Within a couple years after his near fatal car accident, Ben Hogan made an amazing comeback by winning the Open Championship at Merion in 1950 (USGA Journal article).

So what am I complaining about with my sore shoulder, what a sham compared to the painful obstacles Ben Hogan had to overcome.

This was truly one of the most memorable moments in the history of golf and truly an inspiration for me.

Go out there and practice alot so that by the end of the year your handicap hits the single digit realm.

The famous golfer Ben Hogan used to say, "The more I practice the luckier I get."

He used to train himself hours on end and hit thousands of balls until his hands blistered and bled, feeling that this was the only true road to golfing perfection.

Lucky for him that he already had developed the right mind, which is most of the work.

That's really weird, it started raining and all of a sudden all of the snow which has been lying around for weeks on end completely disappeared, just like that. Driving in the car with the sun blaring in through the windshield, it almost felt like Spring was coming. I thought great, now I can finally play golf again. So I rush on over to the golf course, but it's closed! The melted snow had flooded most of the greens and fairways, making it unplayable and slushy. Darn it all, better luck next time.

Today I was pleasantly surprised to discover how much "just knowing" that you are gripping the club correctly can improve your confidence. Without changing a thing, I was striking the ball consistently, and except for an occasional draw, I was hitting the ball high and pretty straight.

Worrying that my grip was one of my weaknesses, I've been playing around with variations for about a year without much success. In fact, each new change made things worse and worse. The more I practiced the worse I got. Each new grip made my arms feel like they were bending and extending in an unnatural way.

I've always had a "strong" grip, meaning that my left hand is turned inwards (clockwise) so that the V between my forefinger and thumb points to somewhere between my nose and right eye. The left thumb presses slightly on the side of the grip opposite to the target, and the right hand barely does anything but follow.

During my younger days, the fashion was to adhere to a "neutral" grip where both hands are clapped together at right angles to the target line and grip the club at that position. The left thumb is aligned along the length of the club shaft with the right hand folding right on top with the right thumb also lying along the top of the grip.

(Even in Ben Hogan's book "Five Lessons" the "neutral" grip is taught and the V of the right hand should point to the chin.)

I'm now reading the book "Swing Like a Pro" by Dr. Mann, which is based on years of scientific analyses of the best professional golfers. It presents a bio-mechanical approach to golf, where a model swing is individualized and applied.

In the second chapter of this book, I was pleasantly surprised to read that my natural grip, the one I was born with and used as a kid until I took official lessons, matches closely to the ideal grip as explained in this chapter. The V of the right hand points to the right shoulder.

So I do not have to change anything about my grip (actually, that V of my left hand should be pointing slightly more in the direction of my right ear). Just grab the club naturally with my hands and that's it. Not only does this grip feel the best, just knowing that it is a good grip makes me confident. I am more mentally prepared when I take my stance and address the ball. My arms swing freely and are not obstructed by a grip which feels foreign to me.

Next fundamental is my stance which will be covered in the next chapter.

I just finished the book "Dream On" by John Richardson. It's about this golfing hacker pursuing his goal of shooting an even par score within a year. It was so good, so inspiring, that I read the whole thing in only two sittings.

Impossible challenges are good for us. We acquire more confidence in ourselves, not so much in that the impossible goal is actually achieved, but simply in the fact that we can mobilize ourselves mentally and physically in difficult situations we never before realized we were capable of doing.

The book also includes many interesting tips on how to improve your golf game. It's not only alot of practice, but also assuming a new 100% way of life centered around golf. A sense of mental acumen is the frosting on the cake, and nothing can beat the feeling of exhilaration when it all comes together. That's what makes golf so very interesting to me, the intricate balance between the physical and the mental, trying to make sense of the many obstacles nature puts in our way.

One of the most interesting parts of the book involves feeling confident but not overly so. The moments he is feeling really great and imagines he's finally going to pull it off, those are the moments he messes up badly. With only a few holes to go and then knocking two balls into the trees. At the other extreme, feeling nervous and unsure about yourself is also not good. By the end of the book, the author has attained a higher level of awareness where it "just happens" without him even thinking about it. A fairy tale come true, but only after a year of total immersion, dedication and hard work.

Self-improvement is human nature and we need the challenge in one way or the other in order to survive.

The weatherman tells us that it's going to be below freezing, but I will be getting up early anyway to hit the links. Now that I've got my golf winter gloves, four layers of clothing, a woolen cap and a wind breaker for good measure, nothing's going to stop me now.

For the first time in my life, I went into the pro shop and bought a pair of golf winter gloves. Now that the daily temperatures have dropped down to freezing, my normal golf glove doesn't quite do the trick. I must be totally addicted to golf to want to force myself to swat the ball in such an unforgiving climate.

Being the golf enthusiast that I am, I challenged myself to a late afternoon nine holes in this freezing cold weather. A good pair of warm gloves is absolutely required, otherwise one loses complete feeling in the hands which is disastrous for the old golf game.

Playing in colder weather has some additional disadvantages that need to be taken into account, namely that the golf ball will not travel as far. Takes about two clubs extra to reach the target, assuming that the ball is hit squarely and true.

However, hitting the ball well is more difficult because it is lying on soft, muddy ground and the icy wind is trying to blow you off balance. So make it three clubs extra, but swing easier so that the chances of hitting the ball cleanly are increased. Poor concentration will result in your face being splattered with mud particles or painfully vibrating hands from hitting the ball way too thin.

Considering the circumstances, the early coming of darkness and the dropping temperature, I played alright I guess. My left big toe is still pretty frozen and hasn't yet thawed out.

Next Wednesday morning early I'll be out there again daring the winter weather in its face with an amazing shot here and there. Undaunted and persevering, I believe that practicing under such unattractive conditions will in the long run improve my game by strengthening my confidence. Knowing that I've braved new and unexpected mishaps and survived the round, becoming wiser and more appreciative of nature's many whims.

There are very few accomplishments more thrilling than having the best three shots of the round on the final par four eighteenth hole.

First you nail a drive down the middle of the fairway. Second you strike a nine iron high into the sky letting the ball fall nicely on the elevated green and right down the smokestack. Third you tap the two foot putt confidently in the middle of the hole for a birdie.

Enjoy the feeling today while it lasts and remain confident that no matter how old you are the magic of youth is still inside of you, ready to be unlocked at any moment by the right thoughts at the right time.

Smashing evening golf balls at the driving range when it is dark is a strange experience which takes some time to get used to.

Although the first one hundred yards or so is illuminating alright, the distance to the targets is hard if not impossible to calculate. A simple pitching wedge flies the nearest flag and makes you feel like you've acquired supernatural abilities.

Aiming for the 250 meter marker is another interesting challenge. The ball disappears, and then there is a pause. Either you hear nothing, or if you are lucky there is a delayed bang which resonates through the night and makes you feel good.

The golfing range I hit balls at has two levels. I'm usually on the lower tier because I prefer practicing at the same level that is more natural for golfing.

An interesting effect is the hitting of golf balls by others who are standing above you on the second tier. You cannot hear the balls being hit, but watching all them little specks looks like this blasting of little white snowflakes into the distant night.

Tiger is not perfect because he is also human, what a surprise. Nor should he be blamed for the fantasy world, the goddess of a wife and the sham of a marriage society has forced upon him. If we insist that he is failing, then it is we who are all to blame, not him.

Fifty percent of the marriages nowadays fail anyway, so there is nothing new. If you are a celebrity then that percentage is much higher. Why is that so? Yet another forced marriage bites the dust, but life continue nonetheless.

We gawk and we gossip and we feel better about ourselves when we don't have to look at our own lives and can worship heroes instead. We soak up the vicarious thrills of their challenges and successes. We are hypocrites when that large chunk of our own missing selves is put on the shoulders of those so-called perfect heroes.

Failure is part of the game and happens once in awhile. Leave Tiger alone and get on with your own lives.

This time of year it is often a race against the clock getting in those last couple of holes before it gets too dark. But what can you do if the darkness is approaching too quickly, and on the ninth hole you are staring down a fairway that you can barely see?

Tee shot from the ninth.

What I try and do is place the ball farther up in my stance, thereby hitting the ball higher so that it appears as a black spot against the sunset sky, arching up and then downwards. This partial segment of the trajectory can be used to extrapolate the rest of the downward arch, providing one with a rough estimate of the location of the landing path. A good ear comes in handy, the distant thump or the crashing of leaves and branches giving a more accurate indication of where best to look for the ball.

After a half decent drive down the right side of the fairway, I hit my approach shot in the general direction of the ninth hole. I hear the familiar sound of the golf ball hitting the surface of the green with a confident thud. Didn't see it fly off of my nine iron, didn't see it come down, but I can imagine perfectly well where the ball has stopped rolling. Time for a daring eagle-eye birdie putt just as the final rays of sunlight disappear altogether.

Watch the ball arch across the sunset sky of the tee shot, hear that suggestive thud of the approach shot, and then the long and winding putt dropping into the cup.