The Random Comic Strip

The Random Comic Strip

Words to live by...

"How beautiful it is to do nothing, and to rest afterward."

[Spanish Proverb]

Ius luxuriae publice datum est

(The right to looseness has been officially given)

"Everyone carries a part of society on his shoulders," wrote Ludwig von Mises, "no one is relieved of his share of responsibility by others. And no one can find a safe way for himself if society is sweeping towards destruction. Therefore everyone, in his own interest, must thrust himself vigorously into the intellectual battle."

Apparently, the crossword puzzle that disappeared from the blog, came back.


Tuesday, September 17, 2013

It's Not Really Exercise


There are two basic categories of golf: professional and amateur. Within these two categories there are a number of tiers. The professionals are all well above average. In fact, I refer to them as "freaks of nature" because they can do things with a  golf ball and a club that defy imagination. So there are simply two tiers: superstars and the rest.

In amateur golf, there are no tiers either, really, just a range of horrible to excellent. But we tend to arrange them into tiers: beginners, average, high handicap, low handicap, mid-handicap. The "average" golfer tier is actually mostly high handicap types. The general consensus is that the "average golfer" doesn't break 100 most rounds. I am a mid-handicapper; somewhere between a 12 and 16. That means I tend to play rounds in the mid to upper eighties with occasional trips into the nineties and the rare visit under 80.

I break my golf into two phases: pre-1986 and post-2001. You see, I started playing golf in 1974 and played fairly regularly until mid-1986. I just walked away from it. As I approached retirement... avidly... I decided I needed something to fill my idle hours and decided to take up golf once again. I had broken 80 only once in the first phase, shooting a 79 while holding a 15 handicap (which gave me a net 64). I have done this a number of times since 2005; shooting 77, 78, or 79 a number of times... even as low as 75. Breaking 90 was very important to me and happened, for the second time, in 2002... making me feel like I was back, since I felt my skill level indicated I should play in the mid-80's.

Something I learned along the way is that I get less exercise (and feel less tired after) with a round where I break 80. Also, that I do not even feel the contact on my best drives or other shots. A friend claims he can see the ball compress as he hits it with his driver. I have no reason to disbelieve this but cannot do it myself. In fact, I cannot even see the ball as it is struck. I just do not have quick enough eyes.



4 comments:

Tom said...

Well, I guess we can agree to disagree about guns. But your analysis of golf is spot on. I can't see the ball compress as I hit it, either ... but then, I swing with my eyes closed. And I get a lot of exercise!

Douglas said...

I have a golf buddy who says:

"First I take my grip, see?"
"Then I take my secret stance."
"Then I shut my eyes and swing really hard in case I hit it."

Joanne Noragon said...

What I know about golf fits in less than a thimble, but I can tell you it has high a high grin factor for me.

I pass a golf course several times daily. My township is quite rural; ditches instead of sewers, no curbs. I love to see golfers walking, looking for their balls in the ditch. To its credit, the golf course mows the county ditch daily, to make it easier on the folks who lost a ball.

Douglas said...

Joanne, what you don't know is that the course rakes through the ditch before mowing to find those lost golf balls so they can sell them back to the very people who lost them in the first place.

I don't lose golf balls... I set them free.