Moments of Clarity

The Best Golf Lesson Ever..and it's Free

I came across a great little piece by Dave Pelz, golf's equivalent of a 6 Sigma Black Belt, on simple "between the ears changes" that amateurs can make to be more like pros.  He uses laser "shot-link" technology to study how different skill levels approach shots, and where they end up.

This is about the best little training guide I've seen.  Most hackers will scoff that it doesn't discuss "swing angles" or something more complex.  What Pelz is trying to say is that without practice (90% of us) you won't really change your swing so make some changes in the simplest things...like how you approach each shot and you can see some improvement.  I am happy to report that I do many of these things...and they've resulted in scores in the 90's and sometimes 80's on my best days.

Forget mechanics you hack job!  Think!

Tiger Woods and I Have Something In Common

I know what you're thinking, it's the incredible physique, mad golf skills, and the gazillion bucks in the bank.  Close.

If you follow golf at all, you know that Tiger just had his first child, a daughter, which he named Sam Alexis.  Sam you ask?  It turns out that Tiger (Who's real first name is Eldrick), was called Sam by his father throughout his life. 

``We wanted to have a name that would be meaningful to either side of the family, my side or Elin's side, because she was born (the day after) Father's Day,'' Woods said. ``It just happened to fit. My father had always called me Sam since the day I was born. He rarely ever called me Tiger. I would ask him, 'Why don't you ever call me Tiger?' He says, 'Well, you look more like a Sam.'''

We named our baby girl Georgia, because although my name is Douglas Eric Mitchell, and my family always used to call me Eric, my dad always called me George from some point in life that we both can't remember.  I call, he says, "Hey George".  Now, we use many iterations of Georgia around the house including George, Georgie, DooDah (that's the way she says her own name), etc and it's kind of special to us. 

I know exactly what Tiger feels when he calls his precious little girl.........Sam. 

PGA Tour & Champions Tour Drug Testing

If you follow golf you've heard that the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour (over 50 years old but still darn good) are implementing a drug testing policy.

If you've watched a Champions Tour event...you'd realize as I do that the tour would be much better served by instituting mandatory cholesterol  and gin testing.

"We do use a lot of Advil out here," tour spokesman Michael McPhillips said.

I'm teasing of course because these guys on their worst days are 100x better than I at the game.  Additionally, if I'm 50 and can play golf professionally...on a somewhat limited schedule...for the chance to win about $400k every Sunday....yeah...

Golfing & Global Warming

Well...at least LOCAL warming.

Here's a piece from Golf.com explaining how a guy set fire to acres of land on accident when his club struck an object in the rough.  The sparked ultimately burned 15-20 acres.

The key question was asked at the end of the piece.

The course itself went almost completely undamaged, with all of its holes still playable. Which begs the question: did he finish his round?

I'd go further and ask for the score!

I'm writing the "Racing Fans" blog on the Des Monies Register's "Juice Blogs" now

Hi all.  I may begin pointing you elsewhere for your Iowa Speedway/NASCAR fix from the Moments of Clarity blog.  Yours truly is now a Des Moines Register volunteer blogger.  My blog is called Racing Fans.  I look forward to your comments there.

Or...here's the RSS feed link.

US Open and Business

Yesterday, we saw the most difficult course in the world managed by a good but not "super star" golfer Angel Cabrera.  The best in the world could not over take him.  You see, he was a disrupter.

He probably had his heart in his throat the entire time but he kept his head down and worked.  He was dedicated.

Despite the mob of people discussing the courses difficulty and borderline unfairness, he simply tackled it, sharpened his game.  He executed on a strategy regardless of the naysayers and detractors.

The best moment for me was when asked through an interpretor (see, he only speaks Spanish but has not let that get in his way of the number one spot in golf), "What were you thinking while watching the other players finish out their rounds?"  To which he honestly replied, "I was hoping they wouldn't make any birdies.".  Exactly.

Be a dedicated disrupter letting nothing stand in your way...and execute while being honest with yourself and those around you...and you'll be a major champion in business too. 

Dale Jr. Creating the Dream Team?

OK race fans...it's the dream team many of us hoped for.  The dream team that has the Southern US spittin' their grits and biscuits!  Dale Jr. is holding a press conference today to likely announce that he's signing with Hendrick Motorsports.  Yes, that will make Dale Jr. a team mate with Jeff Gordon.  I know the bottoms must be flying off of the Levi's right now, but Jeff and Dale are going to be working together (breathe North Carolina....inhale deeply Alabama). 

I'm sure this will spawn nothing but more hatred for the best racer in the sport this year but I love it.  It's the move we Hendrick/Johnson/Gordon lovers club members thought impossible but held out hope for.  (Sorry for leaving out Kyle Busch and/or Kasey Mears but they're really getting squeezed by the guys that win races here.

The press conference is being streamed via the web and on TV via the Speed Channel at 10AM EST today.
Get ready to race boys.  Imagine Johnson, Gordon, and Jr. going 3 wide into turn 4 at Daytona next year!!!         

Iowa Speedway: ARCA/REMAX Prairie Meadows 250

It was another awesome night of racing in Newton at the very special Iowa Speedway. The ARCA/REMAX series is a stock car series similar to NASCAR for reference.  Unlike the last NASCAR East/West race, this race did not have a back and forth dual all night long between a few drivers.  In this race, 8-time ARCA champ Frank Kimmel won after overcoming a late race penalty and long pit stop.   

Here are some photos from the race provided by the excellent camera of Matt Owen.

Top 10 Things Missing From Public Golf In the Modern Era

Top Things Missing From Public Golf Courses

Why don't golf courses have:

1. Honor system beverage/food stations at key holes like every 3rd one? (The US government has an honor system border crossing with Canada...did you know that?)  Put cash in the cash box, make your own change, etc. One could even put a safe box with a key lock that only golfers have to avoid dash and grabs from locals if they can easily gain access to the course.
2. Pay with Paypal mobile phone for your food/bev while on the course.  I don't carry cash. Please someone do this for me. 
3. "Swing view cams" or "cable operated shot following cams" that record your round and some swings for you. 
4. Live streaming web cams on key holes to check weather and watch others shots into greens, etc.  I'm interested and if I can get streaming web cams to work (even weather proof ones)....literally anyone can.
5. Credit card mobile swiper machine (maybe the one attached to the Sprint/Nextel phone?).  Another payment option.  It's not like your beers are cheap anyway, add $.50 to the price and within no time, you'll make back the monthly investment in the service/equipment.
6. Tabs.  Why doesn't a golf course let me run a tab while on site?  For the love of Pete...I just paid $50 to play and I'm likely to spend another $20+ if you make it easy.  Buying a round for friends, the "great shot Jim!" celebratory beer, and the "I'm feeling some tightness in my back beer" are so much easier to BUY when you let me do what EVERY other drinking facility does, pay later and trust that I will pay.
7. Golf ball vending machines.  Make the prices a bit better, give me selection, wire in electricity and give me a machine at a few holes on the course. 
8. Have a roving teaching pro day once per month.  Have the guy just stationed at a hole and have him "quick tip" you into doing better.  It may save your round.
9. Post-golf massage.  I was treated to a "while playing blackjack massage" in Vegas recently....give me the same options post golf and I'll do it, I promise.
10. Caddies.  Bring this back to more courses and figure out the business model.  I need local knowledge and encouragement!

Keep swinging!

If you're a race fan...get to know this name: Joey Logano

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon with Tom Blasko and fellow Iowa blogger Matt Owen of US Rodeo Supply out at the Iowa Speedway and what a day it was.  I think we solved the world's problems and agreed that it's very exciting to build businesses...and not so exciting to have a "job".  Spending the day with Matt also inspired me watch a PBR event on TV when I got home too. Between the 3 of us, we vetted another 3-5 spin off business concepts too.  Is cloning perfected yet?

We watched a fantastic NASCAR Grand National series race (the series just below NASCAR Busch series) in which a 16 year old kid beat Kevin Harvick.  Fox Sports full report here. Mind you, this is the same Kevin Harvick who the night before won over $1 million in the Nextel Cup All-Star race in Charlotte.  For Harvick's second place finish, he landed a whopping $9,500. 

I admire racers because most seem to be absolute fanatics about it.  They spend their rest days flying in the corporate jet to little old Iowa Speedway (which by the way held nearly 25k people yesterday) to bang and grind and fling rubber bits all day long...for $9,500.  Heck, even Joey Logano as the winner received a mere $14,300.  (Way below what we guesstimated Matt!)  It's not about the money as much as it is a passion for winning and doing what you love...and money is a nice by-product.  (warning: rule applies to business too).

I think Iowa Speedway has really done things right and the fans get a wonderful short track, close, 3-wide racing experience that is tough to match.  I'd highly recommend the smoked sausage from Kin Folks Bar-b-Que as well but don't tell my trainer that.  Reading blogs yet Steve?