I got a chance to hit the famous Titleist Pro V1x today, for the first time ever (a gift from a friend).  Now I know why they're so expensive!  Bubba, thet there ball took off like a scalded dawg, and felt soft as a marshmallow coming off the club face.

But I ran into the same difficulty that I have with other high-price, high-performance gear, like "Burner" drivers and such.  These expensive things really help me hit it LONG alright... further than ever into the woods and the water.  

So, while I was musing on this, a thought came to me.  Maybe the "Pro V" on the Titleist is an abbreviation for "ProVisional," as in the next ball I hit after I hit the first one into the woods.  And, maybe the "1x" stands for the number of ProVisional balls one can use, as in 1 to the x-power.  Granted my math skills are a little fuzzy, but that would sure add up to a lot of Titleists to purchase.  

What I'd like to see is the new Titleist Pro-Tree 1x, which guarantees that shots hit into the woods will bounce back onto the fairway, regardless of how many trees get knocked or birdies get hit.  Or, the even newer Titleist Pro-H20-1x, which is chemically treated to bend ball flight away from water, which as everyone knows is a natural attractor, like static electricity is to socks.

I'd pay real money for those, let me tell you.   But in the meantime, I'll just keep hacking away with my current, less-expensive favorite math ball -- the Slazenger II.  It may be a rock, but it rolls.  And perhaps "slazenger" is German for "slices guaranteed," and the "II" means the ball has only been hit twice before I purchased it.   Works for me!

Finally...and at my home club!

Yesterday at 7:46 AM on a 158-yard par-3 (a lakeside hole dubbed "Our Most Hated Hole") and again today at 2:45 PM on a small 300-yard par-4.  BIRDIES!  The only other birdie I'd ever shot was last September (what's that...nine months ago?) on a 90-yard par-3 at another club, with no witnesses to share it.  Even that was a thrill. 

But these were way better.  Both involved long, winding putts.  Long enough for my partners to yell "Nice putt!" three times before the ball dropped.   And to my surprise, I didn't hoop like a newbie, but just did a quiet fist pump.  Like birdies are something that I do all the time, no big deal.

Right!  Usually the only birdies I get are when I slice high into the trees.

Golf is INCREDIBLE these days.  I hope this good stretch lasts awhile.

They say that golf is a great revealer of inner character.  If so, today I've been exposed as being all choked up.

I've been so pleased with my progress lately.  Remembering that I'm new (less than one year playing), that I'm completely self-taught, I've actually been quietly...well...proud of the incremental improvements I've seen.  One of the biggest pleasures has been in developing consistency off the tee.  After long agonizing months of slicing, then pushing, then fading...FINALLY I'm hitting straight, and pretty long, too, at least for me.

So what happens today?  About three holes into the round, a cart comes up with a duo, wanting to join up with my walking friend and myself to make a foursome.  "Sure," we both said.  Then I noticed that one of the guys was the assistant pro at our club.  Now, he's a great guy, probably 20 years younger than I am, down to earth and friendly and approachable.  The last professional PGA person in the world to want to intimidate anyone. 

But once they joined us, do you think I could hit the ball off the tee, for the rest of the entire blankety-blank round?  Not for love nor money!  In my head, I told myself how stupid this is, how unnecessary this is, how immature this is, etc.  I laughingly told him, "It's all your fault.  Your professional status is freaking me out."  We laughed together.  Then I whiffed...again.  I can't remember the last time I was more embarrassed.

To salvage the day, I asked him about his price for lessons, and whether he thinks he can help me.  He said he can help ANYONE.  That's good to hear, because I need help for sure, both with my tee shots and with this choking sensation.