Daily Inspiration: Golf – “If you finally do succeed, try not to look too astonished!”

“If you finally do succeed, try not to look too astonished!” – Futurist Jim Carroll

(It’s a holiday Monday in my home country of Canada, but given the global reach of my posts, I’m putting this out anyways! Today, a bit of a personal story!)

Something strange is happening with my golf game – it seems to be working!

First, a bit of back story. I’m supposed to be out for a round at my home course right after posting this; there is a bit of drizzle and rain, so we’ll see. It’s the last of the 7 am tee times – starting tomorrow, it’s pushed back a half hour as the days start to become shorter. I’ll be out with my youngest son – at 28, you’ll have seen before that I’ve noted he’s almost a ‘scratch gofler’, i.e. plays a perfect game. Me, not so much.

I started the game late in life – as I did with many things, such as skiing. I got heavily involved in the game for two reasons. First, I found myself speaking at many events at wonderful, high-end golf courses,  and often thought to myself that I should be able to get out for a game before or after a keynote! As well, as my son started getting better, I decided I did not want to have a game that was so bad that I would be an embarrassment. So we joined a club, and I got serious. Last year I had about 100 rounds in; I play when traveling, and have many wonderful rounds with my son Tom.

But, it has not been perfect – I have a slice.

That’s the tendency of taking your swing from the ‘outside-in’ – not recommended, as it will cause the ball to begin left and curve right, losing you not only distance off your shot but also the golf ball as it disappears into a forest, pond, creek or other places it should not go. I compensated for this by aiming left – for years, I would set up to the left of straight, expecting it to fade right, such that I would find myself in the fairway.

I got consistently, pathetically good at this technique

This all went on for years and years – let’s just say I mastered the skill of perfected consistent failure – until a few weeks ago when I tried something new – a bit more angle to my setup.

And suddenly, it goes straight.

I’m not talking a bit straight. Dead straight. Right down the center. Like, dead center. Most of the time.

I’m kind of freaked out by the state of this situation since I still don’t have confidence in what is happening. But it is happening – and my playing partners have a good laugh when I do my usual setup, aim at the forest on the left – expecting it to slice a bit right – and it goes DEAD STRAIGHT INTO THE FOREST.

I might be killing a few animals.

It’s an odd situation when you have long set yourself up for failure, and suddenly, you aren’t failing all the time.

A few years ago, one of my Daily Inspiration posts read: “If at first, you do succeed, try not to look too astonished!”

Today, it seems to be a bit of a different situation!

Fore!