[innercityteacher]

Considering you've been at this for only a few months, you're learning very fast. It must be difficult at your age.

I had one beer. This morning at 5am, my right ankle was twice it's normal size and my right toe felt like Godzilla had gnawed on it.

Golf is easy. Gout is brutal.

There is a medicine that melts the uric acid crystals. One pill 3x a day. It also melts everything else. I took two pills at 5am and a third at 7:30 when we teed off.

Standing on my left leg mostly, I was 12 over for my first 9 holes. I was 5 over for the next 3. and finally 2 over for the last 6. I missed the cut by 2 strokes shooting a 90. Leader shot a 79 and most players shot between an 85-88.

I set my vertical left wrist all day and simply threw it down through the ball. I couldn't pivot with my right foot so I RFT'd as much as possible on the front 9 though that was only less painful on the downswing..

The course had standing water everywhere due to the 5 " of rain it took on Thursday and Friday morning. We played "lift, clean, and place," which I could not hardly do on the front 9. I can't really do that left - legged. Drives plugged. No roll anywhere.

I saw and understood Lynn's "David and Goliath" sling on his video. I understood the TSP with a level left wrist. I understood VJ's "Missing Piece," Daryl's reminder of the vertically uncocking wrist, Kevin and Jerry's Pivot work, Jeff and Ted's positions at address positions.. My round was like one 5 hour meditation on hitting and throwing down with TGM and swinging. I tried hitting at the range but could put much pressure on my right foot.

I just couldn't do it until the back 9 holes.

On the back 9, I was able to march back and through and even put pressure on my right toe in the follow through. Drives cracked and wedges started to plug close to the pin on the last 6 holes.

There were several instances of blatant gamesmanship in my foursome. I have to learn how to respond to that in an effective way without losing my cool. One of our foursome insisted on standing opposite the hole as I putted. After I told him to move on a fifth hole, I threatened to call the pro and inquire about his being DQ'd for "player interference." I had no idea what I was talking about, but he got the message. I have to know the rules of golf in competition. Another player started telling me what to hit on two of the tees. I thanked him for his concern the first time and asked him not to speak to me when I was selecting a club. Then I just told him to mind his own business.

My club is a small public course. There were 35 guys in the "A" flight championship. 80 guys in the "B" flight, and about the same number in the C/D flights. No big deal, right? Both those guys shot 86's. (Why pull that crap on such a minor venue?) SO WHAT? TALK TO US WHEN YOU QUALIFY FOR THE US AMATEUR OR AT LEAST A REGIONAL!

I should've shot an 78 at least! Next year, my stroke will be even more solid and I'll have Ice water and Salmon for dinner, the night before! Next challenge: regularly shooting par or better!


YBGF