The Driver is Not My Enemy

"The Enemy of my Enemy is my Friend."
-Arabian Proverb

In the past, I may have mentioned once or twice that I am not a fan of using the Driver.  It is a behemoth.  It is unruly and cannot be controlled.  I've always felt that attempting to use it was akin to rubbing my body down with gazelle-scented oil and then promptly sticking my head in a lion's mouth.  Basically, no good could possibly be achieved from such a reckless action.

I've also been very fond of using what I've referred to as, "The Old Man Swing."  Although contrary to the moniker, I have yet to meet the old man who doesn't drive the ball farther than I do.

So, in yet another epiphany, I've decided to embark on the dangerous, remarkable, and foolhardy journey of trying to master the use of the heretofore unmentionable golf club.  Now here's the funny part:  It turns out, I'm not that bad at it.

Through the magic of scorecards and emotional scarring, I am able to review my rounds in great detail in order to determine what really happened.  On my last round of golf, I used the driver on 10 of the 18 holes.  On 6 of those 10 holes, I actually hit great shots.  (Yes, GREAT shots.  That's not a typo.)  On 3 of those holes, I hit bad shots BUT they were salvagable.  (Or, to put it in layman's terms, I got lucky.)  There was only one hole where I used the Driver where things didn't turn out so well.  That would be the 10th hole.

One of the things that's especially heartbreaking about playing the 10th hole poorly is that it's the first hole on the "Back Nine."  As you get ready to tee off, there's this sense that you are gettting to start over.  That you get to hit the reset button and maybe, just maybe, you can still reach your original goal.  Then it all comes crashing down.  And crashing down quickly I might add.

Suffice it to say, the 10th hole didn't go well.

But let's not get hung up on that one minor disaster.  If we do the math, we'll see that 9 out of the 10 holes actually were successful.  On 9 out of the 10 holes, I actually gave myself a chance to be even more successful.  And on 6 out of the 10 holes, I accomplished feats of glory that would not have been possible if I had continued to let myself believe that it couldn't be done.

So Mr. Driver, I don't like you and you don't like me.  But the golf course seems to lose a lot of its power and influence when I use you properly.  This looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.