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A beginner’s perspective - Golf - more than just a walk in the park. |
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Written by Marc Kelly
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Sunday, 11 February 2007 |
A beginner’s perspective - Golf - more than just a walk in the park.
So we’re all here, presumably, because we are all in some way involved in the wonderful sport of golf. The sport that Mark Twain famously referred to as “a good walk spoiled”.
I’d always though of golf as somewhat of a rich boy’s pastime, given the sheer cost of equipment, green fees and (equally as important to some of us) time. It isn’t one of those sports where the majority of us can just get stuck into and play but lately that is exactly what I have tried to do.
I’m a recent university graduate, and this new found wonder of having money hasn’t sobered me up from my reckless spending of my student days and I was more than happy to look to invest in a new set of clubs after only a cursory amount of time at the driving range with a borrowed Ping seven iron.
eBay befriended me and I now have a sparkling set of Ping Eye2+ irons. Perhaps sparkling isn’t the best way to describe them, as they are considerably used, but would it be fair to a set of the clubs that some consider classic to go unplayed? The previous owner has taken exceptional care of these though, and they will hopefully have many years ahead in my hands. I’ve also invested in a TaylorMade putter at the advice of some invaluable internet resources and a Dunlop driver acquired for pittance rounds off my current set of clubs. I could pretend it is because I want to force myself into mastering the all important irons first, but money has proven a slight obstacle.
Now, having been out of golf for around ten years (I made a brief flirt with the sport in my early teens, going to the course in a pair of black trousers, borrowed spikes and a bit of an attitude). I didn’t want to repeat my previous exploits which included slicing the tee shot at the first into the club house, breaking slates on the roof and seeing them topple to the ground, while I quickly grabbed my bag, the ball and set off down the hole hoping no one would notice what had just happened. They had noticed, but given my tender years they allowed me to proceed and take a drop about 100 yards down the first. This isn’t what I want to happen this time, so as yet I haven’t seen the tee box at a first hole, or indeed any hole. I’ve dedicated all my time to the range so far and I’m quite hopeful that it is paying off substantially.
As for my game itself, well I’m certain I am identical to 99% of those just starting out in serious golf. I lift my head too early, I don’t rotate enough, I slice badly with longer clubs but I’m proud of my work on the shorter clubs, which I now hit consistently straighter and flighted than I could have ever dreamed of at this stage. I’m an unknown quantity on the greens but I seem to have quite a delicate touch for shots under 50 yards, but transferring that from range to course is a whole new ball game. Well... almost.
If I was to rewind two months, you would see a time when I wasn’t aware of such basics as the hands should essentially be dropped when gripping the club, meaning that I held every club like a driver with a stance that saw me reaching out drastically for every ball. When I started out all those years ago I had no ready resources to utilize to put me right and the stoic faces at the local course were certainly not bothered enough to put this petulant youth right. Now though, I have the internet, which is brimming with all sorts of takes on the golf swing, and there’s always something out there for each us. It has been of vital importance to me. I’ve been able to watch swing videos from instructors, read about the science behind the swing and ball flight and pick up all those little tips that a collective lifetime of golfing experience can bestow.
As it stands, I’ve not been to the course, but that will possibly be rectified this weekend as I have found a local 18 hole, par 3 course that will challenge me but not scare me away as I have not developed any kind of long game yet. Perhaps I should just remove every club higher than a 5 iron? It’d keep my golf bag weight down which would be grand by me.
I’m not 100% sure what I intended to write in this piece, perhaps just to document a little bit of the journey I have started down and hope that others can relate. For those who have a low handicap, I hope you can understand what it was like all those years ago and have some sympathy for a twenty-something whose body is quite set in its ways and doesn’t want to make new muscle memories. For those with a high handicap, maybe you are where I am now or have simply fallen out of practice or perhaps age has taken its toll on your game. However, for everyone, I wanted to get across just how exciting I have come to find this game at times. I certainly didn’t expect to feel the rush that I did when that newly purchased 7-iron, under the guidance of that newly practiced swing, brought about a straight, true shot that nestled nicely up the driving range and knowing that if I can do it once, I can do it again. I can currently only imagine how good that shot would feel when made onto the green at the 18th.
When I do make the next step out onto a course, I’ll no doubt scuff more shots that I would at the range. It’s just the way it works, eh?
Well, I’d much rather have a few sojourns into the woods, trying to locate another lost golf ball than merely be out walking.
“...a good walk spoiled” ?
No, a walk made into something challenging, infuriating but ultimately very rewarding.
If you want to follow my experiences as I become more immersed in the world of golf, you’ll find it laid out in my blog.
Marc, aka Kellfore |
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