Truly Inspired

What I absolutely love about this blogging community is my ability to rant and rave and occasionally celebrate successes, because each of you are players and you get it – no explanation required.  Trying to tell the lady stocking the fridge at work on Monday morning why I’m pulling my tee shots doesn’t illicit the same intellectual curiosity.  So thank you.

I am drawing inspiration for this piece from all the great articles you wrote this weekend, but one in particular from One Bearded Golfer.  He penned an excellent column with his Masters Hot Takes, and it got me thinking about my own struggles on Sunday.  Yes, golf is incredibly hard, as Dave has capably pointed out.  Watching Jordan Spieth implode at Augusta confirmed this, and I was off my game as well, hitting the ball poorly, but more importantly, feeling sluggish and not particularly capable of making an athletic move.  While commiserating with my playing partner, he suggested that father time was starting to play a part.  What?  I am cognizant of the double nickle non-competitive delimiter most players go through on the Champion’s Tour but could this be happening to me?  Of course nobody has the speed, flexibility, and agility at 55 than they did at 25, but there was something else at play, and I realized after watching Jordan’s crash that to play really good golf you need to be hitting on all three of your golf engine cylinders (mental, physical, and mechanical).  Jordan wasn’t hitting on his mechanical cylinder and I was off on my physical.

As players we tend to obsess about the latest weakness in our games.  As a weekend warrior, my practice time is limited and I had been focusing my entire preparation on fixing my short game.  Well, it’s fixed (for now) and oddly enough feels like a strength.  Problem was I had stopped working out and put on too much weight over the winter.  Was it any wonder I didn’t feel comfortable making a good turn?  I believe you have to have the right balance of play, practice, mental piece of mind, and physical fitness to be successful, and still nothing is guaranteed.  Jordan Spieth demonstrated that on Sunday.

So to Dave at One Bearded Golfer:  Thank you for the inspiration to get back at my TPI workouts and start eating right again.  Also know that the little one in your life is probably more of a distraction to your golf than you realize.  When I had little ones, I had to adjust expectations, rearrange ground rules, etc.

Yes, as Hogan said, “The secret is in the dirt,” so definitely keep after it but enjoy the little distractions along the way and be patient; it will come.

Thank you all and play well.