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Breaking the Code with Hawk

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Hawk

Hawk

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I’m Back…. and Worse than Ever

Let’s all take a moment and try to connect. After you read this, close your eyes, and try to remember a time when you played out of your comfort zone and things just fell apart. Maybe it was joining a random group on the course, hitting balls in front of an audience at the range, or even teeing off in front of the world during a THP Experience live stream. Try to recall that feeling in your stomach – the one that almost made it impossible to take the club back for fear of making yourself look foolish. Try to remember how that swing you worked so hard on fell apart in a matter of seconds and left you desperately trying to find something solid to cling to.

Sound familiar?

Continue reading...
 
This is my story.

I'll be following along and know I share all of what you're sharing.
 
Great read @Hawk ive been there and worked through it but always feeling I’m still stuck there. Looking forward to following along!
 
This was a great read. Looking forward to your insights.
 
Really enjoyable intro and already looking forward to following along.
 
Fantastic intro and yes you’d better believe we’ve all been there, more than we’d like to admit. This has the hallmark to be a great series. I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment!
 
Pretty strong way to make a comeback Hawk. Really, really solid article.

Glad to see the bug bit you again :)
 
I love all of this. What a way to get back into the mix here at THP.
 
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Thanks for reading - feel free to join in and share your stories!

As time goes on, we have plans to make this as much about all of you as it is about me. I see dozens of you at any one time embarking on plans to improve. Hopefully this will give you some help or motivation along the way.

We’ll look deep into how we can use all this technology and actually get better. If you have anything that catches your eye out there, send a message my way.

In a few weeks I’ll discuss some framework and dive right in. I’ve been patiently waiting to get started 🤘🏻
 
I usually skim the articles but read every word of that. 👍
 
Great article! I had no idea of your backstory here but was impressed by your recent posts." Great time to be a bad golfer" has been my mantra for years and look forward to see how your journey to improve goes.
 
Well written and we are happy to have you back! Enjoy the journey, especially with the little one.
 
this article hit incredibly close to home after the last ~2 months for me. Looking forward to following your journey and also providing updates on my journey to trying to become a better golfer
 
@Hawk you've Got the right reasons to get back in the game. As a father myself watching them and help them grow in the game is going to teach you so much about golf's mental game. Can't wait to follow along more along the way!
 
Funny you mention using technology to get better. The other day I had a friend ask me why I would go to an instructor and get a lesson with a simulator instead of at a range. I explained the huge benefits of a simulator to diagnose your swing. Swing speed, ball speed, launch angle, club positioning, etc. I believe people (hopefully me) will benefit greatly from this new technology and when I was given the option of using a simulator vs a range there really was no decision for me. I'll go with the technology all day long. I think we are able to see things now that might not have been very obvious previously. This can get us on the right track much more quickly.
 
That really struck a chord with me Hawk. I look forward to following this. I got the bug again last year after years of not playing much and not caring if I did. Every time I think I have it figured out I lose the plot completely, but I'm playing a lot more and enjoying it a lot more. Enjoy playing with the kids. I love it and they are starting to beat me like a drum.
 
That...was outstanding! Glad to have you back sir!
 
I enjoyed your article. I will be interested to see where your current journey leads you.

I have a somewhat similar story as far as giving up the game for a period of time. I have been playing for more than 50 years. In 2008, I stopped playing, caused in part by a failed attempt to achieve a single digit handicap. And during that time, I was not enjoying playing golf. I was too focused on score and not focused on enjoying the game.

From 2009-2015, I played once a year in a scramble. In 2016, my brother asked me to play in a weekly league. I agreed and began playing again, although with a different attitude. I promised myself that I was going to enjoy every opportunity that I had to play, regardless of how I played. That is how I continue to approach the game.

It wasn’t until last year that I decided to reestablish my handicap. I have gotten down to an 11.0 index but I’m no longer consumed with a desire to achieve single digits.

I’m currently considering taking lessons. I haven’t had a lesson since 2002 and have only taken 2 in my lifetime. I’m striving to play better golf and not necessarily chasing a lower handicap or lower scores. I go out every time and do the best that I can that day. Nothing bad is going to happen to me if I hit a bad shot or play poorly. There will always be another day and another round.
 
I really enjoyed this and related so much!! Glad that you are back at the game and enjoying the time out with your son!
 
Enjoyed that article and looking forward to following along!!
 
Welcome back! @Hawk your article hits very close to home as I am sure it does for many a golfer here. We all want to get better and I feel that, though we are capable of hitting good shots and having good rounds, the pendulum swings both ways and bad habits that lessons and practice seem to 'erase' can come back to haunt you out of the blue. I have found that a break, thinking about solutions and working only on the basics and simple drills can help a lot, rather than trying to grind something out on the range.

Mentally, I think I have turned a corner and can enjoy a round of golf even when my swing flies off the rails. Golf is a fun walk and even if I stray off the fairway trail (or hit 0% of the fairways which has happened 5 times this year) I can at least appreciate 1 or 2 good aspects of the game. Very rarely does my whole game fall apart during a single round. Typically I will take my lumps off the tee, drop, and see what my short game can eek out.

This will be a fun read and a good follow! I look forward to laughing, celebrating and cringing along with your story!
 
BuckNasty said:
this article hit incredibly close to home after the last ~2 months for me. Looking forward to following your journey and also providing updates on my journey to trying to become a better golfer
Click to expand...

Please do, @BuckNasty

I’m hoping we have a bunch of topics we can commiserate on, but also learn from the community through discussion. I felt your experience last week while following the Goat Cup live thread.
 
I'm in, if nothing else for the writing. The cadence and flow was great.

And man, I hope it helps keep the motivation going to truly work on the game. Just last night at Top Golf my swing decided to desert me. Now it didn't bother me, as the trip was my 8yr old daughter's idea. With her there I could have cold topped every ball and it simply didn't matter with her smiling and having fun. That said, if it had been with buddies I might have driven away with a different thought. Probably not, as I cherish that fellowship, but possibly.

Looking forward to future articles and conversations!
 
AZ_golfer said:
Funny you mention using technology to get better. The other day I had a friend ask me why I would go to an instructor and get a lesson with a simulator instead of at a range. I explained the huge benefits of a simulator to diagnose your swing. Swing speed, ball speed, launch angle, club positioning, etc. I believe people (hopefully me) will benefit greatly from this new technology and when I was given the option of using a simulator vs a range there really was no decision for me. I'll go with the technology all day long. I think we are able to see things now that might not have been very obvious previously. This can get us on the right track much more quickly.
Click to expand...


Love this post.

I hate to outright say this, but the reality is that unless you are fortunate to have a great instructor nearby and the money to really utilize that instructor often, the old route of lessons > beat balls is often a recipe for failure. At least that’s been my experience.

I know instant feedback is a big deal for people, which is why in-person lessons are often the preferred route. However, video-based AI and launch monitors/sims can offer something similar, as long as you have an instructor that is on-board.

We have some really cool plans with showcasing technology here and I hope it bears out in the long term.
 
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