Akron Life May 2023

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

[ Publisher | Colin Baker | cbaker@bakermediagroup.com ]

Strong Drive

Improving my golf skills is all about the long game.

For a while now, I’ve been play ing golf. Although I’ve made some progress, I still feel like a complete beginner. But this year, I’m deter mined to take my game to the next level. I’ve been putting in the work, hitting the driving range and practicing my swing. I started a new golf training called Nitroswing. It’s a training program that uses speed, repetition and feedback from a machine that looks like it should belong in a gym instead of being used for golf instruction. It was developed by Frank Campitelli of Medina, who taught himself golf using this machine and later became the senior long drive champion. After using the Nitroswing, I am hitting the ball with more power and feel strong. This isn’t the first time I have looked for some instruction or gadget to help me become a better golfer. I have a whole basement full of junk that is supposed to fix your swing, yet somehow, I still play about the same. The golf improvement industry loves people like me. I’m willing to spend money with very little convincing if you somehow can show me your gadget will make a differ ence. I fall for it every time. I got my golf improvement gadget addic tion from my dad. It must be a hereditary disease. He didn’t spend his money on instruction and high-dollar fixes but rather on cheap little trinkets he would find online and at golf shows. He also made and invented a few of his own clubs, most of them being weird putters of all different shapes and sizes.

He probably had a point because most ama teurs should spend 70 percent of their time on putting to really improve their game. Unfortunately putting isn’t as much fun to practice as picking up the driver and smash ing the ball. As I step onto the course for my first round of the season, I can feel the excitement building inside of me. I take a deep breath, line up my shot and swing. The ball flies through the air, landing softly on the green. I can’t help but smile. This is it, I think to myself. This is the year I’m finally going to improve. But then, reality sets in. My next shot slices wildly to the right, landing in the rough. I’m frustrated, but I shake it off and try again. The rest of the round doesn’t go quite as well as that first shot, and I finish the day feeling a bit disappointed. But I’m not discouraged. I know that improving my golf game is a process, and it’s not going to happen overnight.

As I continue practicing, I find myself drawn to one of the most inspiring tales I’ve come across — that of Ben Curtis, the unexpected winner of the 2003 British Open. He had 300 to 1 odds to win that year. Curtis was a relatively unknown player in the golf world, with few people outside of his immediate circle even aware of his exis tence. And yet, he managed to outperform some of the biggest names in the sport and come out on top. His victory is a testament to the power of hard work and determina tion. You can read more about Curtis and other local celebrities on pg. 20. Looking back on my journey, I realize that I’m no Curtis, and the key to improving my golf game is simply putting in the time and effort. I certainly will put in the effort. It’s the time that seems to always elude me, but I will try.

[ Publisher Colin Baker is a retired racing driver and gearhead. ] Comments? Email them to Kelly Petryszyn [kpetryszyn@bakermediagroup.com].

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MAY 2023 | akronlife.com