Day 2: The First Day On The Course - By Sierra & Clark

        This Wednesday marks the second day of the POS Golf J-Term! We started out the day at the museum district campus, reviewing how to grip a golf club, before heading out to F.M. Law Park where we could practice golf for the first time this week.

        We had learned about gripping a golf club on day one of the J-Term, but since gripping is a fundamental skill that is critical to a good golf swing, we have to revisit it until it becomes natural. Mr. Roddy started us off by recapping what a good grip is supposed to look and feel like through a few demonstrations. The rest of us followed along and Mr. Roddy gave all of us helpful feedback on our grips. We then watched an informative video about three common grip mistakes and how to fix them. Following the video, we partnered up and practiced our grip again, this time getting feedback from our partner.

        Soon after, we headed out to F.M. Law Park Golf Course, home to a nine hole course, a driving range, a putting green, and a chipping green--the perfect place to hone our skills! Everyone started out on the driving range, first focusing on proper grip and then working on a basic and consistent swing. Although many of us struggled at first, we didn’t give up and held onto the small victories we made such as making ball contact, hitting balls over 50 yards, and keeping good grip! While hitting, Mr. Roddy helped us improve our swing by giving demonstrative feedback. No doubt, the driving range was a learning experience for all of us!

Students who had experience playing golf, namely those on the golf team, played six holes. Many of us hadn’t played on a course in months, so many balls found new homes deep in the woods. The greens were much faster than anticipated, which, when combined with our lack of putting practice, led to numerous three putts. Despite our wavering successes, we scored a few pars and hit high-arching shots right at the hole.

We then got on the bus to head back to school where we reviewed the rules of golf, as well as proper etiquette. Although we had previously read about the original 13 rules, we went over them again to assure that we’ll know them when playing on the course. Though it was a tiring, long day at the course, we are all looking forward to the next few days of hitting balls!

At the same time, golfers new to the game received lessons from Mr. Roddy on how to chip and putt. Many golfers believe that hitting long drives is the key to a low score, when in reality it is shots on and around the green that are most important. Students got more familiar with their putter and wedges while getting acclimated to the fast greens. Considering that it was many people’s first times playing golf, everyone was introduced to the frustrations of golf, but also the thrill that comes from making solid contact.