| When you first begin to play golf this is of the | | | | you'll out hit me by a long ways." |
| mistakes you are likely to make. | | | | John and I then had a long conversation about the |
| You come to the course, you're relatively new to the | | | | mental approach to the game of golf, and he |
| game of golf, and your first tendency is to put | | | | introduced me to two words that I believe are the |
| everything you have in your tank into your golf | | | | lifeblood to any good golfer: consistency and control. |
| swing. | | | | John had me associate the way I approached putting |
| That's the America way, right? You have to 'try'. You | | | | to the way I would drive off the tee. "In many |
| have to put in a lot of effort. If you don't, then you | | | | ways, they are the same. You easily maintain control |
| must not be taking yourself seriously as a golfer. | | | | of your body while putting. It should be the same off |
| Yeah, sure. | | | | the tee. Control and consistency. If you can't control |
| As you play a little more golf, it doesn't take you too | | | | your golf swing, how are you going to control where |
| long to figure out that this approach will kill your golf | | | | the golf ball goes?" |
| game. I have firsthand knowledge of this, trust me. | | | | John was making a lot of sense. Early on as a golfer, |
| I had a friend, John, who many years ago introduced | | | | I was completely out of control and hoping for the |
| me to the game of golf. John wasn't a very big guy | | | | best. It was only when I downsized my approach |
| compared to me, but he could always out drive me | | | | and started 'stroking' the golf ball that I began to see |
| (at first). And, he seemed to do it effortlessly. I | | | | better results. |
| hated him. | | | | With every golf swing you take strive to maintain |
| One day early on, I asked him how he could | | | | that control and stroke the golf ball wherever you |
| consistently out hit me. | | | | are on the course; leave the hitting to baseball |
| "You swing the golf club like it's a baseball bat. It's | | | | players and boxers. When you are able to do this |
| not. Don't hit the ball, stroke it. Think about the | | | | your golf swing will give you the consistency to |
| difference. When you figure it out, with your size, | | | | become a better golfer. |