It’s me again, your favourite sleep-deprived, greenhorn golfer. Last we left off, I was attempting a delicate ballet with a club and ball. Now, a few months in, the dance continues, only it's more of a fiery tango with elements of interpretive modern dance thrown in. An interesting concoction, I assure you.
In the early days, most of my shots had a tendency to veer right, making me a clear favourite among the local fauna. I'm fairly sure a family of squirrels moved in thanks to the food source I provided. Nothing says 'welcome to golf' like feeding woodland creatures, right?
Turning to the bastion of wisdom that is the internet, I found that the term for my impromptu squirrel feeding was a 'slice.' A slice, my fellow novices, is when the ball curves off to the right for a right-handed golfer (to the left for lefties) due to the clubface being open relative to the direction of the swing.
The remedy for my woes came in the form of a video on 'Fixing a Slice' from the Golf Channel. Simple tweaks like strengthening my grip, aligning my stance, and keeping my elbow tucked in during the swing gradually tamed my slice. And voila, the waterfalls started drying up.
Meanwhile, back at the homefront, baby food was becoming an interesting avenue of exploration. Did you know how terrifyingly similar spinach puree and a sliced golf ball look when you're sleep-deprived? Yep, true story.
As I ventured further into my golf journey, I also discovered the remarkable similarity between the unpredictability of a baby's sleep pattern and that of my putting. Both, my friends, can be equally frustrating and perplexing.
To tackle my inconsistent putting, I turned back to the virtual golfing Gods on the internet and found that a well-balanced stance, a steady gaze at the ball, and a 'pendulum' style swing of the putter could work wonders. The first few attempts were reminiscent of a stubborn toddler (my son, in particular), resistant to change, but eventually, a semblance of consistency emerged.
And so, as I exchange the rattles for golf clubs and purees for golf balls, I find solace in the delightful chaos that is new fatherhood and novice golfing. There's a sense of achievement in conquering the unlikeliest of challenges, be it changing a diaper with one hand or managing to keep the golf ball on the fairway.
Join me next time, as we delve deeper into this extraordinary journey of growth, golf, and gallons of coffee.
Until then, remember, it's not the number of times you fall (or slice or miss a putt) that matters, it's the number of times you get back up and try again that counts.
