Tahoe Fore!

Would be nice to tee off here huh?

Tahoe golfing

Be nice to hit a tee shot off the starboard and into Emerald Bay Tahoe, CA

Drill For the Month – Simple Practice: Sometimes Small Yields Big

Pick a swing (short, long, mid) and practice it anyway you want – 100 times a day for a month.  I heard Steve Stricker abides by simple routines like these to keep himself golf-focused during his hometown long winter months.

nothing fancy.  you can try it like an air guitar or with a club-in-hand but with no ball or with an actual club and ball into a practice net in the back yard or out on the range ….- whatever…..  Just swing away 100 times everyday like you’re taking practice jump shots in basketball or something and that’s it.  walk away.  remember to warm up lightly before and after.  i find that we guys forget to warm up and down (especially stretching the shoulders) and that causes unnecessary muscle injury because we think we’re still 20-somethings.

Just do that for a month and your swing and groove and mental memory will improve.  Sometimes the simple things make a big difference if we keep at them persistently.  Now that a mystery but it’s true.  Life lesson and a golf training tip.  Ch-ching.

Theme of the Year – They’re Human Afterall & Jimenez is the Coolest PGA Tour Player

I was reading an article the other day in GDigest or something remarking on how spoiled we’ve all been with decades of Tiger play.  Golf has been fun and exciting of late and I’m a Bubba fan all the way and i have total respect for all the new and young and international players and all…. but – [you knew that was coming] things just haven’t been the same.  Those Sunday’s of miraculous unbelievable play are no more.  Instead we have 1-hit wonders and veteran challengers.  And the game is turning east.  But that a whole other story.

Upside?  I actually am enjoying watching play still.  – the good news is (and the bad news is) we’ve seen very human play from everyone like Phil or Adam AND…watching the BMW Championship (Surrey, England) – today I just witnessed Martin Kaymer hacking it out it the woods 3 times.  I was like – “HEY!!, he’s totally human.  I do that everyday! hah.  So it gives me hope.”  Should it never happen to a pro – I don’t know.  Hogan describes Golf as a humbling fickle temptress that only raises us up to dash us down.  The ultimate pursuit of the holy grail, the Argonauts journey, the unattainable pursuit.  Well if that’s the case – but i can still make some cash and have some good days and mixed in with the bad while taking in that beautiful green everyday – then sign me up and give me another dose of this hope.  Sure it’s rainy – but even Luke Donald looking pecker-ed.  Who knew – he’s human too!

Luke Donald

Martin Kaymer

Haven’t been writing of late.

In a Chrysalis State. Yikes!

Time to practice my 25 foot bump and run in the backyard.  I’m getting pretty good at aiming and dropping my ball into my practice net with a PW or even my 55 degree SW – right into the red net smaller circle – about 30% of the time and the rest of the balls fall all within the vicinity.  I’m using a little practice green, real golf wiffle balls (not ping pong type wiffle balls – there is a difference) and placing the net about 10-12 yards away.  I pretend that the net is my drop spot to land the ball on the green for a hole on a green that requires a roll for another 15-20 yards away represented by a big tree in the backyard so I have a visual image of a mild downhill bum and run that breaks slightly right.  

Then I just focus on getting it into the net.  Taking it so slow forces you to think about tempo and posture so much.  I’m figuring out that it is important to feel some of your weight on your heels.  I’ve never been conscious of that deliberately but I find it helps if I am.  Yet another dangling participle to fit into the jigsaw maze of finding a consistent swing.  But it helps with the pendulum tempo thing.

Anyway – who knew – they’re human after-all!!

Martin Kaymer

I’ve decided to commit to the chip shot and short game for all of 2014.  And then there’s this guy.  He just turned 50 and he’s lliterally steaming right along.  Congratulations to Jiminez on Espana’s win.

Miguel Jimenez – 50 and goin’ strong

Aaah, corinthian leather, plush greens and a fine cigar – Yes! I’m the coolest golfer out here. Take that Tiger!

PGA Tour Winner – JB Holmes – Congratulations

This year will be the year of underdogs and who-is-that.  I know people (some) are sick of Tiger – but I never will be.  Common.  He’s the Michael Jordan of basketball.  He made it main stream.  He made it an accessible art form.  For many reasons – too complicated to get into here he is controversial (no I’m not thinking the obvious).  I’m thinking about america’s long-standing history and miss understandings with race and, more importantly, class structures.  [SVGnotetoself – we have become increasingly class based and class separate – with very hard walls forming between the 5 or so classes in our society – not counting to forgotten].

And there ya go’.  Another winner, another name not often mentioned but a good name and a good win.  Hat’s off Mr. Holmes.  Do you walk with a cape and magnifying glass sometimes?  Hah!

http://www.pgatour.com/daily-wrapup/2014/05/04/jb-holmes-wins-wells-fargo-championship.html

Rezvani What? – It’s a New Car

Hah!.  You’re the next contestant on the Price Is Right!

Wow!  what an awesome piece of technology.  I just hope it doesn’t have touch screens.  Tactile buttons please otherwise noboady is really looking at the road right – all these touch screens I think are cases of technology being missplaced.  Give me voice-activated or just good ole fashion radio-dial button but otherwise gimme this.  But I’ll take an Audi TT double barrel no problem just the same.  🙂

I think it’s called Rezvani.  Made in good ole California – of course.

Golf Lesson #18b – San Jose – The Best Town Around – I Love San Jose & Golf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Having a Swing you can trust is very important.  It’s not about just hitting the ball once really well.  You need to be able to go to that well without thinking about it.  So innate trust is important.  [SVG note to self – trust is a principle – a life principle – must like justice – or maybe not a life principle but an aspect of coming to understanding.  There is a lot of talk in golf about trust – trusting your opponent to do the honorable thing even when out of sight and playing his/her ball, trust in your reading of the line or the break, trust in your ability, hitting the club face true or square – trust is an aspect of being able to do anything well -right?  it is at the root of anything good or worth pursuing.  – this is worthy of an article to write more about – end of SVGnotetoself]

Fundamentals of find a trust-worthy swing according to Hal Sutton – a PGA tour champion – includes:

• Swing within yourself
• accuracy is better than distance so go for accuracy – don’t overdo it
• distance comes from the body turn – turn your body

 

sanjose airview1

WHO KNEW? Who is Calvin Peete?  Apparently a pretty good black golf player from back in the day – who knew?

communication

How close to the ball should you stand? – Most people stand too far away from the ball – this is key for me i think i do that and then when my arms swing down I end up hitting dirt because of that thing called gravity and my inability to reach out that far and maintain a smooth plane on the downswing – but i do it because it feels safer.

SO some things to do:

• Keep your hands close to your belt buckle (about a hand spread-widths distant away)
• Also – keep the ball lined up with your left heel
• Your body is part of the swing – its not just the arms
• Swing at a speed that you can stay on top of

coming home

Decision Time – I’ve decided.  I’m done.  I’m starting that new business.  Life’s to short.  As the famous saying in Shawshank Redemption goes “Get Busy Living – Or Get Busy Dying”

Thank goodness i live in this town where I can play and enjoy golf all year round.