Over the past few months, I've been really busy. It's been so busy, I've been unable to practice a game I took up a couple of years ago - the game of golf.
I've learned that golf is a really hard game! This hasn't been helped by the fact that I haven't been able to play all that much. This afternoon, I decided to give myself a treat by going to the driving range where I could get in some practice. I drove to the driving range looking forward to the sunshine and the hit.
I drove home disappointed.
When I arrived at the range, I realised I would be hitting straight into a setting sun. I would hit a golf ball, and had no idea where it went. The sun was so bad, I figure I would have been able see where one in ten of my shots went. Nine out of ten times, I had no idea where the ball went.
When I've gone to the driving range in the past, I've enjoyed it even when I haven't hit the ball well. Under normal conditions, you get feedback the instant you hit the ball.
Today, that didn't happen. Most times I had no idea how I'd hit the ball.
And this made a huge difference to the whole experience.
I figure this has enormous application beyond golf! People need and, given appropriately, want feedback on their performance. And it's probably the case that the more immediate the feedback the better.
I'll not be going to the driving range late afternoon any more :-)
