Monkey on my back

I enjoy to activities when the weather allows it – fishing and golf.  This spring has been particularly harsh in that it hasn’t been conducive to ice melting or courses opening.  Maybe this weekend it will be warm enough to finally get started with golf anyway.

I have not let the longer winter deter me from getting started with golf.  I have been hitting golf balls from my driveway across the street into a soccer field.  I do love hitting golf balls and so when the weather would allow, I hit hundreds and hundreds.  As nice as this arrangement is it definitely has had some problems.

One big problem is the damn tree across the street.  It’s somewhat between my driveway and my intended target and so the perfect shot is either really high or it must curve somewhat around the branches.  Unfortunately, I have hit the branches hundreds of times and even without leaves, the tree has sent my shots in all directions.  The worst was last week when my neighbor was unloading something from his truck in his driveway.  The ball hit the tree, ricocheted straight-down to the street and landed a few feet from his truck.  I briefly explained it was very weird shot and he was friendly and all but he seemed to step up the pace of unloading and quickly put his truck in the garage and closed the garage door.

One lesser problem is that my driveway is curved and I am hitting off a mat.  And so I practice the same or a similar shot over and over and over again.  I am concerned that even if I start hitting perfect shots I will not be able to translate my new found skills because you don’t get too slightly uphill shots with perfect lies that often on the course.  When I take a regular shot from longer grass will I completely miss hit it because I have grooved the uphill swing?  Time will tell.

The most profound problem is that seem to suffer from brief successes followed by severe and lengthy failures.  I can hit stretches of 10-15 shots that are acceptable (they would probably be on or near the green if I were playing golf).  Then the proverbial monkey gets on my back and I start scattering shots.  It’s so bad it’s like I am either blind or someone has spun me around a half dozen times and then asked me to hit. 

The most troubling aspect of my wayward stretches is that I have a huge problem righting myself.  Back in the day when I could count on playing a round of golf under 85 strokes, I would still hit a really bad shot now and then but could quickly diagnose the problem and get back on track.  Now, even with concerted mental and physical reviewing of the fundamentals of golf, it can take many shots before my golf ship gets righted and on course.

So now my biggest concern is that I have a brain/body disconnect that is incurable.  There are some pro golfers that have gone down this path – they are the best in the world one year and then the monkey gets on their back and they can’t force themselves to play well no matter how much they practice.  No matter what they try, it just doesn’t work. The problem is in the great chasm between the ears.

I started wondering if there aren’t parallels to other aspects of my and others behavior.  Do we get in situations where we know the right thing to do and want to do it but there is some mysterious disconnect between our will and our behavior.  I really want to be a pleasant person and know it’s the right thing to do but then the next person in my office gets the brush off.  I want to drive safely, eat right, pray earnestly, (fill in the blank) but there is a persistent obstacle between my will and my life.  How can we overcome the obstacles to become the person we know we can and want to be?

I guess that is a question that has been troubling humankind for all of existence.  I don’t have the answer.  I do know that if I don’t get more consistent with my golf though that I will be soon advertising some golf equipment at fire sale prices – keep checking back.

Tags: golf, spring, will and action