| Perhaps like you, I have struggled with this wonderful | | | | advances in golf course maintenance and course |
| game of golf most of my life. An avid reader and | | | | conditions. |
| student of the game, I tried countless tips and | | | | I for one, take issue with Witter's analogy and his |
| numerous training aids, all with little help. There is a golf | | | | conclusion. I did start as a hacker at about age 30. Not |
| cartoon floating around that depicts a golfer taking a | | | | a good age to start such a difficult sport because |
| swing, with the club in several different positions. | | | | according to physiologists, my body had already |
| Around the golfer, and using up every bit of white | | | | reached or was soon to reach its peak physical |
| space, the cartoonist wrote in 52 tips or techniques of | | | | condition. My handicap remained around 19 for a good |
| which he was aware. If space allowed, he could have | | | | part of my life. Finally at age 65, I shot a 78 and have |
| added others. The cartoon simply reminds us how | | | | shot rounds in the 70's several times since. To what |
| difficult the swing can actually be. | | | | can I attribute my improvement and how does the law |
| Not so surprising, most of the tips were arguable. It | | | | of entropy apply, if at all? |
| was not until I focused on two unarguable aspects of | | | | There is no doubt in my mind that improvement came |
| the swing did my game improve and did I finally break | | | | about because I began to focus on keeping my head |
| 80 at age 65. I am not a good athlete like a Michael | | | | behind the ball through impact and by maintaining my |
| Jordan, who is still struggling with his game. But with a | | | | spine angle. My study of the game lead me to the |
| focus on these two aspects, it is my belief that there | | | | conclusion that at least these two aspects of the golf |
| is hope for all golfers at any age. | | | | swing were unarguable. To incorporate this change |
| Within my readings, I recently came across a golf | | | | into my swing was now the challenge. I knew enough |
| article simply entitled Entropy, by Ben Witter and | | | | about muscle memory and neuromuscular training to |
| published in "Essays on the Future of Golf". Holding a | | | | realize any change to my swing required feedback, if |
| mechanical engineering degree myself, I wondered | | | | such change was to become consistent, repeatable, |
| what "entropy" could have to do with golf. Here is | | | | memorized and ultimately executed unconsciously. |
| what Witter wrote. "The second law of | | | | At my age I knew also that time was not on my side. I |
| thermodynamics states that all objects in the universe | | | | did not have the time to get sufficient feedback from |
| are subject to entropy, meaning that they will all revert | | | | playing enough rounds of golf, or by hitting hundreds of |
| back to their original form and shape unless acted | | | | balls at a driving range or by taking numerous lessons |
| upon by an outside energy." Applied to golfing | | | | from the same Pro. I somehow had to get frequent |
| proficiency, Witter writes:" If you began golf as a | | | | and instantaneous tactile feedback on these two |
| hacker and you work on becoming better, your | | | | aspects to change and improve my swing. And so I |
| destinations toward becoming a hacker again is | | | | did with a full swing training device that I designed and |
| inevitable. It is actually a physical law of the universe." | | | | built. Lo and behold the 80 barrier was broken. |
| Evidence to support his conclusion is offered by | | | | As for the law of entropy, if in fact it does apply, my |
| comparing and reviewing USGA indices from golf | | | | only explanation is that the forces exerted by my |
| clubs across the country, over the past 50 years, | | | | body, coupled with the training device, might have |
| wherein golf handicaps have remained about the | | | | provided that "outside energy" that enabled me to |
| same. This statistic is astounding because of the fact | | | | delay the inevitable journey to again becoming a |
| that there have been huge advances in equipment | | | | hacker. For me, golf is fun. |
| technology, advances in instructional technology, and | | | | |