I need help

I played Poppy Hills on Friday. Opened par-par and barely broke 50 on the front. I started the back double-triple ... and shot 41.

Talk to tiger

Come on, show a little effort. Too easy!

1) Perhaps the scenery distracted you (which it would to me) or

2) You started thinking about 79 (or perhaps 69) after the par-par start.

Isn't thinking about 69 the cause of Tiger's issues?

It may be that trying to think of 69 different things might be his problem! Not that I know a damn thing about any of it, but there's something I've never really understood. Whether it was all natural, trained or a comination of both, when he stepped foot on tee for his first tournament as a pro, he posessed as much talent as most ever had. I think Butch definietely helped, but who's to say he wouldn't have accomplished what he did without him. No doubt he would have still been a superstar. I think he may have needed someone at this point to help tweak his swing as to protect that left knee, but beyond that I think he would have been fine. Some of the tv guys have mirrored the same thoughts. Let's face, if a 20 year old wins his fifth tournament and the next spring wins his first Masters as a pro in a commanding fashion, I think he might have something there. Of course at this point, it's all conjecture. We'll never know. At this point I do kmow his future looked much brighter six months or a year ago than now.

Good Luck!
Ric at Joes

Ken my old friend, what an all too familiar story. 51-37 at Bears.
Ever think about a course you've played many times and maybe birdied every hole at one time or another?
Why can't you maybe birdie "only" 9 holes one time?
Why do bad swing habits seem to repeat so effortlessly and good swings come and go?
Almost time for my next therapy session I think.

I've had a lot of 39s, 40s and 41s recently, but just haven't paired 'em up. I tossed up a beautiful 39 on the front side of We-Ko-Pa Cholla last month, and that included a triple on 2. I have NEVER played that $@#%&* hole well, or even decently.

But it is getting closer. I'm trying to be a bit more zen, less death-lunge. Part is I'm loving my new wedges, and even though only 1 degree flatter than before, I hardly tug 'em (which is to be expected). And the new putter still likes me. But overall I think it's the shoes. I've been wearing street-style golf shoes recently. "Tour" shoes are looking more like Klingon warships than shoes these days, and they're more heavily armored than the Maginot Line, and in my case at least, about as effective. My new ones are light, comfy, not oversupportive, which I mean in a good way.