“The Sweetest Game” by Cal Brown

A book about “Playing Golf By Your Better Instincts.”

Sweetest GameI was over at Barnes & Noble a couple of months back and, like a true fanatic, was perusing the golf section and I came across a book I had to take home. “The Sweetest Game,” by Cal Brown is a collection of anecdotes that serve to instruct and humor anyone who loves the greatest game.

In his chapter, “Golfers Are Born Losers” Brown quotes the proverb that says: “God gave us music that we might pray without words” and goes on to say, “The Scots gave us golf that we might suffer without guilt.” Everyone who has played golf for any length of time knows what Brown is talking about and that is what makes this book so much fun. It’s golf in the raw – the struggles of the greatest players in history as an example for the weekend hack.

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Sahalee Unset for 2010 PGA

Due to the Winter Olympics, the 2010 PGA Championship will be moved from Sahalee Country Club.

SahaleeThe PGA of America announced yesterday that it would reschedule the 92nd PGA Championship. Originally scheduled for August, 2010 at Sahalee Country Club in Redmond, WA, the tournament will be moved due to the 2010 Winter Olympics, which will take place in the Vancouver and Pacific Northwest.

PGA of America CEO Jim Awtrey said “One of our goals with our major championships is to take it to different parts of the country. We enjoyed a successful PGA Championship in 1998… We look forward to working with Sahalee Country Club officials to try and reschedule future PGA of America events.”

In 1998,Sahalee Country Club hosted the 80th PGA Championship (won by Vijay Singh). This year’s PGA Championship will be hosted for the first time by Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, NJ. Baltusrol has hosted two US Opens.

Singh Leads Hall of Fame 2005 Ballot

The 2005 World Golf Hall of Fame ballot were announced, and includes stars Vijay Singh, Fred Couples, Mark O’Meara, and Davis Love III.

Vijay SinghThe 2005 World Golf Hall of Fame ballots were announced today. Thirty-three players made the ballot which is divided into two categories: the PGA/Champions tour and the International tour. In order for a player to be elected to the Hall of Fame, they must garner at least sixty-five percent of the vote.

Several notable names are new to this ballot, the most recognizable of which is Vijay Singh. Singh’s two majors and twenty-five PGA wins are likely to help him gain several votes. Other first timers to the ballot are Fred Couples, Mark O’Meara, and Davis Love III. On the international ballot, perennial Ryder Cup star Colin Montgomerie makes his debut.

Shoulders and Chins

What’s the point in looking up if you’re only going to see a bad shot?

You’re not David Duval or Annika Sorenstam. Those two can get away with lifting their heads before, during, or just after impact. You? Me? We’ve gotta keep our heads down, because when our head comes up, our whole body comes up. We hit shots thin, we hit shots right, and we hack our way around the course.

Simple solution: get in the habit of feeling your right shoulder on your chin before checking out the ball flight. As your arms swing through the ball, your head will naturally come up because your right shoulder forces it up. Swing normally, but focus on letting your head be pushed up, not lifting it up yourself.

Do this right and you’ll see the club pass through the ball and take the divot. What’s the point in looking up if you’re only going to see a bad shot?

Tom Lehman Leads Buick Invitational

Tom Lehman’s first round 62 gives him a one shot lead in the 2005 Buick Invitational

Tom LehmanThe story line was set, the 2005 Buick Invitational would be the first time the fantastic four of Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, and Phil Mickelson all competed in the same tournament this year. Now, with the first round of the tournament in the books, the big four underachieved to a combined 11-under par. Today, it was 2006 Ryder Cup Captain Tom Lehman who has jumped out to an early one-stroke lead after firing a red hot 10-under 62 on the North Course at Torrey Pines. Lehman’s 62 tied his career low and included birdies on nine of his last twelve holes. Lehman said, “I’m doing a lot of things right that you need to do right out here.” Lehman was followed by Dean Wilson at 9-under par and Aaron Oberholser at 8-under par.

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Rhythm Without a Pinkie

We pinkie swear, this one works by taking your top pinkie out of your swing.

Having trouble with your rhythm? Tried envisioning the swing of Sam Snead and hitting balls barefooted to no avail?

Try taking your top pinkie off the club.

Take your normal grip and stance, but then slide your hands further up the grip until the top pinkie (the left pinkie for a right-handed golfer) comes off the top of the club. Swing away.

Removing the pinkie forces you to slow down your swing a little bit because the club will feel a bit less secure in your hands. You’ll feel it set a little more at the top and you’ll feel a better release through the ball. Hit normal shots with a 7I or so, focusing on maintaining control of the club throughout the swing.

We pinkie swear, this one works.

Tiger’s Broken Camera, Explained

The rumor about Tiger hitting the camera is rumor no more: conclusive proof and shots of the damaged gear.

Nike AdTiger breaking the camera in that Nike commercial is all the buzz these days, and we’ve got more for you: a clip from “Inside the PGA Tour” featuring the director, Tiger, and some lovely footage of what a striped 3I from the Tiger can do to a piece of expensive glass.

Click here to play the commercial (8.8 MB, QuickTime MPEG-4 video).

Rumor has it that on the first take, they told Tiger to hit the ball a foot or so over the camera. He hit it about four inches above. From sixty yards away. That shot wasn’t quite good enough, so on the second take, they told Tiger to hit the camera.

It is rumor no more. Check it out.

P.S. Be sure to also check out our forum after you’ve checked out the video.

Advice for Juniors

Eleven tips for junior golfers.

This tip comes from Robert Speirs:

  1. Learn the Basic Fundamentals Grip, stance, and setup will make this game a lot easier to learn. Once you understand the basics, the rest will come quite easily. Don’t worry about swing plane, launch angle, clubhead speed, or anything else. Just worry about getting set up in a good stance, with a proper grip, and accelerate through the ball. The rest will fall into place.
  2. Learn to Putt and Chip the Dots Off It The nicest thing about putting is that there are a million ways to do it and nobody can say a darn thing so long as you get the ball in the hole. There are some simple basics – squaring the clubface, accelerating through the ball – but there’s lots of room for style within those rules.

    The nicest thing about putting is that you can do it at just about any time. Challenge players to putting and chipping costs. Keep a roll of quarters in your bag and you’ll be surprised how often you’ll beat golfers that are much better than you, but pick up what you can from them. Chip frequently and vary the kinds of shots – low spinners, high flops, downhill, uphill. Tie the two together into chip-and-putt contests.

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One-Handed Chipping

Amateur players tend to flub chips a lot, but it’s impossible to scoop reliably with only one hand.

Amateur players tend to flub chips a lot. When they should be getting up and down, instead they’re taking three or even more shots to get down from just off the green. Many amateurs flub their chips because they break down their wrists and attempt to scoop the ball.

Hinging your wrist going back is fine, but through the ball you want firm, solid wrists that don’t have a lot of break in them. To ingrain the feeling, practice hitting your chips with only your left hand on the club. Just stick your right hand in your pocket.

This drill is tough at first, but as you go on you’ll be forced to develop a solid wrist at impact or you’ll see all manner of bad shots. It’s impossible to scoop reliably with only one hand: only a firm wrist through impact will lead to good shots.