Today was the day that I finally gave up. I have tried my hardest for over 2.5 years and I have finally accepted that I just don’t have the skills to be decent at golf. I am still mulling over how I am going to proceed but I just don’t care anymore. Golf sucks. No matter how hard I try to get more flexible or use my core or take my arms out of the swing, I never hit the ball better.
Today Patrick introduced the concept of not lifting with my arms to finish the backswing but to keep my arms low and turn with my upper thoracic or shoulders. This is very similar to what Tony Finau and Jon Rham do. It feels weird for my arms to be this low as I have always wanted to lift them to get the club further back. I hit some decent shots on the range and decided to play 9 holes.
I actually hit the ball rather well on the 9 holes but there was no distance. I was hitting my pitching wedge about 105 yards and my 9 iron about 115 yards. I was hitting it a little bit left but still decent. To finish the 9 I hit a great shot into the 9th hole and made a birdie from about 8 feet. I decided to play 9 more holes just to get more reps. The following happened:
-Decent shot but off the heel with pitching wedge on #1
-Shank on #1
-Poor shot that went 80 yards with an approach wedge on #2
-Shank on #2
-Poor shot that went 75 yards with an approach wedge on #2
-Shank on #3
-Shank on #3
I stopped playing and just drove off the course. As I was driving out of the parking lot at Knight’s Play. Patrick lifted his hands as if to ask, “what happened?” I just kept driving. Patrick then called me on my way home but I didn’t answer. I needed time to accept that golf is not my thing. I have accepted that I am cancelling my memberships at Hasentree and Hope Valley.
I honestly cannot believe that I have gone to 286 lessons, done everything I can physically and mentally and I still cannot hit a golf ball well. It is a game that gives you absolutely no rewards for your hard work. On June 16th, 2021, I have given up. It is not worth my physical and mental energy. I have given the game enough and it just does not give back. It was my best effort, but it was not good enough.
I plan to continue to go to Patrick and try to get better but I have absolutely zero interest in playing. I told Gregg Bowler I was not playing in Kegs and Eggs and there is no motivation to even go to a golf course.
Maybe if I can string together three decent shots with a six iron during a lesson with Patrick I will consider playing. Until then, I have no interest. It’s a sad day, but reality can be hard.
