Your Destination: The Hotel

While the vast majority of my posts come from either a lesson or a bit of knowledge obtained from a fellow instructor, this one came over the course of three nights while re-attending the Flatstick Academy Level 1 Certification. The Hampton Inn my colleague and I stayed at had an entrance tucked away from the main road. To further compound the issue of finding the entrance, the signage wasn’t exactly obvious.

The first night, we nearly drove by the main entrance, but managed to swing a wide right turn onto the side road leading to the parking lot. The second night, though less dramatic, brought us in through the gas station before hotel. The final night led us through another side road between the gas station and Burger King to the hotel.

Each night we took a different route. Each night we ended up at our destination.

Our nightly predicament was very similar to that of a player’s putting; different but similar approaches yielded the same, acceptable result. If we entered the parking lot a different way, we didn’t leave the lot and come back using the proper entrance because there was the right way to do it. Each way was “right.”

Consider an element like the required speed for a ball to enter the cup. From putt to putt, the ball may enter at a different speed, but still ends up holed. A holed putt is definitely an acceptable result.

The sooner a player can create freedom with an understanding and awareness that putting requires a flexible, adaptable mindset, the sooner the player can achieve success. Putting doesn’t revolve around right and wrong, but rather, just finding your destination, an entrance to the hotel.

Thanks to John Dunigan, a good friend of mine, for putting up with me as a roommate during this school and driving those nights. Looking forward to next time!