So, I saw the names Tiger Woods Michael Jordan pop up somewhere the other day. Like, together. It got me thinking, you know? Two absolute giants in their sports. Dominance. Everyone knows them.
It made me remember this one time, years ago, when I got super into trying to perfect my golf swing. Not professionally, obviously, just trying to get decent at the local driving range. I watched tons of videos, mostly of Tiger back in his prime. The focus, the power. It looked almost easy on screen.
I went out there, day after day. Bought a used set of clubs. Really thought I could nail it down if I just put in the hours. You see these guys like Woods, or like Jordan on the court, and you think, “Okay, hard work, dedication, I can channel that.”
My Reality Check
Well, let me tell you, it wasn’t quite like that. My process went something like this:
- Day 1-5: Pure enthusiasm. Hit maybe one good ball out of fifty. Felt like a million bucks after that one good shot.
- Day 6-15: Frustration setting in. Why wasn’t I improving faster? Started watching even more videos, trying to copy every little move. My back started hurting.
- Day 16-20: Tried changing my grip, my stance, everything. Got worse. Actually hit the ball backwards once. Seriously.
- Day 21: Talked to this old guy who was always there. He watched me shank a few balls, then just kinda chuckled.
He came over, didn’t say much about Tiger or anyone famous. Just told me I was thinking too hard, trying to be someone else. “Just swing the club, son. Find your swing, not his,” he said. Simple words, right?
So, I stopped trying to mimic Tiger Woods frame-by-frame. I stopped trying to have the killer instinct I imagined Michael Jordan had before every shot. I just… swung the club. Focused on the ball, not on being perfect or being a legend.
Did I become amazing? Nope. Still pretty average, to be honest. But it became fun again. Less pressure. I wasn’t comparing myself to these impossible standards set by global icons.
Seeing those names together just reminded me of that little adventure. It’s easy to look at the greats like Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan and get lost in trying to replicate them. Sometimes, though, you just gotta do your own thing, find your own way, even if it’s just hitting a little white ball at the range. It’s less stressful, that’s for sure.
