Baby gobucks was born June 14, 2005. And his Daddy still is golfing.
I am finding that in year two of my golf life, joy, bona fide joy is achievable. I have become a Bogey golfer. On good days, I'm 10 strokes better than Bogey. It is just wonderful.
Big insights:
Golf Psychologists are mostly right.
All other psychologists are mostly wrong.
The left wrist on the back swing should actually pronate a fraction if possible. This causes the right wrist to get to a full classic 90 degree look at the top.
The stance is critical. If you can feel the small of your back sort of pushing toward the belly button, perfect. Ball striking will improve dramitically.
Finally on the takeaway, get the feeling something is kind of dragging the toe of the club toward the direction your chest is facing....; this will keep it nicely closed all during the backswing, and good power will get stored up for the strike.
But back to the golf psych folks...
The most important question on this sweet earth that can be asked is this:
Ask yourself "what do I want?"
Most golfers simply do not understand how to ask this question. They should ask it, and answer it precisely and accurately before each and every shot, even 'gimme' putts.
Nothing else has had more impact. And it turns out the Little Red Book has it has number one as well...'take dead aim' as Harvey put it...
A small secret revealed: Golfers who have trouble w/ a stable repeatable swing usually have one thing in common: they think that the 'Vs' are pointing far enough to their right ear, or shoulder ...
but they are mistaken.
Rotate the hands, especially the LEFT hand to the right, such that you go past the 'comfort point'. Your head insists it is too far. You are certain all shots attempted with the grip like this will result in consist pull hooks.
Test it. Indeed, a few of the initial shots will indeed go left.
But then, as you focus on keeping your gaze fixed during the strike, and that you honor the 'awkard' feeling that the clubface is trying to relax by rotating counter-clockwise but you wont let it ...
why, viola! the club path during the swing, the swing itself feels dramatically different. It is as if the swing is hostage to the grip in a way I have not seen written about anywhere.
Everything has changed as a result. I routinely now experience the joy of stuggling to sink birdie putts.
The voices have been silent for ages now. It is as if I never knew what it felt like to almost cry at the golf course....
And, oh yes ... Mrs. Gb thinks I'm just great.