Spring Musings
- By PaperAdmin
- 5 April, 2015
- Comments Off
People,
I Know, I Know, where have I gone Mrs. Robinson;
this lonely nation turns there eyes to me. I have no excuses other than life, work, and inertia. All poor ones but there are those of you who spur me to keep coming back and I thank you; I will try to be more regular…. in my writing… everything else is fine in that department. Speaking of coming back…
I have seen him during his hiatus. I was playing at my beloved Medalist with the best of guys, Billy P and Tiger kinda hit into me so we know he has not lost his length but everything else is uncertain. The questions are obvious; are the injuries much worse that they appear because Tiger LOOKS as fit as a fiddle; is it possible that he will have fits of the yips in his chipping for the balance of his career; can he ever hit it straight enough for four rounds that his driving could be considered adequate, and perhaps most important, will he regain the magic in his putting stroke.
There are a lot of miles on his chassis and that cannot be discounted; watch Rory swing; that right shoulder ends up pointing at the target on the finish; Tiger cannot get close to that and he looks distinctly labored after impact; this should not matter that much since we know many aging golfers that get it done as their swing “matures”. The “Yips”; yes that display in the dessert earlier in the year was the YIPS. I have watched the tape; the right hand consistently passed the left and the YIPS are generally in the right hand for a right hander. Can you imagine being Tiger Woods and facing the YIPS in competition? There is no doubt that he hiatused because this was simply too embarrassing and you know what, I do not blame him.
Now the YIPS are kinda like a virus. Much like the shank, they show up like an uninvited high school classmate. Think about it; everybody knows the mechanics of chipping but under the gun; weird shit happens. It happened to Tiger and I know this; age does not make you less nervy.
Putting; it is also a known fact but not often admitted that as golfers approach 40, the putting stoke begins to show cracks. I was once in Jesper Parnevik’s garage and he had this marvelous array of putters along his wall; it might have been 30 different looks from blade to mallet and everything in between. So I asked him what was up and he said; “I turned 40″. Guess what, Tiger is 39.
So what should he do? Play the game and let it flow; he needs Rotella bad. Target orientation, visualization and imagination. Tiger in full flight hit all the trick shots; around trees and over water; low cuts and high fades; if he can realize that he is the best golfer of all time even if he does not hunt down Jack then he will be OK. There I said it; I really do think that he is the best.
I was there. But I left early; my buddy who is an ardent MSU supporter invited me to the Final Four but we were never staying for the second game but I wish we had. So, this little upset last night exposes the soft underbelly of “one and done”. I think it was Cauley-Stein who said he was most sad, because he “will not compete with these guys again”. That does not have to be but that is what is. And I think that is what takes the grandeur out of the Kentucky story. Wouldn’t it be great if the kids delayed their entry into the NBA to keep the band together for another go at the Brass Ring next year? That would be a story worth telling.
The Michigan State vibe. So, I previously referenced that my buddy is an ardent fan and supporter of Michigan State basketball. So, I have been on the very fun ride the last couple of weeks watching the team first in Charlotte for their stunning upset of Virginia and then in Syracuse for their dismantling of Louisville, and finally for the end of the the ride in Indy against a very talented Duke squad. Several things struck me and have made me an MSU fan for life.
How Izzo teaches. When a kid makes a mistake, Tom will take him out but he won’t bury him for the next several minutes on the end of the bench; instead he will talk to him immediately, sit him down for a few minutes, and bounce him right back into the game. This is like a good QB going back to the WR or RB after a dropped pass or fumble. This is marvelous to see and it gets the most out of a player.
The MSU fans. It begins with Magic but it does not end there. We sat right in front of him in Charlotte and Syracuse and he could not have been more gracious; we laughed and swapped opinions about what was happening on the court and he came with family; his father and brother. And then the rest of the fans are loyal, vocal, and fully committed. They are anything but one and done. They know these kids and they are all in. Go Green. Go White.
The Fight. Yes, it deserves the hype despite that fact that the combatants are perhaps past their prime. Do not doubt their conviction; they will bring it and they are the two best fighters of this era; nobody else is even close. The outcome?? Hmm; very tight and here are the issues. Floyd is undoubtedly the best defensive fighter in boxing history. It will be hard for Manny who is perhaps the quickest in and out fighter in boxing history to find Floyd. Can Floyd hurt Manny? probably not; the fight insiders tell me that Floyd’s hands are damaged and this is why he pecks instead of punches. Can Manny hurt Floyd? for sure and because he is so awkward in his angles; it is likely that Floyd will get hit with a bomb and his reaction will tell the story. I am happy to pay $100 for this.
A quick word on the Masters; my guys in no particular order are:
Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Henrik Stenson, Jason Day, Jimmy Walker, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson, and JB Holmes.
Any yes, I love it so and may I wish all my golfing friends a “Yipless” season.