Dani's Den

Well another golf season is upon me and before I let myself get too carried away with the heat of competition, the glory of victory or the agony of defeat I would like to take a moment to count my many blessings and give thanks and praise to all the golf gods and their extended families, amen.
This year I am going to try adding prayer to my pre shot routine, can’t hurt.

Opening day for my SC ladies group is just a few weeks away and my first scheduled team event is near the end of the month. I am starting to feel a little pre season jitters and pressure. I even had a bad dream like the one where you are not prepared for a big exam, except in this one I was running late for a tee time and no matter what I did I couldn’t get there in time and I was going to be DQ :astonished:

To settle my nerves I took to the course for a little fresh air and practice and although things looked great and the grounds crew kept busy this winter removing lots of unnecessary trees/ limbs and tidying up both courses with lots of little changes here and there, I can’t find my swing :angry: … I swear I left it in the middle of the 18th fairway, right next to that creek that I hit my last ball into at the end of last season but I don’t see it anywhere… probably better that it is gone but at least it was broke-in and comfy to use :blush:

Anyway, here’s to all my Red Neck sisters and Jersey girls who love and support the game as much as I do and always play by the rules we think we know and understand…
let the real games 2011 begin… :smiley:

We are sure you will do great!

Have a fun year!

Good luck Dani, we will all be routing for you :smiley:

Good luck Dani!

Orel Hershiser credits singing the “Doxology” as being very helpful in one of his World Series games. He said it helped keep his adrenaline down.1988 was a magic year for him, as he pitched 67 consecutive scoreless innings, if you count post season games.

Worked for Rocky :laughing:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJydofKrv0s[/youtube]

But reality is good too :sunglasses:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1tXhJniSEc[/youtube]

Keep your dimples moving forward Dani for a good 2011. :slight_smile:

Thanks for all the support, I am sure I’ll be fine. It’s not like I am completely unprepared, I hang out here :sunglasses:

Now if it would just stop raining…

Got some reading in this weekend, some things that made me think of here.

All golfers from high handicappers to experts are creators of their own commentaries on the game. Dreams, experiences, tales of glory and woe, desire, love and death, reflection, rapture—all these are among the commentary golfers bring into the pro shop and onto the practice tee.
~Harvey Penick

Maybe people want to help because the game is so difficult. If you work hard and show a willingness to improve, you’ll get a boost here and there. You don’t have to ask. People will just want to do it.
~Kathy Whitworth

Thanks again for all the little boosts

Well, I tested out my new pre shot routine this past weekend but apparently I have enough noise in my head and I am "slow enough already " which was (brashly) gently pointed out to me by my (impatient) loving husband.
OK so maybe he has a point…

Now rather than add something to my pre shot routing I have decided to change up my pre round routine instead.
I am going to tape these positive reinforcement sayings to my car visor and instead of checking my lipstick in the mirror on the way to the course this year, I am going to try and focus more on the job at hand and repeat these sayings out loud.
Really glad I went with the 10% tint :sunglasses:

Now if i can just make it to the first tee without getting too distracted…

Concentration
I can concentrate easily;
I can concentrate for a long time;
I can maintain concentration;
My concentration is improving;
I can hold an idea in my head for a long time;
I can handle many ideas at the same time;
I am focused;
I find it hard to be distracted;
I can think clearly;

Better results in sports
I am succeeding;
I am getting stronger;
I am getting better;
I am aware of what I am doing;
I am winning;
I want to win;
I enjoy what I do;
I can visualize success;
I can train harder;
I like to discover the right methods to win;
I can concentrate;
I enjoy spending time learning the finer points of my sport;
My goals are clear and I can achieve them;

OK that’s my plan and I am sticking to it…

Hey, I though you guys had my back… how come nobody ever warned me about the dreaded FALSE PIVOT ???

Just got back from playing in a 2 day state team event where I struggled to find my swing. Half way through the second round I realized that I wasn’t really turning my shoulders and engaging my core (no cohesive body tension), I was just dragging the club back and inside with noodles not spokes …No surprise the music was weak and off key.
I am learning that this is my tendency whenever I am a little nervous, tentative and or unfamiliar with the course. Also the wind was howling and that never helps to settle me down. We ended up finishing third in our flight but we could have done better.

Live, learn, grow and golf better someday, I hope.

Yesterday, for the first time in so long I got to spend the entire day at the course. It was such a treat and I learned and healed so much.

For starters and to get the juices flowing I walk/carried for nine holes, just me, myself and I. No distractions, no chit chat, no waiting, no worries. And although my shots weren’t as good as I would have liked to start off, it didn’t matter too much, the sun was shining and I was happy and hopeful.

Along the way I ran into the course owner and his dog, I stopped and we had a nice talk about horses and dogs and golf courses (not $$ and bills and appointments). He kept me quiet company from atop his tractor for the last two holes and encouraged me to make the birdie putts, both ended up being tap in pars and that was just fine with me…

Next stop was the club house for a grilled ham & cheese and a cold beer. I ate on the patio and watched Bradley giving a lesson on the range. From that vantage point I could clearly see the action of the lower body that he was repeating for his student. I felt like I was learning through osmosis while I ate, drank and was merry. It doesn’t get much better then that !

Down to the range I went after lunch and practiced chipping and putting for the next few hours. It was pretty quiet and I only had to share the green with one other person at a time. I also had the humorous pleasure of watching a deliver guy lose control of a load of Gatorade that went sailing down the hill and over a railing into a drainage ditch :laughing: .

Next I hiked up the hill and grabbed a small basket, thought I would try hitting a few with my newly learned osmotic moves, hahaha. Surprisingly it was going pretty well when I looked up and saw an old friend heading my way. We talked and caught up and swung a few. The sun was still shinning.

I grabbed a cart and went to the first tee. Played sixteen holes before it started hailing golf balls (really). I put up the windshield and headed back to the barn… and that was just fine with me, I was having a great day! :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

I found this letter while cruising the net but it needed to be tweaked just a little, LOL.

Dear Golf:
After all the years we’ve spent together, the time has finally come to stop beating around the bush, so to speak. As difficult as this is for me, I am just going to blurt it out – I hate you!
And, if we are going to be truthful with each other, it has become glaringly obvious that you hate me back.
To be blunt, I don’t think we should see each other ever again. It’s just too painful for me. I’m sick of getting all worked up for nothing and I’m sick of dreaming that things will be different between us some day. Call me a hopeless romantic, but I don’t know how a true love like ours could end up going off course.
Remember when it all began, Golf? I was so eager to learn and you, well, you’d been around the track a few times and spent your days cavorting around the club with anyone who had a decent set of stix. Even then, I knew you were a real swinger.
But, for me at least, it was love at first slice. Sure, I didn’t know how to get a grip on you in the beginning and I found your countless rules and regulations baffling, but I was blinded by desire.
The sight of your smooth fairways, your immaculately manicured greens and your rock hard sand traps drove me wild. Not to mention those cute little dimples on your you-know-whats. For me, looking at a new putter was like looking at a field of new-fallen snow, full of hope and opportunity.
I had to have you, Golf. Little did I know you were just, well, playing a round with me, if you catch my general drift.
How could you be so cruel? If you even liked me a little bit, you wouldn’t treat me the way you do. Why do you think I bought those ridiculously expensive clubs? For Myself? Ha, Golf! Ha! Don’t make me laugh. It was all for you. Even the way I dressed. Do you think I’d ever be seen in public wearing argyle and pearls if I weren’t trying to impress you?
And did you appreciate it, Golf? Again, ha! You go out of your way to embarrass me. Do I have to remind you of what you put me through on the first hole that one time? Those sprinklers weren’t malfunctioning, they took dead aim. It’s always the first hole with you, isn’t it?
It was embarrassing and uncomfortable for me to have to play that whole round in wet pants and shoes but I loved you that much. Wild horses couldn’t have dragged me away.
You are such a tease, Golf. You relish holding me under your evil spell, then tossing me aside like so many crumpled scorecards. The worst part is you openly love my friends more than you love me. In fact, you love everyone more than you love me. Why else would you let them score at will while I just get the shaft?
Looking back, everything about you drives me mad. Just once I would have liked to spend a little time with you alone. But, no, you always wanted our affair in public so everyone could watch me making a fool of myself.
Perhaps you’d like to explain why it is that, whenever we hooked up, you made sure I understood that there was a certain etiquette and more importantly a time limit. Like it or not 5 hours was way more than I could ask for.
If I sound bitter, it’s because I am. I gave you everything, Golf. I sweated over you. I went clubbing with you. I even bared my soul and showed you my swing. I should never have taken up with you in the first place. I thought you’d be a slice of heaven, but now your name is a four-letter word. And look what you’ve done to that poor Tiger Woods. He’ll never be the same.
Well, guess what? It’s over between us. That’s right, I’m seeing someone else. His name is Bocce and he lives in my neighborhood. I’m pretty sure he’s Italian. So, eat your heart out, Golf.
Since we are being brutally honest, I’d also like to confess that I cheated on you. I am not proud of it but the truth is, most duffers cheat on you, especially in silly scrambles where everyone gets drunk and forgets the rules.
And here’s something you didn’t know – I’m married. It’s true. I’ve been married for almost 10 years and I am sure my husband knows I’ve been seeing you. He hates you too, Golf. He thinks I spend too much of my time and his money on you .
So I hope you’ll understand that our relationship is finished. Unless, of course, you have a tee time open for next Saturday, in which case I’ll be right over and maybe we could give it one last shot. Even if it has to be in a three or foursome :stuck_out_tongue:

Hopelessly out of bounds,
Dani.

I remember one of my fellow touring pros told his fiance before they were married that golf would come first… and that it was important that she understood that from the get go. They married and divorced about 3 years later. :confused:

That’s sincerely too bad for them…
The grass may not have been greener but the course must have been more fun to play :open_mouth:

Long live Golf and Red Red Wine :smiley: