FIRST SHOT
Message from the CSGA Executive Director - Mike Moraghan
Prepared or Unprepared ?
Coaches and athletes talk a lot about preparation . That ’ s what practice is after all . Pounding balls , stroking hundreds of three-footers and working on bunker shots are all part of regimens designed for improvement , and ultimately being better prepared to play . Of course , you can practice non-stop and still be unprepared .
Ever discover on the first tee when it ’ s your turn to play that you don ’ t have any tees in your pocket ? Or on the first green you realize you have nothing to mark your ball except for the tee you had to borrow ten minutes earlier ? That sudden and sickening revelation that you are not fully prepared is only heightened by the embarrassment of having to sheepishly borrow a necessary tool from somebody else .
Checklist : balls , gloves , tees , coins , ball mark repair tool , pencils , towel , umbrella , rain suit , rangefinder , yardage book , scorecard , Rule book , sunscreen , band aids , water bottle , snacks and most importantly , ALL 14 clubs including the putter that is not still leaning against the wall in the bathroom !
Are you fully prepared , partially prepared , or completely unprepared ?
A number of years ago there was a startling post-game quote from a college soccer coach whose # 1 ranked team had just lost 4-0 in a stunning upset . The first goal for the underdog opponent came just ten minutes into the game after a questionable call resulted in a penalty shot .
In the post-game press conference the upset ( dual meaning pun intended ) coach blamed the dubious call for his team ’ s collapse . He actually said : “ We were really well prepared for this game and that call kind of ruined it for us . It changed everything .” Seriously ? Really well prepared ?
Ten minutes in and a bad call ruined your day ? What , you thought everything was going to go perfectly according to the game plan you laid out ?
Your side might be enormously talented , physically fit , and undefeated , but if you ’ re not mentally prepared for any number of things that can go sideways during a game then you are probably closer to being thoroughly unprepared .
Fortunately nothing ever goes wrong during a round of golf . Nobody ever gets a terrible , inexplicable bounce . Perfectly stuck tee shots never end up in a divot in the middle of the fairway . The wind never changes when your ball is in mid-flight . You are always paired with folks who are a joy to play with , and the weather is always comfortable . Right . Connecticut Golf Hall of Famer , Reverend William Lee put it this way : “ The battles of life require perseverance , and golf is a little bit like what life is all about . You wake up some days and everything goes great . Other days everything can change with one phone call . Some days you feel good physically and some days you don ’ t , but you have to take what is given to you and handle it .”
6 | CSGA Links // April 2018 www . csgalinks . org