--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: \"Hit it with the back of your left hand\"…" description: "\"\"Hit it with the back of your left hand\" was the first swing thought I ever heard, brusquely bu not unlovingly put to me by the aunt-in-law who had mom..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/john-updike-396_aunt_hit-it-with-the-back-of-your-left-hand-w_947092.png" --- # "Hit it with the back of your left hand" was the first… ![“"Hit it with the back of your left hand" was the first swing thought I ever heard, brusquely bu not unlovingly put to me by the aunt-in-law who had moments before placed a golf club in my virgin grip. I was twenty-five, and had spent my youth in a cloisterd precinct of teh middle class where golf…” quote by John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/john-updike-396_aunt_hit-it-with-the-back-of-your-left-hand-w_947092.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/john-updike-396_aunt_hit-it-with-the-back-of-your-left-hand-w_947092.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/john-updike-396_aunt_hit-it-with-the-back-of-your-left-hand-w_947092.png) > “"Hit it with the back of your left hand" was the first swing thought I ever heard, brusquely bu not unlovingly put to me by the aunt-in-law who had moments before placed a golf club in my virgin grip. I was twenty-five, and had spent my youth in a cloisterd precinct of teh middle class where golf was a rumoured something, like champagne breakfasts and divorce, that the rich did.” [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A mentor gave a blunt, practical tip about swinging a golf club, highlighting how informal guidance can shape early learning experiences. **In simple terms:** A blunt tip taught me how to swing a club. Key Takeaway Embrace direct advice when learning new skills. Themes learning mentorship golf confidence practicality Mood reflective motivational nostalgic Type anecdotal instructional When to use this quote - first golf lesson - receiving advice - overcoming hesitation - building confidence Key Concepts skill acquisition social influence informal teaching Questions to Reflect On - How did that advice affect your confidence? - What deeper lessons can be drawn beyond the tip? A Different Perspective Advice may be overly simplistic and ignore deeper technique nuances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aunt/) [Breakfast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breakfast/) [Champagne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/champagne/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Clubs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clubs/) [Divorce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divorce/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Five](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five/) [Golf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golf/) [Golf Club](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golf-club/) [Golf clubs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golf-clubs/) [Hand Swing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hand-swing-1661810/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Heard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heard/) [Hit Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hit-left-752046/) [In-laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/in-laws/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [Left hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left-hand/) [Middle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle/) [Middle class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-class/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Placed Golf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/placed-golf-1661811/) [Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich/) [Swing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swing/) [Swing Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swing-thought-838362/) [Swings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swings/) [Twenties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twenties/) [Twenty five](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twenty-five/) [Virgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virgins/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [Some emotions cannot be endured with a golf club in your hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-jones/some-emotions-cannot-be-endured-with-a-golf-club-in-your-hands/) [Bobby Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-jones/) > [Its either fishing rods or golf clubs for me, one or the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-bullard/its-either-fishing-rods-or-golf-clubs-for-me-one-or-the-other/) [Jimmy Bullard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-bullard/) > [Pete Dye introduced me to golf course design back in the 1960's. 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I was twenty-five, and had spent my youth in a cloisterd precinct of teh middle class where golf was a rumoured something, like champagne breakfasts and divorce, that the rich did.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Updike" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/hit-it-with-the-back-of-your-left-hand-was-the-first-swing-thought-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Aunt" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/hit-it-with-the-back-of-your-left-hand-was-the-first-swing-thought-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/john-updike-396_aunt_hit-it-with-the-back-of-your-left-hand-w_947092.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/john-updike-396_aunt_hit-it-with-the-back-of-your-left-hand-w_947092.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/john-updike-396_aunt_hit-it-with-the-back-of-your-left-hand-w_947092.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“\"Hit it with the back of your left hand\" was the first swing thought I ever heard, brusquely bu not…” — John Updike", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Updike", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "\"Hit it with the back of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/hit-it-with-the-back-of-your-left-hand-was-the-first-swing-thought-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/hit-it-with-the-back-of-your-left-hand-was-the-first-swing-thought-i/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```