In Pursuit of the 300 Yard Drive

November 14, 2016

There comes the point when as a golfer that you say to yourself, "I need some lessons, new clubs, and play more."  I have been saying this for a few years now and finally made the first step and purchased a quality driver. The driver costs more than what I paid for my whole set. I did my diligence on the internet and found one that fit the budget without creating an extensive discussion with my wife.  I saved my pennies and went down to the golf shop, got fitted, and went to blast away on their course simulator. It felt right in my hand, and I was excited to let it rip on the course.  Even though I barely could hit it 180 yards in the golf course simulator, I thought this was just an aberration until I got onto the links.

I pull out my Taylor M1 Driver on the 1st hole with a 380-yard distance. The grip on the club feels good in the hand, and I think that I cannot miss with this behemoth of a club head.  I take a few practice swings, and I keep it in my head not to swing for the fences.  I focus on mechanics and want to hit one down the middle of the fairway.  I would settle for a 225-yard drive if it just played down the middle.  My golf buddies are watching, and they know I am using a new driver.  They expect a big shot.   I smoothly go into my backswing and focus on lining up my downward motion.  Crack, I nail it.  Ut oh, it begins to fade, and then really disappear, and now I am thirty yards into the middle of the fairway next to ours.  Shame and embarrassment ensue, and there is a short period of silence, then followed by, "oh crap."

I know you golfers have had this type of shame and disappointment plenty of times. If I hit the ball three hundred on that first drive, then I would have wondered why anybody wouldn't go out and get a driver like this.  It is my golfer's dream to hit my drives 280 to 300 yards down the middle. Of course, we all have those dreams, but most will settle for just hitting the ball in the fairway with respectable distance.  Now, what am I going to do?  Before I throw in the towel and let a pro tell me what to do, I will be stubborn and try to work it out by my means.

There will have to be some time and investment that I will attempt without the apparent need for a few good tips. There are devices on the internet that you can set up to analyze your swing by using your cell phone and an application.  The next step is to hit a few hundred buckets of balls.  This will be a challenge to figure the proper mechanics and swing speed to get this going in the right direction. After I could somewhat hit a straight shot, I want some distance.  Increasing my swing speed will be the biggest obstacle and challenge in my long ball pursuit.

Even though golf is probably the most frustrating and most giant mind screw of a game, there comes a lot of self-satisfaction when the shot you have shanked hundreds of times goes where you aimed. Once you reach a level when you approach a 90 score, you get excited that you are improving.  Yes, that 300-yard drive is out there for me to obtain, but I know that many slices and 200-yard worm burners have to be hit before I even sniff 280 yards. Happy Hacking!

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