I am amazed at your knowledge and writing style. Thanks for sharing! Question --- when quoting chapter and verse, are you doing it by memory?
Thanks for the kind words, Denny. You have turned Yoda's green face slightlypink, and he is pleased that he has helped.
It is interesting that your first two sentences contain three key words:
-- Knowledge -- Sharing -- Writing
These words were the basis of one of Homer's favorite quotations:
"Reading makes a full man; Conversation a ready man; and Writing an exact man."
-- Sir Francis Bacon
The essence of the above quote is that by reading, a man becomesintelligent. However, that intelligence is impotent unless it is shared andsharpened through conversation. [Iron sharpens iron; men sharpen men.]But it is only by writing, by subjecting one's learned conversation tothe rigorous and frequent examination of the pen, that one can lay to waste allself-indulgent pretense and, in so doing, become exact.
So, there is nothing quite like writing to sharpen your precision and bringfuzzy concepts into focus. This applies not only to G.O.L.F., but to all otherareas of life. For that reason, "Memos to Self" are always a goodidea.
Regarding "quoting chapter and verse," I do that to enable thestudent to "follow the trail" and to simplify his task. Goodnessknows, it's hard enough already! In my responses to posts, I almost always know before I begin exactly the problems and the solutions. Most of the time, I also know their exact location in the book and can cite them from memory. This isespecially true with the Principles (Chapter 2); the 24 Components (Chapter 7);and the 144 Variations (Chapter 10). Also the Stroke Patterns (Chapter 12); theHands (Chapter 5); and the 12 Sections (Chapter 8 ).
In the other chapters, I'll sometimes verify the paragraph reference number --by the way, Homer had to do the same thing and would chuckle as he thumbed through his own book looking for the exact reference he knew was there! --but, again, like Homer, I know what is there and pretty much know where it is.After 23 years in The Golfing Machine, I should!
Now, you can do that, too, and probably a lot sooner than you think. Begin bymemorizing the Table of Contents. Then, memorize the 24 Basic Components. Thisisn't some kind of 'busy work.' In fact, Homer insisted on that memorizationas a prerequisite to his personal Authorized Instructor training. Believeme, if you know the chapter numbers and their content -- their titles andsubtitles-- and the names and numbers of the 24 Basic Components; and if youfollow diligently the four-step approach to the study of the book asrecommended at the end of the Preface, then the process of "citing"references is not quite as awesome as it might seem.
Now, why in the world would anyone want to go to all that trouble, just to beable to, as you say, "quote chapter and verse" in The GolfingMachine? First let me tell you one very wrong reason: Ego.Some people just like to "hold court" and are particularly fond of doing so using terms unfamilar to the "less learned." It makes themfeel 'important.' And without too much effort, it also can make them lookegotistical and pretentious. Which, in too many cases, is the truth.
No, the language of The Golfing Machine was never intended for thatsmall purpose. Instead, it was intended only to facilitate accuratecommunication between and among those who would truly understand the GolfStroke and how to apply that understanding to their games. In fact, many of thebest Authorized Instructors use the terminology with their students sparingly,if at all. They achieve their superior results through their superior knowledge and their superior teaching abilities, not by some vain attempt tospew terms that have no meaning to the student and certainly no meaning to theball.
Why, then, should we bother learning the 'lingo' and at least the majorparagraph references? The answer is that such knowledge facilitates completeunderstanding. Each important G.O.L.F. concept is defined in a singleparagraph reference. But, its full identity becomes apparent only in its relation to the other major concepts. And these are discussed in theirown respective paragraph references! In truth, full realization of the mostimportant concepts and their integration into the whole that is The GolfingMachine can only be achieved by assimilating -- one by painful one -- eachof the definitive references. This is not a flaw in the design of the book;on the contrary, it is its genius...and the only reason it has lessthickness and larger type than the New York City telephone directory!
So, one paragraph reference can define an entire concept. Tack on one or twomore and you begin to see how that major concept integrates with the whole. Asyou assimilate more and more material, the mozaic becomes more and morecomplete. Unfortunately, there is no 'magic bullet' here. You must simply grindit out.
But as that happens over time, you will find yourself automatically thinking in'blocks,' i.e., one specific term or paragraph reference instantly conveyswhole ideas that already have been completely organized and defined. Whenthis happens, talking G.O.L.F. using the language Homer so painstakinglycreated is no more confusing (or egotistical) than everyday conversationrevolving around food, money, or sex. These are bigideas -- complicated concepts instantly encapsulated in one word --and you don't have to explain to anybody what it is you are talking about!
Now, nobody ever claimed this journey was easy. In fact, the study of G.O.L.F.is an odyssey that will test all who attempt it. But the summit is attainableby all who desire it and will work for its achievement. Remember, in thisstudy, as in most others of value, there are three distinct phases:
-- Starry-eyed enthusiasm;
-- Complicated, psuedo-sophisicated confusion;
-- Mature simplicity.
You cannot hope to skip any of these phases. You can only hope to make thecomplete transition as smoothly and painlessly as possible. Your ignorance willtransform into familiarity and your familiarity into understanding. And finally will come the day when you are able to reach beyond the terminology, theconcepts, and the references. On that day, you will not only understand TheGolfing Machine, you will own it.
But even then, achieving the perfection that is The Golfing Machine willalways lie just beyond our reach. And that is as it should be. Quoting thegreat 18th century author and scholar, Samuel Johnson:
"It is reasonable to have perfectionin our eye; that we may always advance towards it, though we know it never canbe reached."
Here's wishing you as much joy and satisfaction in your journey as I've had --and continue to have -- in mine.
Linear Mode
