One Swing Philosophy — What Golf Taught Me About Life

Have you ever noticed that some people can become completely absorbed in something they love? I am one of those people. (Smile!) But I didn't realize this was one of my strongest characteristics until recently. Looking back at my life, I can see a pattern. Whenever my heart tells me, "I really want this," and I make up my mind, I go after it. I don't always know how things will turn out. I don't even need to be sure that I will succeed. If I truly want something, I want to give it a try. And once I start, I naturally become deeply involved. First, English and Education English became a big part of my life. I spent many years working in a global company, studied for my MBAs, and even went to the United States to study. Learning was never just something I had to do. When I became interested in something, I wanted to understand more, learn more, and experience it for myself. Apparently, my brain doesn't always know when to stop! (Smile!) Then, Love Love was anoth...

Today was one of the happiest golf days I’ve had in the past few months. When I arrived at the driving range, Hallasan was right there on my left, perfectly clear without a single cloud. “Wow. Today is going to be a good day.” I started practicing in a very good mood. Today, I didn’t try to force my swing from the beginning. For more than 20 minutes, I simply did some free swings . I just let my body move naturally. After my body felt warm and relaxed, I moved on to full swings. This time, I focused on making solid contact with the ball . I mainly practiced with my 8-iron, 4-hybrid, and 5-wood. And then something really nice happened. My 4-hybrid , which I had been struggling to hit well, suddenly started making solid contact. “Wait… why am I hitting it so well today?” ㅎㅎ I was so happy. Maybe what I had been looking for wasn’t a perfect swing after all. It wasn’t a swing created by force. It wasn’t a swing built around repeating one particular movement over and over. Maybe it was simp...

Until yesterday, my golf swing was a complete mess. I had a really frustrating time at the driving range. But today, I went to Raon Country Club for a round of golf. On my way there, I decided to let everything go. “Don’t think about distance today. Just make a light swing and get the ball up in the air.” That was my entire strategy. I didn’t say much before my first tee shot. I don’t like making excuses or giving a long explanation before I even hit a ball. Let’s just play first and see what happens. And strangely enough, my driver was flying beautifully today. I also didn’t lose a single ball. Yesterday, I had put two extra balls in my little golf ball pouch, just in case I lost some today. Both came home with me. 😍😂 Then, on the third hole, I made par. That was when I finally started telling my younger playing partner everything about yesterday. I had been extremely busy last week with interpreting work and my students’ midterm exams, which ended today. And yesterday, I had anothe...

These days, my golf practice feels like riding a roller coaster. Yesterday, my irons were hitting the ball so well. I thought, “Oh! Maybe I finally found my swing!” I went home feeling great. So today, I went back to the practice range thinking I would hit the ball even better. But my very first shot was… A fat shot. Oh, no. 😂 I felt a little embarrassed. Someone might be watching me, you know. I tried again, and the ball flew beautifully. “That's it!” But today's practice was not that easy. I practiced for 80 minutes, and for almost 40 of those minutes, I was quietly struggling with my swing. Golf is such a strange game. If just one little thing is wrong in your swing, you can lose a good impact. But sometimes, when I don't think about anything and just swing, the ball comes off the club perfectly. Click! “Wait… what did I just do?” I have no idea. 😂 Today, I went back to some basics with my 5-wood. I tried to feel the weight of the clubhead during the backswing and comp...

These days, I find myself playing golf with this small group at least twice a month. If we include our 9-hole games, I sometimes see them almost once a week. I didn't plan it this way at first. Actually, when I first joined the group, I thought they were a little too loud and playful for me. I wondered, “Hmm… I wonder if I really fit in with these people.” 😂 But the more I got to know them, the more I realized something. They may joke around a lot, but they are all serious about golf. Most of us are in our early 60s, give or take a few years. We are at similar stages of life, and we have a similar love of golf. More importantly, they are good people. They have good manners. They look out for each other. Sometimes, when we run into each other at the driving range, someone will even offer me a cup of coffee. Those little things mean more to me than they might realize. Our band leader is another reason I enjoy this group. He is quick-witted, confident, and has a way of ...