So, I had this idea the other day, right? I was thinking about golf, as usual, and the name John McDermott just kind of floated into my head. Don’t ask me why, it just did. I remembered bits and pieces about him, you know, being the first American-born U.S. Open winner. That’s a big deal. So, I thought, why not dedicate a bit of my practice time to thinking about his era, his grit?
Getting Started at the Range
I headed out to the driving range. Wasn’t planning anything super technical. My main goal was to just sort of… channel a different vibe. I started with some easy wedges, just trying to get loose. While I was doing that, I was thinking about the kind of equipment McDermott would have used. Hickory shafts, balls that probably weren’t perfectly round. Man, those guys must have been something else.
Then I moved on to my irons. I really tried to focus on solid contact. Not power, just clean hits. I pictured those old courses, probably not as manicured as what we have today. You’d have to be a real shot-maker, very precise.
Key things I focused on:
- Tempo: Tried to keep it smooth, not rush anything.
- Imagination: Kept thinking about the conditions back then.
- Consistency: More than distance, just trying to hit the same kind of shot.
Working Through the Bag
As I worked my way up to the longer clubs, I kept that mindset. With the driver, I wasn’t trying to smash it. I thought about how much harder it must have been to control those old wooden drivers. It made me appreciate my modern clubs a bit more, that’s for sure. I wasn’t hitting it perfectly, no way. Had a few shanks, a couple of ugly tops, you know how it goes. But it wasn’t about scoring a perfect round in my head.
I spent a good hour just going through this process. I even tried a few shots where I deliberately set up for a lower, running shot, thinking that might have been useful back in his day. It felt different, not my usual game, but interesting.
What I Took Away
By the end of it, I felt pretty good. It wasn’t a practice session where I fixed a major swing flaw or anything like that. It was more of a mental exercise. It kind of grounded me, made me think about the history of the game and the mental toughness of those early pioneers like John McDermott. Sometimes, just shifting your focus like that, even if it’s just for one session, can give you a new perspective. It was a good day at the range, a bit different from my usual grind. Made me appreciate the game on another level, I think.
