Golf Clinic

After my last lesson, I met a gentlemen who was also at the school for his lesson. He recommended that I take one of the golf clinics that is offered every Saturday by different instructors. He thought that he would help improve my skills. Bruce and Leggs agreed that it would give me an opportunity to learn different techniques of the game. So I agreed.



Saturday morning was kind of hecticed because Stacia has dance lessons from 9:00am til 10:00am and I was a little nervous about making my lesson, however, my good friend Tamesha came to my rescue and came to the dance studio to pick Stacia up so I can dash off to my lesson.



I arrive about 5 mins early and parking lot is full and I'm like wow, a lot of people come out on Saturday to play golf. I'm thinking that no one is taking the class today because no one is waiting on Darryl, the instructor. But as soon as Darryl arrives on the course, out of no where everyone appears. So there was a total of 8 of us for the class.

The lesson for the day was to play out of the bunker and pitch. If you don't know golf, you have no idea what I'm speaking of, I was the same way, but after 30 minutes I had some concept of what was expected but I didn't grasp the technique very well. After an hour in the hot ass sun, I was really tired. Not so much from playing or should I say practicing, but the sun was beaming.
After each encounter of golf, I realize that I have a long way to go.

I am thankful to Bruce, who has patience with me and I'm thankful for Coach who introduced me to Bruce.

Next lesson on Thursday.

Lesson 4

Today was my fourth lesson and it went over well. Bruce did a lot of explaining today about what I was doing wrong and I can tell he was getting just a little frustrated with me but he was very cool with it. After about 20 mins into my lesson he tells this story about a "red neck" he meet in Dallas at his first job at a driving range and how he had to teach an older gentlemen (the red neck), Harry, who was a retired milk man, how to teach golf to other people. Bruce has always said to me that women have the advantage of playing golf but he never really said why, but with this story came the reason why. Bruce said that he and Harry had to teach a group of women how to play golf over a 10 week period. On the last day of the class an attractive, very beautiful young lady (words from Bruce) pose a question to both Bruce and Harry. The young lady said that she had been in the class for 10 weeks but never said anything before about this but she thinks she has a disadvantage because her boobs are too large and get in the way of her swing. Harry tells the young lady that they are nice and shouldn't think of it that way. Harry was more fascinated with how nice her boobs were and not knowing that she had a better advantage then most people because if she keeps her boobs inside her arms it makes for a better swing.
The morale of the story was for me to see that the swing motion that Bruce was (is) trying to get me to do is to keep my boobs within my two arms and twist my entire body because I am twisting my wrist and that is what frustrates Bruce.
This is one of those type of stories where you had to be there and hear the story to understand how funny it was because by the time Bruce finished telling the story I was in tears and my stomach was hurting. And I'm thinking to myself, I really needed this laugh today. I think this may have broke the ice with us.

He asked me did I notice anything that he had been saying to me the last three weeks that he only had to say once and I said yes, which was the proper way of holding the club. And with that reply, he said "we are getting somewhere". And coming from him that gives me hope, that I will one day master the game of golf. Another comment that really made me feel good was at the time of booking my next lesson he and Leggs (yes that is his name), made a comment that I was his star student. So my reply is you gotta be kidding and Bruce says no you are out of 4. But at the same time I took it has maybe I'm the only female that he is teaching at this time, not that I'm doing that good, but who knows what he meet.

He tells me to go home and practice in the backyard and just swinging and hitting the grass. He said I should do this everyday for about 15 minutes in the backyard. I promised myself that I will do this because practice makes perfect. Although tomorrow I am getting my hair done, I will come home and swing for about 15 mins.

Happy Juneteeth Day!!!!

Lesson

I had a golf lesson on Thursday of last week, and I thought that was a joke. It seemed if though I could not hit the ball for nothing. So Bruce and I started from the basic again, with the proper way of holding my club, to my swing and body posture then to how I should be hitting the ball, the speed in which I should be hitting the ball to make it go up and out. I felt like a dummy, like someone who had never picked up a club before.

So Bruce and I had a little talk about me and understanding the game and what I should be doing verse what I was doing. The first thing that he constantly says is my wrist....that I should not twist my wrist but I do. It's hard not to do that and I don't know why.

Bruce's cell phone rings and for some reason maybe because I know he is not really paying attention, my swing gets better. I hit three balls perfectly. I think he's not paying attention but on the second swing he gives me hi-five, and I'm so excited that I am doing something right. So I hit a few more not so perfect but just okay. Bruce tells me that I must practice and don't get discouraged.

I wanted to go and swing on Saturday evening but that didn't happen. I am easily distracted and I didn't go yesterday because we were at Carla's celebrating Father's Day. So since I was scheduled to be off today, today is the day I go and practice.

Someone gave me some really good advice on Saturday and told me that Tiger didn't learn in a day or a week, it took him a lot of practice to be where he is today. And speaking of Tiger, he had a great game yesterday that put him with a tie for a playoff on today. http://msn.foxsports.com/golf/story/8248942/Woods'-clutch-birdie-ties-Mediate,-forces-playoff

So with those words of encouragement, I have a better outlook on golf. Thank you Coach.


I'll let you know how today's practice goes. I am determined!!!!!!!!!!

Practice

After my last golf lesson, Bruce advised that I come up to the range and practice my swing. Today was the day to practice. I made the attempt yesterday but got there to late. So here I go today, trying to think positive because I have no one to guide me or coach me thru this.

After changing into my golf attire, I'm instructed on how to use the golf cart. I must have had some look of fear on my face, because the golf cart driver, Darius (I think that's his name) tells me not to worry he'll drive me over to the range. What a relief, I'm thinking, and I thank him.

We don't go very far, he pulls up to the golf garage and hops out and gets me a bucket of balls and put them in the back of my cart and says follow me. At first I'm scared because I don't know what to expect when I put my foot on the gas but once I got a feel of it, it was okay.
We arrive at the range, he gets the basket of balls out of the back of the cart and spreads them on the ground and tell me have fun! I look at them and think these are a lot of balls to hit, I'm going to be out here longer than 30 minutes.

I swing at the first few balls and feel like I haven't never played before....no concentration, is what I'm thinking, not focusing. I think about it for a few minutes and the thought of wasting all this money on these lessons....I need to get it together. After a few more balls it seems I'm hitting more than at first. Every few minutes Darius would come by and ask how am I doing. He even offered to help me with my swing. But I decline and tell him that I must do this myself.
After a while I realized that 40 minutes have passed. So I think to myself, okay we will do this for an hour or until the balls run out, whichever comes first. Well that didn't happen because after another 5 minutes or so, I realize that I have blistered my thumb really bad. Scrapped the skin and he hurts like hell. I walk over and get some water in a cup and stick my finger in it. It's burning...and you know my initial thought...it's time to go!! I walk back over, look at how many more balls I have to swing at and think, forget it, I'll try it again tomorrow.

On my way down the course I see Bruce. He asks how did it go and I show him my thumb and said not so well. He tells me that I was twisting my club and holding it to tight, which I can believe, this is why I now have this bad blister. Hopefully I'll do better tomorrow.

I get to where my daughter is and realize not only do I have a bad blister, I also broke a nail!!!!!!!
Damn!!! My next lesson is on Thursday, I need to get my nails done by then and doctor on my thumb so I can feel comfortable with hold the club. I'll let you know what happens on Thursday.

Peace and Hair Grease...

Second Golf Lesson

Today was my second golf lesson and I thought it went very well. We went outside to swing balls for the entire lesson, which wasn't bad with the exception of the wind and the few drops of rain. I wanted to look at it as though I advance to the next level. And this is my hope each time I take a lesson with Bruce.

I felt more comfortable today, probably because we were outside. And after Bruce told me to start looking into purchasing clubs I thought I must be doing something right, because I went from a yard stick to a club. He actually gave me a club to practice with and he told me that I need to practice as much as possible, which I will do. He advised that I come to the club and practice swing, all I would need to do is purchase a basket of balls.

By the end of the month I should know if I will enjoy the game of golf and that's when I will decide if I will invest into my new hobby.

Count Down Update..

Well today I decided not to be so lazy and come home and workout. I am trying really hard to stay focus on losing weight. My goal is to lose at least 10-15 pounds before my birthday. At times I just feel like starving myself, because it doesn't make any sense for me to be so heavy. And it seems if though I just gained the extra weight a few months ago. I know what my problem is, so I am trying to lay low on that as well. LOL

So today, I pulled out two out of four DVD's that I ordered last year sometime and did a 30 minute workout. I know you all have heard of Hip Hop Abs?? Well that's what I did today, 30 minutes with Shawn T. I must admit it's a lot of fun.

So as soon as I completed my workout, who walks in the door. My sister and cousin, who had told me two hours prior they were on their way to work out. So after about an hour and a half, I decided they were not coming. But they proved me wrong, because right after I finished my workout they came in. I told them that I was done and tired and I was heading for the shower. The continued on and did the work out as well. Surprised me, because they usually are sitting and discussing what's on the DVD and not actually doing the routines.

Tomorrow is day two of my golf lessons. This will be my workout for tomorrow because either way inside or outside, I will work up a sweat.

History Has Been Made....

Tonight, history has been made!!! Senator Barack Obama has won the Democratic presidential nomination tonight that has made him the first African-American to lead a U.S. major-party ticket. America is looking at the first Black president!!! If only Martin Luther King, Jr., could see this. If only my grandparents, and my parents could see this.

It's amazing that my 3 year old knows Barack Obama is and it's truly amazing that she will, hopefully, remember this day that she and her mother sat on the floor of the living area, clapping and cheering for Barack Obama.

As I always say, 'with time comes change, and with change comes time' and the time is now for a change. And with the price of gas up at 3.90 a gallon, food prices are at record high, we as Americans are seeking change and I think Senator Barack Obama is the man who will bring us change.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/03/election.democrats/index.html



"Tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another -- a journey that will bring a new and better day to America," Barack Obama.