Feel the beat

Golf is all about consistency. The objective is to have a consistent swing, that makes solid connection with the ball which will hopefully land where we're aiming. Oh it sounds so easy! I have no problem hitting 5 shots in a row that sound great when the ball is struck, and then I watch in horror as my ball makes a right hand turn and lands in the parallel fairway. Sigh. It kills me. So if I can repeat that swing consistently, why I can't I repeat the swing that smashes the ball long and straight down my own fairway? It's quite a dilemma and has caused more than one unladylike word to fly out of my mouth. My swing mechanics are surprisingly good. It's the rhythm that I have trouble with.

When we address the ball and begin the back swing, there are a million little pieces that need to come together to produce a good shot. However, we can't think about all of those things because it jacks up our rhythm. It is difficult to relax and not try to hit the ball as hard as humanly possible, when we are supposed to let the club do the work. Maybe I'm too  much of a control freak, I don't know, but I have a hard time letting go. There are days when the rhythm flows and days when it does not. I have finally realized that this is the same for everyone, so I've stopped beating myself up about it.

There is a rhythm in everything we do: daily life, work, driving, etc. Some days, it seems like everything is going right. We are productive at work, household chores are finished easily, and it isn't hard to find a smile on our face. As with our back swing, our daily lives are filled with little pieces that we are trying to get together. Situations arise that are beyond our control and we have to deal with it, but it impacts our rhythm. We get up in the morning with an expectation of what the day ahead will be. We have our to-do lists and intend upon getting things done. Nothing is more frustrating than when unexpected circumstances arise, which throw your entire plan for the day out the window. That can cause a good degree of stress and frustration. This is the time, to breathe for a moment, reassess, and deal. We are not in control of every situation that presents itself, and should perhaps stop trying so hard.  Each bump in the road is just a bump. If we freak out about it we allow it to negatively impact our rhythm for the rest of the day, week, or even year.

It seems that if I have a round wherein my tee shots are a thing of beauty, I can't make a single putt. Other days, I can't get off the tee, but my short game is on fire. I have a choice: I can beat myself up about what isn't going well, or I can revel in what is. The same holds true with whatever is going on in my life. I can focus on whatever happened that has completely thrown my day for a loop, or I can choose to focus on how well I dealt with it. There are a lot of things I have no control over, but if I go with the flow, my rhythm will find its way back.

...and a 5,6,7,8...