A new beginning!

Year 2009 is just around the corner, and it is time to start thinking about our golf games again! I am ready to get back to my weight and fitness training as I have blossomed back to 195 lbs. I reached 180 lbs last May, but found it difficult to follow my conditioning routine through my busy schedule at work, kid's baseball, and finding time to play golf.

I also had a relapse of knee problems at the end of August which cut my workouts all together. Something broke loose in my knee (cartilage, bone, calcium) and was floating around in my knee. Occasionally, it would lodge in a position that would cause great pain and limit my ability to walk. I saw my orthopaedic surgeon who drained my knee and gave me a cortisone shot for the swelling. We decided not to have immediate sugery as I have in the past, but I was ready because the floating material was causing me great discomfort!









We went on vacation to Florida in early October, and during theat week, the material seemed to disappear, or it found a good place to hide as it has given me little trouble since that time. Hopefully my return to physical activity won't cause it to break loose again.









I talked a lot last year about stack and tilt theory, and even experimented with the swing. As I evaluated my swing this Fall, I found that it caused fundamental problems with what works naturally for me. My legs (lower body) has always been the source of power for my golf swing, and all other sports I participated in. The stack and tilt for me would cause my lower body to out race my upper body which resulted in an open-face and less than optimum swing path.Keeping my arms in front of my chest was almost impossible, and no amount of upper body strength was going to help this problem.









I love the word stacked and its result for hitting square, solid golf shots. Stacked is keeping your torso positioned over your knees throughout your swing. For me, stacked could only happen at impact when I made a wide, behind the golf ball, turn to the top of my backswing.

Like the photo shown above...stacked is best shown in the big picture, hanging back is shown in the inset picture.

The highs and low of golf...

Golf is certainly one of the most frustrating games I have ever played. It always seems to keep you guessing about your play and adjusting to the small bits of information it gives you.

I played golf on Sunday (45 holes) with some college buddies in Louisville, and hit the ball about a well as I have in several years. I think the extreme amount of play hurt me as I played in a tournament on Monday as poorly as I think I ever have. It wasn't my old mistake of under the swing plane, but a low-left smother hook which left me puzzled and doubting my swing the entire day.

I have chalked the poor play on Monday to my excessive play on Sunday and will move on like it never happened. I hit about 10 balls today just to make sure I was still making quality swings...and everything went fine. I will most likely hit more balls this weekend and play at some point next week to make it sure it just a fluky day.

My weight is down to 183 lbs. and I have not been able to get in much exercise due to a busy schedule at work and Jackson starting baseball. I know I can make it to the 170 lb range as the 183lbs has been easy to maintain so far.

The golf course is in great condition and I hope to see everyone soon!!!

Tournament debut

I played in my first competitive round in about a year and had modest success with my performance. The conditions were not favorable as we teed off at 9:00am with the temperature around 39 degrees. It was cloudy all day and probably warmed to 45 degrees by 1:00pm. The wind was not awful, but seemed to have a greater effect with the cold, wet conditions. The combined roll yardage of all my drives, as well as everyone in the field was probably less than 5 yards.

The tournament was the KPGA Pro-Senior held at Harmony Landing CC near Louisville. The club was replacing irrigation lines, as we did 2 years ago, so hole #14 was closed for the event. The result was a 17 hole score for all teams and players. I finished with a 75 which placed around the low 25 scores out of 50+ golf professionals.

My driver was the best part of my game as I hit the ball in play all day except for the last hole, when I tried to do too much with my driver. The driver being the best part of my game is huge change from the past where it easily could be considered the worst. Hopefully my swing changes combined with weight training is going to be positive for my golf game in the future.

I did hit one awful iron shot making my old mistake, but I made bogey as did most of the field on this 215 yd. par-3. My biggest problem of the day was club selection, as I fell into a common amateur problem of underclubbing myself all day. Not so much from the fact that I thought I should hit my irons further, but I didn't want to put the ball into a position above the hole. After a few times of coming up short, I should have been able to make an adjustment giving myself a better opportunity to score.

Most of my iron shots were right in front of the green or on the front of the green, giving me easy opportunities to make par, but little chance to make birdies. I had borrowed a SkyCaddie GPS unit and it worked perfectly, but I made little adjustment for yardage due to the cold, wet conditions. Into the wind, I was always short, but downwind my club selection was better.

I would encourage everyone to invest in a SkyCaddie or some type of handheld GPS unit for golf, as it is a great training device for determining your yardage for each club. 90% of all golfers believe they hit the ball further than they actually can usually will cost them several strokes especially when playing new golf courses.

I have ordered a selection of Skycaddie GPS units which should arrive in the next week. Bring in a copy of this blog and I will give you a 10% discount towards the purchase of a Skycaddie.

My weight moved back up to 188 lbs. and I hope to get in some good cardio work over the next few days and really watch what I eat. Maybe I can make it to 185 by next Monday.

St Patrick's Day success!

Even though the playing conditions were very bad, the event turned out to be a great success as 22 teams played on Saturday's event. Everyone enjoyed the new format with two pinlocations on each green and using a modified stableford point system. We also used forecaddies with each group to help with the extra walking due to carts restricted to the paths.

Here are the results:

Flight 1

1st - Mike Pittman, Bruce Carter - +53
2nd - Michael Hall, Craig SMith - +46
3rd - Greg SOuder, Nick Dedman - +46

Flight 2

1st - Dave Cheese, Ian Eckert - +40
2nd - Bruce Springate, Bryan Sterne - +39
3rd - Steve Buchanan, Tim McCoy - +38

Thanks to all that played!

I am down to 186lbs. with 23 days left to reach my goal of 175...It may be out my reach now but I will try to to stay on task if I don't make it by May 1.

Down to 187...

My weight is down to 187lbs. and my knees are doing very well as a result...I look forward to our first event of the season tomorrow, the re-scheduled St. Patrick's Day Scramble. We have 23 teams registered with a few possibilities that may register in the morning.

Please call the Golf Shop if you are interested in playing at 12:30 Saturday. The rain will make things a bit of a mess, but I think most of us are ready to have a great time playing some golf!

See you tomorrow!

"PRO"

Tournament time!

The St. Patrick's Day tournament was rescheduled for this Saturday, April 5th @ 12:30pm The entry fee is $50 per team and food and drink will be provided following play. All teams will be flighted according to handicap and Ladies are welcome to participate. This is an invitational event, so be sure to invite a guest if you can't find another member to play. Print me a copy of this page and I will discount the entry fee by $5 per team if registered by Thursday, April 3rd.

Also, we have mailed entries for the 2008 Hilliard Lyons JE Butler Inv. Those playing last year have until April 19 to register. After that date, entry is open to any member and their guests. The entry fee is $135 and includes: practice round, range fees, Friday evening dinner/social for players and a guest, tournament gift (IzodG jacket) and all tournament prizes. Call the Golf SHop if you have any questions! (236-2838)

I played golf yesterday and scored a 74. Putting again was very good with 30 putts. My ballstriking wasn't good at all on the front, but I made no big mistakes like hitting OB or out of play. I struck the ball much better on the back and only made one error with club selection. I hit the wrong club from #12 tee and buried in the face of the bunker.

I finally achieved the "feel " I had with my swing at the end of of last year. As a result, I became more aggressive with my swing while worrying little about hitting errant shots. My distance increased dramatically as a result.

My weight is holding steady at 189lbs. and I hope to see to some gain towards my goal this week. If you remember, I have set a goal to weigh 175 lbs by May 1. Losing weight while lifting weights is a difficult project, but I am going to see how far I can go.

Wooohooo!!! 189!!!

Well I finally crossed the 190 threshold this morning. I'm not sure how I got there due to eating too much for Easter dinner, but here I am. I weighed 189 this morning and I have 14lbs to go for my goal. Getting busier at work will help as I always lose weight through the summer and gain in the winter. If I can just eat healthier and in smaller portions, I should be able to make my goal.

I played golf on Saturday when we cancelled the St Patrick's Day tourney due to the forecast of cold, windy conditions. I thought I had made a mistake (to cancel the tournament) when I walked out the house in the morning...but by 11:00am when the easter bunny made his appearance, it was clear it was the correct choice to cancel the event. 45 degrees, windy and cloudy are not the most favorable conditions for play.

Three players came out to play and I joined them for my second round of the season. I played much better than my first round of the year, but only scored a couple of shots better (77). I hit two very poor tee shots (OB #3, #17) which cost me greatly. My putting was greatly improved as I corrected my problem of hanging on by lowering my hands at address and standing a little further away from the ball. I released the putter instead of blocking everything to the right. (30 putts).

My irons were very good, but distance control was difficult with the wind conditions. I can't remember the last time I had to hit a 6-iron into #5 and a 5-iron into #18...both were from the 150 yd markers. A good time was had by all even though the playing conditions were about as bad as it gets.

Starting to get busy!!!

The pace has really picked up at the golf course over the last couple of weeks with the early time change and a few days of good weather. I haven't posted in a while and the extra work is the main reason.

I can see with less personal time each week, it will be difficult to keep the pace of my workouts I had this winter. I still get in enough cardio work, but the weight training has slipped off as I have become more busy at work. I didn't work out at all this week, as I was in Lexington twice this week, two nights I worked past 7:30, and the other I stayed at home to do cardio.

The difficulty is creating a routine I will stick to throughout this busy time of the year. Typically, I should be able to make it every Monday for weight training, and once school is out, Tuesdays and Wednesdays should be good for my routine. I would prefer to to have my second workout on Thursday or Friday, but work will usually interfere as we have Couple's Twilight golf on Friday evenings and I hope to create a Men's league or night on Thursdays .

Creating a plan and having the discipline to stick to it is what makes us successful in whatever we do in life. We all have business plans, financial plans, retirement plans, teaching plans, family plans, etc. Again, none of it works unless you have the discipline to stick to those plans. The game of golf is no different...we must create a plan for our game and "STICK TO IT" no matter what the consequences are that day. Golf is a long-term game...most us will be able to play it our entire lives. But if we have implement a long-term plan to improve or change our game, swing, whatever it may be....we can't abandon that gameplan due to some early failures in the process.

Look at the best player ANY sport has ever seen, Tiger Woods. He has changed his gameplan (swing) twice in the last 10 years and has improved greatly over that time period. In the early parts of the "changes" he made many mistakes that will occur as a part of the learning process. Mistakes are a natural part of life, and typically are the best tool we have to learn new things. No one could imagine a player being greater than Jack Nicklaus, but Tiger has accomplished it twice (1999-2001) and (2007-present).

Think about your golf game and the advice you have received. Do your best to implement the changes, but give them time to take hold. Also, be honest about your self-appraisal...take notes on where your strokes are going: putting, chipping/pitching, driver, fairway, penalties, etc. Then decide what part of your game needs the most work!

For those of us that have been playing for more than a couple of years, calculate your average putts per round over your next 10-20 rounds. Shots from the fringe do not count as a putt! If you average above 32 putts/round then putting is the first place you need to work on your game!!!

Most all of our new equipment and demo clubs have arrived: Cobra, Titleist, Mizuno, Ping and Taylor Made with demos of irons, hybrids, fairway woods and drivers. If you are in the market for new equipment you won't find better a price anywhere...plus the custom fitting service that comes along with the great price! See you soon on the links!

St Patrick's Day Coupon

Bring this coupon to the Golf Shop and register by Wedneday, March 19 for a $5 team discount!!!! Just print this page and drop it off at the Golf Shop.

Don't forget that handicap score posting began last Thursday and all scores away and at home must be posted in a timely manner in the Golf Shop. If you have any questions about handicap posting or would like to create a handicap for yourself, please call us or stop by on your next visit to the course!

Exciting time of the year!!!

I am holding steady at 191 lbs. and my knees are feeling about as good as they have in a couple of years. I look forward to hitting a few balls this week and maybe playing a round of golf next week. I hope everyone will do the same!!!

To me this is the most exciting time of the year with spring just around the corner...March Madness, The Masters and our golf schedule at Danville Country Club. I know everyone is ready to get the golf season started and I hope you will join us for the St. Patrick's Day Scramble on Saturday, March 22. This is an Invitational event, so members may invite guests to participate. Ladies are invited to participate as we will have a separate competition for women.

Please call the Golf Shop (236-2838) if you wish to participate and we will help you find a partner if you can't find anyone to partner with. I hope to see everyone next Saturday, 22nd (12:30pm shotgun).

The format will be slightly different from the past as we will use a modified stableford point system for scoring. Each green will have (2) hole locations, White (easy), Red (difficult) and points will be awarded based on net scores and which hole was used. Once the team is on the green they must decide which hole will be used. Each player wearing the color green will receive (2) mulligans to be used anywhere on the golf course. Irish food and green beer will provided to all participants following play! Points will be awarded as follows:

Net Score	White(easy)	Red(difficult)
Dbl. Bogey	-4	-5
Bogey	-2	-3
Par	+1	0
Birdie	+3	+5
Eagle	+5	+8
Dbl. Eagle	+8	+12

Are you ready???

Daylight Savings Time returns this Saturday night...which equals daylight til almost 8pm in the evening. We hope to see everyone on the golf course after work getting ready for the St. Patrick's Day Scramble on Saturday, 22nd. After this weekend, temperatures should return to a more seasonable ranges in the 50's and 60's.

I am down to 191 lbs as I weighed myself this morning. With 30 minutes of cardio, crunches and wallyball...I burned a few calories throughout the day. I didn't have any lingering effects from playing last night, so I hope to return to my leg workouts this weekend. I have been doing leg lifts in addition to the lunges just to work additional muscles in my legs.

"PRO"

Not a stellar debut...

I played my first round of golf on Sunday and even though I have hit very few golf balls this winter...I was very disappointed with my play. My first seven holes were just plain awful as I hit my old high and right shot 3-4 times...costing me at least 4-5 shots.

Finally, on my tee shot on #8, I felt my arms collapsing into my body on my downswing resulting in an inside/out swing path with an open club face. I saved a par on #8 from the bunker and struck the ball much better the rest of the way. I didn't miss a fairway on the back, other than putting it in the creek on #15. My power off the tee wasn't as good as it should have been, but I can work on that. The path was much improved as well as the clubface staying square.

My putting was not very good, especially from close range. I missed several short putts for birdie and par. I think this will improve on my next round as I didn't let the putter swing in my short putts. The result was a hold-on position with the clubface remaining open through the stroke. All of my misses were to the right.

An ugly 41 on the front with a 38 on the back nine. 3 penalty shots...3 three-putts and poor chipping/pitching.

I am about ready for my follow-up visit with Brian Mountjoy to begin some work on golf specific exercises. I hope to do that in the next two weeks. For now, still lots of cardio and continue my current weightlifting program.

My weight remained at 192 through the weekend as I had a huge dinner on Saturday evening with Andrea on Saturday evening. This diet thing is tough!!!

"PRO"

My birthday dinner..

I worked 45 minutes on my elliptical machine last night and my legs were pretty good following the workout...no swelling and minimal discomfort in my knees. I don't think I've stated this in my previous blogs, but I do anther 5-10 minutes of crunches and leg lifts following my cardio workouts. I will probably get my second weight lifting session in on Friday night, sticking to just doing upperbody, abdominal and some lunges.

The big fun was my birthday with Andrea and the boys. Jackson and Harrison wanted to take me out to dinner...and they were going to pick where we eat. I thought for sure we were headed to McDonald's!!! My optimal place would have been Malone's in Lexington. But it is a school night (wish we would have known it was going to snow more!) and we had homework, spelling words and vocabulary to study. So they elected for.......FAZOLI'S!!! Not awful for the diet, but it is my birthday! The boys had a big time eating their second favorite food, spaghetti, while I had the combo platter, spaghetti, lasagna and fettucini. I did my best not to eat it all, and I barely succeeded.

We went home and blew out my candles on Beverly's wonderful homemade cherry pie, which I controlled myself to only eat a small piece. I stepped on the scales this morning expecting to see 193+, but I actually lost another pound. (192lbs.)

I hope to be sub 190 by next Tuesday morning!!!

"PRO"

193 and holding...

My knees are still very sore from from last Wednesday, but the swelling is gone. Today is my birthday and I am going to skip wallyball tonight to spend my birthday at home with Andrea and the boys. It's probably a good idea for my knees to rest this week anyway.

I went ahead with my workout last Friday and probably should have skipped my leg work. Doing a few lunges and cardio is about all I am going to do to my legs the next week or so.

With my birthday, I have had a few special meals that wouldn't normally fit into a typical "diet" so my weight is holding at 193lbs. Also, Beverly Johnson just gave me a home-made cherry pie for my birthday. Hopefully I can make it through the weekend without losing ground on my goal of 175lbs. I could eat the entire pie today, but I'm going to take it upstairs during lunch and share it with everyone.

The Titleist sales rep was in last week to show the new Cobra and Titleist lines. From Cobra, we have the FP line of irons coming for Men and Women as well as the LD F-Speed and M-Speed drivers and fairway woods. We will have demos of most all of the clubs.

On the Titleist side we have ordered the D series drivers again (D1, D2) and the new iron series AP1 and AP2. The AP (Advanced Performance) irons are multi-material, dual cavity clubs with the AP1(cast) and the AP2(forged). The AP1 has a slightly larger head and more offset for higher launch coditions and straighter ball flight. The AP2 would be for players looking for the ability to shape their shots and ball control. We will have demos of the drivers and the AP1 irons.

The Cobra and Titleist equipment is scheduled to ship March 17th.











We will also have some Taylor Made equipment as it was a popular request last season. We have the CGB Max, Tour (TP)Burner and Burner drivers oredered as well as the Burner Rescue hybrids. We also have the TP Black and TP Red golf balls coming from Taylor Made. The Red is for players that generally create too much spin, while the Black is for players with low-spin rates.

The Taylor Made equipment is scheduled to ship March 20th.

More stack and tilt...

As we have discussed previously in this blog...the stack and tilt form of golf swing is one of the hot catch phrases in the game today. Both words are very accurate for a good swing, but we do need to understand their exact meaning in order to execute a sound swing.

Where and what are we tilting when we use the word to describe this technique? The tilt refers to the spine tilting toward the ball at address and turning your left shoulder down toward the ball in your backswing. Basicly, you are looking to keep your spine centered over the ball through your entire swing. Staying centered is another way of saying "stacked". Aaron Baddeley makes a great example of the positions in a "Stack and Tilt" golf swing.

If you look at Mr. Badds in the down the line photo, you will notice the club is "laid off" which will require a re-routing of the club to the outside and a early release or disconnection from his power source. (Draw a line on the club and extend it towards the ball...if this line is pointing to a position outside of your target line, then you are in a "laid off" position.

If Mr. Badds would create more extension (not tuck his right elbow in his side) with his backswing and tilt over his right side, instead of staying centered...I believe his club stays more upright and on plane to the ball. typically a club that is "laid off" is open and also under the swing plane. Open and under are two variables that don't equate into very good golf shots for the average golfer. Jerry Kelly is the best tour example of a player with an open and under move into impact. Notice his follow through and how he always leans excessively to left after contact as though he has missed his shot to the right. This is from him having to over-rotate his forearms to square the club face.

The changes I have made in the last 18 months were to eliminate this open and under position I had in my golf swing. My errors came from a different set of problems, but at impactl, my big miss was high/right indicative of swinging "under" the swing plane and the clubface being "open"to the swingpath. Under and closed could work...ala Kenny Perry. He swings under the swing plane with a "closed" clubface. (This is what translates into a draw/hook shot...The ball must start outside the target line and curve back to the target).

Most beginning to average players are the exact opposite of Kenny Perry...they are outside and open. It typically can work, but generally players will overwork their arms in this swing resulting in very, very inconsistent ball flight. Some very good players with outside/open swings are Bruce Lietzke, Hale Irwin and Craig Parry. Johnny Miller's commentary during Parry's 2004 win at Doral, described Parry's swing as "enough to make Ben Hogan puke". Parry won the tournament in a playoff over Scott Verplank with an eagle "2" on the famed #18 at Blue Monster.

"PRO"

ll

Knee swelling...

I have lost 2 lbs. putting me at 193lbs with 68 days to lose another 18 lbs. I played wallyball again on Wednesday evening for the first time in a couple of weeks. For the first 45 minutes, my knees did wonderful as I moved and jumped much like I did 5-10 years ago. The last 45 minutes, I could tell I had possibly overdone myself as my left knee was especially sore.

Now on Friday, my knee is swollen slightly, mostly due to a baker's cyst that forms on the back of my knee when I do too much. It is a little painful, but mostly feels like pressure sitting on the top of my calf. The pressure is greatest when my leg is fully extended. I iced my knee Wednesday and Thursday and should be able to work out again tomorrow on the elliptical machine.

I think I may call my doctor and see if this is something that will always happen, or are there things I can do to prevent it from happening (Knee brace or sleeve, cortisone shot, different exercises, etc.) Hopefully, just continuing my current workout program will be the answer.

A new challenge...

Ok, my workouts have become fairly routine for me, but again my knees are not as good as I hoped they would be. I think more weight training on my legs with strong cardio work is going to help them some more, but not to the extent I was hoping. So what else can I do to create less stress on my knees, well it looks like I need to lose some weight.

I never took on this project as a way to lose weight, it was a project to help my knees while applying other areas to help my golf game. I have realized over the last 6 weeks that my body wasn't designed to carry 200 lbs while participating in activities. My healthy weight chart says I should weigh somewhere between 161 and 178 lbs. I have lost 3 lbs. since taking on this project 6 weeks ago, but have done nothing at all to change my diet except to cut down on soft drinks. (I drink more tea and water now) If anything, I may eat a little worse now than before. Not necessarily what I eat, but how much.

My goal now is to attempt to eat more small meals, instead of 2-3 big meals. Another focus will be to cut out snacks late in the evening, but the most difficult will be to eliminate fast food!!! Finding things I like to eat to replace these weak areas is what will be most difficult. Eating less at each meal will be fairly simple, especially if I drink plenty of water.

As of this morning I weighed 195lbs, and I look to weigh 175 lbs by May 1st. This should be easily attainable as I would have 72 days to lose 20 lbs. But, you never know til you try. The first 10-12 should be a piece of cake...it's the last 8 or so that will be difficult.

Since the start of college, I believe 163 lbs is the least I have weighed. I lost 20 lbs the summer between my sophomore and junior year, as I watched how much I ate and I also worked a very physical job during that summer. I had no specific goals that summer concerning weight loss, I just did it because I wanted to.

My exercise of the day is the Leg Press. I have added this to my routine on my own as I am really looking to improve the strength in my quadraceps and hamstrings to improve my knee stability. I have kept my weight fairly low looking to add more weight each time I work this exercise. I started at 270 lbs (barbell weights), I'm not sure how much the sled weighs, but I am up to 340 now after 3 sessions. 340 was still easy as I controlled the weight very slow through each set of reps.

Like all the other exercises, I do 3 sets of 15 reps. I think this is my favorite exercise, as it seems to give my knees the most benefit along with the leg extensions. These along with the lunges can really fatigue the legs.

The WGC match play pairings have been announced and JB Holmes plays Tiger Woods in the first round, Wednesday, February 20th. Coverage begins tomorrow on The Golf Channel from 2:00-6:00pm

We have hired our new Assistant Golf Professional, Joshua Mers from Bowling Green, KY. Josh has previously worked at Spring Valley Golf Club in Lexington, KY following completing his BA degree at the University of Kentucky. But he is returning to the golf profession after working for Sentry Insurance as an account representative traveling western Kentucky. Josh will begin work in mid-March and I hope everyone welcome him upon his arrival.

"PRO"

Incline dumbbell bench press...

The incline bench press is exactly the same as the bench press, except the bench is at a 45` angle to the ground, allowing us to use a slightly different group of muscles than the standard bench press. The Clavicular muscles (upperchest) receive a greater workout due to the weights going up at an angle above the chest and shoulders.

An individual will normally press a smaller amount of weight for the incline than the normal bench. I use 40lbs. dumbbells for the bench press and 35lbs for the incline. 15 reps and 3 sets again while alternating between other exercises.

All of the chest, shoulder and arm weight exercises build strength to help keep our arms from folding or laying across our chest while swinging. With our increase in speed of the core, we require more strength in the upper body to keep our arms in a correct position throughout the swing.

"PRO"

PGA Tour report - Mark WIlson

I just checked the scores from the opening round of the Northern Trust Open at Rivierra CC in Los Angeles, CA and KJ Choi has the early lead at 6 under with many players still left on the course. To the right of the leaderboard on PGAtour.com are stats of players and the leaders of each category. I ususally check the distance leaders as JB usually leads that category. But I noticed an amazing stat that Mark Wilson was leading the total putts category with 20 putts.

So I go back to the leaderboard and immediately go to the top of the board to find his name...unfortunately I had to look through 24 names before I found him t25 - 70 (-1). He hit 4 greens in regulation and shot a (-1) under par round...WOW! I'm sure he chipped in a few times or holed out from the fairway, but he could have easily just missed 2 putts in 18 holes!

Goes to show you, it's never over until its over, and yes the putter can be a great equalizer! Mark won the Honda Classic last year and will defend his title in about 3 weeks from now in Florida.

Back extensions...The Set-up

Back extensions are another exercise to work the core of the body...a strong core is what most strong (long hitting) players have. The faster you can rotate the core equals more clubhead speed! Other factors are involved to optimize a player's speed...but the major contributor is the core (torso) of your body.

The hanging leg lifts yesterday worked the front side of the core, abdominals. The back extensions will work the lower back muscles, glutes and hamstrings. If you have trouble with your back, especially the lower back, I would certainly recommend you talk to a professional, trainer or therapist, possibly your doctor before working your back too much.









The picture shown above is a little different than the machine I use which positions the indivual at a 45` angle instead of being parallel to the ground at the top of the exercise. It provides for a greater range of motion and is much easier to get in and out. Weights can be used by holding barbell weights to your chest with arms crossed in front. Again, we want to work 15 reps of 3 sets with us lowering ourselves slowly as far as possible and lifting ourselves back to a straight position, which puts us at a 45` angle to the ground.




It has been a while since I have talked about the golf swing...and we are only a month away from our first tournament of the season. It colds outside and the snow has most of the ground covered, but it's time to get ready for the late winter golf trips most of take at this time of the year.

One of the most important things we need to practice as we get back into the swing of playing golf is our set-up. Yes, practice your set-up!!! It is something that can change drastically after a long layoff, and will definitely result in poor golf swings.

The best way to practice is in front of a large mirror or window at your house. Facing the mirror, we can check the width of our stance, hand position, ball position, body tilt and weight distribution.

The width of our stance is dependent on the club we are hitting, but typically, drivers should have your heels aligned just outside of your shoulders. Hand position is another important position to check as the butt end of the club should point back towards a position just left of your bellybutton, not out towards your left hip or even worse, your right hip! (These instructions are for right-handed golfers. Please reverse if you are left-handed)

Ball position is again dependent on which club we are hitting, with the driver being forward toward the left heel or instep, and your wedges back to a position just left of center. The last position to check is to make sure we are tilted slightly away from the target with our weight feeling very centered. Tilt and weight will most likely move away from the target as we swing longer clubs.


Positions to check from a side view in the mirror are: Posture, tilt, and weight distribution. We can check our posture by rotating our head (not our body) to see if our back is fairly straight. Our arms should hang from our shoulders, not extend out, and our weight should be near the balls of our feet, putting our chin out in front of our toe line.

Our knees should be flexed slightly with our chest tilted toward the ball. This angle will change with the varying lengths of clubs. More tilt for short clubs, less for long.

This gentleman has pretty good posture but has his arms extended away from his body. This separation generally will cause an excess of arm movement. His most likely swing path is inside on the way back and out over the top on the way back to the ball. The result is normally weak slice to the right.


Think about a boxer throwing a punch. He has no power to hit if he has his arms extended out in front of him the entire match. Keeping his arms connected to his power source, the body core, he can now use his legs and body weight to deliver a blow through his fist. The same is true in golf. However, we can get to close, causing again poor path and having to excessively turn our body out of the way through impact. Proper set-up and posture is very important in delivering the clubhead back to the ball with maximum force and optimum path and angle.





"PRO"

Hanging leg lifts...

Hanging leg lifts is one of the few exercises I perform where each set is executed to exhaustion...I normally do 3 sets of 30. But again, I do it in roatation with other exercises to give the abdominal muscles a short rest.

The exercise machine is shown on the left and the individual lays his/her arms across padded supports and grips the handlebar at the end of the support. The individuals legs will hang freely without touching the ground. The individual should then lift the legs parallel to the ground keeping the legs extended as much as possible. If you have a difficult time keeping the legs extended, bend at the knees and lift your knees to your chest as much as possible. Try to move the legs as slow as possible, especially while lowering to achieve the maximum abdominal workout. Pointing your toes also helps to concentrate the work on the abs.

We won't know for sure until Sunday, but it looks like JB Holmes will be playing Phil Mickelson in the WGC Match Play tournament beginning Wednesday, February 20. This would make for an interesting re-match of the playoff win JB had two weeks ago. I'm sure it would be one of the highlighted matches for the day and receive a larger percentage of TV coverage.

I heard from an undisclosed source that Gillespie is heading to Oklahoma St. at the end of the season and former UK player Sean Sutton is out as the head basketball coach for OK St. The internet is the greatest way to spread propaganda...so I guess I'm here to keep the chain letter going!!! Maybe we get Pelphrey from Arkansas!?!?

"PRO"

Front arm raise...Basketball!!!

The front arm raise is another exercise working the front of the deltoid (shoulder) muscle. The pictures show the basics of the exercise but Brian has me alternating my arms with each rep and standing with either foot forward slightly to support my back. I am prone to lower back problems, so it is important I remember to set up properly before I start this exercise. I use a 20lbs. dumbbell in each hand and perform 15 reps lifting the arm straight up in front of me to shoulder height. I again perform 3 sets of this exercise.

My workouts are beginning to become more routine to me, and the best part is I actually look forward to most of them. The cardio workouts are much easier, so I will look to increase the difficulty of some of my sessions. This means more inclines and at sharper angles. I completed 40 minutes last night on the elliptical machine and felt as though I could have continued for quite a bit more. At the beginning of my exercise program, 10-12 minutes of the machine and I was ready to fall over. It's good to see the effort begin to pay off.

My knees are much better, but not as good as I had hoped. I'm unsure as to how good they should or could feel, so if any of our medical professionals would like to comment, please feel free!

I attended my first Centre College game on Friday night with my son Jackson and Steve and Will Bramel. (Harrison was sick again, but better now) They play on the same Recreation league team, and we, Steve and I, hoped exposing them to "Real" organized basketball would encourage them for their league play. It was a great experience for all of us, but the big thing I realized was the great product the basketball teams offer for the community.

We grow up in Kentucky thinking of University of Kentucky basketball, maybe Louisville basketball, ;) (that's a wink for those that are not familiar with emoticons) and we forget about the local teams that compete with the same effort each and every night. I really love to watch and play basketball, but had settled myself to sitting in the easy chair at home watching whoever I don't know play on the television.

I can't get my children to watch a basketball with me at home, Kentucky or Louisville. But they had a great time watching Centre College Friday evening. They were typical 7 year olds at times and missed some of the action, but they were always aware of the score and cheered and celebrated like everyone else on the big plays.

We had such a good time, we (Harrison, Jackson and I) went again Sunday for the Women's and Men's basketball games. Both victories for the home team. The Bramel's were there for Sunday's game too just to show you how much fun it was! In between the games, I was able to squeeze in a quick workout at the Fitness Center, how convenient!!!

The Centre College men are having a great season, but don't forget about the women and the local high schools. They all work very hard, and they do it because they want to, not because they get paid to! This was quite a tangent I have written today, but it is another way to get ourselves out of the coach potato mode!!!

"PRO"

Lateral arm raise.

Lateral arm raises can be done in many different ways depending the angles the weights are held, angle at elbows, etc. But they all should be performed with your feet set apart or while sitting in a chair. Maybe the best way to isolate the deltoid cap and shoulder is sitting on an exercise ball to minimize the use of other parts of your body.

Both dumbbells are lifted simultaneously to shoulder height or slightly above, with controlled lowering back to your side. Palms should face to your side and remain at that angle through the entire exercise. Again, like all of the other lifting exercises, we do three (3) sets of 15 reps. I like to work in this exercise alternating between 2 types of lunges and front arm lifts. I will do one set of each exercise and rotate back to the first until I have completed three sets of each.

I use 20 lbs. dumbbells for this exercise and I have had a difficult time in increasing my weight for this specific exercise. Reading on the internet...It suggests using heavier weights (10lbs more) and doing fractional exercises where I only make 50% of the movement (45` angle lift) and also lifting over my head (180`) and allowing the arms to fall 20` down to my side and back to the top.

Reading these suggestions on the internet or in magazines can be alot like changing your golf swing based on what you read in a book or magazine. I'll ask Brian if this is a correct procedure before I try it myself.

"PRO"

The dreaded LUNGES!!!

Yesterday I talked about benchpress and the technique used for good results. Today I want to talk about 4 different lunge exercises I use in my workout routine. I hold 12lbs. dumbbells in either hand while performing all my lunge exercises. Bodyweight is probably what you want to use until you learn to control your balance with good technique.

The first lunge is forward holding the weights straight down my side. I alternate stepping forward, keeping my back perpendicular to the ground letting my knee almost touch the ground with my trail leg. (see picture above) I alternate stepping forward with each leg until I have done 15 with each. Again I want to do three (3) sets of each and I rotate between other exercises before coming back to the forward lunge.

The second lunge is the backward lunge. It works just the opposite of the forward lunge with the individual stepping back trying to keep the back perpendicular and the knee almost touching the ground. Again 3 sets of 15 alternating legs with each step.

The third lunge is the diagnal lunge. It is almost the same as the foward lunge except there is a 45` pivot in the direction of the leg stepping forward. Again keep your back perpendicular and and the knee almost touching the ground. (3x15 again)

The last lunge is the pli'e. For me this has become my favorite as it bothers my knees the least while working out. Feet should be touching each other as you begin with a step back and opposite 45` while keeping your back upright as much as posible. (3x15 again)

These exercises have been the best rehabilitation for my knees, as they work all the small muscles around the knee. The small muscles help to secure my knee resulting in less stress while during physical activity. The cardio machines and lunges have been my point of emphasis during my introduction to weight training.

Tomorrow, I will talk more about my upper body workouts.

"PRO"

Exercise list...

I have had a few questions about what specific exercises I am doing in my weightlifting days. I had avoided this topic some, as the stage I am in right now really has nothing to do with improving, or maintaining my golf swing. But I will go through each weighlifting exercise I complete once in a week.

5-10 minutes of stretching...

Flat on my back pulling right leg to my chest....left side same

Sit up, left leg extended and right leg bent so bottom of foot touches left leg above the knee. Push down on right leg and stretch left hand to left foot. Opposite side same

Stand up facing wall. Place both hands on wall with arms extended. Extend left leg behind and keep foot flat on ground to stretch calf muscle...Opposite side same.

Facing wall again. Place right on wall with arm extended. Bend left knee back and pull on foot with left arm to stretch quadraceps. Opposite side same.

Extend left arm with palm facing up. Pull fingers back with right hand to stretch left forearm. Opposite side same.

Extend left arm across chest and pull tight to chest with right arm to stretch outside of shoulder. Opposite side same.

Stand under door facing and extend left arm straight up. Grab top of facing and pull left arm straight back. Stretching inside shoulder and chest. Opposite side same.

Stretches should not be a jerking motion but a gradual increase of pressure and holding for 10 seconds.

Now for the weigtlifting. My first exercise is one set (15 reps) of bench presses with two individual weights. I will usually rotate between four different exercises working different parts of my body before I come back and do the second set. I will repeat this cycle of exercises again and come back for a third set of each.

With the bench press... I use (2) 40lbs. weights for this exercise. I can usually make it through two sets and fall back to 35lbs for the last set. Unlike the photo listed I have one dumbbell in each hand and perform about the same motion as shown above, except I make a twist of my arms by 90` and allow the weights to touch at the top. I try to maintain a slow controlled motion as bring the weights back down outside of my chest and parallel to my shoulders. I try to push the weight up as quickly a possible with the twist and touch at the top and repeat 15 times.

I try to do the maximum weight my body will allow and still complete the 15 reps. Tomorrow I will talk about lunges and the 4 angles I use. (Forward, backward, diagonal and pli'e)

"PRO"

Way to go J.B.!!!

How exciting that was to watch J.B. Holmes gather himself and win the PGA tour FBR Open in Scottsdale, AZ. JB got off to a great start and opened a 4 shot lead thru 6 holes on Sunday, but three bogeys in four holes trimmed his lead to one. He maintained his lead until hole #15 where he drowned his second shot in the greenside water and made a bogey. Meanwhile, Mickelson made a birdie at #17 and took a one shot lead.

Holmes didn't fold under the pressure of trailing for the first time since round #2. He drove in front of the green on #17 and narrowly missed a birdie. On #18 trailing by one, He mashed a drive over the water and bunker that only he and a couple of others can attempt. His ball stopped in the left rough leaving him a great angle into the pin. His second shot finished about 12 feet under the hole where he drained the tying putt dead-center.

The playoff was all JB as Mickelson hit the fairway with a 3-wood and Holmes saved his drive of the tournament for the playoff, a 350+ yard bomb, dead-center in the fairway. Mickelson hit to about 20-25 feet right of the hole while Holmes pitched to 6-8 feet behind the hole. Mickelson misses and Holmes made his putt to win The FBR Open for the second time in 3 years.

The second win certainly puts a validation on JB's early career and hopefully a great third season in which he makes the Ryder Cup team at Valhalla this fall. JB has jumped to 5th position in the standings and Mickelson has entered the top 10 with his impressive play the last two weeks.

JB will be in the field at Pebble Beach this week for the ATT Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. if I remember correctly, I believe he missed the tournament following his win in 2006. With 2+ years of experience on tour, I look for big things from JB for many years to come. And you have to hand it to Mr. Phil Mickelson, with all the positive things he had to say about JB and his future on tour.

Check out JB's website listed on the links to the right...


"PRO"

Not too bad...

We played wallyball last night for an hour and a half, and did so without much problem. I did 15 minutes of the elliptical before we played and probably will skip that the next time we play. I played very cautious through most of the evening, but wasn't performing to the level I think I should. So the last game, I played more my style of trying to cover open places instead of just my area, and I enjoyed the game much more.

My knees are sore, especially the left, but no swelling this time. I'll do a little cardio tonight and my weightlifting tomorrow at Centre. I don't believe I'm ready for racquetball yet, but hopefully in the next few weeks I will give it a try. I'm just glad I can get back into the routine of playing wallyball every week for the next 2 months before golf season starts.

"PRO"

Going to give the knees a try!

I am going to play wallyball tonight for the first time since November. My outing in November is the main reason I have taken up the weight-lifting/exercise project, as my left knee was swollen for more than a week following our games. It was the first time I had played in over a year, and I felt my physical condition was the main problem for my knee problems. So what could I do, but start a conditioning program to improve the strength in my legs. I decided to tie golf into the workouts to hopefully inspire others that conditioning could also be a way to improve your golf game.

Wallyball is volleyball played inside of a racquetball court with 3-4 players on each team. You can use the walls to hit your shots, but only one wall before it hits the floor or the other team touches the ball. Two walls would disqualify the shot and the ceiling and back wall are out of bounds as well. Games are played to 15, you must win by 2 and you can only score while serving. Players are not allowed to touch the net at any time or the point is awarded to the other team.

The ball is not a normal volleyball, as it is made of the same material as a racquetball but it is the size of a volleyball. Games can be very fast-paced and the ability to judge bounces off the walls is a great advantage in the game. Height and/or jumping ability are very advantagous as well. Height, I don't have, but I can jump fairly well.

The constant shock I put on my knees with the jumping and moving caused the swelling, and basicly it was my body saying "don't do this anymore unless you have me prepared!" I'm not 100% sure I'm prepared, but I do want to know where I stand.

Tomorrow we will find out if I can "stand!"

"PRO"

I missed Friday...ouch

I was under the weather Thursday and Friday and skipped lifting and cardio both days. I made it back to Centre for my weightlifting today and could tell I had missed my normal schedule. It took about an hour and 15 minutes to complete my workout and I did another 15 minutes of stationary bike following.

I did add some leg extensions to my weightlifting, trying to work on my hamstrings which are feeling stronger following 3 weeks of lunges. I hope to add weight in a few of my exercises in the next week and maybe another day of weightlifting working on my legs exclusively. I will talk to Brian and get his recommendations on what should be done.

I think we can go ahead and give Tiger the title as the best ever. Playing in this day and age when the field of players is so deep, I just don't see how I can't make this proclamation. I know I never really witnessed most of the other greats in their prime, but just comparing records, his is unmatched. And just think, he is only 30 years old!!! True comparisons can only be made when he retires from the PGA tour, but I'm sold as of now.

"PRO"

Make it challenging...

My cardio routine is getting much easier, and I no longer dread the 20-40 minutes of time it takes to complete the exercise. We have an elliptical machine at home that we purchased last year for the Andrea and I to use, but mainly for her when she didn't have time to make it to the gym. Andrea also has the 80g IPOD which allows you to watch movies, videos, tv shows, or listen to music while you work out. I've watched "The Italian Job" and "The Bourne Identity" a few times each just while using the elliptical.

When I first started the elliptical, I used the setting for a flat course. On the third session I moved to a rolling hill course, where the tension increases during the uphill, and it lessens on the downhill. I'm going to experiment with other courses that vary with hill height and greater incline and decline. My main objective now though is to push my workouts to range between 30 and 50 minutes each session.

Brian gave me a schedule to use, based on 3-4 workouts a week.
Week1
Day 1 - 20-25 minutes
Day 2 - 25-30 minutes
Day 3 - 30-35 minutes
Day 4 - 35-40 minutes

Week 2
Day 1 - 25-30 minutes
Day 2 - 30-35 minutes
Day 3 - 35-40 minutes
Day 4 - 40-45 minutes

Week 3
Day 1 - 30-35 minutes
Day 2 - 35-40 minutes
Day 3 - 40-45 minutes
Day 4 - 45-50 minutes

and cycle back to Week 1

If I'm trying to lose weight, the sessions can go longer, but always cycle up in length each day, and week, and back to week1 after the third week.

I usually try to drink plenty of water leading up to my cardio and weightlifting exercises. But I will stop during my workout to rehydrate every 10-15 minutes. If I were riding a stationary bike, I would keep riding while re-hydrating.

I think I'm ready to try Wallyball this week...keep your fingers crossed, hopefully no setbacks for my knees. If wallyball works, then I will give racquetball a try!!!

I hope you like the new font size...I know I do. Learn something new every day!!!

"PRO"

skipped Monday for Tuesday...

I skipped my workout on Monday and will workout Tuesday Friday this week. Again, I worked out on the same schedule as last time with dinner around 6pm and starting my workout around 7pm. I was home by 8:15pm, but did not do any cardio yesterday.

My fatigue factor was far less as my third set of each exercise was almost as good as my first. If it works out like this again next week I will move up in weight. My weight gain has leveled off and I actually have lost a couple of pounds since last Friday.

I have not been able to work any golf swings into my post-workout routine, but I do take about 5 minutes each day to make a few swings practicing technique. For those of you who are just starting to read my blog, I am looking to create a workout that will help me improve the swing changes I have made in the last 15 months.

On an unrelated topic, how bout them Cats last night. That was a big win for Gillespie and the players. Not much positive has been found in their play this year, and Gillespie has really made some odd decisions on players, practicing and communication. His madness seems to be working now, but it's still a long way to March! Win or lose last night, they competed and were fun to watch! That's all I can ask!!!

New stats...

Reading through my new GolfWorld magazine and the PGA tour has a new feature debuting in Shotlink giving stats on ball speeds, swing speeds and ball flight. It is amazing what technology can do these days. JB Holmes leads all of the stats that deal with distance: clubhead speed (124.89mph), ball speed (184.22mph) and carry distance (298.8yds). Only two other players, Bubba Watson (294.9) and Dustin Johnson (291.3) were within 15 yards of JB's average



Just for some perspective...298.8 yards of carry on our hole #8 would put him in the middle of the tall grass behind the green. This is just his average in Hawaii (at sea level)...so I'm sure he could carry it further on occasions. Holes #4, 5 and 6 would also be drivable for JB on our front nine. My clubhead speed measured last summer was around 110mph with a ball speed around 165mph which puts me right on the field average for last weeks event at The Sony. Brian Gay is on the other end of the power statitics: clubhead speed (103.76mph), ball speed(151.35mph) trailing all other players in the field.

Another stat that I found interesting was for the highest drive apex: Alex Ching at 125ft. was the highest average and Charles Howell III at 55ft was the lowest. I know Charles can hit a very high ball, so he definitely made a change in his normal swing due to the windy conditions in Hawaii.

"PRO"

New pace worked great!

Taking the slower pace during my workout worked much better for me tonight. I did about 20 minutes on our elliptical machine at home around 6:00pm, ate a light dinner and went to Centre for my workout around 6:50pm.

It took about 50 minutes to complete the weight training including about 5 minutes of stretching beforehand. Following my weights, I rode a stationary bike for 10 minutes trying to add a little more cardio to the day. I was home by 8:15pm, and completely exhausted. A good hot shower later, I feel very energized now. This is the feeling I was looking for when I started.

The next 3 days I hope to get 30-45 minutes of cardio on the elliptical machine at home before I return on Monday for another day of weights. Funny part about the last 11 days is I have gained 5 pounds!!! I guess the workouts has increased my hunger as well. I didn't start this project as a weight loss program, so I'm not worried about the weight. I know it will come off with time.

Bundle up it's going to get cold!!!

"PRO"

Ryder Cup!!!

Well this is Kentucky's year to host the Ryder Cup and hopefully the American team can win back "The Cup" for the first time since 2002. I think Paul Azinger will do a great job as the Captain of this US team. He does have some advantages over previous Captain's where he has 4 Captain's choices instead of 2 like in the past. These choices now can be used for the hottest players at that time, not just someone who accumulated many points early and is playing poorly at Ryder Cup time.

Azinger has a great rapport with most players on tour and I believe they will follow his lead during the event. They respect his criticism because he dishes out compliments and humor just as much, if not more. He's not afraid to make tough decisions, is one of the few individuals I believe can make any US team play as a unit. Something that has definitely been lacking in recent Ryder Cup events.

Who will make this year's team? Well here are the standings through the Sony Open in Hawaii:

Team USA Standings
2008 U.S. RYDER CUP TEAM STANDINGS
Through the Sony Open (01/14/08)
Place Player Points
1. WOODS, Tiger 3,430.627
2. FURYK, Jim 1,751.553
3. JOHNSON, Zach 1,525.483
4. STRICKER, Steve 1,311.767
5. KELLY, Jerry 885.631
6. AUSTIN, Woody 842.000
7. MAHAN, Hunter 752.291
8. CINK, Stewart 630.235
9. DURANT, Joe 585.710
10. MATTESON, Troy 547.910
11. TOMS, David 518.178
12. VERPLANK, Scott 515.874
13. CURTIS, Ben 426.879
14. HOWELL III, Charles 421.972
15. PERNICE JR., Tom 403.659
16. OBERHOLSER, Arron 384.061
17. WATNEY, Nick 383.402
18. LOVE III, Davis 380.610
19. PEREZ, Patrick 376.665
20. CALCAVECCHIA, Mark 352.046
21. WEEKLEY, Boo 344.711
22. SNEDEKER, Brandt 318.310
23. GLOVER, Lucas 310.780
24. BYRD, Jonathan 288.777
25. CAMPBELL, Chad 276.155
26. AXLEY, Eric 262.305
27. WATSON, Bubba 261.732
28. FUNK, Fred 250.384
29. LICKLITER III, Frank 242.446
30. WETTERICH, Brett 237.420
31. HENRY, J.J. 226.378
32. TAYLOR, Vaughn 220.849
33. JANZEN, Lee 213.706
34. GOYDOS, Paul 212.600
T35. MARINO, Steve 208.688
T35. NA, Kevin 208.688
37. QUIGLEY, Brett 207.185
38. FLESCH, Steve 204.500
39. SLOCUM, Heath 193.321
40. HOFFMAN, Charley 190.352
41. SUTHERLAND, Kevin 187.704
42. BATEMAN, Brian 184.736
43. BRYANT, Bart 179.555
44. LEORNARD, Justin 175.000
45. MCNEILL, George 167.863
46. DUKE, Ken 153.505
47. MACKENZIE, Will 149.400
48. TRAHAN, D.J. 144.805
49. O'HAIR, Sean 138.892
50. WILSON, Dean 138.037


I believe the top 4; Woods, Furyk, Z Johnson and Stricker have locked positions on the team. But who do you not see in the Top 50? Lefty, Phil Mickelson is in 65th position with just 98.55 points. He is a difficult player to leave off the team, but he needs to prove something to me this year if I were the Captain of the team. Probably needs to get in the Top 20 before he will be considered as a Captain's pick.

Woody "Aquaman" Austin fell in love with 'Team Golf" at last year's President's Cup and would be a huge fan favorite at this year's Ryder Cup, so I look for him to make the team. Scott Verplank is another good team player, but watch for Boo Weekley and Bubba Watson. They would be great matches for Valhalla, as it will play very long during the event. My final three players will be: Hunter Mahan, David Toms and longshot pick Charles Howell.




Schedule of Events....


Sunrise on Friday, Sept. 19 is 7:28 a.m. Sunset is 7:45 p.m.
Average temps: High of 80 degrees, Low of 58 degrees
Gate Hours
Tuesday 7:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday 7:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Thursday 7:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Friday 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Saturday 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Sunday 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008
7:30 a.m. Gates Open
8:00 a.m. 1st Tee, European Team, Practice
10th Tee, U.S. Team, Practice
6:00 p.m. Ryder Cup Practice ends
7:00 p.m. Gates close

Wednesday, September 17, 2008
7:30 a.m. Gates Open
8:00 a.m. 1st Tee, European Team, Practice
10th Tee, U.S. Team, Practice
3:00 p.m. Junior Ryder Cup Exhibition Match, 1st Tee
6:00 p.m. Ryder Cup Practice ends
7:00 p.m. Gates close

Thursday, September 18, 2008
7:30 a.m. Gates Open
8:00 a.m. 1st Tee, European Team, Practice
10th Tee, U.S. Team, Practice
3:00 p.m. Ryder Cup Practice ends
3:00 p.m. Pre-Ceremony Gathering Hour, Practice Range
4:00 p.m. Opening Ceremony begins, Practice Range
5:15 p.m. Opening Ceremony concludes
7:00 p.m. Gates close

Friday, September 19, 2008
7:30 a.m. Gates Open
8:05 a.m. Ryder Cup Play begins
A.M. Play: 8:05 a.m., 8:20 a.m., 8:35 a.m., 8:50 a.m.
Afternoon Session Starting times TBD.
Approx. 6:30 p.m. Ryder Cup Play ends
7:00 p.m. Gates close

Saturday, September 20, 2008
7:30 a.m. Gates Open
8:05 a.m. Ryder Cup Play begins
A.M. Play: 8:05 a.m., 8:20 a.m., 8:35 a.m., 8:50 a.m.
Afternoon Session Starting times TBD.
Approx. 6:30 p.m. Ryder Cup Play ends
7:00 p.m. Gates close

Sunday, September 21, 2008
7:30 a.m. Gates Open
12:03 p.m. Ryder Cup Play begins
First Tee Time: 12:03 p.m.; Last Tee Time: 2:04 p.m.
Approx. 5:55 p.m. Ryder Cup Play ends
Approx. 6:45 p.m. Closing Ceremonies begin
Approx. 7:15 p.m. Closing Ceremonies end
7:30 p.m. Gates close


See you there!!!

"PRO"

Check your ego at the door!

What revelation there is when you get out and experience new things in life. I completely understand now why my wife, and most women, are better than me, and probably most men, about getting out and exercising for health reasons. I am very competitive, and have always viewed everything as a competition. If I can't be the best, or at least beat me buddies, then my motivation factor falls off the chart.

So following my 8th day of becoming a more fit individual...I have realized that I am looking at this project from the wrong perspective. It is not a competition with anyone other than yourself, seeing the fact that the only losers are the ones that give up! It's not about doing the most crunches, lifting the most weight, or cycling your workout the fastest. It's about being there when you should be, and getting the most out of it possible.

My weight/training workouts went fairly well on Wednesday and Saturday last week, and I was confident about how I would perform this morning for my trainer. But, I brought my ego in the building with me and tried to speed through my workout like it was cardio session. I was fine through my first cycle of training, but ran into the wall of dizziness as I tried to keep the pace on my second cycle. Brian, my trainer, wants you to push yourself, but always tells me not to overdo at the same time. This is a fine line, especially for someone just getting started in a fitness program.

I think I stated in my third blog, that my Wednesday, 50 minute workout, went too fast and I needed to slow it down for a while. I need to put some time in between each set of exercises until my cardiovascular fitness catches up with my weight training. Brian and I talked about doing cardio everyday, at least 20 minutes, during this start-up period.

My point in today's blog is not to overdo or compete when you start a project like this. Take your time getting started, and listen to your body when it says to slow down!

Anyone watch KJ Choi win with ease in Hawaii at the Sony Open. To me his swing is one the best for average or beginning players to imitate. Here is a link to watch a slo-mo of his swing with commentary from Peter Kostis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXSw8wmqvxw

Notice the width of his downswing, many players try to narrow that angle as they start their downswing. The narrowing is what causes players to get inside too much and hit pushes and hooks. His arms are perfect as they stay in front of his chest through his entire swing...all of his momentum and power are generated through his legs and torso. Textbook in my opinion...a very straight and possibly long shot, depending of the strength of the respective player.

I have discovered http://www.youtube.com/ to be a great way to analyze different swings of many PGA Tour players. Give it a try, it's free! We will be talking about the new and popular Stack and Tilt golf swing theory being used by many successful tour players over the last couple of seasons. Kentucky native, Andy Plummer, is one the individuals responsible for the success of the supposedly new swing style. Andy and I played many junior golf tournaments against each other in high school. Hopefully he will allow me to ask him questions about his theories and its success on tour.

"PRO"

Golf Fitness and stretching

Below are a few paragraphs I found on the Internet from a popular golf fitness instructor. Following the read, I will tell you my thoughts on his recommendations.


* "Golf Workout Tip to Maximize Potential -
Pair Strength Exercises with Stretches in Your Golf Workout "

I hear over and over again how a golf workout - or more specifically, lifting weights - will hurt your game, not help it. This is pure nonsense. If weight training was detrimental to sports performance, then why does every athlete in every professional sport do it?
But there is a right way and a wrong way to implement your golf workout program, to make it the most effective program for golf improvement. Every program I prescribe for golfers incorporates both a golf strength component and a golf stretching one. That means for every strength exercise there is a corresponding stretch. This is the most effective way to improve both golf-specific strength and range of motion. You've got to think of your golf workout as a means to improve your golf-specific range of motion and strength to maximize your time investment and achieve the results you want.
This is the most effective way to implement a golf workout program that will benefit both your strength and flexibility all in one program.
Just remember: for every strength exercise you need a stretch for that muscle you are working.

* from Mike Pederson @ www.performbettergolf.com




Mr. Pederson is dead on the money for most players, especially older men looking for more distance. Flexibility and range of motion are needed to provide the wider arc necessary for increased power and distance.
However, there are the few of us who can be hyper-flexible or too flexible which results in loss of control and the in-ability to make solid contact. Most ladies and junior golfers would fit into this category, and I would also include myself in this category. I have kept a similar swing from my junior days which has led to problems for me as an adult. Some stretching before and after your workout are needed to prevent injury. But don't worry about the stretching as you lift if you classify yourself as overly flexible.

Adding strength (possibly some mass, sorry ladies!) to an already flexible person will hopefully begin to limit their range of motion with your small muscles. This allows the big muscles to take over, which is what happens in a good golf swing. A small amount of arm motion and hand action is needed, but hyper-flexible players create too much which results in poor swing paths and allows the club face to open and close too much. Keeping your arms in front of your chest and not across your chest is what will give you straight, precise shots. Strong legs and torso are what creates the speed needed for power.

As a kid, I was not the biggest or the strongest compared to the other junior golfers I grew up with. But I could create as much if not more power than most because of the tremendous lag I could create between my left arm and club. The result was a path from the inside and lots of hand-action to close my club-face, as it was generally open to my target. But as I have aged, my practice time has greatly diminished and the timing of putting the club squarely on the ball has
diminished as well.

Like I stated in my first blog, I have corrected some of my swing faults but I feel the bad habits may be easier to erase if my fitness for this new golf swing was better. My body was built to do certain things, which as a junior golfer was of some benefit (more power). But now as an adult it creates problems for me in controlling the direction of my shots.

I hope this helps anyone looking for exercises to improve their game! Send me an email or make a comment if you have any questions!

"Pro"

Much better...

My second visit to the Fitness Center went much better than the first. I completed my entire workout in about 50 minutes, but I think I need to stretch it out a little when I return to this workout on Monday. My Day 2 workout will be on Friday with some cardio work on days I don't lift.

My energy level fell quite a bit as I went through my workout, but I never got the light-head feeling I had on Monday. I'm sure things will get a little easier with respect to my energy, as I have not been in a workout/training program since just out of college. (17 years) Ouch that was hard to say!

The one thing my instructor talked about prior to my workout was making sure I worked with enough weight and using proper form (technique) during my workouts. Most tend to use too light an amount of weight. He wants to use the heaviest weight where I am very fatigued in my last rep.

Tomorrow, I will use our eliptical machine for 40 minutes trying to maintain my heart rate at 125-130. This will be a big test for me as I have not been getting any exercise in the last couple of years. These workouts are what will build my stamina for everything I do each day. Whether it be, lifting, walking 18 holes, playing basketball with my children or running to get a bag and cart for a member.

When taking on a weight training program for whatever sport you do, it's always important to practice your sport a few times each week. Centre has an indoor facility allowing golfers to hit balls into nets when the weather outside is poor. I can take a club with me and hit balls for just 10 minutes, getting a feel for my swing as my body changes during my weight training. I don't actually have to hit balls, just practicing good fundamentals while swinging a club would work just as well.

Changing the subject, who is going to be the surprise player on tour this year? I think we are going to see a big change of the guard, other than Tiger, over the next few years. The players coming out of college and mini-tours make the PGA Tour very deep in talent. It will be very difficult for players to win multiple times in a year like we used to see in the past. Everybody hits it long now, not just because of balls or equipment, but because they are conditioned to do it. Again, this makes that window of opportunity for players very small. And I believe the younger, stronger, conditioned players are going to be in the advantage!

See you again on Friday.


"PRO"