Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Birdie in Hand...

By Gaurav Parab

Golfers love to give advice about the game to anyone willing to listen. Or not willing to listen. Or anyone within visual distance. Or anyone who is not even playing Golf.


One of the most common piece of advice that goes around is about Birdie Putts. Everyone tells each other to go for it. Never putt the ball short. Be aggressive on your birdie putt so it atleast reaches the hole. The closest Indian philosophy equivalent of it would be 'Pooch ke toh dekho' loosely translated to ' If you ask, you may get it'


The idea is if the ball - even if hit too hard - reaches the hole at least you give yourself a chance of a birdie. If it is hit with no energy, as most golfers do out of nervousness, then you dont make a birdie. Physics has not chill, you see. Somehow in our minds, a putt that goes 3 feet beyond the Pin is much more radioactive than the one that falls 3 feet short.

We are afraid that a Par in hand, is better than a birdie in the bush.

I often share this piece of advise even on things beyond golf. Go for it. Ask the question. Give yourself a shot.

So I took my own advice, watched the two seasons of Ted Lasso, repeated Pushpa Jhukega Nahin and went to the course with an aggressive mindset. Total toxic masculinity. I went for the birdie putts. I totally went for it.

Worst Round of Golf Ever.

Forget Birdie putts, Forget Pars - I watched my ball go to and fro from the hole like a long tennis rally. I made a goods train of bogeys and double bogeys long enough to reach Jammu Tawi from Pune.

Never ever take such advice. Two putt and stay safe.

@gauravparab 



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