- Posts: 1
- Joined: Oct 13, 2014
- Mon Oct 13, 2014 5:36 pm
#17065
I know it still needs some work but any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Roberto
As I stood in the scorching Miami summer heat, drenched in sweat, I thought to myself, “what am I doing here?” Then I set up to the ball and swung. The contact felt crisp and looking up I saw the ball ascend, reach its apex and majestically descend only to land a couple of feet from the pin. “This is why I am here,” I said confidently. That one shot, inconspicuous in nature, represented the culmination of hours and hours of practice. “If I can just do that consistently,” I told myself, “no one will be able to stop me.” I grabbed another club, placed a ball on the matt and swung again.
Although I worked hard on perfecting my game, there was a bit of naivety with regards to my approach to golf. I equated hitting the ball well with low scores as if hitting the ball far and straight was all that was needed to be great. In tournaments, however, the shortcomings of this approach were exploited. I would hit the ball in the wrong spots, choose the wrong shots to hit, and implode when I was mishitting the ball because I relied solely on my ball striking to score. Eventually, I grew discouraged at my inconsistent play and decided to schedule a lesson with my instructor. I explained to him how I was playing and that my scores weren’t reflective of how I was hitting the ball. He took me to his office, sat me down and offered his opinion. “Golf is not just about hitting the ball far and straight.” He said sincerely. “It’s also about knowing how to maneuver the golf course in a way that is most conducive to your style of play.”
A golfer makes hundreds of decisions throughout the course of a round of golf; from the club he wants to hit to the shot he wants to play. However, in order to make a balanced and informed decision the golfer needs to consider certain factors like the wind, design of the course, and temperature. As I shifted my focus from hitting the ball far and straight to understanding how to maneuver a golf course I discovered something: that the mental side of golf, which I had ignored during my early years, was the part of golf that was most gratifying. There was something intuitively rewarding about uncovering and analyzing the variables necessary to hit a good shot.
I methodically surveyed the landscape of the course, making note of which parts I wanted to avoid and which parts would best set me up for my next shot. I suppressed my ego- wanting to hit the hero shot- for the smarter more conservative play. The contours of the green, type of grass, direction of the grain, humidity, tightness of a ball lie - subtle details like this that were nothing more than a nuisance before became the crux of my observations and analysis. I became more imaginative as I got better at reading the design of the course. I played around with different shots and began using course features like slopes and hills to gain extra distance, avoid trouble, and hit it closer to pins. I enjoyed the fact that every shot had its own variables to consider and accepted the calculations that each shot required.
In college I faced a number of courses that were visually and stylistically different than the ones I was accustomed to in Florida. However, I was able to adapt and react to these new conditions with the same calculating and rational decision making I had back home. Having learned about the impact knowledge and information can have in deciding how to maneuver a golf course, I decided to spend some time my freshman year learning about and understanding the intricacies of golf courses in New England. I studied all I could about Bent grass (the grass many courses in the north use), I learned how to calculate and adjust for elevation changes on the course when hitting a shot, and during practice rounds I kept detailed notes on the design of the course I was going to play. The work paid of as I was able to become a regular starter, win a division one tournament, and captain the team my senior year.
Although my days of competitive golf are coming to an end, the lessons I learned have remained close and relevant to my life. I understand that there is a difference between having the tools to succeed and actually succeeding. I also understand that having knowledge is good but understanding how to use that knowledge is better. I hope that going to law school will provide me with the knowledge and skills essential for the study and practice of law. From there, I look forward to using what I have learned to succeed in the real world much like I used the knowledge I acquired on the golf course to help me shoot low scores.
Thanks,
Roberto
As I stood in the scorching Miami summer heat, drenched in sweat, I thought to myself, “what am I doing here?” Then I set up to the ball and swung. The contact felt crisp and looking up I saw the ball ascend, reach its apex and majestically descend only to land a couple of feet from the pin. “This is why I am here,” I said confidently. That one shot, inconspicuous in nature, represented the culmination of hours and hours of practice. “If I can just do that consistently,” I told myself, “no one will be able to stop me.” I grabbed another club, placed a ball on the matt and swung again.
Although I worked hard on perfecting my game, there was a bit of naivety with regards to my approach to golf. I equated hitting the ball well with low scores as if hitting the ball far and straight was all that was needed to be great. In tournaments, however, the shortcomings of this approach were exploited. I would hit the ball in the wrong spots, choose the wrong shots to hit, and implode when I was mishitting the ball because I relied solely on my ball striking to score. Eventually, I grew discouraged at my inconsistent play and decided to schedule a lesson with my instructor. I explained to him how I was playing and that my scores weren’t reflective of how I was hitting the ball. He took me to his office, sat me down and offered his opinion. “Golf is not just about hitting the ball far and straight.” He said sincerely. “It’s also about knowing how to maneuver the golf course in a way that is most conducive to your style of play.”
A golfer makes hundreds of decisions throughout the course of a round of golf; from the club he wants to hit to the shot he wants to play. However, in order to make a balanced and informed decision the golfer needs to consider certain factors like the wind, design of the course, and temperature. As I shifted my focus from hitting the ball far and straight to understanding how to maneuver a golf course I discovered something: that the mental side of golf, which I had ignored during my early years, was the part of golf that was most gratifying. There was something intuitively rewarding about uncovering and analyzing the variables necessary to hit a good shot.
I methodically surveyed the landscape of the course, making note of which parts I wanted to avoid and which parts would best set me up for my next shot. I suppressed my ego- wanting to hit the hero shot- for the smarter more conservative play. The contours of the green, type of grass, direction of the grain, humidity, tightness of a ball lie - subtle details like this that were nothing more than a nuisance before became the crux of my observations and analysis. I became more imaginative as I got better at reading the design of the course. I played around with different shots and began using course features like slopes and hills to gain extra distance, avoid trouble, and hit it closer to pins. I enjoyed the fact that every shot had its own variables to consider and accepted the calculations that each shot required.
In college I faced a number of courses that were visually and stylistically different than the ones I was accustomed to in Florida. However, I was able to adapt and react to these new conditions with the same calculating and rational decision making I had back home. Having learned about the impact knowledge and information can have in deciding how to maneuver a golf course, I decided to spend some time my freshman year learning about and understanding the intricacies of golf courses in New England. I studied all I could about Bent grass (the grass many courses in the north use), I learned how to calculate and adjust for elevation changes on the course when hitting a shot, and during practice rounds I kept detailed notes on the design of the course I was going to play. The work paid of as I was able to become a regular starter, win a division one tournament, and captain the team my senior year.
Although my days of competitive golf are coming to an end, the lessons I learned have remained close and relevant to my life. I understand that there is a difference between having the tools to succeed and actually succeeding. I also understand that having knowledge is good but understanding how to use that knowledge is better. I hope that going to law school will provide me with the knowledge and skills essential for the study and practice of law. From there, I look forward to using what I have learned to succeed in the real world much like I used the knowledge I acquired on the golf course to help me shoot low scores.
