Ya just never know....

One of my driving ranges was in Cordele, Georgia. It was located just behind an upscale motel at the intersection of I-75 and US 280.
Cordele is sort of a well known stopping place for folks traveling to Florida for vacation, because it is exactly a hundred miles from the state line.
I loved this location because I got to meet so many interesting people who were passing through, and came over from the motel to practice their swings before going on to Florida.

One evening a very good friend of mine, Chris Greene, and I were watching this young man hit balls, (sorry I don't remember his name, so I'll call him "Billy") .
His family was there with him and Chris and I went over to socialize with his parents.

Billy's parents said they were from up north somewhere, and were very engaging, Chris and I enjoyed visiting with them. They told us they were on their way to visit Disney World for the first time.

After a bit Billy took a break and told us that he was going to be a senior the next school term and had tried out for the golf team since he was a freshman, but never seemed to make the cut.

I looked at Chris and said, "This young man seems to be nice enough, do you think I should show him the Line Drill?"
Chris replied, "Sure, why not?"

I took Billy over to the sand trap area of the range and showed him a drill someone had taught me a few years earlier.
I stayed with him untill I was sure he understood the drill, and got the concept, then I returned to talk some more with his parents while he practiced on his own.

This drill teaches a method to make sure you always strike the ball before the ground, and has seemed to work well in my instruction regarding iron shots.

Now, I have been asked many times which shot I thought was the most important in golf, and my usual reply is, "It doesn't matter if it is a three-hundred yard drive or a six inch putt, they are both one stroke."
However, if you really pin me down, I'll have to say it is the approach shot. Because if you are not on the green to begin with, you have very little chance of making a birdie, and more likely than not, the result will be a bogey, or worse.

I didn't think much more about giving the instruction, because I was always giving a free tip here or there when I saw an obvious swing flaw.
I did get paid for lessons and my business "partner" would sometimes give me hell about, "giving away my talent." I would usually shrug my shoulders and tell her, "Hey, it's fun, and besides, it didn't take an hour."

Well, guess what? The next year, about the same time in June, Billy's family came back through town and stopped at my place again. Billy's father told me Billy had made them go back to Florida again this year, just so he could stop to see me and tell me something in person.

With face all aglow, Billy said, "Not only did I make the golf team this year, but I also got a golf scholarship to a junior college, all because of what you taught me!" Then he gave me a big hug.

You can't buy the feeling Billy gave me that day.

How do you measure success?


Walt