Dusting Off My Balls

Normally, I keep things clean and orderly. I like a clean living and work environment. Same goes when I’m on the course. If there’s a bunch of crap stuck to my spikes, the OCD takes over and I’ll spend a few minutes cleaning them off. Clubs? Forget it. They get a cleaning before and after my round.

Why is it I don’t really care about my balls…ahem…golf balls? In fact, I’ve devised some ludicrous theory that a chunk of dirt on my ball will actually slow the in flight spin therefore straightening out my slice. I know, I know, it’s ridiculous. Hey, I never said I was a physicist. But when I play with a dirty golf ball I seem to play better.

The more I think about it, the more I believe it’s mental. Really! When I wash a ball at the tee box and it’s nice and shiny my first thoughts are ” Boy, I hope I don’t send this in the lumberyard.” Similar thought process when I take a new ball out of from the sleeve. In reality it should be “I’m going to send this shiny little ball right down the fairway!”.

It’s like driving a used beat up car compared to a new one. If we get a ding or scratch on the beater we don’t care. In essence, us not caring lessens any stress we may have allowing us to perform better and with much less anxiety.  Oh, the mental tricks we play on ourselves. If a dirty ball is what it will take to play better than a dirty ball is what I will use. As a matter of fact, I will pack my balls in mud.

Hit’em long…yell FORE!!!