I have had to watch up-close and personal as what was a decent game — meaning I could shoot in the 70s on some days — deteriorated into a mish-mash of pulls, shanks, tops and other so-called shots that defy description.
I sank so low as to have to listen to a playing companion in a pro-am say, "The next guy we see on the course with a rake in his hand, we're going to make a trade for you."
And I couldn't blame him.
My game got so bad that when teams were being chosen for the club gangsome, captains flipped coins to see who got me.
It was ugly.
I tried everything I could think of. I picked the brains of golf instructors. I read half a dozen of those self-help books, including one by the famed Dr. Richard Coop.
It got uglier.
Finally, I figured that if I couldn't work my way out of the funk, I would try to buy my way out of it.
I was using a set of X12 Callaway irons that I loved before my ordeal began. But early in 2002, I had reached a point where I couldn't even take a backswing with one of those Callaways.
The problem was fear. Fear brought on by all the bad things that had been happening to me when I did take a backswing. I fought it for as long as I could. I had gone through slumps before, and I figured that I’d just go out one day and all the bad stuff would be gone.
Didn't happen.
So, I began the search for clubs that I could hit. The first ones I tried were borrowed from an old friend who wasn't playing anymore, a custom-made set of Infiniti offsets. They were fine until I took them on the course.
Next, I went to using Wedgewoods, a set of clubs that all looked like mini-woods. This helped tremendously. Thanks to the Wedgewoods, I could at least play the game. I even had a few rounds in the 70s again and regained some confidence.
So, I invested in a set of Adams Idea irons, a kind of hybrid step-downs that looked easy to hit. I could swing them without fear, most of the time, until I tried something longer than a 6-iron. Bad move. Every bad thing that had ever happened with an iron shot flooded my mind. I couldn't take the club back.
So I compromised, using a couple of TaylorMade Rescue clubs to fill the gap to my fairway woods. Not bad. I could shoot in the 80s most of the time.
And then, just a month ago, a miracle happened. I kid you not — I do not consider it anything less.
I was attending an International Network of Golf Demo Day at National Golf Club and visited the tent of Vulcan Golf. There they were. I knew they were the answer before I even hit them.
They're called Woodys, and they've given my game a new lease on life. The moment I saw them, I told the Vulcan rep, "This is exactly what I've been looking for."
I hit an 8-iron and was astonished. I worked my way up to the 3-iron and I'll swear to you I felt like crying. I had not felt shots that solid in years. My distance was back and the shots were straight. No panic in the backswing.
I made the order on site. The clubs arrived and I was almost afraid to try them. When I did, I didn't hit a practice shot. My first effort was an 8-iron approach to a par-4 and I put it about 12 feet from the pin. I am even using the 3-iron for troublesome tee shots. You can see them online at vulcangolf.com.
I have played six rounds with my friends the Woodys, and five have been in the 70s. I had two rounds of 78, a 77, a 76 and a 75. Gangsome team captains aren't tossing coins anymore.
With each round I say, "Thank you, Vulcan Golf."
