Slowing down while my body heals

I love golf and competing. But I have practiced way too much. Now my body screams loudly. The golf swing is not body-friendly!

 A shoulder injury I have been nursing for the last few years just won’t go away. It feels OK for a while but when I play for any length of time, the discomfort affects my game.

I’ve consulted with many experts. I’ve tried many remedies --more stretching, ART, softer conditioning, less busy schedule. The only thing that seems to help is a break from a lot of golf.

This year was the first time in my professional career that I did not go to PGA Q-School. It felt weird. I figured I had not played enough to give myself a decent chance.

The break from playing a lot of golf is helping me to re-evaluate direction. I know there are many players on the top tours who took a long time before making it. Isn’t the average age for getting a PGA Tour card about 33? I still have a few years to go.

Besides the technical, I am really interested in the health and mindset side of golf. Conditioning and strengthening is more important than when I started as an amateur. A few more feet off the tee can be an advantage on some courses. Endurance especially on the last day can make a real difference. Keeping positive is better than negative. But not so easy when things are not going well! Golf is a fascinating sport.

I’ve learned a lot. How I can put that to use is part of my thinking these days.