I have always enjoyed golf, but in 2010 at the age of 30 I discovered a passion for it.  I moved to the Milwaukee area that year from Minneapolis and golf became much more affordable to me at the same time. I started playing a little more and at the end of the year I set out to see how much I could improve my play during my 30s.  I started the journey in 2011 at around a 15 handicap.  It may have been a bit late in life to try something like this, but it was a way to challenge myself and also enjoy the outdoors.  I started playing early morning 9 hole rounds before work 3-4 times a week and I would go to the range a few times per week on my lunch break. 

I faced my share of challenges along the way.  I would say I have a pretty natural ability to make changes and improve my swing, but I often struggled with that intangible ability to just make consistent shots off the tee.  I did make some nice improvements early and entered the single digits pretty quickly.  Not long after however, I endured a major bout with the shanks.  I had them on and off for over a year.  In the fall of 2011 I found the TST community and became a member in the search for a better swing.  Ultimately signing up for some online lessons with evolvr.com proved to be the game changing help I needed at that time. I continued to improve over the next few years.  In 2014 as 3.8 handicap, I somehow started battling the hooks.  There were even a few weeks when I exclusively used a 4 hybrid off the tee, and did not carry a driver or fairway wood in the bag.  I continued to work on the driver and woods at the range during this time.   Ultimately a trip to visit @iacas ended up helping me make the changes that were needed to fix the problem more permanently.  I ended 2014 with a 3.6 index and felt ready for 2015.

Fast forward to April 9^th 2015.  I was playing a round of golf with my Dad in Florida.  I had a decent front nine going considering I was coming off a long winter break.  I was on the 9^th hole which was a par 5 and I hit a nice drive down the left side.  I was looking at about a 200 yard shot to get the front edge of the green for a good chance at making par or better.  I had to clear some water at about 185 yards in left front portion of the green but it was not really an issue.  I took out a long iron to try and place a shot to the open area just to the right and in front of the green.  I addressed the ball and quickly felt comfortable with the shot.  I had no idea what that swing was going to cost me.  I began my swing and on the downswing near the point of contact, I both felt and heard a loud pop.  The club went flying in the follow through and I immediately hunched over grabbing my left arm near the wrist.  The pain was excruciating.