My Daily Slice of Golf...the Blog: May 2009

Sunday, May 31, 2009

The big 'C'

My Mom died 6 years ago from cancer. Three weeks after my son was born. Thinking those combined events were the most stressful of my life, I was caught off-guard when less than a year after my son was born, a routine skin exam caught melanoma on my back. Fortunately, after an additional test, it had not spread, and the chance for recurrence is very low.

Cancer does not care who you are. It is only your due diligence that gives you an edge over this disease.

Fortunately, there are organizations throughout the world that provide reassurance and hope to those who have been affected. Golf ,again, has been called upon to become a platform to bring cancer organizations into the limelight.

Golf has always been a huge player of charitable foundations throughout the country. Each PGA and LPGA tour-stop provides local charities of vast causes the opportunity to raise awareness and money. Whether it be the Tours "Together, Anything's Possible" platform, or grassroots efforts like Golf Fights Cancer, there are many opportunities to get involved, or at a minimum to learn who is out there fighting in your corner if the big 'C', or the big 'anything-that's-not-supposed-to-happen-to-me' comes your family's way.

From Amy Mickelson, to Paul Azinger...to a hack like me, or to anyone for whom this disease has been in contact with, we are very relieved that there are volunteers, researchers, and donors, that care....

...Golf, in all its forms, has the biggest heart of all.

Thanks for reading. Keep it in the short-grass,

JFB

Saturday, May 23, 2009

I got skeelwz

Think you have what it takes to enter and qualify for USGA amateur championship tournaments?

Click here to see the online entry forms with the entry dates, and guidelines required, to register for various USGA championship golf tournaments throughout our country. Both men's and women's are listed.

Pretty daunting?! I'll say. Well, at least we can attend!

Thanks for reading. Keep it in the short-grass,

JFB

Monday, May 18, 2009

Crash Davis would approve

One of my favorite sports movies of all time is 'Bull Durham' the title itself is so well known, that it rivals 'Caddyshack' in favorite one-liners. Crash Davis mentoring Nuke LaLoosh is bested only by Ty and Carl.

Last week, Henrik Stenson revived Annie Savoy's recipe of getting your mind off the game. Remember when Annie had Nuke wear her underwear so he would take his mind off the mechanics of pitching...and just pitch?

A few weeks ago, Henrik Stenson showed more skin than Jan Stephenson in the mid 80's,
and folks couldn't believe it and thought it sacrilegious..."what...he took off his glove?!"

But Henrik uncovered and revealed something more than his skin...he revealed Annie's secret sauce...making yourself uncomfortable to get comfortable.

Last week, 'Half-Nude' Henrik slapped the field on the bum to take the The Players Championship. Right now, he's the hottest golfer playing 18...and that's not just the women thinking that. Henrik is winning because he isn't thinking about his game the way he did before that fateful day of disrobe-ing.

And thanks to that day, his talent is trumping his thinking.

As Annie would say "The world is made for people who aren't cursed with self awareness."

Thanks for reading. Keep it in the short-grass,

JFB

PS: for my father-in-law

Saturday, May 16, 2009

8>9 Challenge

Recently, I was invited to experience the new Nike SQ Dymo Str8-fit in a test going head-to-head with the TaylorMade R9 (thus the 8>9 Challenge). You can take the challenge as well by clicking here.

As usual this spring, we have had a ton of rain in the ATL, so I decided to take this experiment indoors by going to one of my usual golf-haunts: Golfsmith in Buckhead. They have the Vector swing analysis equipment, so I felt this would give me the best results for determining distance and shot shape. After changing Lpga's poopy diaper, turning Crashbox on for Pga and kissing the commish (follow my tweets for the inside scoop), I was off on my adventure.

After discussing my interest in doing this study with John, one of the friendly employees at the store, he went to suit me up with the weapons of choice.

He explained to me that the TaylorMade R9 has been out for some time, and that the new kid on the block was the Str8-Fit by Nike.
By hitting some balls with a 6-iron to warm up, John took notice that my swing is very consistent and said this would be a good test of the two clubs....let the battle begin!

We tested straight, fade and draw. I have a slight draw to my shots, so I was interested to see if changing the clubhead could change my shot shape.
I immediately saw the impact of the clubface changes were more pronounced with the Str8-Fit, and I could see my shot-shapes much clearer than with the R9.

With both clubs, I barely noticed the look of the clubheads change of angle at address, which I see as a good thing, however, I felt better contact with the R9.

At the end of the challenge, with the R9, I was consistently putting the ball out there at 210 yards with roll of 222, center to slight draw versus the Str8-Fit, of which I couldn't get the consistency I was looking for. My swing speed hovers between 85-95 mph.

Overall, I feel both these clubs would show more benefit for a person like me, who has a consistent swing, and doesn't try to over-swing with a lot of moving parts (this would NOT be the club for Charles Barkely!).
I also think that these clubs promote "over-thinking", that is...hey we think too much on a golf course now, why bring in another variable (I mean, the R9 not only lets you change the clubface, but has 3 screws/weights in the back to alter your shot!). A few times, when I was hitting both clubs, I found myself trying to hit the ball the way the clubface was changed...as Golfsmith John told me, "you have to continue to swing the same way through the shot and let the clubface change the shot...not you."

My thanks to Golfsmith and Nike for allowing me to take The Challenge!

Thanks for reading, keep it in the short-grass,

JFB

Thursday, May 14, 2009

YOUR AGE BY GOLF MATH

1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to play golf (more than once but less than 10)
2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)
3. Add 5
4. Multiply it by 50 -- I'll wait while you get the calculator
5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1759 ... If you haven't, add 1758.
6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.

You should have a three digit number The first digit of this was your original number (I.e., how many times you want to play golf each week).

The next two numbers are YOUR AGE! (Oh YES, it is!!!!!)

THIS IS THE ONLY YEAR (2009) IT WILL EVER WORK, SO SPREAD IT AROUND WHILE IT LASTS