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Robert Bicknell
Source: Vietnam News
In today’s world, we have an amazing array of choices in just about
everything. Golf clubs, balls, shoes, foods, drinks, vacation spots. You
name it and there’s a gazillion choices which are equally attractive.
I have always taught my students that 14 clubs in the bag does not
limit you to 14 shots if you learn how to hit each club many different
ways. However, too much of a good thing can have an opposite effect and
lead to "paralysis by analysis."
When I was young, I could always manufacture a shot which would get the
job done, or get me out of trouble because of a vivid imagination and not
being afraid to try the ridiculous. I developed the basics of each shot
through diligent practice at the range and then tailored the shot to the
situation on the course as needed.
Inventing the most implausible shots in the world and then pulling them
off was both an ego boost and a hell of a lot of fun…until one day I stood
over a standard 100-yard shot and realised that I had no idea what to do
because there were too many equally appealing choices available.
I could run it up, fly it close and stop it, go past and back it up,
fade it, draw it…
In the end, confusion resulted in a combination of all five shots and
turned a birdie chance into a double bogey. It was the last time I stood
over a shot without having a clear idea in my mind of what to do.
Too many options can also be a problem in our daily lives as well.
Look, having only been home twice in 20 years, after reading an article
about Starbucks Coffee, I realised that I’m probably the only American on
the planet who doesn’t know what a "Double Latte, extra foam with non-fat
milk" is.
Entering Starbucks would probably be a very traumatic experience for
me…too many opportunities to look stupid for a man who simply wanted a cup
of "coffee". I would stand at the counter looking like a deer caught in
the headlights.
On one visit back home I made the mistake of going to the "supermarket"
and after 15 minutes, I was totally overwhelmed by the choices and ready
to have a nervous breakdown….there were 50 different kinds of everything,
all of which claimed to be the very best product in the universe. A
definite case of "paralysis by analysis".
Seeing another shopper looking at the same items, I asked her if the
product was any good. She looked at me like I was an alien from another
planet.
Thus, I realised that the most obvious choice was to do the same as my
golf shots…buy something that I could "customise" at home...
Asian food is a lot like that…pretty basic stock, but the condiments
available on the table allows everyone to customise the food their own
individual tastes. Maybe that explains the quick rise in young Asian
talents.
In golf, a player should have a few basic shots to rely on, plus a few
trick shots for emergency situations, such as getting around or under a
tree, or escaping from a supermarket aisle unscathed.
However, unless you have no other option, never try a shot you haven’t
practiced because most times the result will be less than acceptable and
could often get you into deeper trouble.
In a recent article, legendary golfer Arnold Palmer teed off on today’s
professionals saying that they lack true "international" experience. In
fact, he attributed part of the Ryder Cup debacle on that reason.
I have to agree.
Playing on different courses around the world is a great way to learn
new shots and to understand different playing conditions.
You cannot play US-style "target golf" in Scotland because the wind
will blow you all over the course and, secondly, the balls don’t stop on
the greens. Thus, you need to know how to "bump and run" the ball onto the
greens, and how to hit shots that stay under the wind. Not easy by any
stretch of the imagination for players used to "perfect" playing
conditions.
My advice to any golfer would be to "see the world" and take your golf
clubs with you and learn something…but don’t over-do it
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