Reflection...

...I'm working this weekend, so no golf (most vexing, as due to a lack of planning I've missed the 2nd qualifying round for the club championship, when I was lying 3rd after the 1st round- I'm hoping next year's schedule might allow me to have a go at it). I've been reading back through the blog tonight (don't have Sky Sports, so no US open for me ;-) and it's been a bit of a shock. Having the blog recording how I feel about my golf at the time of writing means that I can almost travel back in time, but as an observer rather than a participant, and what has surprised me is just how far I've come in what is a relatively short period of time. It's a bit like not noticing how much your children have grown until you look back at photographs from a short period.

One of the most striking changes, and also the most positive one, is that in my original posts I'm more swing focused; it's almost like I'm playing "golf swing" then, whereas now I'm a lot closer to playing "Golf"- the complete entity of which the swing is but a part. I've also been working a lot on my putting, and have found the results-based coaching I thought would suit me best. And no matter how much I knew in theory, I had to start to experience it- walking the walk rather than talking the talk. I've played a number of competitions; I've been in the top 5 twice and my handicap has started to fall. I've managed to identify and start to work on the single most important factor in my improvement (haven't as yet missed a day of Karen's stretches) It's so easy to miss all of these things because they happen inch by inch and it's difficult to remain motivated if you're putting in the work and aren't aware of all your improvement (although this perhaps isn't too much of an issue for me; it seems I'm head over heels in love with golf, and don't view practice as a separate entity from golf and have come to love even the stretches, sap that I am!).

It's therefore been absolutely lovely to have had this wee reflective time to confirm how much things have moved forward. Still would rather have played in the 2nd qualifying round of the club championship or watching the US Open, mind!