I Almost Turned Pro!

[GirlieGolfer]

Hey golfers!

I guess I'm allowed to introduce myself now. I'm a Mom who is returning to the game after a lenghty absence. I played my whole life (from age 3) and then in high school and college until I got an offer to be trained by David Lee of Gravity Golf fame.

It was a completely different swing than I was used to. I also had to hit 1,000 balls a day, play 1-2 rounds of 18 holes, and then work out. I was a machine :)

Got pregnant with my son, and my sponsor dropped me, and I couldn't train, so I went back to Journalism (my back up career). Now I'm heading back to golf, since I have leisure time from my writing career to allow me to re-enter the game.

I'll probably never do it professionally (I'm too old at 36) lol...but I do love the game and all that it offers me - physically, mentally, and friendship-wise.
Nice to meet everyone!
Tiff :)

[allin]

Welcome, as I have teen daughters I would love to see more posts from a womens perspective.

[milesdowsett]

Yeah, welcome. Great to have you along.

Glad you're swigning it again!! Bet you've missed it?!

[Shindig]

I'll probably never do it professionally (I'm too old at 36) lol...but I do love the game and all that it offers me - physically, mentally, and friendship-wise.

Why is 36 too old? The PGA Tour has rookies ten years your senior.

[GirlieGolfer]

I think all parents should raise their kids to golf, You learn so much more than a "game." You learn TRUE sportsmanship, honor, and just how to better yourself. I have clubs for all three of my kids, but we've only been a few times so far.

I have missed it terribly! I think I was in mourning for awhile. just knowing it wouldn't be my career. Having a child as a single mom (at the time) I couldn't afford to play or leave my son for hours like that, either. But luckily I can afford the time and money now :)

I know 36 isn't *really* too old, but I think being a parent and trying to train to a pro level again wouldn't be right for me. It takes dedication beyond anything else to be the best.

Thanks for the warm welcome, guys! I *knew* I'd find a great community here.
Tiff :)

[BritBoy]

gotta agree, golf with the kids is awesome. My dream fouraome would be my dad, me, and my two boys.

Welcome

[Dent]

welcome. Thats awsome you almost turned pro. Youll have a good time here

[GirlieGolfer]

I've been to the driving range a few times since I picked the clubs back up, but I haven't gone to play a full round yet (or even a half round for that matter).

I'm nervous. I want to go at a time when I can play by myself. I'm afraid I may be all over the fairway after this long. lol.

I wish I had my Taylor Made set back. I sold it years ago, so now I replaced it with a cheap starter set just to get my swing back. I always use men's clubs since I'm tall (5'8) and have long legs and arms. Women's clubs are too short and squatty.

I also want a hybrid club. Those are awesome. So many gadgets I have to accumulate. :) This will be a fun journey back to golf!
tiff

[kafka01]

Hello,

you wrote in your opening post you had hit 1000 balls a day, is this with pitching and chipping. I really have a hard time thinking how someone can fire out 1000 balls a day on the range over a period of time doing this without problems.

How many balls do the PGA-Guys hit on the range during a normal training day?

[GirlieGolfer]

Hello,

Hi Kafka!

Yes, that included hitting with my pitching and sand wedges. I had to utilize every club in my bag. You know how most golfers are - they cling to a few trusty clubs and ignore the rest because they don't feel comfortable using them? My trainer made sure I feel comfortable with ANY of them. Really 1,000 balls isn't a ton when you have them laid out. He had his own driving range, and it was a huge metal basket (I had to drag it it was so heavy). At first, I'd look at it like it was a mountain. Then as I got better, it looked more like an ant-mound. If you've ever heard of David Lee, you might know he teaches gravity golf. It was weird because some drills he made me do were 1-handed and 1-legged. Yes, looks ridiculous! But I got to where I could hit a ball on one hand and 1 leg better than a lot of players could with 2 hands, feet planted firmly on the ground. The drills helped you learn how gravity worked. It was awesome. Tiff :)

[kafka01]

Hey GirlieGolfer,

sorry no i havent heard of David Lee - yet cuz i only play since a short time span (intensivly) but i will check it out.

Personally i don´t feel uneasy hitting any of my clubs. I try to have as less different models of clubs in my bag as possible (i know i can hit irons well so why go with rescues or high fairway woods, which just makes it more difficult and more clubs you have to train - at least thats my opinion behind).

Regards

[GirlieGolfer]

i know i can hit irons well so why go with rescues or high fairway woods, which just makes it more difficult and more clubs you have to train - at least thats my opinion behind.

True, but you can look at it this way, too. Utilizing more types of clubs gives you more options. It's always good in golf to experiment with clubs, lies, grips, angles, etc. to be the very best you can be.

Tiff :)

[cdriver]

Hi Kafka!

David Lee had a school in Outside of Hot Springs Arkansas. Is that where you trained with him. He taught somewhere else earlier in his career, but moved to Hot Springs and opened his own school. There was a news report on him on the local news and they had footage of a young man around 9 or 10 who showed some of the one handed, one legged drills you spoke of. David also had his students pick the club straight up over your head and then break the wrists and turn the shoulders instead of making a conventional backswing. This was just a practice drill, not used in competition. Am I right??? Is this the same guy???

[GirlieGolfer]

David Lee had a school in Outside of Hot Springs Arkansas. Is that where you trained with him. He taught somewhere else earlier in his career, but moved to Hot Springs and opened his own school. There was a news report on him on the local news and they had footage of a young man around 9 or 10 who showed some of the one handed, one legged drills you spoke of. David also had his students pick the club straight up over your head and then break the wrists and turn the shoulders instead of making a conventional backswing. This was just a practice drill, not used in competition. Am I right??? Is this the same guy???

He moved to Arkansas shortly after we quit training together. I trained with him when he ran his own driving range in Fort Worth, Texas - and he was planning the Arkansas place at that time. I saw his site gravitygolf.com and it looks NICE! I emailed his wife Crickett recently and she told me to call, but I haven't yet - I will. I'm ashamed of myself for letting them down, you know? He invested a lot of time in me and I wound up pregnant.

Not sure about the straight up wrist thing. He usually showed me how NOT to do that, but he does make sure the shoulders (and gravity) lead your follow-through and backswing both. The one-limbed drills are for the range, but once you do enough of them and put them together, it works in your full swing on the course. It was weird learning gravity golf - makes perfect sense. The only thing I didn't like (because I'd had my own swing since age 3) is the way your right elbow kind of goes outward in your backswing. I'm used to a traditional stance, so this was always difficult for me. But I have to admit, when I DID hit it the gravity way, I knocked it out of the ballpark - FAR more distance and accuracy than with a traditional swing. I may buy his video set soon to get myself reacquainted. Still nervous about playing a full round. But one of you had a good suggestion about picking up and not searching for lost balls, etc. It's too late notice for a tee time today but I'll see if I can play next weekend! Eeek! tiff :)

[teebuck911]

nice to hear you are getting back into golf after you time away form the sport. i am sure you will be welcomed back with a warm one.. lol and good look with the future

tom