Phil Mickelson is truly a wonder, a phenomenon, a likable bloke who, at 48, plays a kind of all-out golf, like a youngster might. Phil takes chances, something we amateurs can relate to. We also take chances because a lot of the time chance, or risk/reward as we call it, is part of the equation […]
The Majors
Masters Sunday: Rory or Reed?
OK. Final day at the Masters. Iconic. Historic. Tense. Dramatic. Who will triumph? Reed is a bulldog. He won’t let go of that three shot lead so easily. His game is sharp, decisive, intelligent, in control. As he reports, he is patient. That’s the word he keeps using, and it’s one of the most demanding […]
The Masters: Day 2
Pr0fessional golf is essentially a game of minimizing misses. That’s how Nicklaus won all those majors: played approaches to the middle of greens and let the competition implode. Golf is also a game of uncertainties, like wind, for example, particularly swirling wind, lodged up in tall trees where you can’t really calculate what’s going on. […]
The Masters: Day 1
Good stuff, eh? It’s why this major is the best. Jordan’s in the lead, sure. Kind of expected–at least my brother got it right. But Haotong Li is in 4th. Remember, the Chinese Communist Party banned golf a couple years ago as a bourgeois activity. He taught himself English off his smart phone. And this […]
The Masters: Back to Tradition
Unlike most spectator sporting events, golf is known more for its polite applause than end zone antics. Even at the height of Arnie’s Army or Tiger’s legions, fans would quiet down when a shot was about to be executed. And I’ve been watching early episodes of Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf in the 50s and […]
The Return of Tiger
Yes, amazingly, he is back. Months ago, I had recommended he retire and go out in relative style. But the guy obviously has little or no quit in him, especially after this fusion surgery has him feeling, and playing, quite well, thank you very much. In fact, he’s been in contention–top tens–in his last several tournaments. […]
Mindful Golf at the Battle at Birkdale
Jordan Spieth was three shots clear of Matt Kuchar going into the final round of the 2017 British Open at Royal Birkdale. In the first four holes of that round, Spieth, unbelievably, scored three bogeys, erasing that lead, giving Kuch and the field new life. Most golfers, pro and amateur, would have collapsed further from […]
Swing Tips and other Tidbits
Good posture at address, bending from the waist, knees flexed, and keeping the back as straight as your body will allow. In starting the club back, I recommend extending the arc by directing the clubhead a bit outside the plane keeping the shaft relatively vertical with the arms in front of the body, before the club flattens out […]
The Challenge of Concentration
As we see from the playing of the British Open this week, golf requires sustained and all-encompasing concentration on every shot. This is a daunting task that most golfers often back down from. I remember during a three-month meditation retreat at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, Massachusetts years ago, I reached a point […]