Another Slice

If you checked into my “About” page, you’d see that I claim (among other things) to never watch The Golf Channel.

Well, last night, I happened to be flipping around, and came upon what appeared to be Episode #1 of Hank Haney versus “The Swing” of Sir Charles Barkley.  And, I have to confess, I couldn’t help but watch for 10 or 15 minutes.  All the while trying to explain to my wife– who was more productively folding laundry, while I just sat there watching– who this guy Barkley is, and why this should be so funny.

But as we spoke, and watched some video takes of Sir Charles’s swing from last year, I found myself rather wholeheartedly agreeing with Hank:  I don’t see why he can’t make Charles’s swing 300% better.

If I understand right, this program (both the TV show and the “makeover”) are slated to last 6 months.  You should be able to do a heck of a lot for a guy’s mechanics, for his understanding of the mechanics, and for his psychology, in 6 months.  The Empire State Building was built in 13!

This comes down to a question of an individual’s ability to change– for the better.  To improve.

If we– the golfing public, the men and women who trudge out (or rush out) to the practice tee as often as we can– if we don’t think that all that work will turn us into better golfers, then why are we doing it?  If we knew that all that practice was pointless, couldn’t we find something better to do with our time?  Or are we such losers that we don’t even have the imagination to take up another sport?

Well, I think our actions answer the question.  We believe– sometimes wholeheartedly, sometimes halfheartedly– that we can make ourselves, make our game, better.  So why shouldn’t Charles be able to, too?

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