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Breaking the Code with Hawk

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I want to say great story but it doesn’t sound right. Going through that must’ve been pretty tough. It was for me when I decided to take a few years off. I took up the game in 2015 and steamrolled my way to improvement. My ridiculous expectations were only solidified. If I could get to a 10 in under 2 years of playing, I should be scratch in no time, right? I didn’t even know how to swing a club and I was threatening par at times. Imagine how good I’ll be when I actually learn the golf swing.

So I did. And then I started getting the shanks. And then I started slicing to protect against it. And then my scores suffered. And then the frustration built. And then the anger followed. And then I tomahawked my first club. And then I followed it up with more. And then I looked in the mirror. Why was I spending all that time working on a game that was making me act like a donkey? I started getting into the mental side and played to “have fun”. Poor shots and poor play wasn’t fun. I gave it up for a couple years, playing 1 round in that timeframe.

I started golfing again a year ago. Found THP again. Worked harder on my mental game - acceptance more than anything. I found something that resonated when I heard something like “accepting a bad outcome doesn’t mean you don’t care. You can still care and accept the bad outcomes.” And that started me back on the path of enjoying golf. It didn’t help my skill, but it let me accept that just because I’m bad today doesn’t mean I have to stay that way forever. I still have goals, big goals judging by my current handicap. I’m taking lessons and putting time in to get the skill part better. As both my mental game and skill improve slightly I’m sure I’ll be tested again. I’m hoping I’m better equipped to pass the test when it comes.
 
hackitup said:
I want to say great story but it doesn’t sound right. Going through that must’ve been pretty tough. It was for me when I decided to take a few years off. I took up the game in 2015 and steamrolled my way to improvement. My ridiculous expectations were only solidified. If I could get to a 10 in under 2 years of playing, I should be scratch in no time, right? I didn’t even know how to swing a club and I was threatening par at times. Imagine how good I’ll be when I actually learn the golf swing.

So I did. And then I started getting the shanks. And then I started slicing to protect against it. And then my scores suffered. And then the frustration built. And then the anger followed. And then I tomahawked my first club. And then I followed it up with more. And then I looked in the mirror. Why was I spending all that time working on a game that was making me act like a donkey? I started getting into the mental side and played to “have fun”. Poor shots and poor play wasn’t fun. I gave it up for a couple years, playing 1 round in that timeframe.

I started golfing again a year ago. Found THP again. Worked harder on my mental game - acceptance more than anything. I found something that resonated when I heard something like “accepting a bad outcome doesn’t mean you don’t care. You can still care and accept the bad outcomes.” And that started me back on the path of enjoying golf. It didn’t help my skill, but it let me accept that just because I’m bad today doesn’t mean I have to stay that way forever. I still have goals, big goals judging by my current handicap. I’m taking lessons and putting time in to get the skill part better. As both my mental game and skill improve slightly I’m sure I’ll be tested again. I’m hoping I’m better equipped to pass the test when it comes.
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I’m glad you made it back. Coaching kids in baseball, I taught the boys a lot of lessons I probably should have listened to myself; like, failing is inevitable and isn’t a reflection on you as a person.

One thing I bring up to people this day was a comment @JB made on the forum about our absurd expectations with golf. You rarely watch a pro basketball player dunk and think “I should be able to do that”, but it’s so common to watch professional golfers and think you have that ability somewhere inside you.
 
That is a great article and I can sure relate to it. I think I've quit golf every 5 years for the past 40 years! I will certainly be following along!
 
Hawk said:
I’m glad you made it back. Coaching kids in baseball, I taught the boys a lot of lessons I probably should have listened to myself; like, failing is inevitable and isn’t a reflection on you as a person.
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My favorite coaching tip I gave my kids was “hitting is the one thing where you can fail 2 out of 3 times and be considered a huge success.” I never applied that to golf until now. That quote was my way of getting them out of their heads and swinging free, without worrying about being imperfect. Anecdotal at best, but my best shots have been made without worry or concern. Just a quiet confidence and a free swing.
 
hackitup said:
Just a quiet confidence and a free swing.
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Caddy at Sand Valley told me to stop steering the ball and just swing. Started driving a lot better after that.
 
Welcome back Hawk. I hear you. At my best I was a 13 cap playing 100 rounds in one year. A relationship, house with to many chores, and my job now have me playing less than 20 rounds in a year. Now I'm a 20 cap and struggle to hit or even reach greens in reg. Golf for me now is not expecting a certain score its about enjoying who I'm playing with. Spending time with friends or even enjoying a quiet round alone. Enjoy your time with your boys as they will grow faster than you want. Coach them well and make memories.
 
milehighgolfer said:
Welcome back Hawk. I hear you. At my best I was a 13 cap playing 100 rounds in one year. A relationship, house with to many chores, and my job now have me playing less than 20 rounds in a year. Now I'm a 20 cap and struggle to hit or even reach greens in reg. Golf for me now is not expecting a certain score its about enjoying who I'm playing with. Spending time with friends or even enjoying a quiet round alone. Enjoy your time with your boys as they will grow faster than you want. Coach them well and make memories.
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Thanks @milehighgolfer - nice to hear from you!
 
One of these aspects is super interesting to me and that is how tech can help someone grow vs the somewhat dated (arguably) idea of going to see a pro at a course.

I had a friend of mine visit the THP Tech Studio a few years back and his name rhymes with Danny Le. He said to me, "you live next to a private course you are a member at and you have this setup 12 feet away from your work desk and you have gotten worse? That makes no sense, use the tech available to your advantage."
 
JB said:
One of these aspects is super interesting to me and that is how tech can help someone grow vs the somewhat dated (arguably) idea of going to see a pro at a course.

I had a friend of mine visit the THP Tech Studio a few years back and his name rhymes with Danny Le. He said to me, "you live next to a private course you are a member at and you have this setup 12 feet away from your work desk and you have gotten worse? That makes no sense, use the tech available to your advantage."
Click to expand...

Obviously everyone is different, but I hear what he’s saying. If you have the knowledge to go with that technology, and some good professional help the sky should be the limit.

I think one of the biggest shortcomings of going the old route is the availability of talented coaches. I was at the range the other day and was listening to a lesson where the pro was still teaching ball flight laws that had been disproved 13 years ago!

I think online instruction has downsides too, but it definitely makes some of the game’s best teachers available to everyone.
 
Hawk said:
You’ve got the GD ahead of you too. That’s a lot to take in. My suggestion from past experiences is work hard to prepare, but go be the best you when you’re there, whatever that is. Just let your game and index work for you.
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That is the plan and i have got that advice form a few others also! Great thread topic
 
Awesome article Hawk! If pretty much any amateur golfer says they do not get butterflies on the 1st tee or 18th green in front of a bunch of their peers, they are probably lying to themselves. Really looking forward to this series.
 
Great article. There are a lot of us that can relate. Golf has always been a struggle and a love hate relationship for me. I’ve stepped away from time to time for the same reasons.
Now, I have an 11 year old who absolutely loves the game. So, I have come back and play almost all my rounds with him. It has completely changed my perspective on what I want golf to be. I still want to get better, but that is not at the top of the priority list. Watching my son’s enjoyment is my main motivation. We laugh, we cheer for each other, we both get frustrated at times, but on the car ride home, when he looks and me and says “thanks Dad, that was a lot of fun” I’m all in for the next round.

Looking forward to following your return to golf.
 
Appreciate you sharing your story and looking forward to your contributions. As someone who took 5 years off and came back this winter/spring with the first real commitment to the game (meaning my swing and improvement long-term), I can relate to all of what you said, both here and on Off Course. Cheers!
 
cringjr said:
Great article. There are a lot of us that can relate. Golf has always been a struggle and a love hate relationship for me. I’ve stepped away from time to time for the same reasons.
Now, I have an 11 year old who absolutely loves the game. So, I have come back and play almost all my rounds with him. It has completely changed my perspective on what I want golf to be. I still want to get better, but that is not at the top of the priority list. Watching my son’s enjoyment is my main motivation. We laugh, we cheer for each other, we both get frustrated at times, but on the car ride home, when he looks and me and says “thanks Dad, that was a lot of fun” I’m all in for the next round.

Looking forward to following your return to golf.
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Thanks for reading. I can relate to that. Sometimes I have to just say no. I can’t afford to pay two greens fees three times week.
 
Hawk said:
Thanks for reading. I can relate to that. Sometimes I have to just say no. I can’t afford to pay two greens fees three times week.
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Well, we get out ussually one time a week and most of the courses we play won't charge me the green fee for him. Now, I am sure that will change when he hits 14 or 15 years old. But he's just as happy chipping in the front yard or going to the range. At some point we may have to join a club. If he picks golf over travel baseball and soccer, it will save me money:LOL::LOL:.

I still have golf outings without him but I would say he tags along on 65% to 70% of my rounds.
 
Great article, and a heck of a reintroduction! Not all, but lots resonated with me. I started golf, enjoyed it, then left to pursue other things. Played a round maybe 5 years ago for a work event and thought to myself "hey, that was kind of fun... I should do this again". Then another year later, the same work event came up and I had the same thoughts. This time someone asked me out again a week later, and I've been hooked ever since.

For me, the biggest ah-ha moment came when I decided to try golfing left handed after learning and playing as a righty. I figured that if I was going to give this a real shot, I might as well see if standing on the other side of the ball makes sense. So I bought a cheap beginner set.

Like others, the initial improvements were fairly rapid. Then it got hard and I'd overcorrect. Or I'd try to push myself too far, too fast. Or I'd feel like I'm just getting into a rhythm and our short season would come to an abrupt end.

This is where I'm hoping that technology can help me. If I can find an indoor solution that I can use during the long, cold winters, maybe I can continue to improve and not have to shake off 6-7 months worth of rust every spring.

Definitely looking forward to following you on your journey!
 
This is a great article Ryan and I can certainly relate (as I think we all can in one way or another)! It's a little different for me as for a long time (10 years or so) I was a golfer who wasn't bad (good rounds in the 80's, with average rounds in the 90's and blowups 100+ and one or two out of my mind rounds in the high 70's) but wasn't really good either, and struggled mightily with how to get better. I, like you, took the Hogan advice of "the secret is in the dirt" - and it very much wasn't. I plateaud for a long time and am only in the last 2-3 years starting to break loose of that. The secret really was fixing my swing flaws - or at least the big ones - via professional instruction and getting equipment that ACTUALLY fits me, and not an idealized version of the golfer I wish I am. It's still a work in progress but I've seen my cap drop more in the last 3 years than in probably 8+ prior to that, and mid to high 70's rounds have become my target for good play.

Looking forward to following along with you!
 
I saw this thread this morning, and have been saving at all day for a time when I could write a complete post. First off, welcome back @Hawk, and its even cooler that you are back as a contributor to THP. This will be an outstanding follow. When I joined in 2016, you fingerprints were still fresh all over this place. And, here is some of my journey.

I started playing at Age 5 back in the early eighties, and golf was my favorite sport growing up. I would chase golf balls back and forth across the yard for hours as a kid, and weekend rounds with my Dad were something that I looked forward to more than anything. I playing in my first tournament around 6th grade, so that would have put me at 12 years old. I did OK, nothing to talk about. I started playing for the high school golf team as an eighth-grader. We had some seriously good upper classmen at that point, and I played the first season and a half on the JV squad before battling my way onto the Varsity squad. Somewhere around age 16 I still loved golf but started getting burned out, and my practice and play showed this to be the case. I enjoyed golf during the summer, but by the time golf season rolled around in the fall I was less into it, and getting frustrated... *VERY* at shooting 40 or 41 when I knew it should have been a 38. We had an awesome team - our #1 bag went on to post some records at Penn State and then played several years on what now is the Korn Ferry tour. As for myself, I was always a stroke or two behind in our team matches, and eventually girls and cars were more interesting than golf. By junior and senior year I was cruising along but never put the effort in to achieve that next level.

Fast forward to college, I was focused on Academics and did not want to dedicate the time to play travel golf, despite being good friends with the number #1 bag and him basically begging me to play. Looking back, this was a missed opportunity, I should have would have could have. Instead, I worked summers on grounds crew at a couple of different courses, and got my golf fix playing for free after mowing all day. It was OK, but my scoring was non-existent and swing was not in any sort of remarkable shape. After college, I simply stopped playing... this was 2001. I gave up the game for 15 years without touching a club. Then in 2016 some events in life left me with a need for meditation and change of scenery, and somehow golf became that meditative outlet. The game had Completely changed. I played my competitive golf with wound balls and non-oversize metal woods. I even gamed a persimmon driver my Junior year. Now there was a new ball, drivers looked freaking huge, and iron tech was all different. I started tinkering around, joined THP, and started getting involved.

The biggest thing I took away from my junior golf experience, was that I was too hard on myself, and, I should be on the course to have fun, not worry about score. If I was going to pay money to be out there, I was going to make sure my head and attitude was focused on having fun, not getting down on myself for not hitting a certain number. This mental reset has made things enjoyable, although I still mutter under my breath when I pure a drive offline into the next zipcode.

Since taking up the game again, I have loved learning about all the technology side ( I'm a mechanical engineer, so geek-ery! ), as well as embraced launch monitors and the club fitting process. These were NOT thing back in the '90's. In self taught form, I've been able to make tweaks here and there, that have resulted in a generally serviceable game that holds up day-to-day. I've still never had a lesson, and still have some big flaws I am working on. Like you, I suffer from timing issues, and have been working on better hip turn and keeping a flat (not bowed) wrist to help with face control. It was going well....

Then this past March injured my back, and have not been able to play all year. This injury came at a bad time, as I was fortunate to win a Golden Ticket and was entered to play in the Morgan Cup. I did everything I could to get better, ended up needing surgery, and I am still on the recovery. When I return to golf, I will need to completely rebuild my swing around good back posture. I have no doubt that my sloppy rounded posture in combination with high swing speed contributed to injury, although moving a couch finished it off. Also, a couple decades of mountain biking and dirt bike racing contributed to disc compression and degradation.

So, my journey has had a few twists and turns, but I am very grateful to have this forum to talk about golf, because I have learned everything I know about the modern game and equipment here on THP. It's literally the best place on the internet for golf. THP and Cobra have blessed me with entry into the 2023 Morgan Cup, so I have full year to rebuild my back, my fitness, my swing, and my perspective. More than anything, I am happy for any day on course, and look forward to each playing opportunity I have. With a wife and two great daughters, time is at a premium, so I have no expectations for being a scratch golfer. But, if I can get back to playing and keep my handicap in the single digits, that would be a monumental win.

Long-winded post... thanks for reading. This topic really resonates with me... because as has been said this is every one of us. None of us are pros, all of us have days jobs, and all of us chase that feeling of a perfect shot, and confidence in our swing and game. Cheers to you and everyone reading this thread, its great to hear your journey and I look forward to following along for sure!
 
GraniteRoost said:
I saw this thread this morning, and have been saving at all day for a time when I could write a complete post. First off, welcome back @Hawk, and its even cooler that you are back as a contributor to THP. This will be an outstanding follow. When I joined in 2016, you fingerprints were still fresh all over this place. And, here is some of my journey.

I started playing at Age 5 back in the early eighties, and golf was my favorite sport growing up. I would chase golf balls back and forth across the yard for hours as a kid, and weekend rounds with my Dad were something that I looked forward to more than anything. I playing in my first tournament around 6th grade, so that would have put me at 12 years old. I did OK, nothing to talk about. I started playing for the high school golf team as an eighth-grader. We had some seriously good upper classmen at that point, and I played the first season and a half on the JV squad before battling my way onto the Varsity squad. Somewhere around age 16 I still loved golf but started getting burned out, and my practice and play showed this to be the case. I enjoyed golf during the summer, but by the time golf season rolled around in the fall I was less into it, and getting frustrated... *VERY* at shooting 40 or 41 when I knew it should have been a 38. We had an awesome team - our #1 bag went on to post some records at Penn State and then played several years on what now is the Korn Ferry tour. As for myself, I was always a stroke or two behind in our team matches, and eventually girls and cars were more interesting than golf. By junior and senior year I was cruising along but never put the effort in to achieve that next level.

Fast forward to college, I was focused on Academics and did not want to dedicate the time to play travel golf, despite being good friends with the number #1 bag and him basically begging me to play. Looking back, this was a missed opportunity, I should have would have could have. Instead, I worked summers on grounds crew at a couple of different courses, and got my golf fix playing for free after mowing all day. It was OK, but my scoring was non-existent and swing was not in any sort of remarkable shape. After college, I simply stopped playing... this was 2001. I gave up the game for 15 years without touching a club. Then in 2016 some events in life left me with a need for meditation and change of scenery, and somehow golf became that meditative outlet. The game had Completely changed. I played my competitive golf with wound balls and non-oversize metal woods. I even gamed a persimmon driver my Junior year. Now there was a new ball, drivers looked freaking huge, and iron tech was all different. I started tinkering around, joined THP, and started getting involved.

The biggest thing I took away from my junior golf experience, was that I was too hard on myself, and, I should be on the course to have fun, not worry about score. If I was going to pay money to be out there, I was going to make sure my head and attitude was focused on having fun, not getting down on myself for not hitting a certain number. This mental reset has made things enjoyable, although I still mutter under my breath when I pure a drive offline into the next zipcode.

Since taking up the game again, I have loved learning about all the technology side ( I'm a mechanical engineer, so geek-ery! ), as well as embraced launch monitors and the club fitting process. These were NOT thing back in the '90's. In self taught form, I've been able to make tweaks here and there, that have resulted in a generally serviceable game that holds up day-to-day. I've still never had a lesson, and still have some big flaws I am working on. Like you, I suffer from timing issues, and have been working on better hip turn and keeping a flat (not bowed) wrist to help with face control. It was going well....

Then this past March injured my back, and have not been able to play all year. This injury came at a bad time, as I was fortunate to win a Golden Ticket and was entered to play in the Morgan Cup. I did everything I could to get better, ended up needing surgery, and I am still on the recovery. When I return to golf, I will need to completely rebuild my swing around good back posture. I have no doubt that my sloppy rounded posture in combination with high swing speed contributed to injury, although moving a couch finished it off. Also, a couple decades of mountain biking and dirt bike racing contributed to disc compression and degradation.

So, my journey has had a few twists and turns, but I am very grateful to have this forum to talk about golf, because I have learned everything I know about the modern game and equipment here on THP. It's literally the best place on the internet for golf. THP and Cobra have blessed me with entry into the 2023 Morgan Cup, so I have full year to rebuild my back, my fitness, my swing, and my perspective. More than anything, I am happy for any day on course, and look forward to each playing opportunity I have. With a wife and two great daughters, time is at a premium, so I have no expectations for being a scratch golfer. But, if I can get back to playing and keep my handicap in the single digits, that would be a monumental win.

Long-winded post... thanks for reading. This topic really resonates with me... because as has been said this is every one of us. None of us are pros, all of us have days jobs, and all of us chase that feeling of a perfect shot, and confidence in our swing and game. Cheers to you and everyone reading this thread, its great to hear your journey and I look forward to following along for sure!
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Fantastic post - I really love how you’re so engaged here, even with the unfortunate situation going on with your back. You definitely have a long road ahead, but what a carrot to have waiting for you. The Morgan Cup will be incredible inspiration. Best of luck along the way!
 
JB said:
One of these aspects is super interesting to me and that is how tech can help someone grow vs the somewhat dated (arguably) idea of going to see a pro at a course.

I had a friend of mine visit the THP Tech Studio a few years back and his name rhymes with Danny Le. He said to me, "you live next to a private course you are a member at and you have this setup 12 feet away from your work desk and you have gotten worse? That makes no sense, use the tech available to your advantage."
Click to expand...
If I had that tech available I think I would spend hours working on my game especially during winter. Then again I may just end up chasing numbers and never actually improve
 
Hawk said:
Fantastic post - I really love how you’re so engaged here, even with the unfortunate situation going on with your back. You definitely have a long road ahead, but what a carrot to have waiting for you. The Morgan Cup will be incredible inspiration. Best of luck along the way!
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Thanks, I appreciate that. There have definitely been periods this year where I've been flat out unable to post much, either because I was entirely too broken, or used all of my physical stamina to get through a work day. But, if I wasn't posting, I was at least reading and lurking. There are so many good Experiences and conversations that I don't want to miss. And you are right - The Morgan Cup has been a huge source of resolve and camaraderie throughout. Lucky to be here.
 
jdtox said:
If I had that tech available I think I would spend hours working on my game especially during winter. Then again I may just end up chasing numbers and never actually improve
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I have divided my golf season in two - the real golf season, and "Club Testing." My LGS is awesome about having hitting bays and GC Hawk available to test new clubs free of charge, and at this point they basically let me do what I want. So, I chase numbers and test new gear setups from Nov-April, then go play real golf when the temperatures rise.
 
jdtox said:
If I had that tech available I think I would spend hours working on my game especially during winter. Then again I may just end up chasing numbers and never actually improve
Click to expand...
Having the simulator at work did wonders for my golf game over winter. Took some getting used to outdoor conditions in the spring, but swinging and the cameras was amazing.
 
Good stuff and well written 👍

I am looking forward to seeing where this goes.
 
Finally got to sit down this morning before school drop off and truly dive into this, and to say I’m excited is selling it short.

First, golf is better having you back in and around it Hawk, I mean that.

Second, I’m here for the journey, for all of it. This is going to be an incredible ride.
 
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