ゴルフの難しさに面喰いながら、
四苦八苦されている
新顔の子羊もたまに見かけます。
 
ショートアイアンで打つのだけれど、
マットを叩く方が多い。
たまに当たっても、転がるような感じで
左右に行くだけ。
 
ティアップすれば玉が上がるようになるが、
ド天ぷらか、だるま落としが大半。
 
ごくごく稀に距離だけは出そうな剛球を打つも
残念ながら右ドスライス。
 
疲れ果て、椅子に座って周囲を見ながら
なんで、俺だけこんなに当たんないんだろう？
と放心状態。
 
でも、大丈夫。
貴方が羨望のまなざしで見るベテラン子羊たち。
彼らの半分ぐらいの方々もまた、
 
今はああだけど、きっと2、3年で俺、
抜かれちゃんだよなあ。
飛距離はもう負けてるし。
ああ、ヤダやだ。
 
と、貴方の練習風景を見て思っています。
 
今は周りのみんなの打球が
プロのように見えるかもしれません。
でもそんなこた、ありません。
そう見えるだけです。
 
がんばれ、新米子羊。
 


私の行きつけの練習場で小学生の頃から
母親に連れられ、毎晩練習をしていた少年。
 
ものになるのかしら？と思っていたら
今や私のメンバーコースのクラブチャンピオン。
中学生で。
 
ああ、ヤダやだ。

2018.2.15
Lambs at the Driving Range VI: Lambs on their way
Occasionally we come across new lambs struggling with the difficulty of golf, overwhelmed by it.
 
He hits with a short iron, but most of the time it just hits the mat.
Even when he does hit it occasionally, it just rolls left or right.
 
When he tees up, the ball goes up, but most of the time it goes up too much or he just hits the tee.
 
Very occasionally, he hits a hard ball that looks like it could go far, but unfortunately it slices to the right.
 
Exhausted, he sat in a chair and looked around, wondering in a daze, “Why am I the only one who’s having so few hits?”
 
But it’s okay.
Those veteran lambs you look up to with envy.
About half of them probably think the same.
 
”He may be like this now, but I’m sure in two or three years I’ll be overtaken by him.
 
And he has already beaten me in terms of driving distance.
Oh no, no.”
 
That’s what they think as they watch his practice.
 
Right now, the balls hit by everyone around you may look like they’re being hit by a professional.
But that’s not the case.
They just look that way.
 
Good luck, new lamb.
 


 
Just raise my hand
 
He was a boy who, since he was in elementary school, would practice every night at my favorite practice field with his mother.
 
I wondered if he would ever improve in that condition,
but now he’s the club champion at my member course.
Still in junior high school.
 
Oh no, no.
 
Poor English translation：2025.9.1