after 25 years I’m never going to get any better at golf. About a 20 handicap now. I play just hoping for that one round where everything comes together.
Repeatable swing people. Buy a 20 dollar metronome and some plastic practice balls on Amazon.
It’s incredibly hard to hit a giffle ball straight. Shorten your backswing a tiny bit at a time. Once your cadence is down you will LAUNCH those giffles straight as an arrow and into your neighbor’s yard four houses down. It will take 30 minutes or so to do that but when it does…BOOM…er…TH-WICK. You got it.
Oh, and spend 90% of your practice time on a putting green.