|
Golf: How You Can Improve At Any Age.
The other day I had an interesting discussion with a new friend who was determined to "take up golf" this Spring. It's always fun and educational to talk to a non or aspiring golfer as their different perspective brings up unique questions about the game and its details. As a golfer, I tend to talk about golf primarily with other golfers. You may be the same. Turns out, there are plenty of people who are fans who have never swung a club. I am continually reminded of that fact!
This particular person had been curious about the sport but had been reluctant to get involved because they felt they were too old to really improve to a level where it would be a worthwhile endeavor. They were also convinced that you needed to begin playing as a young child to really achieve an advanced level of play.
I pointed out that there were plenty of professional golfers who had late starts in the game. It is well documented that Senior Tour player Larry Nelson took up golf at 21 after returning from military service in Vietnam. He went on to win 10 PGA Tournaments including 3 majors. He is also a dominant force on the Champions Tour having won 20 titles on that venue, and was recently inducted into the prestigious Golf Hall of Fame.
I also noted that Ernie Els took up golf in earnest at the age of 15. His accomplishments in the sport are well documented and include 15 PGA tour events including 3 majors, and 20 European Tour events.
On a personal level, I relayed that I took up this game at 23 (some 20 years ago) and one and a half years later broke 80 for the first time.
Now I had really captured the attention of my friend. I could see the wheels of possibility spinning in her head, and a smile that this golf thing could be "doable". Then I threw a wrench in the conversation when I added:
"But make no mistake, the golf swing is complex."
And that's the truth, it is. But like a lot of endeavors, when it is broken down into its components, this complicated movement is merely the sum of individual parts, most of which are quite easy to master!
Master the parts, and you've mastered the swing.
I like to compare the complexity of the golf swing to the task of driving a car with a manual transmission. To those of you who drive a standard or manual transmission, the process is second nature. But imagine trying to describe each step to a new driver. It may go something like this:
Start by taking your left foot off the brake and press the clutch pedal.
Now quickly shift the gear lever into first gear and slowly release your foot from the clutch pedal.
As the gear engages, push the gas pedal just enough so that the car moves forward, but not so much that the engine races, or so little that the car "bucks" and the engine stalls!
Now repeat 2 and 3 for all gears until you are at the desired speed.
Oh, and reverse the process when you want to come to a stop. It's Simple?!
Driving a car with a manual transmission is complex for new drivers but the individual steps aren't!
It isn't too difficult to push the gas, depress the clutch, or shift the gear lever individually! But the better you do these things in sequence, the better driver you become. If you really master the sequence, you may have a future as a professional race car driver!
Article Source: http://golfarticlesdirectory.com
Posted By: Golf Articles Directory
|
|
