Getting Up and Down for Par by Frank LaRosa
We all want to hit it far…but getting it up and down from around the green may actually be more satisfying to you. The way to make par when you’ve left your ball short and right of the green is to get those chips and pitches close to the hole.
A chip shot will have more roll than air time and is normally played when you’re close to the green. The goal is to lag the ball as close to the hole as possible. Start by positioning the ball to the rear of your stance, with your hands slightly forward and your head still. Swing more with an arms only motion like a putt and strike the ball with a descending blow before the club hits the ground.
You can experiment with different clubs to see how far the ball will roll as the goal would be to have one swing and let the many clubs in your bag do the work. I guarantee your score will come down…and you’re going to feel a lot more confident standing over those shorter putts for par.
February 25, 2010 at 3:59 pm | Golf To Go by Frank LaRosa | No comment
Tournament Flashback #4-Georgetown Against Princeton
The year was 1989, sports bars everywhere were full on St. Patricks Day, and the game they were watching was this one…Georgetown against Princeton.
In a game where some thought the Hoyas would win by 30, turned into one of the greatest games ever in college basketball history. Ask King assistant Pete Carril..he was the Princeton mastermind that was always the dark horse, even though he had built a reputation for defense, and regularly would beat a team ranked in the top twenty.
The odds of Princeton turning an upset were so few that Dick Vitale proclaimed if Georgetown lost, he would serve as a ball boy at the next Tigers game. He came close.
The backdoor cutting Ivy Leaguers gave the Hoyas quite a scare. They spread the floor, forcing Alonzo mourning to guard at the free throw line. It came down to the final shot as Zo fouled Kit Mueller, but the refs didn’t call it, and Georgetown escaped 50-49.
Carill was now a hero in the media even after the loss. and said of the blown call, with his trademark humor, “We’ll have to take that up with God, when we get there.”
February 25, 2010 at 12:37 pm | Derek Moore's Blog | No comment
Tournament Flashback #3-Loyola Marymount and Michigan
In 1990, an incredible game took place featuring Loyola Marymount and Michigan. Loyola Marymount just had that look in their eye, as just two weeks earlier, one of their players Hank Gathers-died suddenly in a West Coast Conference tournament game. ”We’re an emotional hurricane,” guard Jeff Fryer said. ”A lot of our play is based on pure skill, but we’re also very focused because we’re doing this for Hank. We don’t think anything is going to stand in our way.”
Each Loyola player wore over their hearts a small round black patch with Gathers’s number, 44, in white.
After setting a national record that season for 124 points a game, they now set out on a crusade to walk all over the bigger Michigan opponent they faced, and they did. Thanks to Fryer’s unbelieveable record setting performance, going 11-15 from the 3 point stripe, Fryer had 41 points. Bo Kimble had 37.
Loyola Marymount 149, Michigan 115. It was the highest-scoring game in tournament history.
February 24, 2010 at 11:45 am | Derek Moore's Blog | 1 comment
We Look At Kevin Martin’s Highlights As A Sacramento King
There’s been a lot of negative talk about Kevin Martin over the last couple of seasons, thanks to injuries and team chemistry. Now that he’s a Houston Rocket, we decided to look at some of the great moments.
February 23, 2010 at 2:03 pm | Derek Moore's Blog | 1 comment
Tournament Flashback #2-1983 Houston vs. Louisville
The 1983 national semifinals. Houston vs. Louisville. Phi Slamma Jamma vs. the Doctors of Dunk. Clyde “the Glide” Drexler vs. Darrell “Dr. Dunkenstein” Griffith. Longtime official Hank Nichols said. “When you were under the basket as the referee, you thought you were in London for the Blitzkrieg,” Benny Anders facial on Charles Jones, what more can you say.
Some say that game ushered in the era of dunking in college basketball. You could attack the rim on every possession, not just use the dunk on the occasional play. John Wooden disdained the dunk as too showy, but a new era had dawned.
In the second half, while trailing 57-49, Houston switched to a man-to-man defense and in a 3:30 span, went on a 17-1 run, to take a 66-58 lead. In the final 12:37 of the game, Houston made 10 dunks, including six in a row, and finished the game with a total of 14 dunks.
In this game there were two Top 50 Greatest NBA Players of all time. Clyde Drexler finished the game with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Akeem Olajuwon and Houston ran past the No. 2 Louisville Cardinals 94-81 with the future NBA Hall of Famer Olajuwon collecting 21 points, 22 rebounds and eight blocks.
February 19, 2010 at 5:04 pm | Derek Moore's Blog | No comment
Tournament Flashback #1-1982 Georgetown and North Carolina
The 1982 title game between Georgetown and North Carolina had everything you could possibly want. Two hall of fame coaches in Dean Smith and John Thompson, and arguably the greatest talent on both sides of the ball. Patrick Ewing, Sleepy Floyd, James Worthy, Sam Perkins, and a young Michael Jordan. Besides the many goal-tending calls, Ewing was dominant for most of the game, and James Worthy showed flashes of blazing speed.
It was one heck of a contest that changed with over a minute to play. Sleepy Floyd scored to put Georgetown on top, 62-61. Carolina worked the ball to Michael Jordan, who hit a jumper from the with 17 seconds left to give Carolina the lead at 63-62. Georgetown elected to not call a timeout and instead push the ball up the floor. But guard Fred Brown gave the game away by mistaking Carolina’s James Worthy for a teammate, and passed the ball right to him. Worthy was fouled missing both free throws. Georgetown coach John Thompson, electyed to call a timeout before Worthy’s free throws instead of saving it for a final play.The Hoyas last shot didn’t make it and North Carolina won the contest, 63-62.
February 19, 2010 at 11:01 am | Derek Moore's Blog | No comment
Is Watching the Winter Games Delayed Really a Bad Thing?
I keep hearing about people shouting from the rooftops about NBC’s Olympic coverage. They say, “Why can’t we watch Lindsey Vonn win the gold live?” “What about seeing Shawn White?”
Sure, I suppose NBC could run it live on MSNBC during the day and then run highlights in primetime, but have you noticed? NBC’s ratings are HUGE! You know why? Because we have to wait to see it in primetime! Most of us are busy during the day! NBC doesn’t beat American Idol by accident. They win because we hear that Lindsey Vonn won the gold at 2pm, then decide to tune in that night to watch how she did it. Trust me, if she placed 10th, no one would be tuning in at 8pm. It’s the fact that we have to wait, and want to see that incredible move by Shawn White that makes the difference. Vonn’s night last night had a 22 share, which is unheard of in any sport. NBC, love it or hate it, is doing it right.
February 18, 2010 at 12:52 pm | Derek Moore's Blog | No comment
The Final Verdict On Kevin Martin-4th Quarter Issue
Many were up in arms in a confusing situation regarding Kevin Martin. Why didn’t he play virtually the whole 4th quarter, especially while free throws were being missed? Did Martin not want to come in? Did Paul Westphal not put him in?
Sam Amick caught up with Martin, and got his take on what went down. If the story is true, then it wasn’t him pulling himself out entirely.
February 17, 2010 at 4:16 pm | Derek Moore's Blog | No comment
Vernon Davis-A Huge Curling Fan
Vernon Davis learned about curling when he went to the Shark Tank in San Jose and practiced with the Olympic team. Now, he’s totally hooked.
“You need some athletic ability,” Davis said. “You have to have balance in the lunge position on the ice. You can’t be out of whack or you’ll fall.”
It also showed that Davis has a sense of humor, and is willing to adapt to change, something he has said has been a goal since Mike Singletary booted him off the sideline a year and a half ago.
There’s a full writeup worth a look. Check it out here.
February 16, 2010 at 4:20 pm | Derek Moore's Blog | No comment
Hard Driving Harry’s Golfer’s Hand Healer by Frank LaRosa
It’s called Hard Driving Harry’s golfers hand healer and the remarkable product line is the brainchild of Sterling Ellison and Richard Marks of Northern California’s Sterling Ellison company. They produce high end organic 100% vegan skin rejuvenation products. Hard Driving Harry’s and Hard Driving Harriet’s golfers hand healers are the perfect cure for any golfer’s dry, chapped, and cracked hands…especially this time of year.
Where other lotions might use water as a first ingredient, the non-greasy Hard Driving Harry’s uses pure organic aloe. Sterling says the company “just wants to provide high quality products that work—that do what they say they do. The fact that they are vegan and organic are a bonus.” They just released Hard Driving Harry’s SPF 15 lip balm in four flavors. I think I’m partial to pomegranate!
Hard Driving Harry’s is currently available at the Sacramento City golf course shops with new locations opening soon. For more information, visit www.sterlingrichards.com.
February 12, 2010 at 6:23 pm | Golf To Go by Frank LaRosa, Uncategorized | No comment
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