4C
SPORTS/®6e C&arlottc $o«t
Thursday, September 7, 2006
IT’S GOOD FOR YOUR GAME
Golfj|^ Insider
1=
Buttons to the ball
By T.J. TOMASI
Universal Ftess Syndicate
I teach a wide range of g^hers, from tour
pros to beginners. One of the biggest dilTer-
ences betw'een them is that the lour pla>'ers and
low handicappers almost alws^s make solid
contact with the biiU while the less-accom
plished golfers do not.
It's not just a coincidence that a major «)m-
plaint oF mid- to high-handlea^ is the lack of
coaslstency one swing produces that pure
feeling where you catch the ball directly in the
center (rf the dub face, the next is a jarring, off-
center hit.
What allows the good p]a>'er to find the cen
ter of the club face time and again? One impor-
umt element is that the good pla^'cr maintains
the radius of the swing: i.e.. the distance from
the tipof jvur shoulder to the center of your
club face.
The radius is lost when the hands cock the
dub into a 9i>degi*ee angle at the end of the
takeaway and it must be roturned throu^ im
pact in order to hit the ball squiu-ely This is
called “the release," and It cannot occur cor
rectly if the chest and shoulders are pulling
away from the hall.
This pulling away is the mistake that many
beginners make, and it is the reason they hit so
many fopjjed and thin .shots.
. Let’s iav yum- arm is 30 inches long and the
dub is 40 inches. That’s 70 inches at address.
During the backswlng, you code your wrists
and shoiten your radius, so just before impact
you must come back to 70 inches. If yotr chest
and from shoulder are pulling away during
your downswing, you’re going to catch the top
of the ball, producing a low wrm-burner.
Look at all groat players — they cover the
ball with their front shoulder and keep their
“buttons to the ball" as demonstrated in the
photos below.
yer blit tatassOn eXMicHiS a
fundamental of good impact position —
his upper chest points at the bail.
-rom this down-ihe-ltne view, i
evident that tour pro Brian Davis
satisfies the principle of “buttons to the
ball." Note how his hips are much more
“open" (pointing left of target) than his
shoulders. This configuration assures
that the front shoulder, the body part
most involved in controlling the effective
length of the golf club while you swing,
is in position to return the club head to
the ball correctly. When the shoulder
rises prematurely, a top or thin shot
results.
Tiger Woods, shown during the 2004 Masters, won his 52nd tournament Sunday in Akron,
Ohio. The Bridgestone Invitational was Woeds’ fourth consecutive victory.
A pivotal moment
Final hole at Winged Foot
transformed Tour’s landscape
Championship by 1
claimed last week’:
By CRAIG DOLCH
Cox News Service
West Palm Beach. Fla.
N ot long ago, this was consid
ered Phil Mickelson’syear.
He had won the Mastere.
He had won the BeESouth Cla.ssk:
by 13 shots. He was on the verge of
winning the US. C^n at Winged
Fbot. which would have been his
thinl consecutive major title.
Tiger Woods? He wasn't even in
town when Mickelson was on the
precipice of joining some hal
lowed company Woods Iiad
missed the cut at the US. Open,
the first time he had done so in a
m^or since turning pro. He liad
faded to win the Masters, know'-
ing It would be the final major his
ailing fbther, Eari, would be able
to see. He then didn’t play golf for
fight weeks while mourning his
father’s death. ,
The two mast recogni2able'
names in the sport were headal in
opposite directions. It seem^ al-
mc«t a giv^n that Mickelson was
on the verge of earnii^ his firet
P!?tver of the Year honors.
But then one hole a dog-leg
left, par-4 changed erorylhing.
Mickelson’s ascent Woods’ de
cline. The landscape at the top of
the PGA Tour.
When you'w played 1,224 holes,
as Mickelson has ^ne this yeai;
it's difficult to think how Just one
of th(^e holes cotdd cause such a
seismic shift. But it hits, and it
continues to.
Had Mickelson parrod the i8th
hole at Winged Hoot when he
stood on the tee with a one-shot
lead late that Simday afternoon,
he would hmo Joined Woods and
Ben Hogan as the only lifers to
win three consecutive raajois. But
Invitational by making a birdie
putt to beat Stewart Cink in a
playoff.
Not since Jem Van de Velde at
the 1999 BrEish Open at
Carnoustie has one little hole had
such a dramatic effect on golf.
Mickelson insists he has put his
Phil Mickelson reacts to a
missed putt during the
BellSouth Classic in April.
Mickelson starts the year
on a roll, but his fortune has
changed since Winged Fool.
Mickelson double-bogeyed the
hole, finishing a shot behind Geoff
Ogilvy, and Lefty's game hasn't
been right since.
Mickelson barely made the cut
at the Western Open T^), wasn’t
in contention at the British Open
(T22) or the PGA Championship
T16), missed the cut at The
International and looked like he
simply was ^ing through the mo
tions at the Bridgestone
Invitational (TM).
Woods quickly eapitalfr.ed on
Mic^elson’.s wobble, ra-findlng his
.swing whUe flnlshir^ second at
the Western Open. Woods them
won the British Open by' two de
spite hitting one driver all week,
the Buick Open by throe with four
consecutive G6&, the PGA
him. But his scores indicate other
wise.
“I’m playing tenlble,"
Mickei^n said. “There's nothing
else to In golf, you just don’t
ahvays have it clicking the way
you want to. and when you don’t,
it’s part of the sport It’s part of
the Tour that you have to fight
through it and finish the itiunds
and hang in there. That’s kind of
what 1 ’m trying to do ri^ now ”
The only heavy Mfting Woods
has had to do lately involves
championship trophies on the
18th green. It’s difficult to maloi
this comment based on what he's
already achievtid. but Woods may
be playing the best golf of his ca
reer.
Hera's why: He doesn’t worry
about what hedidlast week, or
what may happen next month at
the Ryder Cup. He doesn't care
about scoring records. His only
concern Is getting “another W”
‘Tm focusing on this event"
Woods said during last w^k’s
tournament in Akron, Ohio.
“That's wiiat I was to’ing to tell
you guys... the event I’m playing
in is the one I’m ftKusing on. I’m
tiylng to win the event. So, yeah,
the Ryder Cup is in the future. I’ve
got three tournaments prior to it.
so hopeftiUy I can get all thrt« of
thc«e before 1 get to the Ryder
Cup.” *
For the recoi-d. Woods is sound
ing like someone who's trying to
win .six tournaments in a row.
Heck, nobody’s done that on the
PGA Tbui' since... weE. Woods in
1999-2000. And it aE started with
that one hole.
Lack of sponsorship dooms Atlanta LPGA event
BySTANAWTREY
Cox News Serv'ia*
Atltuita
The inability to find a title spon
sor has Atlanta Its LPGA
Tour event for ‘MXfl.
Orange juire giant Florida’s
Natural decided against renewing
as title sponsor, leaving tourna
ment officials of the Jinnual
Charity Championship hosted by
Nancy Lopez to canal the event
held annually at the Ragle’s
lamding Counfrj- Club in
Stockfa-idge, Ga.
“A lot of companies were inter
ested, but they aE had different
thto^ going on and ali had some
reason why they cotEdn't do it this
year," said J.T. WiElans, jaxisident
of Nietro South Golf Charities,
which ran the event.
The decision l^es Atlanta
without an LPGA Tour event for
the fir^5t time .since 1991.
“It's a sad day. and I’m ateolute-
Florida’s Natural was the
sponsor in 2005, txjt
hurricanes hurt the business.
ly surprise that no Atlanta-based
compjmy was interested in sup-
portii^ women's golf,"
Torrey Gtme. the event’s tourna
ment dirtMitor since its inception
In 1992.
La^ j^ris tournament didn’t
have a title sponsor until two
we^ before the event, when
Florida’s Natiu-ai signed on.
“Florida’s Natural said they
loved being involved with the
tournament, but they had two
hurricanes come through there
last year and wiped out about 25
percent of their amp,” WEliams
said.
The tournament was crippled
when Chldt-fil-A, which spon-
soroi the event fi-om 19^20(S.
pulled its money from the event
and threw it Into support of the
Peach Bow] allege football ^me.
Williams worked feverisWy to
find a replacement la.st spring, but
the last-minute salvation came at
a C(»t there was no television cov
erage. '
WEHams didn't wmit to go
through the ^me situation again
this year, and when his sclf-im-
pcsed deadline atTived. he decided
to cancel the event.
“ V»lien you’ve been through
that sort of thingonce, you don’t
want to do it again," he said.
THE GOLF DOCTOR
Take a shot at alignment
Youl- arm-s, and by exten
sion your golf dub, swing
along the shoulder lii^ so it Ls
important to point your shoul-
dera in the direction you want
the bail to go. Unfortunately
one of tho hardest things for
golfers to do is align their
shoulders cori^ly at ad
dress.
The difficulty in alignment
Ls caused by the distorted
view' of file tiu'get called
binocular paiaEax (BP) that
occurs when you shmd to the
side of the golf ball. I cover
tho detailed solution to BP in
my book “The 30-Second Golf
Swing," but here is a drill >*011
can ^ whfle you play to it^e
sime jx)ur shouldere are prop
erly alignal:
Take your address position
so that your body line (a line
connecting your toes) is paral
lel to the tai^t line (an imagi
nary line connedli^ the hail
and the target). Now check to
malm sure that lines connect
ing >-our knees and hips
match the toe line, creating a
geometry of body aliimment
that will be complete only
when you add its m'ost impor
tant element the .shoulders.
Once your dub head is posi
tioned behind the baU. remove
your right hand (left for left
handers) and make a pistol
with your thtunb as the hmn-
mer and index finger the bar
rel.
Now lay your right forearm
across your chest so the ban-el
of your "pistol” points along
the toe Ime, parallel left of Ae
tart^t. If your shoulders, by’
comparison, point too far to
the left, your stance is open
with a tendency to pull and
slice the baE. If ^ur shoul
ders point to the right of tar
get. it can cau^ a hook.
In any case, by "pointing
the ptetol,” yoiTU hare a much
better ch^ce at proper shoiE-
der augment, and ffiat's a
step in the right direction.
ASK THE PRO
ti: I’m new to the game,
and 1 don’t know a lot of
the terms. C^ould you list a
few of the most hnportant
OTies?
Party Pie \Ve!>
A: Sure, Patri’:
• Address: Taking youi'
stance and setting the dub
behind the bah in prepa
ration to swing yemr golf
club.
• Pan The score an ex
pert is expected to make.
There are par 4s and os.
based cm yardage of the
hole.
• Birdie: Holing out
yoiu' baE in one swing less
than pan
All Times EDT
PGA TOUR
Deufrtehe Bank
Cliampionship
• Site: Norton, Mass.
• Schedule: Friday-Monday
■ Course: TPC Buston (7,415
yards, par 71).
• Purse: &">.o raEUon. Winner’s
share: $980,000.
• TV: USA (Friday. 5-7 p-m.;
Saturday. 3-6 pm.) and ARC
(Sunday 5-7 pjn.; Monday, 3-6
pjn.).
LPGA TOUR
State Farm Classic
• Site: Sprlngfteld. 111.
• Schedule: Thurs^ay-Sunday
• Course: The Rail ’Golf Club
(e.ft^j'ards.parTJ).'
• Jhirse: $1.3 mElion. Winrieffi,
.share: $!95,000.
• TV: ESFN2 (Friday. 2-4 p.m.;
Sunday. 1:30-4 ;30p.m.)and
ESPN (Saturday. .3-4:30 pm.).
CHAMPIONS TOUR
Fii-st Tee Open
• Site: PebWe Reach. Calif.
• Sch(^ule: Friday-Sunday
• Courses: PeWile Beach GoE
Links (6,822 yaiUs, par 72) and
Del Monte Golf Couree(6357
yards, par 12).
• Purse: S2 million. Winner’s
share: JkiOO.txX).
• TV: The Golf Channel
(Friday6-8-.30pm..lOpm,- ’
mldn^t; Saturday, p.m.,
9;3(>-ll::l0pm.)and NBC
(Sunday JMlp.m.).
PGA EUROPEAN TOUR
BMW International Open
• Site: Nord-Eichenried,
Germany
• Schedule: Thursday'-Sunday.
• Course: Munich Nord-
Eichenried Golf Club (6,963
yards, par 72).
• Purse: Sa.35 mElion.
Winner’s share: $425,100.
• TV: The GoE Channel
(Thuraday-FViday. 9::k) a.m.-
12:30 p.m.; Saturtay-Sunday 8-
11 a.m.).
NATIONWIDE TOUR
Legend financial Group
Classic
• Site: Highland Heights. Ohio.
• Schedule; Thwsday-Stmday;
• Course: Stone WMer Golf
Club (7,045 yards, par 71).
• Purse: $5(X>/J00, Winner’s
share; $90,000.
• TV: The Golf Channel
(Thm^day 1:30-4 pan.; tViday-
Sunday, 2.-30-4 a.m., i;304 p.m.;
Monday 2:304 a.m.),
LEADERS
WORLD RANKINGS
1. Tiger Woods 22.23
2. Phil MWtelstm 8.92
S.JimFuryk 8,16
AVijaySingh 7.^
5. Adam Scou 6,48
6. Relief Goosen 6,;^
7. Ernie Els • 5.93
8. Sei^io Garcia 5.77
9. Geoff Ogilvy 5,73
IQ-UkeOataW 5.56
MONEY LEADERS
PGA TOUR
l^ayer Money
1. Tiger Woods $7,^1.563
a.JimFuryk $5,184,016
3- Phil Mickelson 84,256.505 .
4. Geoff Ogilvy $4,228,869
5. VijaySingh S3.479.070
LPGATOUR
Player Money
1. Lorena Ochoa $1,840,774
2. KarrieWebb $1,708,753
3. A. Sorenstam $1,381,450
4. MiHyunKiTn $1,220,882
5. Juft Inkster 81,185.540
CHAMPtONSTOUR
fHayer Money
1. Loren Roberts $1,884,739
2. Jay Haas Sl.607,:KO
3. Brad Bryant SI .422.534
4. Gil Morgan $1,312,840
5. Tern Kite Sl.190.435
• Bogey: out
your IxtE in one swing
more than par.
• Double Bogey: Two
sfrokesorerpar.
■DogLeg: Golf hole
that Is cun^ or angled
from ri^it to left or left to
right (resembling the
shape of a dog’s hind leg).
• Draw: When struck,
the golf hall curves si ight-
ly from right to left for a
right-handed player.
• Slice: The golf ball
curves ft'om 1^ to right,
'I’he hook is the oppasite.
• Fade: When struck,
the gulf ball curves slt^t-
ly'from left to right.
• Fore: A warning sig
nal caEed out by golfers to
warn othm that they
may be in danger of being
hit by an errant shot.
• Heel: The portion of
the dub face located to
ward file hosel or nedc of
the dub.
• Toe: The end of the
dub face opposite the
heel.
• Mark: Used as a rerb,
it means to place an ob
ject such 3ts a small coin,
behmd your ball to identi
fy' its original position
once the ball Ls removed.
As a noun, it refers to the
object used for marking.
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate for Cox News Service. (800) 255-6734. ‘For release the week of August 28.2006.