Never Mind Where the Ball Went and other Golf Stories

Forbes Abercrombie

Description

Have you ever thought of throwing your clubs with a bit of draw? Or deliberately playing slowly to rattle the opposition? Have you used the well-timed tactless remark to gain advantage? Read on and realise how such behaviour rebounds on the club golfer. Discover also the satisfaction of taking part in the running of events and of the unusual way of stifling discussion in Committee. Whoever would have thought of cutting the holes square for a change and horrified the greenkeeper? Where does the red wolf fit in?The author Forbes Abercrombie is a retired surgeon who took up golf in his early twenties, getting down to a single figure handicap at his best. He accompanied his clubs to many courses in many countries and had many adventures in play. He has chosen thirty episodes which illuminate the corners of the great game. You will not find any instructional material here; just the moments that gave him most pleasure at the time. Incredible though these stories may seem, every story is true.There is something for everyone in this slim volume. A word of warning though; this is not recommended bedtime reading, as you will have finished the book before you can put it down! Book reviews online @ www.publishedbestsellers.com

Sujets

• Golf

Informations

• Publié par: Pneuma Springs Publishing
• Date de parution: 22 novembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781782281573
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Never Mind
Where the Ball Went
and other golf stories




Forbes Abercrombie
Copyright

First Published in 2010 by: Pneuma Springs Publishing
Never Mind Where the Ball Went and other Golf Stories Copyright © 2010 Forbes Abercrombie
Kindle eISBN: 9781782281252 ePub eISBN: 9781782281573 PDF eBook eISBN: 9781782281191 Paperback ISBN: 9781907728044
Pneuma Springs Publishing E: [e-mail] W: www.pneumasprings.co.uk
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Published in the United Kingdom. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. Contents and/or cover may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the publisher.
Never Mind
Where the Ball Went

and other golf stories
Acknowledgment
Outstanding help from my wife Jennifer
NEVER MIND WHERE THE BALL WENT
Lessons are fun. It is always pleasant to enjoy the undivided attention of a professional for half an hour or so and there is the pleasure of doing what one is told and hitting the ball better for it. But it is an intimidating moment when you go to a new pro for teaching. You are required to demonstrate for critical review your swing to a person who is by definition much more of an expert at it than yourself. The pro knows this and seeks to put you at ease.
“Have a practice swing or two and then play a shot with your favourite club, a 4-wood or a 7-iron perhaps.”
Unless he is very careful there is a faintly patronising air. One of two things will happen; infrequently the shot is perfect, rifling down the practice ground and falling lifeless by the target. This rather irritates the pro who cannot think why this super golfer is coming for help he plainly doesn’t need. The pro bustles forward.
“Never mind where the ball went; there are quite a few swing errors to correct.”
More often the ball squirts off a miserable distance towards midwicket. The pro is moved to sympathy for the perpetrator of such a ghastly effort. He bustles forward.
“Never mind where the ball went; it is basically a good sound swing.”
7 UP
We were drawn against a recently retired surgeon and his son in the winter foursomes knock-out competition. After a certain amount of shilly-shallying on the phone we had arranged to play on the final Sunday permitted by the committee at 1200hrs. When we reached the tee it was to find a downpour of rain driven into our faces by a strong wind. The first hole is a medium length par three and was straight into the weather.
A good deal of hairy-chested behaviour took place but no-one suggested that we should toss for the match and go home. This is strictly against the rules anyway.
Eventually I teed up and hit a screaming two iron six feet left of the pin. After that there was no question of our side giving up in spite of the certainty of a soaking and the risk of pneumonia. Soon we were on the second tee one up and it became apparent that the opposition were not on their game. In fact all they could salvage from the first nine was two halves.
“I’ve had enough.” Said the surgeon. “I’m going home for a hot bath.”
They took themselves off. My partner and myself had a brief celebration and having changed and dried out enjoyed a cup of victory tea before leaving. On my way out I looked at the draw sheet to see who we had to play in the next round. I noticed that our opponents had not filled in the result of our match as was their responsibility.
It was, therefore, with some pleasure that I wrote “Abercrombie and Jones Seven and Nine. ”
MORE LESSONS
Modern video teaching is a highly developed technique and one’s swing is dissected in sections and compared, or rather contrasted, with that of a professor such as Nick Faldo or Fred Couples. In its early days it was not so sophisticated and the teaching still depended on the skilled eye of the professional.
I, suffering from bad form, went to the pro and was persuaded to have a video lesson. We repaired to the practice ground with all the kit and I hit the ball very badly while the pro photographed me from every angle. Then he put me right and I hit the ball well while he repeated the video recording. We then returned to the pro’s shop and soon my image appeared on the screen.
My first thought was that I was too fat and that I needed a haircut, and my second that I was certainly hitting the ball badly. Then there was a short break and there I was just as fat and just as much in need of a haircut but hitting the ball much much better. However although I knew what the pro had told me to do and although I could see an enormous improvement in the quality of the ball striking I was quite unable to make out any difference in the appearance of the swing itself.
Since that day I have tried not to give advice to other golfers even when they ask me for it as I feel that only the trained eye can see the small differences which have such a disproportionate effect on the result.
HALFSOMES
Picture the scene: a deserted