Perpetual Break

Golf is hard. Playing in the Memphis heat and humidity makes it harder. Golf Digest teases me with a picture of a dune-swept landscape, a player in a quarter-zip sweater and a knit hat.

What would make a man want to play golf when it feels like walking into Central Barbecue’s smoker? At least my tee shot will run out past 220 yards.

I could get poetic about a crisply hit 7-iron, the breeze blowing in my face as I watch it softly land next to the pin. When I read sentences like that, I know whoever wrote them was lying. I used to kind of buy into that golf mysticism stuff.

The magic of golf.

Voodoo.

I’m not just chasing a decent game. There’s always a better speaker for my stereo, a better grill or wristwatch.

I know, I know. Follow the process and the results will take care of themselves. That kind of depends on my process. What if my process is faulty?

That’s when I go to my favorite resource, YouTube, and consequently overload on too much information. The video starts off: If you’re doing this in your swing—over the top, too shallow, too steep, too inside—then this video is for you.

Hell yes it is!

I usually take a little side journey to the best drivers for under a thousand dollars, maybe watch a car being washed for the first time in fifty years.

I can’t help myself.

Get in the man cave and fire up YouTube and I am good to go.

Bliss.