About ten years ago, I used to be a good golfer. I've shot par. My lowest handicap was about 5. I could play, despite poor putting. Apparently, being 6'9" means you can hit the ball a long way, but it isn't incredibly conducive to a good short game.
Anyway, I'm trying to "revive" my game for an upcoming boys trip to the Masters. I'm playing a few days with some of the Tiltboys at some pretty cool courses, and then we'll attend festivities at Augusta in the afternoons. So, I hit the course for the first time in about 5 years last week. I am no longer a 5 handicap. Or a 15 for that matter.
I started thinking, "how do I make the most of this crappy, inconsistent swing"? Golf is a game that rewards consistency.
So, on the range, I figured out that I could still hit a fairly consistent "draw" with my Driver, and a fairly consistent fade with my irons. (When I was good, I could go both ways with all the clubs without much problem.) A short cut, then, was simple: STAY WITH WHAT YOU CAN DO AND DO CONSISTENTLY. Creativity, as a relative novice, is where you get in trouble. Try to stay "down the middle" until you can feel your way into a groove. Only then is it wise to try something a little spectacular.
The same holds true for poker, specifically for poker tournaments. If you're new to the game, don't go trying to "hook the ball under the trees, around the corner, over the lake and onto the green." That shot (or hand) will be too difficult, and the cost-benefit is clearly negative EV. Sure, it can be a great deal of fun if you pull off the miracle, but more often than not, your ball ends up wet, your score is inflated, and you go on monkey tilt on the next tee shot and pull out the driver when a more cautious 3-wood would be more appropriate.
I've mixed more golf/poker metaphors than I should have, so that is all. Fore!
Phil
Anyway, I'm trying to "revive" my game for an upcoming boys trip to the Masters. I'm playing a few days with some of the Tiltboys at some pretty cool courses, and then we'll attend festivities at Augusta in the afternoons. So, I hit the course for the first time in about 5 years last week. I am no longer a 5 handicap. Or a 15 for that matter.
I started thinking, "how do I make the most of this crappy, inconsistent swing"? Golf is a game that rewards consistency.
So, on the range, I figured out that I could still hit a fairly consistent "draw" with my Driver, and a fairly consistent fade with my irons. (When I was good, I could go both ways with all the clubs without much problem.) A short cut, then, was simple: STAY WITH WHAT YOU CAN DO AND DO CONSISTENTLY. Creativity, as a relative novice, is where you get in trouble. Try to stay "down the middle" until you can feel your way into a groove. Only then is it wise to try something a little spectacular.
The same holds true for poker, specifically for poker tournaments. If you're new to the game, don't go trying to "hook the ball under the trees, around the corner, over the lake and onto the green." That shot (or hand) will be too difficult, and the cost-benefit is clearly negative EV. Sure, it can be a great deal of fun if you pull off the miracle, but more often than not, your ball ends up wet, your score is inflated, and you go on monkey tilt on the next tee shot and pull out the driver when a more cautious 3-wood would be more appropriate.
I've mixed more golf/poker metaphors than I should have, so that is all. Fore!
Phil
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