Here’s a superfreaky video from a superfreaky golf chick… Trick or Treat?
The Golfchick
That chick blabbing about anything golf related.
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If you have ever shopped for any kind of bag, you probably know Ogio. They make all kinds of bags, including golf bags and are well known for their attention to features and fabulosos (did I just make up another word?). I wrote a post that included a review of an Ogio golf bag that had many features I desired. As I described in that post, I made a lucrative trade for it which put me back in the market for a new cart bag. I’m still a Birdie Girl for my walking bag.
My new everyday cart bag
The most important feature I wanted in a cart bag was individual slots for each club. I like the organization, plus it helps when you’re driving around recklessly in a cart (not that I would do that) to keep your clubs steady and protected. I found that feature and much more on this affordable golf bag by Savvy Golfer:
This bag provides most of the bells and whistles you’d find on an Ogio, but at only $80, it’s less than half the price!
Features I like
- Lots of roomy pockets!
- External elastic tee holder (yes, I actually use it)
- Lined valuables pocket
Features I LOVE
- 14-way full length dividers for clubs
- Light weight for a cart bag
- The most comfortable carry I’ve experienced in a cart bag – not sure if that’s because of the padded shoulder strap or what, but it’s great
I only wish it came in colors I liked more. I have the pink/black combo which isn’t really “me” but it’s still an attractive bag and I get a lot of compliments on it.
So if you want the utility of an Ogio but your budget won’t allow it, I highly recommend this bag. It would also make a great gift for any female golfer in your life – except me, because I already have one. 
The Southern California Fires
First, I want to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to all who expressed concern about me due to the fires here in Southern California. Your messages and thoughts are much appreciated and mean a great deal.
I am among the fortunate Southern California residents only impacted by smoke and ash. Sadly, too many people cannot say the same. Special recognition goes to William Wolfrum for writing about how people can help those who aren’t as fortunate as I. His post gives detailed information and links and rather than repeat the information, I recommend interested readers click here for his account.
Sidenote: Thousands of homes have been destroyed, over half a million people have been displaced, millions of others have been scared that they will be next. Oh thank heaven, we can all rest assured now that FEMA is involved. And President Bush has visited. And Governor Schwartzenegger continues to hold press conferences with plenty of applause. Um… Arnold? Any chance we can keep the federal funding and kick FEMA out of the equation? Just a thought. We were so organized before they got here.
A confession: it’s not the fires
Now, in the interest of the diary-style nature of this (and many) blogs, I confess what has caused my neglect to write here or elsewhere. It had nothing to do with the fires. I am ashamed to admit that before I neglected you, I neglected myself. How? My fitness. Pilates, yoga, kickboxing, you name it – I have abandoned all workout routines for quite some
time. And now I’m paying with a back injury. I was completely incapacitated for almost four days and, for the first time in my life, absolutely dependent on someone other than myself. My heart goes out to anyone who has ever felt this way and especially to those who live this way. A few days was too much for me.
Greg took good care of me and I can’t begin to express my gratefulness for his help. The thought and devotion was so impressive and meaningful, but I imagine it was especially difficult when dealing with such a fiercely independent patient.
As always, I thought of The Goose and missed her love and support, but had she been here, I could only have given her love and not taken care of her other daily needs.
Though I hate to acknowldge big pharma, I also want to thank Vicodin for its temporary assistance. Though your effects weren’t much noticed those first two days, your help got me through and gave me hope the next two. I apologize for giving you up on the fifth day but I knew I had to move on. Aleve is now my respite when I’m not counting on my old friend Alcohol.
I hereby resolve to renew my commitment to fitness and health. I haven’t yet determined which routine I will use, but it will definitely be one with a focus on flexibility and strength that will not only prevent back injuries but also work towards improving my golf game.
You know the feeling – you hit what you think is a great shot to the green only to watch it come down short in the bunker. As you approach the green and see your golf ball, your entire foursome groans at the sight. They feel your pain. The “fried egg” lie awaits.
Recently (within the month), I read an article on how to hit this shot. With all the golf reading I do, I was surprised I’d never come across this information before. It seemed like an unusual solution, which is probably why the words stuck in my head. I wish I could remember where I read it so I could credit the author/instructor. I searched my latest golf magazines and couldn’t find it so I figure I must have seen it online. I searched online and found TONS of articles on the subject and even some videos. Many of them gave the same tips I read but some gave opposing information.
The situation
On Saturday, I found myself facing this dreaded shot on the 18th hole. My third shot on this par-5 ended up in the greenside bunker in a classic fried-egg position. Its image could be used for the dictionary listing of a fried-egg lie. A real thing of beauty – only it was my shot. In fact, I wish I would have taken a picture of it because I can’t find a good one online to use as an example here. Some images show a crater around the ball but I think of a fried egg as just seeing the top and sides of the ball, with a very small crater around it with some rippled sand a couple inches around it like the white of the egg. Not buried, not completely plugged but there is sand surrounding it.
I remembered the article I read and even though I had never attempted what the article taught, I figured I had a better chance of getting out that way than by using any of my failed methods. After all, most of what I know about how to play golf I learned by reading.
The execution
I used my sand wedge (55 degree loft) and I picked the spot on the green where I wanted the ball to land. Optimistic, I know, but your odds for hitting a target are better if you know where that target is.
I positioned the ball back in my stance and dug my feet in a bit and balanced my weight toward my front foot.
I closed the club face a little. This is the part of the instruction that surprised me, though more seasoned golfers seem to already know this.
I steadied my lower body and brought my club slowly up and down towards the ball (without actually swinging or touching the sand) a couple times until I felt comfortable that my spine angle was correct. This is my normal method for any bunker shot.
I took a little more than a half back swing and came down steeply on the ball, hitting about an inch behind it with a strong swing. My follow through was abbreviated because of the steep angle and the sand stopping my club momentarily.
The ball popped up and out of the bunker, actually hit near my selected target (rather softly!) and ended up about 8 feet from the cup.
Sweet! I wonder if it was a fluke or if I can continue to make this work for me. I don’t get a lot of fried egg lies (and rarely practice in bunkers) so it could be awhile before I get to test it again. But for now, I’m a believer. It was all sunny-side up… until I missed the putt.
In a previous post, I asked the question “is Eva Longoria really a golf chick or just posing for a good cause?” because I couldn’t find any information that indicated whether or not she actually plays golf. It looks like I might have found my answer.
Eva is hosting a charity tournament this Saturday (October 13) and seems to be scheduled to actually play in it herself. Her work with Callaway is for cancer, but this tournament is all about “Eva’s Heroes,” which is a foundation she started to benefit the intellectually and developmentally disabled.
The tournament is being held at the Palmer course at La Cantera Resort, near San Antonio, Texas. It’s the same resort that just hosted the Valero Texas Open for the PGA Tour, but that event was played on the Resort course.
According to Eva’s Heroes website, Eva will be playing along with “her friends George Lopez, Ricardo Antonio Chavaria, Mario Lopez, and numerous other celebrities.” After the golf, there will be a dinner in the ballroom featuring stand-up comedy by George Lopez.
Want to play?
The tournament is currently booked to capacity (no surprise there) but they are taking names for a waiting list in case of cancellations. Call (210) 798-7304 to get on the list or for more information. There are also plenty of sponsorship opportunities.
I know if I lived there or had been traveling to the San Antonio area for another reason, I sure would have signed up for this one. I don’t watch her television show but Eva Longoria continues to capture my attention with her impressive dedication to charitable causes and the corresponding association with golf. I’d love to see her golf skills in action. How about you?
The ever astute golf chick Stina Sternberg put up a great post over at the Golf For Women’s Editor’s blogs about Annika declining a spot at the Samsung World Championship while Michelle Wie accepted one. I agree with her wholeheartedly and I couldn’t have said it better myself. I only add that Michelle puts the “I” in We (because I think I’m so clever).
Here’s a taste:
So let’s recap: the best player in the history of women’s golf decides to sit out a limited-field tournament to allow a higher-ranked player to take her place. And a college student with a season-best T-69–who’s not even a member of the tour nor has any plans to become one–decides to play despite taking a spot from a player of Natalie Gulbis’ caliber. It’s flat-out embarrassing, both for the Wie camp and Samsung. Sorenstam, on the other hand, just looks classier every minute.
Read the rest here.
Michelle Wie – 17, lovely and set for life, she still has a lot to learn.
Yes, that’s Cindy Crawford.
Annika literally wrote the book on how to play (and win) like a pro.
This should be on Wie’s required reading list at Stanford.
Hot, young fashion writer Kristopher Dukes asked me for product recommendations related to the Breast Cancer theme for the month in order to profile me on thisnext.com.
She set it all up for me on thisnext and gave me this nifty badge to display here:
Shopcast powered by
www.ThisNext.com
Get this for your blog or website
Portions or all of the proceeds from every item in the list go to breast cancer charities, so check out these great golf products!
If you happen to be one of the millions of people who fly Continental Airlines this month, pick up their in-flight magazine (Continental), check out my article on Southwest Golf in The Front Nine section of Go Explore, and tell your seat-mate “Hey, I know her! Kristen Williams – she’s the Golf Chick!”
This is the photo of the cover from the magazine’s website. I haven’t flown Continental this month so I haven’t actually seen it. I wonder if that top section is just an add-on to the picture or if it’s part of the actual cover. Looks like it might be a promo for my article on the top right. That would be cool if it’s on the cover!
Remember Neil? He is the friend I wrote about in an article for World Golf who has had the putting yips for years.
Neil has learned to live with his affliction and recently improved even more. I loaned him this book, which he says actually helped quite a bit. The biggest difference? He doesn’t care anymore. He always had a good attitude about it and handled some friendly ribbing from his golf buddies with grace. Now he just makes putts and doesn’t care how his stroke looks. Period. He doesn’t care.
He’ll ask his buddies on the putting green, “Do you want me to hook it or cut it?”
In this video, you’ll see his putting stroke in action from before the recent improvement. Keep in mind, this was taken on the practice green, where the putts don’t count. When we got out to the actual golf course and the putts were from within 6 feet, that stroke became more… spastic… for lack of a better term. There was a definite hiccup that appeared from time to time. I wish I would have taken some footage on the course but pace of play was more important at the time.
Music credit: Tom Waits, Jockey Full of Bourbon
Neil has some interesting coping methods. The putter he uses is completely flat so he can putt with it either right or left handed. He has learned to putt pretty well left handed and has a pretty normal stroke from that side. The close putts are the ones that really bring out his yips, so that’s when he’ll turn around and putt left handed.
He has tried many “remedies” over the years but what really has him managing his Yips now is his ability to relax. He says his grip on the putter is so light it’s like he’s barely holding it. He no longer cares about his stroke so he just relaxes and lets himself putt. Back and through, feeling nice and smooth. To the onlooker, the stroke doesn’t look as smooth as he says it feels, but that’s not important. And the hiccup almost never appears.
Big thanks to Neil for his open participation and willingness to share.
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Telephone conversation with Annika Sorenstam
Meet Sunshine, another kind of golf chick. Sunshine is a talkative African Grey parrot who lives with our friends Hugh and Keets. Evidently, he gets phone calls from professional golfers. In this video, we listen in on one of those calls. Every noise in this video comes from Sunshine. He does all his own sound effects, including the phone ringing, the pop-top can opening and the Nextel-like beeps. My favorite is when he makes the squeaky-shoe noises as he walks. He doesn’t reveal who is on the phone until the end.
Next post.