Article #53
Teacher: Jitterbug, Mr. Vaughn, Lord Berry
To meet this week's teacher, or to purchase a copy of MUNIE ~ The Jitterbug Collection, go to www.bobbysteiner.com
Dear Jitterbug:
I have a hard time staying focused for 18 holes. Many times, I'll start out winning the bet on the first nine holes, but then collapse on the back nine. It's not a bad swing habit that creeps in, but rather, lack of interest. Do you have any advice for me?
Richard Miller
Jitterbug Gang Fan
Jitterbug:
You're in charge of you, Richard, and you have to take this responsibility seriously.
Of all the areas in which world class players shine, it is in their ability to stay focused for four plus hours that I am most impressed. That said, playing time is only a fraction of the time great players focus; they stay sharp on the range and putting green as well. It is practicing focused that prepares one for playing focused.
My advice to you, as you set out to maintain your focus, is to make up your mind to never hit a ball, whether in play or practice, without being totally committed to executing it properly. Make it your habit to honor the time you've spent learning this difficult game by never slouching through a shot, to either be totally in it or simply quit the game. Those should be your two choices. You owe it to yourself and your opponents to take the game seriously, and anything less than your best effort is time poorly spent.
Mr. Vaughn:
People everywhere want to copy Tiger Woods. What do people want to copy?
His grip, posture, backswing, leg drive, chipping methods, etc. Seems everybody wants to execute on a physical level like Tiger, but nobody talks much about what really sets him apart, which is that he simply doesn't quit.
Do you know how many times he's been in the back of the pack, a position in which any other gazillionaire would rather take the weekend off and go home, but fights back tooth and nail to simply fare as well as he can? To Tiger, fortieth is better than forty-first, even if it means he has to face a whole whack of reporters wanting to know where his swing disappeared to.
So, Richard, I suggest you take a page out of Tiger's book, and decide that anything worth showing up for is worth carrying out to the finish. You may never be able to swing like Tiger, but with practice and commitment, you can do what he does best, which is stay focused.
Lord Berry:
Maturing as a golfer is very much like maturing from boy- to manhood.
As a young man, I admired others for their wealth, their physical strength, their athleticism, their musical talents, etc. As I grew, however, I became more impressed with personality traits like honesty, integrity, the willingness to work hard, and the commitment to overcome setbacks.
In a like manner, beginner golfers tend to see length off the tee, the ability to curve the ball right or left, and two-iron stinger shots as the stepping stones to golfing prowess.
The mature golfer, however, knows day-to-day achievement rests in one's ability stay focused, to work diligently with what the Golf Gods grant this day, to stay the course.
What do you most admire in other golfers?