Author: vet4golfing51

Posted on

Golf: The Evolving Left Heel

When you start looking at golf swings over history, the use of the left heel is one of the biggest differences. It is hard to say exactly when the golf swings of the pros changed, so these years may not be exact, but we need to divide the left heel into three different generations of golfers: the pros from 1900 to 1935, the pros from 1935 to 1990, and finally, the pros from 1990 to the present. There will be some exceptions during these times, although for the present swing of the pros, I see no exceptions, which does not mean that there may be a few. From 1935 to 1990, the use of the left heel gradually and subtly changed over those years. Let’s go through the years and see what the left heel did.

From 1900 to 1935, the great players were Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Harry Vardon, James Baird, J. H. Taylor, Tommy Armour, Willie Anderson, Ted Ray, and Jim Barnes. They all lifted their left heel quite high during the backswing. There is no question they did this lifting of the left heel consciously. The left heel, in most cases, started to come off the ground just as the swing began. Many, but not all, even lifted the heel slightly on less-than-full shots. When it came to full iron shots, the left heel would come off the ground. It would not come off the ground quite as high as the driver, but there was no doubt the left heel came up for all shots. On the driver swings, the heel came way off the ground, where just the top of the shoe was touching the ground. Of all the great players of that era, Gene Sarazen’s heel came up the least on the driver swing. In fact, he came the closest to swinging the way the pros swung during the ’40s all the way through to the ’90s.

As we got into the 50s and pretty much into the 70s and the 80s, things began to change. The left heel continued to rise on the driver swings and most of the iron shots. However, for the short irons, the heel would remain on the ground for some players. Certainly, for short game shots, nobody would lift their heel. The great players during this time were Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, and Lee Trevino. This was the first boom period for golf, thanks to Arnold Palmer. While practically all the players raised their left heel distinctly for all long shots, it was more of a reaction to the turning of their bodies, especially their hips. They all felt that the left heel was being pulled off the ground by a full backswing turn. Nicklaus’s heel came way off the ground for his driver swing. The difference between this swing and the swing of the early 1900s was that at the beginning of the swing, the left heel did stay on the ground. Because the left heel came off the ground so late in the backswing, it was a much quicker up and down. It may have been more of a timing mechanism. It certainly was for Jack Nicklaus. He mentioned in his instructional books that he felt the first move to begin the downswing was to plant the left heel back on the ground. I looked at a lot of golf swings from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, and all the players followed this particular rule. They all felt that the left heel coming off the ground was one of the last things that happened in the backswing. There was no question that practically all the good players raised that left heel.

Beginning in the late 80s and into the 90s, a new thought process was starting to take place when it came to the left heel. Good players started to have more of a rolling process when it came to the left foot and the backswing. These players included Greg Norman, Ernie Els, and Nick Faldo. From the rolling of the left foot came keeping the left foot on the ground through the entire backswing. This was to restrict the hip turn to create a stretch at the top of the backswing to create more power. In today’s game, we have practically all the pros with Tiger Woods topping that list. I did not get too technical here because even rolling the left foot inward does keep about 90% of the left heel on the ground. There is no question this is the modern swing. Keep that left foot on the ground throughout the swing. So how should this evolving left heel affect our game?

We all should consider at least trying to lift the left heel. There are two big benefits to lifting the left heel on the backswing. First and foremost, it guarantees that you will get your weight off the left foot during the backswing. The second benefit, which Jack Nicklaus mentions in his books, is that it will keep the hips level during the swing. As your left knee turns toward the ball, if you do not lift your left heel, you will feel your left hip move closer to the ground. What method should we use when we lift the left heel? Should we feel that the left heel is being dragged off the ground, or should we start lifting the heel as soon as the swing starts? I think you can experiment with either method, but I would start out with the left heel lifting right away, simply to get used to the move. One thing lifting the left heel will do is take the strain off the back and hips. I would practice by always incorporating the left heel lifting right at the beginning of the swing. For the real deal, if your results are better by lifting the heel late in the backswing, then go ahead and make that your backswing. Lifting the left heel has long been a forgotten part of golf. For us weekend warriors, I think it should be rediscovered.

Posted on

Sports: The College Football Playoffs

The teams are set for the 2nd 12-team college football playoffs. This imperfect system created by the NCAA showed its ugly head again as Notre Dame was left out of the tournament. It really boils down to giving too much opportunity to the non-power conference schools. There should have been a rule that only one of those schools can make the playoffs. If you want to have equal footing with the big boys, then you need to join and play the big boys. Simply put, to have both Tulane and James Madison in the playoffs is ridiculous. I don’t care if one or both pull off the big upsets. We all know at this point that the NCAA does not really have any empathy for the student-athlete. Every decision it has ever made has always punished the players and not the coaches and boosters that are at the heart of the corruption and greed of college football. But enough of that; it has been hashed out in many other media outlets. Let’s get on with the games that are set to begin December 19th.

The first game is by far the most intriguing. Oklahoma vs Alabama. Oklahoma, to me, is the most dangerous team in the playoffs. For parts of almost of every game they have played, they look terrible, especially on offense. They have had virtually no running game, and their defense has been given most of the credit for their success. After 8 games, their record stood at 6-2 and looked like they might be headed for another disappointing season under coach Brent Venables. Then they won 3 games in a row over Tennessee, Alabama on the road, and Missouri at home. In all 3 games, they were outgained by the opposition but managed to squeeze out victories. Then they dominated LSU, but 3 interceptions kept LSU in the game and in the lead midway through the 4th quarter. They scored on a 58-yard touchdown pass to take the lead 17-13 with 4 minutes to go in the game. Any misstep in those last 4 games and they would be sitting home as these playoffs begin. Will Oklahoma be able to keep the magic up? I think they will against an Alabama team that is reeling. They barely beat Auburn and were pretty much destroyed by Georgia. Oklahoma by 10.

The next game is Miami vs. Texas A&M. Texas A&M would have had the first-round bye if they had not lost to Texas in the last game of the season. The Aggies had many close calls against inferior opponents. They had the big comeback against South Carolina after trailing 30-3 at halftime. Miami, during this season, lost to Louisville and SMU. Other than their Notre Dame win, Miami never beat what you would call a playoff contender. Both of these teams did beat Notre Dame early in the season, which is what really knocked Notre Dame out of the playoffs. In Texas A&M’s only loss, they lost the turnover battle by two. In Miami’s loss to Louisville, they lost the turnover battle by three. Miami lost to SMU in overtime when they threw an interception at the goal line. They lost the turnover battle by one. They held SMU to 23 yards rushing but still lost. This should be a close game, with turnovers being a big factor. Miami does have a tendency to blow games. Whoever wins, it will be their last win of the season as they go on to face Ohio State. I feel Texas A&M will pull it out.

I will lump the last two games together. If Tulane or James Madison win their first-round games, it will be the biggest shock of the college football season. It will just add fuel to the fire that these non-power conference schools should be given more consideration, which I think is very wrong. This is really what kept Notre Dame out of the playoffs: both of these schools getting in. What even makes things worse is that neither team looked very good winning their conference championship game. Tulane, despite getting 5 turnovers, only won by 13. James Madison was only up by 3 going into the 4th quarter. Troy had lost to such powerhouses as Old Dominion and Arkansas State. Do I think that either one of those teams can pull off the upset? Not really. Tulane, I think, has the best chance since they took the pounding 45-10 earlier in the season to Mississippi. If they can keep it close going into the 2nd half, they might make a game of it. Certainly, Oregon and Mississippi look like shoe ins to get to the next round.

One of the most interesting things about last year’s playoffs was the fact that all the teams that had 1st round byes lost. If this happens again this year, it will be an even bigger surprise because the bye teams are much stronger this year. The most vulnerable of the group looks to be Texas Tech as they most likely play Oregon in the quarter-final round. Even though the bye teams look very strong, nobody will be playing any slouches if everything goes according to Hoyle. Despite some of the flaws in the selection process, it is so good to have a 12-team college football playoff. I will write a blog after each round with an analysis and fearless predictions. It all starts a week from Friday. We will all find out how right Hoyle is.

Posted on

Golf: Practice Swings

To practice swing or not to practice swing, that is the question. Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer doing something for no reason or take the risk of having irreparable damage done to your golf game for failing to do so. Back when Shakespeare wrote “to be or not to be,” nobody in golf was taking practice swings. It was not until the turn of the 20th century that golfers and golf instructors thought there would be a benefit from rehearsing your golf swing before every shot. When you think about it, no other sport really does a practice swing. You never see a pitcher turn his back to the plate and go through the complete wind-up without throwing the ball. You do not see a tennis player go through the motions of hitting a serve and then hit the serve. You do not see a bowler take a full 4 or 5-step approach without the ball. Practice swings have been part of golf for over a hundred years. There are many possible benefits to making practice swings. Despite these benefits, we do not seem to be able to hit the ball with the same motion as our practice swings. There are many videos on YouTube to teach you how to hit the ball with your practice swing. These may be some of the worst instructional videos in the history of golf. First, let’s take a look at the general consensus when it comes to the benefit of practice swings. There are different feelings about practice swings for each part of the game. The full swing, the short game, and putting all have different ways you should be thinking of practice swings.

For all full shots, the internet says the practice swing can benefit these parts of the game. The practice swing can serve as a muscle memory rehearsal. You can create the swing that you want for a particular shot. You can use the practice swing to ingrain a new swing thought. It can help you with your tempo and rhythm. It can give you a moment to increase your mental focus. After all of that, it is a wonder that anybody could execute a golf shot before 1900. Short game practice swings are more shot oriented. You want to engage with the turf on your practice swings with chips and pitches. You want to gauge how far you want to hit the ball and the trajectory you want to use. You want to establish your swing length for the shot. Putting is about the same as the short game for practice swings, but you want to be even more precise with your distance control and rhythm of the stroke. With putting, you may want to take your practice swings from behind the ball. There is not a lot of opinion that is against the practice swing. The biggest negative is if you are doing it wrong, then it is more of a problem than a help to your game. It may ingrain bad habits, plus it might slow down your game if you take too many. It may cause some overthinking of the shot. Then there is the problem of not being able to hit the ball with the same technique as you used on the practice swing. This is the same problem as not being able to take your game from the range to the golf course, which I have written about before. It simply boils down to the fact that you cannot fool your brain. The brain knows you are taking a practice swing just like it knows you are now going to hit the ball. I will get into that in a future blog. For now, do not worry about it because there is no solution for either problem. Needless to say, I disagree with just about everything that is written about the practice swing on the full swing and about half of what is written about it in the short game and putting. So let’s cut to the chase.

The full swing practice swing should be nothing more than a loosening device to help you swing. It is especially true for me because it is rare that I ever hit balls before a round. Usually, I will start out with big practice swings to begin with and then, as I warm-up, I will take slower or shorter practice swings. Maybe the practice swing can help with some rhythm issues, but it still boils down to executing the swing. I watch a lot of old film and videos of the pros during tournament play, and all of their practice swings were just a relaxed version of their swings. Few of them ever took a full hard swing with their practice swings. Basically, you should never try to create a full swing shot with your practice swing. You may create part of it, like a high follow-through for a high shot. When it comes to the short game, I think one thing that is overlooked when the pros are preparing for their shot is the way they take a practice swing. It is more of a back-and-forth motion, not taking any time to reset. It is like they are trying to get a feel from moving backward and forward, then forward to backward without ever stopping. I think in putting, the way you take your practice swing is dictated by how you are putting. If you are having a good day at distance control, then the practice stroke should be more of a loosening device. If you are having trouble with green speed, then the practice strokes need to be done more precisely to mimic the way you are going to hit the putt. We all know the one thing that practice swings do is to slow play down. You see it all the time the individual who takes 2 or more practice swings for every shot. The bad thing, is that individual is probably not going to break a 100. So just hit the damn ball.

So are practice swings a necessary and unique element of golf? Most likely yes. I have played a few rounds without ever taking a practice swing. Sometimes I have done this in the middle of the round. Like the practice swing itself, there is no rhyme or reason why I will suddenly stop taking practice swings. Sometimes I think it is just to show that the game can be played without the practice swing. One of the main reasons you should try not to make your practice swing exactly like your regular swing is how many times do you do something exactly the same way. One of the simplest ways to show this is to simply write your name. Then try to write it exactly the same way. You will never be able to do it. Same thing with your golf swing. Let’s say that you feel you make the perfect practice swing for the shot you are trying to play. In some respect, you have just wasted that swing. When you try and do it for real and the results are poor, it just increases your frustration. Even on the short game, you do not want to feel that your practice swings are that precise. Always think in general terms and just get a good feel for the shot. The practice swing in golf, even though it is unique when compared to other sports, is here to stay. Don’t overdo it and don’t overthink it. Take it for what it is: a way to loosen up and get ready for the full shots, a way to get a general feel for short shots. Don’t be lackluster with it, especially for the short shots. Just do not get into the practice swing too much. It’s only when you hit the ball that it really counts.

Posted on

Pirates Morning Report: Stop The Presses The Pirates Make A Trade

The Pirates made their first significant move during this off-season by trading Johan Oviedo to the Boston Red Sox. The main player the Pirates received was Jhostynxon Garcia, soon to be 23 years old, an outfielder who has spent his career essentially in the minors. That first name will certainly be a mouthful. Greg Brown will probably just call him Horowitz Garcia. In 1,552 plate appearances at all levels of the minors, he has slashed .261/.351/.464. Good but not overly impressive numbers. This past year, in 351 plate appearances in AAA, he slugged .498. He is known to be a decent fielder and has played a lot of games in center field. This is the kind of trade that is low risk, high reward for the Pirates and the Red Sox. This trade could go either way for both clubs; it could be a dud for both teams, or one team could look like they fleeced the other team. It could be a great trade for both teams. Only time will tell. The Pirates now have two young outfielders with some high potential: Esmerlyn Valdez, who will turn 22 in January, tore up the Arizona Fall League. He has not seen any action higher than AA. It will be interesting to see how fast the Pirates allow these two to make it to the parent club. There were two other prospects sent to the Red Sox, a pitcher and a catcher. The Pirates received an 18-year-old pitcher to complete the five-player deal. The Pirates are fortunate that the Red Sox have such an abundance of outfield talent.

The Pirates still have their two big contract players, Bryan Reynolds and Mitch Keller. Together, they will make around 31 million in 2026. I don’t see how the Pirates can make any kind of splash in free agency and still have both on the team. Getting rid of both makes signing a free agent with a long-term 35 to 40 million dollar contract very feasible. Keeping them makes that almost impossible. Keller would still yield a good return. Reynolds would strictly be a salary dump, and hopefully, the Pirates may get a good bullpen arm, especially a left-hander. The Pirates making some kind of move before Christmas is pretty miraculous. Now, if they do something next week at the winter meetings, I may have to go on some heart medicine. This first trade may not turn out all that well, but it does make you feel that the Pirates may actually be trying to put a better team on the field. Let’s hope we see some more moves sooner rather than later.

Posted on

Share Five Things You Are Good At.

Being retired, I am not sure there are 5 things that I do let alone do well. So let’s get down to basics. As I mentioned in the previous blog, I am good at sleeping. Not a small thing to be good at, but even that may be up for debate. Even though I have no trouble falling asleep, I get about 5 to 7 hours of sleep a night. At best maybe 7.5 hours, but that is rare. To me, this is another example of science trying to lump everybody in one basket. I am not too sure where they came up with 8 hours, but I would never be able to do that. Not before, not now, and not ever. Am I concerned about this? Not at all. I am good at golf. My index is 4.8. I played 166 rounds and have shot my age, 75 or better, 50 times this year. Good for an old fart. I am a good cook. I have been cooking for about 20 years now, and at least I like what I cook and have received many compliments when I cook for other people. Like many things, I read and learn and sometimes go my own way. That’s what I like most about cooking: the experimenting and creativity you can do. I do not always follow the advice of well-known cooks. One example is when I grill salmon. They say to start by putting the flesh side down. I start by putting the skin side down. I only cook it for about 2 minutes. What this does is let the skin release some of its fat onto the grill. Then I flip and cook the flesh for about 5 minutes. With the fat on the grates, it makes removing the salmon a lot easier when it is finished. I put the salmon right on the grill with no barrier. It comes out pretty good, even if I do say so myself. I never follow the directions for baking frozen pizza. Frozen pizza has come a long way. I heat the oven to 475 to 490. I get the pizza out for about 10 to 15 minutes before I put it in the oven. I cook it for about 8 to 10 minutes and turn it about 180 degrees depending on how it looks at the 5-minute mark. Try it the next time you do pizza. I take pretty good care of myself. I am a firm believer in moderation in everything you do. I must be doing a good job because I am 75 years old and on no medication except eye drops for glaucoma. Lastly, I think my blogging has improved to a good state. I have been doing it for 15 years, some years not as much as other years. I have written about golf courses in Western Pennsylvania, golf instruction, meditation, food, and those exasperating Pittsburgh Pirates. I have written about other sports subjects including the Steelers and college football. I have found 5 things. This would have been a much easier blog if it were to name 5 things I’m lousy at: taking care of things, cutting the grass, cleaning up, making money, painting, trimming shrubs, preparing for holidays, predicting sport outcomes, having a good diet, raking leaves, doing laundry, and organizing space. Now that would have been a very long blog.

Posted on

Morning Person

I am definitely a morning person. I get up early on my own most of the time. I will get up anywhere from 5 to 6:30 in the morning even if I have nothing scheduled to do. However, I do not trust myself totally; if I have to get up early, I will set an alarm. I do practically all of my blogging in the morning and at the very latest in the afternoon. I will rarely write anything after 7:00 PM. When golfing, I prefer an early tee time compared with a later one. I will say this: when I was working, I used to have days when I teed off at the crack of dawn. Those days are over, not so much because I do not want to get up but because you can run into irritating course conditions. Most of the time, the greens have not been cut. There will sometimes be a heavy dew on the greens. The greens get cut when you are playing. You start out with greens being slow and then the speed gets quicker because they are cut and the dew is gone. Another very early tee time problem can be fog. There is nothing worse than not seeing your ball no more than a hundred yards off the tee. In the summer, I like teeing off between 7:30 at the earliest and 9:00 at the latest. There can be exceptions, especially if it is really hot. I do not mind the earlier tee times in the spring and the fall. I know it is chillier and the threat of a frost delay can happen. With the early time, you will still get out closer to your tee time when there is a frost delay. Most days, the temperatures will rise rather quickly. When it gets to 7:00 PM, I usually hit a wall. It is veg time. I watch TV and just chill. I will sometimes read, but I find that can be difficult for me to concentrate in the evening. I wait until I feel sleepy to go to bed. I never have a set time to go to bed. It could be as early as 9:30 and as late as 11:30. Most of the time, it is somewhere in between. I usually get about 6.5 to 7.5 hours of sleep. I have only missed a night’s sleep about 2 or 3 times over the last 50 years. I have been blessed that I can always go to sleep. There is no doubt I am a morning person.

Posted on

Pirates Morning Report: Updates

As November comes to an end, the Pirates are making more national noise than normal. They are not really doing anything, but for some reason, the national media thinks they are going to be more active in the free-agent market. They have been connected to Kyle Schwarber and J. T. Realmuto. They supposedly offered a deal to Josh Naylor, but then that was disputed. They may try to sign their no. 1 prospect Konnor Griffin to a long term deal. There have been at least 3 MLB insiders who have written that the Pirates are going to spend more money and make a splash in the free-agent market. Most people around here are taking the attitude of, I will believe it when I see it. I take the same view, plus I really do not want to see the Pirates make a so-called big splash in the free-agent market. J. T. Realmuto has seen better days. Last season, his OPS+ was 91. Joey Bart’s was 96. You could argue that Realmuto is better defensively, but his contract last year paid him almost 24 million dollars. Now he may not make that with a new contract, but Joey Bart, who is arbitration eligible, is projected to make close to 3 million. I do not think Realmuto should be signed by the Pirates. They have greater needs at corner outfield and third base. Schwarber would be a huge upgrade at DH, but he is not going to help where the Pirates need it most. There are only 3 free agents that I feel the Pirates should consider signing: Munetaka Murakami, the third baseman from Japan; Kyle Tucker; and Bo Bichette. These are the only free agents under 30 years of age. Cody Bellinger is 30 years old, but I think he won’t be worth the price. Konnor Griffin is being talked about as the possible starting Pirate shortstop. He has played centerfield, allowing Bichette to move to shortstop. This would also put Oneil Cruz in right field, where he belongs. Cruz could be the DH also, which may be the best move of all. Despite all the media talk about the Pirates spending, I will be surprised if they do. I still think the best way to improve the team is through trades with Bryan Reynolds and Mitch Keller as the trade chips. Now let’s look at what the Pirates have actually done.

So far it is nothing more than the same old Pirates. Not only in what they have done but also in what they have said. First of all, they had to move some players out of their 40-man roster to protect players from the Rule 5 draft. The Pirates made this sound like they had some tough decisions to make. You’ve got to be kidding me! They let go of Colin Holderman, Dauri Moreta, Alexander Canario, and Ronny Simon. Apparently, Cam Devanney went to Japan. Here is who they left on the 40-man roster: Cam Sanders, 29 years old, with a lifetime 4.39 ERA in the minors and 6 major league appearances. Enmanuel Valdez is going into his age 27 season with a lifetime OPS+ of 87. His lifetime slugging is .392 with 2 years in Fenway Park. Will Robertson heads into his age 28 season with a lifetime major league average of .129. In six minor league seasons, he has a slash line of .247/.334/.458. I do not know if the Pirates will make any more roster moves. If they lose anybody in the Rule 5 draft, could they be any worse than those 3? They could have easily made more room on the 40 man roster. Hopefully, they won’t lose anybody, but time will tell. Then they signed Jack Suwinski and Yohan Ramirez. The combined deals came to about 2 million dollars. Not a lot of money by today’s standards, but why sign them at all, especially Ramirez? Since 2020, he has been with 8 teams and twice with the Pirates. He has a career ERA of 4.71 and an ERA+ of 90. He averages 4.5 walks every 9 innings. Now that’s a guy you want coming in when the game is on the line. If the Pirates lose a pitcher in the Rule 5 draft, he could not be this bad. Obviously, the Pirates are hoping for a miracle when it comes to Jack Suwinski. Maybe he should try batting right-handed; it would make about as much sense. They made a couple of their typical minor league signings. When you look at the way this organization thinks and performs, even if the Pirates were to sign a top 10 free agent, it would probably wind up being a big waste of money. They need to be giving all that potential money to one person: Paul Skenes.

Posted on

Pet Peeves

The first is the way people drive. Watching people drive makes me wonder why there are not more accidents. They do not use turn signals. They do not stop at stop signs. They tailgate. What the purpose of tailgating is, I have no idea. On a road with traffic lights, I see no reason to swerve in and out of traffic. I see this all the time. A car moving fast and changing lanes trying to get ahead, and then three traffic lights later, there they are right in front of you. Better yet, they are in a lane that is backed up, and you get about 3 to 4 cars ahead of them in the other lane that is waiting for the light to change. When the light changes, you get to see all the maneuvering again. When trying to make a right or left turn, the person veers out the opposite way they are going to turn. The other one that is really good is the driver that is trying to direct traffic while they are driving. Listen, I understand if traffic is at a standstill and you let somebody out of a parking lot or side street. This will be when traffic is moving, and the car stops to let someone out. They may try and let someone make a left turn in front of them, and maybe someone is walking at that street’s crosswalk. Pulling out in front of oncoming traffic or when coming out of a driveway, it’s like let the world wait; I am not waiting. There are other driving issues, but you get the picture.

The next thing is grocery stores. There are two pet peeves with them: one they could control and one they should control. Why do they move things around? You will go to an area where a particular food item has been for months or even years, and bingo, it is not there anymore. It’s not even in the vicinity. You go ask, and it’s like 3 aisles over and usually in an aisle that you have already been down. They will move things in the produce department. The damn area is not that big to begin with, and they will switch things around. How does any of that make any difference in running the store? The other thing that should be banned is family shopping. Look, I do not expect anybody to have to get a babysitter to go grocery shopping. When I see a mother or a father with 2 or 3 kids in the grocery store, I have no problem with that. However, when I see both parents and the 3 kids cluttering up the store, that’s when I shake my head. What is that? Do they feel that grocery shopping is such torture that they have to have the spouse suffer it along with them? My point is, have one go grocery shopping and the other one stay home and watch the damn kids. Usually, both parents are not paying attention to the kids anyway, and they are handling all the food, screaming and yelling at each other and making the experience just as bad for everyone else as the parents are perceiving it for them. Grocery stores should have a guard at the door, and when they see the family coming, only allow one parent in the store. The kids and the other parent can go back home and pick up the other parent when they are done. No more family grocery shopping. Life would be so much better for everyone concerned, including grocery store employees.

Lastly, is punting in the NFL. There are 32 punters in the NFL. That is all they do. They take two or three steps and kick the football. They may have some other duties like hold for the placekicker on field goals and extra points but that is it. Seven days a week that is all they have to do is kick a football. I am surprised that NFL teams do not hold worldwide tryouts to punt the football. There has to be 32 people in the entire world that can kick a ball at least 70 yards. This has to be the smallest specialty in the world, 32 people. Why is it that they do such a lousy job. Week after week you see NFL punters shank punts, not be able to place the ball within a 10 yard area, hit low line drive punts that are returned for big gains and punted balls that do not go 30 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Remember that is all they do. They kick the ball. They could do this for 5 to 8 hours a day for 7 days a week. They appear to be trying to disprove the saying that practice makes perfect. With new techniques to strengthen muscles and unlimited practice time there should not be a punter in the NFL that does not kick the ball at least 65 to 70 yards for every kick. Just think if these guys were surgeons, they would be killing people routinely.

Posted on

Golf: Course Management Vs. Having Fun

Everyone wants to improve their game. When your handicap gets down under 10, many say that the best way to get your handicap down further is through your short game and how you manage getting around the course. Most course management advice is usually on the conservative side. In trouble, get out of trouble. Keep it in the fairway even if you lose distance. Shoot for the middle of the green. Try to stay below the hole. I could have titled this blog, maybe we are taking our games too seriously. Some people would argue that the advice I am about to give here is because I grew up watching Arnold Palmer. He had that go-for-broke style. You could argue that he cost himself as many majors with that style as he won. In later years, Phil Mickelson was a player of similar ilk. Many critics of Phil simply felt he made many dumb moves when it came to the shots he tried to play. Palmer was never criticized that way. Perhaps it was because he had so much early success and those spectacular comeback wins. Beyond that, there is no doubt that the consensus is that to improve your score, you play on the conservative side. But really, is that any fun? That is an easy question to answer; hell no, not even close. Even though we are all trying to get better, are we playing for all that much? Even if we are wagering within the friendly confines of our foursome, we certainly are not playing for that much money that it should make a difference. Let’s look at each area of the game and see what the advice usually is and why it is okay not to follow it.

Off the tee: You want to hit the fairway even if it means that you have to give up some distance. I played at a golf course that I belonged to where on the 14 non-par 3 holes, if you were going to play the course correctly, you would only hit the driver 4 to 5 times. I hit mine 13 times. There was only one hole, a very short drivable par 4, that I laid up on. The area of the green was surrounded by trees and bunkers, and it just wasn’t worth it. I would hit driver there about 3 times a year just to do it. I was working back then, and when I played on weekends, I was going to let the big dog eat. Did this cost me strokes at times? I think it did. However, I had a good time doing it. To this day, I almost always hit driver off the tee. I enjoy driving the golf ball too much. There have been many instances where I have scrambled for a par, when the driver has gotten me into trouble. Sometimes it has really gotten the round headed in the right direction. Hitting the driver in golf is to me the most fun part of the game.

Through the green: Now that you’re off the tee, let’s look at some other course management rules or suggestions. Play for the middle of the green. When in trouble, i.e. the woods, get out of trouble. On a par 5, lay up to a good distance to shoot into the green. I rarely follow any of those suggestions. I always flag hunt unless the pin is in some ridiculous spot or I am too far away to go over a bunker. When I am in the woods, I am always looking for a way to go to the green, whether it be high or low. I always try to get as close to the green as I can on a par 5. Why do I do this? First of all, it is fun to try all the shots that are required. I like to bend it toward the flag. Even if I miss the flag on the same side and short side myself, as they say, the greens I play are not that fast, and the short-sided pitch is not that difficult. Making a great recovery shot is really fun. Going around or through a bunch of trees and getting the ball on the green or near the green really is a thrill. Even if it does not turn out, I can still make a bogey most of the time. On a par 5, I hit my 3 wood even if I cannot get home in 2. It gives me great practice with my 3 wood, and I feel I can get the ball just as close with a 30 to 50-yard pitch or bump and run as I can with a full sand wedge at 100 to 110. I will lay back if there is severe trouble around the green, a creek or deep bunkers.

Around the green and putting, there is not as much strategy going on. Even the advice of not getting above the hole does not hold that much water when it comes to playing most public courses. The greens are usually not that fast. The faster the greens, the more you should adhere to that rule. Don’t get me wrong; there are going to be times when you have to take the conservative route with course management. If you want to have real fun playing golf, then 95% of the time, go for broke. Just remember, nobody is going to get hurt or die. This is just a golf game. Who knows, you may pull off a shot that you will be talking about for the rest of your life. I have never heard anybody at the bar talk about chipping out from the woods on number 12. It is time to have some fun playing this game. It is rare when you get that chance.

Posted on

June

What’s your favorite month of the year? Why?

I like June because it is the only month that does not have a holiday. I know there is flag day but I don’t think even the banks close for that one. As you know I hate all holidays real or fake like Halloween. The other reason to like June is the days are long and the nights are short. It is the month I played 54 holes of golf in one day. My second favorite is July. My daughter was born that month and I got 2 holes in one that month, one in 68 and another in 88. I would like September and October but the days are getting noticeably shorter and of course October ends with that pagan holiday Halloween. If I could change one thing I wish there was 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark all year around. I would be willing to give up those long days of light of close to 17 hours. I know this is an impossible wish but what the hell we can all dream. Speaking of months who came up with this shit. I mean some are 30, some are 31 and of course we have stupid February with 28 except every 4 years 29. Why don’t we have 13 months of 28 days each with February having 29 every year. It would be fun naming the 13th month. Then every 4th year we could have the one day month between June and July. I guess a better question would be where do I come up with this shit. See you in June.