Thursday, January 31, 2013

Vijay Singh admits to Using a Banned Substance


Move over Lance Armstrong and Ray Lewis to make room for PGA star Vijay Singh, who admited to using a PGA Tour banned substance.
He said, “While I have used deer antler spray, at no time was I aware that it may contain a substance that is banned under the PGA Tour Anti-Doping Policy,” then went on to say, "I am absolutely shocked that deer antler spray may contain a banned substance and am angry that I have put myself in this position."
Not sure I would like to spray anything in my mouth, several times a day, scrapped from deer antlers in New Zealand. So why did he use it? Deer-antler spray and pills contain a hormone called IGF-1 that is thought to help muscle recovery.

A cofounder of the company, that supplied Vijay, told Sports Illustrated, “Their antlers are the fastest-growing substance on planet Earth . . . because of the high concentration of IGF-1. We've been able to freeze dry that out, extract it, put it in a sublingual spray that you shake for 20 seconds and then spray three [times] under your tongue. . . . This stuff has been around for almost 1,000 years, this is stuff from the Chinese," SWATS (the company) calls their product natural, like a food, but it is banned by the NCAA and every major pro league according to SI.

So what is IGF-1?

IGF-1 is an insulin-like growth factor, a hormone that naturally occurs in the body and circulates in the blood, thus helping the body heal faster. Would it also help a person play better-stay tuned, we will find out soon.

This afternoon the Waste Management, Phoenix Open starts and as of this morning, Vijay has decided not to play.


 

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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Getting on the Front Foot - and Tiger Too -

Well Tiger has one in the bag. Every time he has won the Masters he has a win before, now he is ready. Once again he looked pretty good until round four, then just held everyone off. Not a bad way to win.


*Today – The proper way to get on the front foot*

Now a few words about going from the back swing to the golf or hitting swing. Too many golfers look like they are chopping wood (poorly) with this movement. Here is a simple drill to help. (Once again this drill can be done in your back yard, and you don’t even need a ball, but you will need a club).

Place your feet together while hitting a few shots. If you do not coil the upper body onto your right side in your backswing and let it release naturally on to your left side in your golf swing, you will lose your balance. If it is real bad you can even fall down. If you don’t get hurt that will be really funny and you will have learned something about your swing.

Especially for people that want more distance this is a great drill. Despite all that is said and done about getting more distance and more accuracy on each shot you must properly shift from back foot to front, or nothing will help’

Easy drill, add it to your practice format.

 Until next time - have a great round!

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Senior Golfer - Play the Right Shat and Hit it Deep

 No one wants to hit if farther than the typical senior golfer.

So, lets make it happen.

What shaft should senior golfers play? I believe seniors often, too soon, go for the softer shaft, then slow down their swings and seem satisfied with the down the middle 185 yard drive. Not sure that is the way to go, or best for your game.

Not everyone can have a pro check their swing and measure swing speed but everyone can do the following.

1.     Look at your ball flight-If you are hooking the ball even occasionally, do not go to a softer shaft

2.     If you slice bad and have a decent swing, go to a softer shaft or go to the drill below and help out you game and yourself

3.     If you want to stay with the shaft you are using but age is slowing you down—go to a good exercise program-too lazy to exercise? Try this drill.

-The Stay Young and Hit it Drill-

*    Using a full length driver (not over length) take 20 swings a day concentrating on getting the weight on the inside of your back foot – shifting - and finishing with most of you weight on the inside of your front foot.

*    Increase swing speed with each repetition until you are swinging faster than normal.

*    Make sure you are getting a full turn with each swing

*    At the end of the swings do five, eyes closed swings. These will allow you to feel the balance. WARNING—Start with a scaled down swing speed, you will lose your balance on these swing the first few days.

*    Add 10 more swings each week until reaching 50 and stay with that.

*    This drill can be done on the deck, in the back yard, driveway anywhere you can take a full swing.

*    This is a great off season drill to get in shape for golf season.

One more mile-per-hour will add two or three yards. Use this drill five days a week for five weeks and you will see the gain—most senior players from 10-20 yards.
A good walking and stretching program will help get you closer to the 20 yard gain.

*Note-It’s January and I played 18 today, get out when you can!

Friday, January 25, 2013

10 Things To Remember On The Course This Year


As we all start, at least trying, to think about golf. Yes it will warm up and turn green sometime in the future.

Here are my things to remember for this year.


1.    Do not try to hit through a tree—all that stuff about trees being 80% air cannot be true

2.    If you are not sure, go around instead of over—remember trying to hit that lob wedge over a 60 foot tree 20 feet in front of you?

3.    Club up or down and hit your 70 or 80% shot from uneven lies

4.    Light rough still hit one more club

5.    Heavy rough – see #3 above

6.    Remember, direction is more important than distance

7.    Find out your distance with each club – average distance, not best distance

8.    Find a swing for the 75 yard shot – sand wedge, half sand wedge, half gap, whatever it takes

9.     A found golf ball is a good golf ball - tee it up
 
10. Remember the other nine
 
Happy Golfin'

 

 

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Hey Phil-"You Want to Trade-and John Daly Too


The Farmers Insurance Open tees it up this week. Looks like a pretty strong field. Tiger has won this one six times, I guess we will see if he can make another run at it. Any tourney at Torrey Pines will have some drama and make for good TV.

Rory is home working on his game but, call me crazy, if Tiger and John Daly are there it will be fun. And Bubba and Phil will play, hope Phil doesn’t catch too much flack over his comments on taxes. Although he deserves at least one—“HEY PHIL YA WANNA TRADE ME SALARIE”- along with the usual, “atta boy and you da man.”

I have always been a fan of Big John Daly, I know he has fought off some demons, I just like the guy. He is who he is. I hate it when our athletic heroes let us down, John has just always been John, doesn’t try to hide his problems. And I like his game, if he can get over his one bad round every tournament, maybe he will content again.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Best Golf Ball For Senior Golfers


If you type in ,“best ball for senior golfers or best golf ball,” you will get hundreds maybe even thousands of hits. The reason? Everyone wants to hit it far and straight and no one wants to practice. So the best ball is—

Find one that feels soft but not so soft that you feel like you need to swing harder.

I personally like three piece balls because I hit them for decent distance and they will spin and stop. I also will play a two piece ball if it is soft, almost everyone is making one now, but I really like the Wilson Staff 50/50.

The short game is still where most of the scoring takes place but when you become a senior type citizen, we still would like to drive it past the ladies tee. So in my pursuit of hitting it farther I have the following suggestions—

1.    Find a softer ball

2.   Make sure your swing speed matches your driver shaft

3.   Stretch at home—30 seconds of stretching before you tee up on #1 is not enough

4.   Increase your swing speed—50 or more hard swings with a full length driver every day in the off season, and during the season for that matter, swing faster each swing for the first dozen, for the rest maintain the fast swing. Take your time between swings, make sure you finish with weight on your front foot and chest to target.

5.   I also have found that playing in the off-off season when there is no water on the course and the fairways are frozen really helps my distance off the tee—maybe I should give up summer golf and concentrate on winter golf, but not in the south.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Tiger and Rory play Like a Couple of Slappies


Well, that was a disappointment,Tiger and Rory both miss the cut, take their million dollar appearance fees, respectfully lower their heads (until on the plane) and fly home. Mcllroy even ditched his new Nike putter and broke out the old Scotty Cameron the second day, but he did keep the Nike putter cover on it.

Wasn’t too long ago Tiger kept going back to his old putter also—maybe they are better than the Nike putters. DUH

And on the rumor front—did you see Tiger was asked if he was getting back together with his X. Didn’t say No!

 

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Golf Season - Yeepee It's Here


Looks like the golf channel turns 18 tomorrow, happy birthday. I watch a lot of it; love it in the winter when I cannot play here in the Wyoming high country.

Golf season is rolling now, the first full field tournament last week and this week two big ones. It will be great TV, especially if your Football team has checked it in for the season. Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, with the world’s number one and two and now best friends playing. We will see about this best friend stuff when one or the other starts dominating his new best friend.

Sorry Rory, but I think this may be Tiger’s year- now that you are both playing with the almost good enough equipment and balls - the field had leveled.

The other tournament this week – The Humana challenge, should be a birdie filled, fun to watch event. Look for a score of -25 or better to win. And the winner is---

Matt Kuchar, Pat Perez, Brandt Snedeker or the guy we will say, “who dat guy.”

Until next time, Happy Golfin’

Monday, January 14, 2013


Looks like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are both playing for Nike now. That gives Nike the number one and two players in the world as Tiger just moved from three to two. I did a quick, what’s in the bag, check on Rory and it is all Nike, ball, clothes, everything. I see where the two have already done their first commercial for Nike together.

Myself, I will keep playing whatever I can get on e-bay and some cheap stuff from Wal-Mart.
Still waiting on a deal from one of the biggies-got the handicap down to 12-could be soon.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Three Million-Come on Man


 Looks like Tiger Woods will not be playing in the Qatar Masters, this year. Woods three million dollar appearance fee was too steep for the tournament that has a total purse of about two and a half million.  I like Tiger, always have, love to watch him play, great, fierce competitor. But like the NFL folks say, “Come on man,” three million is a little steep for the world’s number three.

Let’s see if the average American lives on about $50,000 dollars a year it would take 60 years to make the three million that Tiger needed for less than a week of work-good deal if you can get it, but even Tiger couldn’t pull this one off.
 
 
I still think a quarter a hole is a big deal match! And maybe a beer a side.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Is this a Bad Sign?



Too much wind to play golf in Hawaii-too bad. I see where one famous teacher said playing in conditions like that could ruin a golfer’s swing.

I now feel much better about my ruined swing, playing here in Wyoming, with a lot of wind that must be what happened.

Hope they do get the tourney going, feel like watching some golf later today. The first pro tournament does tell me that warm weather is getting closer, not farther away.

 

Remember- There are two ways a golf ball bounces: unfair bounces, and bounces just the way you meant to play it.*

*Not sure where I saw this first but always thought it was appropriate

Friday, January 4, 2013

The Great Golf Ball Test --2013 soon


I bought ten dozen (at least) new golf balls, (OK, so sometimes I get a little carried away on E-Bay) can’t wait for spring and a chance to use them. I will let you know what I find out after using at least a sleeve of each. I am still on the quest to find a mid or low priced ball that fits seniors who are still serious about their game. But like me, seniors on a fixed income that makes the top balls a little out of reach, or we would have to give up food or alcohol or some other meaningless wants we have to buy them.

I will be testing three Wilson Staff Balls, two Taylor Made balls and one Calloway and one Bridgestone to start.

Wish me luck, gonna be tough having to play all those rounds, oh the sacrifices I make in the name of good golf.

“Golf is golf. You hit the ball, you go find it. Then you hit it again.” ~Lon Hinkle

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

No Golf Today


Jan 1, 2013 – Going on official record – “I love the New Year and I love New Year’s Resolutions.”   "And I will play more Golf in 2013"

6:00 a.m. - Eight hours of sleep, healthy, balanced breakfast, went for a walk, did my stretching and lifting workout, spent some hobby time, did some putting away and picking up in my workshop.

8:00 a.m. - New Years are great-reinvigorating, life anew - and soon more golf

9:00 a.m. - Feel like I need a nap, have a bit of an upset stomach, my shoulders, hips and feet ache.

10:00 a.m. – Doing much better now, reclining on the couch, watching first of many New Year’s Day Bowl Games, still resting after my workout, and dreaming about the next year.

11:00 a.m. - Very soar, dull pain starting on top of my head and ending on the bottom of my feet, not feeling well at all, will take a handful of pain killers and continue resting on couch.

I really do not like New Year’s—except for the Football

Noon – Drinking soda, eating chips and peanuts, still resting on couch, feeling some better, game has reached halftime, watching shootout on the Western Channel until second half starts. Golf is all reruns.

“Maybe Next Year, never have liked New Years stuff, too much hype, just another day for this ol’ cowboy”

-Happy New Year-