Me teaching at PGA Championship 2011 Atlanta Athletic Club
7 Days in Utopia premere Cobb Theater Atlanta
Robert Duvall & Me
Today I had to accept that my summer of touring was over. Before I go further there are a few things I want to share. I know some of you have missed me so here is a glimps of what I have been up to.
This summer was a career best for me. I shot my personal best scores in competition. I earned LPGA cash, a dream I had from Hawaii. I won when I wanted to. I learned from the days when all seemed lost, that I still had won.
There were weeks of whistling hi ho hi ho it's off to work I go, promoted by my caddie saying on almost every hole as I tapped in "Ho Hmm", for my pars and birdies. I later used Ho Hmm as my tempo keys for putting rhythm. Over and over I heard "that's why your name is on your bag, pro." I earned respect from my peers.
I came out of know where after a 10 year lay off and am now recognized as a player. The teachers who I learn from to teach became my pro. Their belief in me was powerful, yours doubled theirs. Charlie King admired my courage, Lynn Blake knew I would be great, Danny Elkins laughed and said "with your swing Cathy, you have got a lot of talent to have accomplished as much as I had," Brian Manzella, David Toms pro and a pro still wants me to play.
From my summer playing I am a better teacher. I woke up the reason for golf, it is not the perfect swing it is the target. The golfers job is to find it, I saw swings that were as sound as a dancer on stage and so bad that they would be illegal on a playground. They had a common bond both swing types found their targets. I knew my swing flaws and better knew my strengths. My hands are the club head and my mind knew the target. I learned to place my mind in my hands. Targets became a joy. Ho Hmm with a southern drawl.
What an adventure I have had. At Q school there was an Asian father and pro daughter. dressed in Japan LOGO orange and white. It was her ORANGE ball and it blew Titleist away. I looked it up to see if it were legal and couldn't read their alphabet symbols to tell if the ball given to me was good or illegal. What a sight they were during the practice rounds. When the tournament started the logos disappeared. A mother, my age of a competitor could not believe my game, considering her daughter blew by my drive by 50 yards and I blew by her daughters score. That mother said when all was done you have a great game Cathy. Most all caddie fathers were looking for my daughter, their jaws dropped when I teed off not my daughter and their comments came, "you can put" lol. The LPGA's who are my contemporaries jaws dropped when they saw me in Q school and when they posted my score said "great round Cathy." I qualified for the 2012 LPGA Futures Tour at my age!
The other events I played all have their share of this story, I will write my book some day but for now it is time to switch hats and become a teacher again. There was one morning at the nationals when warming up everything felt so easy and when the round began it was. looking back on it, it seems like there was some magic around me that morning.
In Atlanta when I pulled into the parking lot of Danny Elkins golf course real magic happened. The magic of teaching. I was busy collecting things from the front seat, I looked out my window and a woman was asking me if I would give her son a lesson. Her son was retarded a 26 year old man with a 5 year old mind. I knew my teaching there was not welcome by the staff. I told her she could find a lesson with one of the pros inside. I felt bad after she told me the circumstances. So I got out and collected the balls her son had not hit over the bank and began to teach him how to swing a club. The mother gasped Wow I would have never thought of that, she found out her son knew the alphabet due to the balls flew with "L" & "Y". The other golfers near by listened and watched as this boy hit all the balls over the bank. We finished with a big hug and the golfers near by were awe struck. At the PGA Championship a man came to me and asked can you teach me to get a forward divot. I told him he was lucky he chose me in 30 seconds he had his forward divot and the rest of the time we spent securing it. In Charlotte I gave a clinic to a group of women they asked me back to teach schools this fall. I have been home for a few days now and have gone back to work at Timber Creek. An Englishman came to me, I taught him how to control the ball and find his target. Your hands are the club head, your mind is in your hands. Control the club head control the ball find your target. His first lesson was from a pro in the UK he did well and now better. The US is still strong even though Europe has been kicking are arsse.
I am grateful for this summer. Lots to look forward to this season teaching, off again on to new adventures.
Looking forward to you being a part of them this season,
Cathy
I hope this helps to keep it in the short grass.
Bring this month's tip in for a 10% discount on your next lesson.
keep swinging,
Cathy Schmidt, LPGA Class"A"
www.thegolfbootcamp.com
cathy.schmidt@lpgapro.com
941.720.9080
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