A reminder

I spent some time tonight talking with a novice, and it put me in touch with the way people -- all of us, but especially those starting to play golf as adults -- feel at the beginning.

They just want to hit the ball...and it's not easy. Moreover, they would be better off, by far, if they could convince themselves to learn how to swing a golf club, and then use the swing to hit the ball.

The important step is learning how to set up, get ready, execute a backswing, and let the forward swing be a reaction to the setup and backswing. 

When we mis-hit the ball, the natural inclination is to try to alter the swing. That way lies frustration. Learn the swing, practice it, familiarize yourself with it, take it to the course, set up, put the swing into motion.

Simple to say, difficult to do.