- Joined
- Jun 13, 2017
- Messages
- 9,083
- Reaction score
- 17,054
- Location
- White Mountains of AZ
- Handicap
- 18.4
I've been at a breaking point with my game lately. Like, I'm ready to quit the game breaking point. '
So, I go to the range today hoping to salvage some measure of hope. Two large buckets later and I'm one step closer to selling everything and walking away. I was more lost than when I showed up to begin with. Deflated, I mosey over to the putting green and roll a for a while. While there I noticed an older lady pulling clubs out of a big bag and shoving a few in a smaller Sunday bag. I don't know why I noticed but she was very deliberate about everything that she was doing. I also don't know why I found it to be so odd, but I did.
She gets her bag together and gets a large bucket of balls. Now, mind you, this lady is about 80 years old. I'm thinking to myself "Well, that's ambitious". I don't much mind to her until I'm getting ready to leave the practice area altogether. Walking to my cart I see a swing that I've never seen from an 80 year old woman. Now, don't get me wrong, it's not like she was striping it down the range 250 yards. In fact, she was popping a wedge out there at the 100 yard marker. But she was doing it so efficiently and repeatedly that I couldn't help but notice. I sit in my cart and watch her hit about 15 balls and I finally say "Something tells me that you've spent a lot of time playing this game". She said "I guess you could say that. I played on the LPGA for about 23 years". Uhhhhh, interest piqued at a HIGH level, at this point. She continues to hit balls and I continue to give my undivided attention. Finally, I ask her "Can you please look at something for me"? She says "I suppose I could take a peak".
So there are several things that are not ideal with my swing. First and foremost is my position at the top. I KNOW that its' crap and the more that I try to fix it on my own, the worse it gets. I explain to her my miss(es) and that I'm almost certain that I'm close but that there's a fundamental flaw that is keeping me from putting something, at least somewhat, playable together. She has me take my swing to the top and makes a suggestion of a feel. She has me do it again two more times and realizes pretty quickly that what she's trying to communicate isn't translating. So, she says think of it like this "......." and boom! "That's it. Now, you've got it". To this point, I hadn't even hit a ball (mine were spent an hour earlier). She pushes two of her balls toward me and says "Now, hit one". Bang. Right at the 150 yard marker (playing at 162 today due to the position on the practice tee) and flying past. Like, 5 yards past. Then she says "Hit one more. Let's confirm". Same thing (I actually pushed this one about 3 yards). "Oh yeah, you can play with that", she says.
I thank her profusely and ask her her name. She introduces herself as Sharon Miller. I say "I owe you a ton of money, Sharon". She chuckled and said "We'll call this one a freebie". I thanked her again and asked where she teaches (San Ignacio in Tucson), went on my way and went directly to the pro shop and ask Jan (the lady who basically runs the whole show in the pro shop) what she knows about this lady. She gives me the entire run down. Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, 3 wins on the LPGA Tour, and so on. I get home and dive down the Google rabbit hole. Pretty impressive lady. And, most importantly, she sucked me back in. I CAN'T WAIT to get back out there again a mere hours after I was seriously considering hanging this sh!t up.
God I love/hate this game.
So, I go to the range today hoping to salvage some measure of hope. Two large buckets later and I'm one step closer to selling everything and walking away. I was more lost than when I showed up to begin with. Deflated, I mosey over to the putting green and roll a for a while. While there I noticed an older lady pulling clubs out of a big bag and shoving a few in a smaller Sunday bag. I don't know why I noticed but she was very deliberate about everything that she was doing. I also don't know why I found it to be so odd, but I did.
She gets her bag together and gets a large bucket of balls. Now, mind you, this lady is about 80 years old. I'm thinking to myself "Well, that's ambitious". I don't much mind to her until I'm getting ready to leave the practice area altogether. Walking to my cart I see a swing that I've never seen from an 80 year old woman. Now, don't get me wrong, it's not like she was striping it down the range 250 yards. In fact, she was popping a wedge out there at the 100 yard marker. But she was doing it so efficiently and repeatedly that I couldn't help but notice. I sit in my cart and watch her hit about 15 balls and I finally say "Something tells me that you've spent a lot of time playing this game". She said "I guess you could say that. I played on the LPGA for about 23 years". Uhhhhh, interest piqued at a HIGH level, at this point. She continues to hit balls and I continue to give my undivided attention. Finally, I ask her "Can you please look at something for me"? She says "I suppose I could take a peak".
So there are several things that are not ideal with my swing. First and foremost is my position at the top. I KNOW that its' crap and the more that I try to fix it on my own, the worse it gets. I explain to her my miss(es) and that I'm almost certain that I'm close but that there's a fundamental flaw that is keeping me from putting something, at least somewhat, playable together. She has me take my swing to the top and makes a suggestion of a feel. She has me do it again two more times and realizes pretty quickly that what she's trying to communicate isn't translating. So, she says think of it like this "......." and boom! "That's it. Now, you've got it". To this point, I hadn't even hit a ball (mine were spent an hour earlier). She pushes two of her balls toward me and says "Now, hit one". Bang. Right at the 150 yard marker (playing at 162 today due to the position on the practice tee) and flying past. Like, 5 yards past. Then she says "Hit one more. Let's confirm". Same thing (I actually pushed this one about 3 yards). "Oh yeah, you can play with that", she says.
I thank her profusely and ask her her name. She introduces herself as Sharon Miller. I say "I owe you a ton of money, Sharon". She chuckled and said "We'll call this one a freebie". I thanked her again and asked where she teaches (San Ignacio in Tucson), went on my way and went directly to the pro shop and ask Jan (the lady who basically runs the whole show in the pro shop) what she knows about this lady. She gives me the entire run down. Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, 3 wins on the LPGA Tour, and so on. I get home and dive down the Google rabbit hole. Pretty impressive lady. And, most importantly, she sucked me back in. I CAN'T WAIT to get back out there again a mere hours after I was seriously considering hanging this sh!t up.
God I love/hate this game.