Swinging with a Friend

“Now remember, Joe … Point of Contact. ”
Golf season is upon us now that the weather is getting better.
I enjoy swinging a club now and then.
I’m not a serious player, but if I’m gonna play …
I might as well play to break the course record.
One problem I have is that I tire too quickly … before you know it …
I’m pooped and my score begins to climb.
For those of you not familiar with the game, that’s not a good thing.
The least amount of strokes the better.
Today I’m playing with a friend who knows the game quite well.
I’ll surely benefit from his tips.
“Joe … Remember the fundamentals … First … The grip.”
It’s always good to give yourself a refresher at the beginning of a new golf season. You know … sort of a pre-game warm-up, a few practice swings and a revisiting of some back to basics instructions. Now, pay attention and you may learn something.
Swinging the club with control and maximum speed requires holding the club securely. This is important because if you don’t hold on good enough you’ll be in the woods looking for your club instead of your ball.
“Joe … Make sure you bend from your hips … not your waist.”
Posture is important to your golf swing. I appear to have a problem with my bending. This doesn’t surprise me. I think I threw my back out tightening the laces on my golf shoes. Are the hip sockets really six inches lower than the waist? And how in Heaven’s name does one bend from them? Doing my best to achieve this position has me looking as though I must find a restroom.
“Joe … You need to turn yourself slightly to the left.”
Body alignment is a very important basic. To hit a relatively straight shot, a golfer’s shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and feet, that’s right, from top to bottom, everything must be aligned together. I usually like going the extra mile, so I try to line up my eyebrows, chin, bellybutton and ankles too. I’ve been told I sometimes look like a Picasso.
“Joe … Try aiming your club face toward the target.”
For those of you not too golf savvy, this means the flat part at the bottom of the golf club should face the hole you happen to be playing. This is important because that’s where you want to hit the ball. I usually need help with this step. Well, at least someone has to point me in the right direction. I have a hard time seeing that little hole, so far away. They tell me to just look for the flag in the hole. I say … “What flag?”
“Joe … Watch that back swing.”
Finally we come to the back swing, the pivot and the impact. If all the previous steps were carefully administered that little white ball should find it’s home … right into the little hole. Okay … Everyone quiet, please. I need to concentrate.
“Ugh! … I hit that damn windmill blade again!”