Re: Hidy Folks I took a 10 yr layoff now I'm ready to get serious

Welcome aboard, from one new person to another. I'm totally NEW to the game but recently tied my boss.... I've been told many times never to beat him.... Careful there!

Anyway from what I can tell this is a great place...

Re: Hidy Folks I took a 10 yr layoff now I'm ready to get serious

Hey good to hear from you.
What got you into golf ?

My story begins back in high school when I transferred from a large city to a very small place in the middle of nowhere. But they did have one saving grace. A very well kept 18 hole golf course in which my grand father used to take me to before I got my DL.

A very mild mannered guy that just enjoyed the game of golf.

At the time of 15yrs old I could care less about the game but it was a place I sneak away for the afternoon to have a couple of smokes and on a lucky day an occasional beer.

( I'm not advocating the use of these substances to any minors that may read this article. blah blah blah. Although I've been in a few club houses and know there's a whole lot of golfers that started the same way.)

Back to Gramp Pa always insisted on walking the course.

My cousin and I preferred to use the golf carts as off road vehicles, race cars and the one time he killed a cottonmouth snake trying to find his ball by a pond on the dog leg of a par 5. We hung it from the back clip of the cart and continued to play 18 from the 2nd hole. It thing was a mess when we dropped it off. Sorry Battle Lake GC Ha funny story.
If you are ever faced with this situation and wonder which club to use in the protection of yourself against any poison serpent found in any field of play. That day I suggested a 9 iron but any wedge will work really well.

GP would rather just hit consistant shots he had a 9 to 3 swing off the tee but was known to take the occasional risky chip for the bird rather than laying it on the green.

Long story short that was my beginning and I soon moved back to the big city. That explains the 10 yr gap.

Now about beating my boss. Twice. HA HA HA

Somebody's got to be the lead horse. I'm not saying I'm going to be it everytime.

2 things come to mind.

Why should I cheat myself ?

Or let him cheat by expecting me to shag my game. It's friendly competition anyway if anything you push each other to a common goal.
To better each other.

I don't know your boss maybe you don't want to be so chummy but he'll still respect you for showing your true potential. Point being don't hold back. Extreme circumstances use best judgement but otherwise go for it.

It feels good when your boss brags on you.
It feels good when you win.

Oh yeah who told you not to beat him ?
Is there someone from your company that did beat him and now works in the far reaches of the Arctic front in one of your satilite offices ??

Good luck to you. Drop by anytime.

Shagger

Re: Hidy Folks I took a 10 yr layoff now I'm ready to get serious

That was said to me as a joke by my dad - who is very good friends with my boss now.... But I do wonder, boss has a large ego, so....

Anyway, when I was a kid, 18 years old or so, we would go to a driving range and just borrow a driver and see how far we could hit the ball. I had zero interest in actually golfing on a course, and only one in about 30 shots went straight, seemingly. Then I really didn't do any swinging until I was 30 (this past christmas) when my dad purchased me a set of $100 Cougar clubs that I'm using and work pretty well for me (save for a Cobra driver and a ping anser putter).

Anyway I enjoy the game so much it's frightening, the rare occasion that I hit a really good shot.. that feeling is so addicting!

Re: Hidy Folks I took a 10 yr layoff now I'm ready to get serious

That's cool Bud!!

I was just giving a boost of confidence.

One technique I remember from somewhere for practicing your swing is I guess you'd call it a towel exercise. I'm sure you've heard of it too.

Take a towel a little longer than the shaft of whichever club your practicing with or choke up to make the difference and put a knot in one end for club head weight.

There's 2 ways that I'm practicing and the object is to straighten up my shot. I don't know how your swing is but even with a better game the other day I still dug a hole to China with my driver straining my forearm. Meaning I'm still trying to arm swing the ball. Which from what I read leads to all the nasty problems. Has always been my problem not letting the club head do the work.

Have you seen The Portrait of a Golf Swing on www.nikegolf.com
Visuals for me are great. It's a good one if you haven't checked it out.

The exercise really helps keep me in the X Factor. Another topic to check out for alignment and power on your shots.

What I do on the exercise is
I place a ball in standard address

Bring the towel over my right shoulder but keep my hands as if I was going to hit the ball. You can work on hand posture with this one or not my goal was to be able to draw a line across the ball.

I worked shortening the towel and swing over the ball strictly watching the alignment and you can move the ball and sim the knot as a club head and just barely touch the carpet.

One thing with this exercise is it forces you to rotate through the swing.
You're not pulling the towel off your back. You want to rotate through a clean swing and as the knot falls through the swing it should have enough tension to release through the impact zone.

My wife has almost killed me for nearly breaking things in the house trying to practice alignment. With this one you'll be safe not to hurt anything unless you really get some speed on the follow through and smack yourself in the face with the knot. If you don't follow through the shot over your shoulder.

I could really notice how I was swinging. I wasn't worried about breaking anything or slicing etc just watch the club face through the target or knot through the target.

Oh yeah alignment take the same towel in your lead hand and let it hand straight down as if you were holding a club. Swing it across your lead toes and check your stance to your target. Should be sqaure. Only thing left is making your depth is correct on your address. Don't reach for the stars let them come to you.


I just remembered it tonight so if I'm feeling better tomorrow after work I'll go try it on the range. It sounds like we're going through the same stuff right now. I hope that helps.

I read each of the tutorials on here and got something from everyone.
If you have to study might as well be something fun I say.

I'm sure your Dad is a smart guy so lend a favored ear. I still say if you've got the itch then go for it !!

Good Luck