I know there is nothing like hitting a great drive that
flies straight and long after the ball comes off the sweet spot
of the club. There is no vibration and it seems like you didn't
even hit anything. Your balance is perfect and as you admire
the ball flying through the air you ask yourself why every
drive can't be like this one. This is what Moe Norman called
"intoxication without the hangover." 
Sorry to burst your bubble folks but golf is a game of
mistakes including driving the ball. Approximately two-thirds
of all shots are played within 100 yards of the hole. Not even
the best players in the world have refined their full swings to
the point where they average hitting more than 13 of 18 greens
in regulation. Please don't let a bad drive or shot ruin your
composure on the course. How do you redeem yourself when bad
full shots occur? By becoming deft with your pitching, chipping
and putting.
The scoring payoff for a great putt or wedge shot is far
greater than the payoff for a great drive. I know initially
there will not be the same exhilaration, but watch your
opponents jaw drop when you bomb in a long putt, and I
guarantee you will start to get pretty exited about your
commitment to the short game.  This is how you will turn
double or triple bogies into a bogey. This will lower your
score a lot quicker than standing out on the range for hours
trying to hit every drive perfect, which is an unattainable
goal.
There are short game improvement clinics run regularly throughout the golf season. Please contact the Timberwolf Academy at 691-6019 for more information.
Tom Clark is a golf instructor at Timberwolf Golf Academy.
