sportsfanIQ

It was back to the range to continue my new approach to practice: three clubs at a time.  For this session I chose the 5, 6 and 7 irons.  Now I may have declared this before, but I really felt as though I made an enormous technical breakthrough on my previous visit.  

Who knows.  I could mentally fall apart next time and be back to the drawing board trying to figure out a solution.  But last time I concluded that a stiff backswing - stiff but fluid; more controlled than anything - and a concerted effort to getting my top hand over at impact really helped in ensuring that my flight was consistent and controllable.  

So with this thinking in mind, I attacked the three aforementioned irons with high expectations, yet humble skepticism.  

I am happy to report that as a whole, especially mechanically speaking, I did well.  Sure there were some duffs, but I never, and I repeat never, let that enter into my consciousness.  I simply chalked it up to lethargy and moved on to the next shot with focused determination. (It usually paid off.)

This entry is not all about success, however.

The biggest challenge I faced, and this may just be because of early season fatigue, was my inability to tackle the entire jumbo bucket I purchased with the same level of energy I had in the beginning as in the end.  There were moments when I looked back at my bucket in amazement of how many balls were still left to strike.  I was quickly getting tired; both physically AND mentally.  

As my ball reached its apex - with the Manhattan skyline in the background - thoughts of yesteryear began entering my daydreams.  I was recalling teenage times spent on the city's streets, forgetting all about my mechanics, which, by the way, were melting away.  Like the direction of this blog entry, my mind was detoured off course.  

Suddenly my top hand was coming through, but I couldn't tell you if it was ending where I wanted it to be.  Or if my back leg was bending more than it should.  Or if my head was down on the ball upon impact.   

(As I write it now, I'm beginning to think differently, though.  Maybe my body was starting to become accustomed to the necessary movements needed to hit a decent golf shot?)

Perhaps I can perceive my session this way.  But at this stage of the season, and of my quest towards perfection, it's simply unacceptable to be mentally drifting during any practice session or round.  

Now I KNOW that I've said this before, but to reiterate: Golf requires concentration 100% of the time.  It's why I respect the game so tremendously.  No matter what you're doing, if you take your game seriously, then you must stand over your ball with a clear mind, knowing exactly what you're intending to do.  If you don't, then your execution suffers.

And although my execution didn't suffer too significantly this time, it's a guarantee it will during a pivotal shot somewhere on the course.  

Overall, and not to be too hard on myself because honestly, I'm not a pro, the practice felt good.  I approach golf the way I perceive life: Each time out, if you can learn something you didn't know beforehand and apply it the next time, you'll be better off.

My lesson for next time is to train myself to be in the moment with each shot.  If I find my mind drifting somewhere other than on my shot at hand, I'll have to step back and reevaluate why.  

If I can't find the answer, then I'll just have to wait until it surfaces before I stand over my ball; no matter how many are left in the bucket.

Hours of practice: 340