As a professional drummer, managing peak performance under pressure was my job. I had to be firing on all cylinders for a solid period of time; I had to be physically ready, mentally present, and emotionally engaged. Of course, consistently being at that level is easier said than done. No matter what you do to prepare, there will be instances in which you’re at less than one hundred percent, but the show must go on. It is in those times that you fall back on the fundamentals: don't try anything fancy, don't get cute, just get through the performance and work your issues out later. This, as it happens, is just like a round of golf.
Complex coordination is the basis for playing the drums. Your left hand does this, while your right foot does that, and you just hope to not fall off your chair in the process. Having this ability, however, pushed me right into the major downfall of many golfers: relying on talent.
If you're generally clumsy and unbalanced, you know you'll need some help when you start a new physical activity. But, if you’re an expert in moving your body in whacky patterns already, you might think you can "just figure it out." And you sort of can. But talent will only get you so far, and, on your off days, it can make you want to throw your clubs in a lake.
After struggling for a decade as a self-made, frequently frustrated, can't-take-it-from-the-range-to-the-course, mid-80s golfer, I finally went on a journey to figure out my golf swing. One year later, now hitting solid, intentional golf shots, dropping ten shots from my game, and exponentially increasing my enjoyment, I want to share what I've learned with the whole entire world, but especially with these folks:
- Everyone who practices golf regularly and never gets better.
- Everyone who has no idea where the ball will go when they take their club back.
- Everyone who looks in wonder, as if a wizard is in their presence, when someone hits a ball solidly and with intention.
- Everyone who has accepted that this is as good as they'll ever be, and that's fine, "I'm just out here for the exercise."
- Everyone who has never hit a golf ball but will try someday.
- Everyone who has tried every training aid in the golf store and seen no improvement.
- Everyone who hits it "like a pro" one day and can't make contact the next.
- Everyone who continues to pull from their endless stream of excuses to rationalize a bad shot.
So, what is the mission of From Golf with Love?
It’s simple: To bring these core fundamentals to the surface, where people actually practice, and to make sure every aspiring player knows how to apply them.
You in?