By Rahul Banerji
It’s been over two months ago that I first posted this golf horror story. It was mostly mine, but a safe bet that it is repeated on golf courses around the world on a daily basis.
It has to do with what I call the fatal half step. The distance between preparation and the actual execution of a golf shot. In the time since this was first written, there has been some movement forward. Slow, but there has been some.
Picture this: Practice swing, perfect. The club rises slowly in the ideal arc, hesitates for a micro-second at the top and swings down smoothly into the shot and thereafter, the follow-through. It’s beautiful to a fault.
Now, address the ball, and bang! Either I’ve completely missed the blessed thing, or given it a hearty slice, shanked it square, or created a massive furrow in the turf.
This has not changed, at least not substantially.
That much was conclusively proven even on this auspicious occasion. My Diwali day round was a mini-disaster. As drive, chip and putt went awry, it all seemed so very reminiscent of the early days.
Yet on this day of days, it was impossible to take any of it to heart. So to the world at large, may it a happy and blessed day. In all time zones.
Ever since picking up a golf club some years ago, this phenomenon has played on my mind. Why does this happen day after day to those of us who struggle to avoid recording a hundred on the card?
I’ve seen golfers who have played for years do this, talked to people from around the world. More often than not, it’s the same, sad story.
Over-thinking
Common wisdom from these conversations suggests that it has most to do with an over-crowded mind. Golfers, especially bad ones, are all too ready with suggestions and ideas. Add to that sketchy coaching, or hints from caddies on what not to do.
Equally, bad golfers are more than willing to absorb all and any information that comes along. This is in the faint hope that things – eventually – will get better.
Perish the thought.
It all adds up, and when I’m winding up to actually hit the ball, I’m still a confused mess.
Soon after he had won the second edition of the Hero World Challenge at Albany in the Bahamas in 2015, Bubba Watson said something very similar, having just beaten a quality field with a 21-under score.
“I’m probably the most confused golfer as I start my swing,” Bubba said.
For me, it remains a Hallelujah moment. That even the best in the world do have last second worries standing over a golf ball.
Yet, in all the misery there are occasional glimpses of hope. There are times, with increasing frequency, that the ball goes more or less in the direction desired. And at the required rate of knots.
Perseverance pays, I suppose.
Those watching will however feel the jury is still out on my self-assessment.
Also read: Teetimetales goes to coach Robin Symes to help get better value on the course
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Don’t worry, it may happen to anyone like you and me. I remember doing it while teeing off too and lot of embarrassments thereafter. Probably it happens when you are too eager to make a fabulous shot.
How true. Perhaps this makes this game so interesting. There is no limit to excellence.