Probably my first post involving introspection. I’ve played golf off and on for 40 years, having recently started up again after an almost ten year hiatus. Looking back, work was the primary reason I gave for not playing but the reality is that the yips made it so that I didn’t try hard to find the time to play. I started playing more tennis then one of the tennis players, Phil, invited me to play golf with his group. That’s when I started back up. Then a recurring tennis arm injury flared up and I began playing less tennis and more golf. Since starting the website and YouTube channel, it has just been golf.
Since restarting golf, it has only been for fun and playing against myself, but the yips have stuck with me over those intervening years. I would have thought the time would heal the old wounds but I guess psychological scaring goes deeper and lasts longer. So now, I’ve decided to embrace the suck.
This past Monday, I shot a good round at Langston but did so with 42 putts. Not a record for me but well up there. I decided to make a video just of my putting and as I watched that video I could see just how bad it was. It’s a miracle that I only had 42 putts and that I didn’t four-putt at least once. Anyway, just compiling the video made me think I should work on getting better at putting, or more specifically getting rid of the yips.
I’ve set up a putting mat that I’ve had for years but haven’t been using. And I’m going to try to visit golf courses when I’m not playing a round and practice putting on their practice greens. I’ll keep a log and publish it – so I can hold myself accountable to do it and to see if it helps. I’ll also make videos of just putting to see the progress.
So here’s the first. Wish me luck.