Hello there.

I signed up a while ago but usually just lurk. I have a few questions to ask about swinging a golf club so I thought I better introduce myself first. Also I need to put a wanted ad in the classifieds because I bought my dad some clubs as a retirement present and the TM driver shaft is snapped in twain, so I need to find another one cheapish.

I have been trying to learn golf for 13 weeks. There is no instructor near where I live so I had to teach myself. I read lots of books and thought I was doing okay but then I took a video. Oh my god. Anyway I have resolved some pretty serious issues McGuyver style using some garden stakes, paddle pop sticks, ebay laser pointer etc. and lots of video. I think I have my swing to a point where I can actually just try and groove it in and gradually patch things I'm not happy with. Prior to this I would deliberately come home and break my swing just to make sure I didn't get into bad habits.

I also use a hitting net with a homemade divot action hitting mat, but to be honest I don't think hitting a ball is necessary for learning a lot of what you need to learn, in fact I think it gets in the way a little bit, but I guess I better get used to it being there!

I played my first comp last night. I was happy to get out there and do it, unhappy with my short game and putting (which I've been practising a fair bit) and ultimately very happy with my long game at this stage of proceedings. Met some nice people.

I have had some good scores in my practice rounds (9 over after 9 holes) and also some really bad scores (no comment), the good scores have all been the result of good short game and putting and adequate long game. I think learning on the actual course is conducive to good scoring early, because I can bounce a three hybrid out from under trees and down the fairway a hundred something metres without thinking about it, so driving off line a bit doesn't really bother me too much.

I volunteer to help install the irrigation system at my local course and also I am on my way to becoming a PGA certified Community Golf Instructor can you believe that! I don't know who would ask me to teach them though .