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.
 

PGA's Business Model and Values Keep Golf Cooking

I thought golf might tank with Tiger's woes and the recession. But, it is doing OK. The Economist in a June 9 article says that golf's direct revenues are 25% higher in real terms than in 2001.

I learned from the article (Beyond Tiger) that the business model set up by Deane Beman who headed up the PGA from 1974 to 1994 has been a major reason. He recognized that if a tournament did not help the community, it wouldn't fly with volunteers and corporations. So, he encouraged all PGA Tour events to incorporate as charities. In the past 15 years, the tour has made $1 billion for charity.

Sponsors like the values behind the business model. We have to call penalties on ourselves and be gracious winning or lossing. Thsi is positive news for us younger players.