Years ago I lived in Columbia, SC while I was on the administrative staff of Columbia College. During those years, I spent many hours practicing golf at the Weed Hill Driving Range, and taking lessons from pro Jimmy Koosa.
Now I return to Columbia every few months to visit my daughter and her family. This year Jimmy Koosa was too busy coaching Little League, so he introduced me to his Assistant Pro, Scott Parker. After Scott and I met for an initial lesson, his story amazed me.
Why? Because he only started playing golf five years ago–and he has been a teaching professional the last three years. How could he excel in this tough sport so quickly?
Scott explained: “I was a music major at the University of South Carolina. So when I started playing golf, what I had learned about rhythm, tempo, and timing helped me develop a smooth golf swing–not built on mechanics, but on feel.”
When Scott demonstrates how to hit a shot, I feel like I am watching a symphony performance. Every motion flows. Every motion moves to the next one with a seamless transition.
Our first time on the lesson tee, he advised: “When you swing, think of one of your favorite songs. Imagine that you are swinging to that tune. You’ll be really happy with the distance and accuracy you get.”
He was right. That swing thought helped me improve, and enjoy the game more.
A LIFE LESSON
There’s a valuable life lesson here. You might think your college major or even your first two or three jobs were irrelevant for later life. However, the talents you develop in one situation can become quickly transferable to another, as Scott’s case illustrates. If you were president of your sorority or fraternity, those leadership skills will help you manage departments, divisions, and even an entire company. To share my own background, I edited our college yearbook. So developing my Web site, blog, and Social Media sites came quite naturally. Decades ago, I learned how to do layout for pages that would attract and hold attention.
THE CHALLENGE
Analyze your current professional responsibilities. List the proficiencies required for top-level performance. Then assess how you can succeed now by using what you learned much earlier in different settings. Just as Scott Parker applied his music major to golf, you can apply talents that, while you were learning them, seemed useless outside a limited scope. Most of your previous experiences taught you something you can use today.
CONTACT SCOTT PARKER
When you’re going to be in the Columbia, SC area and want help with your golf game, call Scott for a lesson: 803-920-3112, or e-mail him:
mailto:SparkerGolf@gmail.com
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