The lesson lasted only 30 minutes but already I can see the difference. You can imagine the difficulty in changing habits that I have been forming for over 20 years. My teacher took pictures of how I was currently standing and hitting and then took me through some exercises to begin to build a better stance. Standing correctly is what everything else is built upon. The second factor he addressed was how I held the club.
He has given me a checklist to work through as I get ready to play a shot: hands, feet, knees, hips, back. If you play golf you'll hopefully follow my meaning here. The thing is it felt very unnatural. I was asking my body to hold shapes hithertofore unknown to it! But after a few setups and swings it began to feel more natural and that is what I have to practice and build upon over the next fortnight.
In another way of looking at it I have started back at the beginning and need to begin to etch the good pattern of addressing the ball to gradually replace the bad patterns. Now I am sure that initially I will have to rehearse the checklist until I have adopted it fully but then it will become second nature, and hopefully my golf will improve.
My walk with God is no different. I found myself reflecting on my Christian life and reflecting that there are some bad habits that have crept in over the years. I need to put a better pattern in their place. I know that it will feel unnatural at first but putting the good patterns into practice will help rewrite the pattern of my discipleship.
For me it will be my friends and my spiritual director who help me look at where I am and begin to make the corrective action.
I know that I will not become a 'Darren Clarke' overnight but my golf will need to be guided and shaped by lessons, by practice and by getting out onto the fairways. My faith will be no different!
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