I signed up for a month-long, email-based writing course from Cole Schafer of Sticky Notes, Honey Copy, and Chasing Hemingway fame.
He sends a lesson and prompt every day. I have 10 minutes to read and consider the prompt, 40 minutes to write, and 10 minutes to edit before posting publicly.
I’m posting here to not drown my Casey's Notes content. On to day 17...
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I've played golf since I was 9. Good bounces, bad bounces, shots that are pro-level, and shots that would make a new golfer feel good about his game.
Today's writing prompt is to write about a tool that feels like an extension of myself. I don't know if it's age, playing for 27 years, practicing my short game a TON as a kid, or something else, but in recent years, my putter has sometimes felt like an extension of me.
It's a Scotty Cameron Studio Stainless Newport 2 from 2004. I bought it from a used golf shop in ~2006 or 2007 for FAR too much money. I can only now justify the cost since I've used it every round since.
I like a heavy putter, so I have three tungsten weights on the back and two more on the sole. I put on a cheap Golf Pride grip a year or two ago that fits my hand like it was custom made for me. The head has a few dings and nicks, but those just tell stories.
Even if I don't touch the putter for months on end, like during the winter, it somehow still feels like an extension of my hands when I pick it up.
Golf is hard. Really hard. When you putt, you have to deal with natural variables like the slope of the green, the grain of the grass (meaning what direction it's growing -- grass doesn't grow straight up), wind, temperature, and humidity. You also have to deal with your own human variables. Your grip, stance, posture, and swing differ on every putt.
In recent years, thanks to kids, I've only been able to get on the course a few times each summer. My game has been terrible. Really, really terrible. But for some reason, my putting has still been good. Some rounds, it's great.
When I'm putting well, I've had the experience of being able to actually see the line of the putt. My putter doesn't only feel like an extension of my hands and arms, but also my eyes. I can stand over a putt, see the exact line I need to hit, and hit it on that line with the right speed. Despite playing sports since I was three, it's the closest I've ever been to being "in the zone."
Even though I waste the best putting of my life with a terrible tee-to-green game, I'll still take experiencing my own little slice of nirvana thanks to my connection with my putter.
He sends a lesson and prompt every day. I have 10 minutes to read and consider the prompt, 40 minutes to write, and 10 minutes to edit before posting publicly.
I’m posting here to not drown my Casey's Notes content. On to day 17...
--------------------
I've played golf since I was 9. Good bounces, bad bounces, shots that are pro-level, and shots that would make a new golfer feel good about his game.
Today's writing prompt is to write about a tool that feels like an extension of myself. I don't know if it's age, playing for 27 years, practicing my short game a TON as a kid, or something else, but in recent years, my putter has sometimes felt like an extension of me.
It's a Scotty Cameron Studio Stainless Newport 2 from 2004. I bought it from a used golf shop in ~2006 or 2007 for FAR too much money. I can only now justify the cost since I've used it every round since.
I like a heavy putter, so I have three tungsten weights on the back and two more on the sole. I put on a cheap Golf Pride grip a year or two ago that fits my hand like it was custom made for me. The head has a few dings and nicks, but those just tell stories.
Even if I don't touch the putter for months on end, like during the winter, it somehow still feels like an extension of my hands when I pick it up.
Golf is hard. Really hard. When you putt, you have to deal with natural variables like the slope of the green, the grain of the grass (meaning what direction it's growing -- grass doesn't grow straight up), wind, temperature, and humidity. You also have to deal with your own human variables. Your grip, stance, posture, and swing differ on every putt.
In recent years, thanks to kids, I've only been able to get on the course a few times each summer. My game has been terrible. Really, really terrible. But for some reason, my putting has still been good. Some rounds, it's great.
When I'm putting well, I've had the experience of being able to actually see the line of the putt. My putter doesn't only feel like an extension of my hands and arms, but also my eyes. I can stand over a putt, see the exact line I need to hit, and hit it on that line with the right speed. Despite playing sports since I was three, it's the closest I've ever been to being "in the zone."
Even though I waste the best putting of my life with a terrible tee-to-green game, I'll still take experiencing my own little slice of nirvana thanks to my connection with my putter.