When I stood bridge watches in the Navy, at certain times it got pretty hectic. I had to make the right decisions at the right time and there were no second chances. When I got used to it, I looked forward to it, because I knew nothing would come up that I couldn’t handle. I knew what I was doing.

This came to mind when I was browsing through Afternoons with Mr. Hogan, by Jody Vasquez. There’s a quote from Hogan that goes, “Don’t just hit practice balls. Hit the 9-iron into the back left corner past the bunker. Then remember what it felt like, so when you get to a shot and you need to make it, you already know what it feels like.”

It’s one thing to be able to hit the ball. It’s another for your mind to be at ease with the shot you’re about to hit. A 9-iron to the center of the green or to the back left corner is the same shot if your mind feels that it is. And that sameness is that you know what you’re doing, because you’ve done it before.