My Golf Swing - You Can Have It...

Funny thing, golf is. For avid golfers like myself golf can be pretty much summed up with the line: It's Never Enough. You can never get out and play enough. You can never play enough holes before darkness sets in. You can never make enough pars (or birdies). You can never hit if far enough or straight enough. You can never get that final stroke or two off your handicap. You can never quite play that perfect round. You're always wanting that extra little centimeter of perfection in some way.

Golf is maddening this way. It truly is a labor of love. For all the times you are frustrated to the point of throwing your clubs in the lake, there are those days, those rounds, those moments where it is pure, unadulterated bliss:

A perfectly struck 7-iron that nestles within gimme range.

A tee shot that rockets off the club and takes the perfect shape you had envisioned before landing in the short grass.

A putt that holds its line all the way to the cup before falling over the edge.

These are all reasons guys like me spend countless hours either on the course beating it around, talking about it with our friends or just thinking about it.

What does all of this mean? In my case, my current "never enough" is my golf swing.

People tell me I have a good golf swing. I disagree. As a 7 handicap, I guess I am fortunate to be better than most weekend hackers like myself. However, that doesn't take away from the fact that my golf swing is actually a wreck.

I have never received a formal lesson so, to some extent, I'm proud of the fact that I have made myself a decent golfer. But unless you watch and analyze golf like I do, you can't appreciate all the flaws that I struggle with. It makes me want to puke when I step back and look at my swing frame-by-frame against a swing that is fundamentally sound. Therefore, let me walk you through all the ways in which my swing is wrong.

I have matched my swing up against one of the best swings in the game...that of Hunter Mahan.

The takeback...

In case you were wondering, that's me on the left. You can see the proper position that Hunter demonstrates. The club is taken straight back with the clubhead in line with the hands. On the other hand, you have me. My club is taken back way inside. The clubhead is behind my hands. As well, notice the flex in Hunter's right knee. Mine on the other hand is stiff as a board. We're not off to a good start.

The top of the swing...

Hunter shows the perfect position at the top of the swing. You can pretty much draw a straight line from the head of his club all the way down his shaft and arm and down to the ball. My club is wrapped around my head. "Across the line" as they say in the business. Major correction is needed from this point for me to get back into the proper position as I make my downswing. Hunter's hips are square. My hips are opened up. This is a recipe for inconsistancies and errant shots as there are too many moving parts necessary to get back proper form.

The downswing...

If there is any part of the swing that is comparable it would be here. However, you can see that the transition from the top of the swing to this point was very easy for Mahan. My transition from the top required a big correction that, as noted above, tends to be inconsistant and tough to repeat over the course of 18 holes...or an entire summer. Mahan's hands are set behind his right shoulder. My hands are in front of my right shoulder thus making for a steeper approach to the ball - this is a precursor to the way in which our shots will take shape after impact.

Contact...

Our leg action is similar with our right knee firing toward the target. Mahan's heal is off the ground where mine is flat and simply rolling toward the target - six in one half dozen in the other. The biggest difference here is the hips. Mahan has done a better job (go figure) of rotating his hips toward the target. You can see both of his butt cheeks. I am late on the transition to open up toward the target. This will lead to shots that head right. My arms are a little more extended but I am hitting a 3-wood in this pic while Mahan is hitting a mid iron. Both of our heads are down and right behind the ball - almost like twins I guess you could say.

The follow-through...

The first thing you notice is the different angle at which are clubs come through the hitting zone. Mahan's club is pointing at 10:00 while mine is more upright, say 11:45. His right hand is rolled over on top of his left - a sign he has appropriately fired through the hitting zone toward his target. My right hand is on top but is not rolled over on top of the left hand - a sign I have held off through the zone and depended more on swing speed than proper mechanics to generate distance. The end result will be a right to left ball flight (draw) for Mahan while mine will be the opposite - left to right (fade).

I guess I could have matched my swing against Jim Furyk and felt a little better about myself but that's not the point. I need this kind of feedback. I have to be honest with myself if ever I'm going to be a 1 - 3 handicapper. I am making strides in correcting these flaws now that I have done this demonstation and seen the areas where I'm amiss. I'm obsessed with having a beautiful swing like Mahan. I will get it right someday. Now, if only I could putt.

Memorial Day

This Memorial Day I did something I will endeavor to do for every Memorial Day for the rest of my life. For the first time that I can remember since a field trip back in grade school, I visited Zachary Taylor Veterans cemetery. I now realize, this visit was long overdue. To say the experience was powerful is a vast understatement.

My objective was to begin the process of teaching my kids about the sacrifices others make on our behalf. At ages six, four and five months the effect for them was most likely very limited. Considering this was merely introductory in nature I wasn't looking to give them any more than a memory and establish a few general talking points. However, I walked away having a newfound perspective of my own. I was taken aback by my emotions as we strolled through the cemetery. Seeing the uniform landscape of the headstones of thousands of veterans literally brought me to tears. Standing there and seeing these headstones for as far as you can see was overwhelming. The visual and the thought that those buried in this cemetery paid the ultimate price for our freedom ran right through me. Although not all died during combat, they all put their life on the line and are there for a reason that can never be fully appreciated by those of us that haven't done the same.

As we turned in the cemetery I was, for some reason, surprised that many others had the same idea as I did on this national holiday. I'm not sure why I thought I was going to be the only one with the idea to visit a Veterans cemetery on Memorial Day but the fact that there were several dozens of others there doing the same thing was heart-warming. Seeing Veterans in fully uniform tailgating together spending the day with their bretheren, both living and deceased, illustrated the joy, friendship, camaraderie, respect and solidarity that they maintain for one another, and their country. Again, another visual that cut straight to the bone.

There are several things I respect about our armed service men and women but when I think about the fact that there are basically those that volunteer and those that were drafted, I marvel at the mindset of the two. You're either a person that is so patriotic that you are willing to sign your life over to the United States of America or you are drafted and, despited the fear and reluctance, you plow ahead anyway and serve because it was what your country needed of you. Both scenarios warrant an indebtedness that can never be repaid by the casual civilian. To some extent it makes me feel guilty that I haven't served my country in the same way.

I recently saw an armed serviceman at McDonald's and made it a point to shake his hand and thank him for his service. It made my day to know that although I could never repay him, I could, at a bare minimum, acknowledge his own sacrifice on my behalf. He simply smiled, nodded and said "thank you." I wonder how many times other civilians extend their gratitude directly to our troops. I hope I wasn't the first to tell him thank you. I hope many like me realize how lucky they are to have men and women of the armed forces make the sacrifices they make because our freedom isn't free. It comes at a price that most of us aren't willing to put on the line.

I hope one day my kids look back on their experience, whether this year or during future trips to Zachary Taylor, and truly grasp and appreciate the meaning and importance of our visit. I hope they can pass along their respect to both active and veteran service people. Because as I found out, honoring the patriotism and sacrifices of our veterans instills its own pride and patriotism.

Tiger Image Repair 101

I'm not exactly sure what I expect Tiger Woods to do to begin to repair his image but I sure don't feel like his first attempt is the right start. In case you've had your head buried in the sand, Tiger is holding a "press conference" on Friday to address the "media" and address his highly publicized fall from grace.

By "press conference" I mean reading a prepared statement while not taking questions.

By "media" I mean a throng of THREE guys hand selected by Team Tiger.

What a joke.

If you're going to face the music, then face the music. Continuing to hide, denying the brutal truth and not addressing the 800-pound elephant in the room hasn't done much good for Pete Rose the past 20 years. Mark McGuire has recently been suffocated by his own silence as well.

Trying to avoid reality or control the situation is simply not the way to heal and move forward. As much as he may not like it, if he plans to attempt to regain a respectable identity and return to a shadow of his old self, he has to let the media, his fans and his sponsors see his soul. Until then, they will simply write him off as a fraud - and rightfully so.

I suspect most are want to see an over-dose of humility. Full contrition. Ownership of the utter stupidity and cavelier attitude in which he handled himself and represented himself. Outward emotion would seemingly go hand-in-hand with showing the toll these choices have had on him, but especially others. However, tears aren't going to win him back many fans by themselves. Nor is continuing to read prepared statements. At some point, he has to expose himself to the tough, unscripted questions and be vulnerable for it. Only then will people begin to feel as though he has paid the appropriate price for playing us as the fool for the past 13 years.

He doesn't "owe" this to me...or anyone for that matter. He could choose to never play golf again and go about his merry business elsewhere. Or he could simply deny to address it in the same manner Peter Rose did and hope that all those that follow the sport eventually move on.

As a guy that never bought into the whole Tiger persona, an honest attempt to fight back from this could gain him more traction with me. It will certainly take a while but who doesn't like a genuine comeback story? However, it will take time. He will have to soften the edges, chill out on the temper tantrums, become more accessible, sign some autographs, become a fan of the fans and take a more light-hearted approach to rebuilding his character. Continuing to be calculated and guarded will not do much in my mind.

I guess we'll soon see how this begins to play out. I'm not losing sleep if continues to dig himself a deeper hole but it would be refreshing to see a reformation worthy of support.

Tiger's New Nickname: Cheetah!

Tiger. Tiger. Tiger. Of all people...

What amazes me more than anything else is the risk/reward factor that Tiger had to have assessed at some point and decided, "I'm good." Russian roulette is the only other risk that might be more dangerous. However, you might argue that the fact that Tiger has to live through the consequences of his "indescressions" might even be worse! As if the mere humiliation and embarrassment of getting caught cheating on your wife (and family) isn't detrimental, demoralizing, deflating and costly enough, a guy of Tiger's stature exemplifies the risk and downfall to the utmost extreme.

For a guy that seemingly possessed the fortitude and iron will to stand up to any and all challenges, he was done in by a force that he had to know assured him the consequences he is left to deal with.

Corporate America entrusted their image to Tiger. He reaped un-Godly popularity and financial gain from it. Marketability of this magnatude comes with resposibility - like it or not. This icon status made him a role model for millions of kids and adults alike. He never turned away from this obligation - he embraced it - as most anyone would. People would have killed to trade places with Tiger Woods. He had the world at his fingertips.

Being a person of this stature comes with inherent pressure to live up to the image. However, Tiger didn't have to accept the challenge and responsibility. He could have turned down the offers. He could have chosen another profession. He could have just played golf and gone home. It would have, no doubt, been easier to live outside of the larger microscope. But that was not the chosen route.

You also can't ignore the fact that none of this would have come about if Tiger was single. The fact that he was a married man in this position is the other factor that plays heavily into his scrupulous decisions. You could argue that, just like Tiger, Derek Jeter is a marketer's dream and has cashed in on many of the same opportunities as Tiger. However, the fact that he is not married has allowed him much more lattitude in the expectation and responsibility to toe a particular line of lifestyle choices and faithfulness.

In a day and age of mass exposure, camera phones, texting, social networking and internet uploading, how in the world does a guy like Tiger expect to keep these kinds of decisions under wraps? After all, the women that he was "transgressing" with have everything to gain and nothing to lose from their decision. They're not married. They don't have a world-wide image. They don't have endorsements. They don't have money. I suspect they would even enjoy bragging of their exploits. Not Tiger. In addition to one's own moral compass any one of those reasons would be plenty for most to walk the straight and narrow. The sum of all of them - wow! That's a lot of forces working against you for the temporary satisfaction of "getting a piece."

Now for the damage control...

Rumor has it that Tiger is renegotiating his prenuptuial agreement to entice his wife to stay with him. Why? If you want to pay off a mistress or two to avoid any further public humiliation, okay, that's understandable. But why would he be trying to pay off his wife? It seems rather short-sighted to take this approach. I'm sure the mindset and desire to keep the family together is important. It always is after the fact. However, how healthy could an arrangement of this sort truly be? And I suspect the effects of what has come to light will linger with the Mrs. for a while. I'm just guessing but this probably won't bode well for Tiger's chances in the sack for the next, oh, several years! Therefore, if he thought some action on the side was necessary before...

Tiger will probably never be trusted again. He's in for some miserable times. Most likely even more miserable than getting divorced. The fact is, money gets you a lot of things - especially as much as Tiger has. However, it doesn't get you out of this mess and certainly can't purchase you any peace of mind - the most important thing you possess and which you should endeavor to maintain.

This whole thing is still quite shocking to me. Just think about it in these terms: If someone told you that they'd give you a billion dollars (that's a 1,ooo times more than one million by the way) to NOT cheat on your wife, do you think you could do it?

I guess the only caveat to that proposition would be that you'd be surrounded by beautiful temptresses all the time that would be looking to break your will.

I think I could manage.

Fire Weis? Ouch!

Word on the street says Charlie Weis is done at Notre Dame. Evidently he has worn out his welcome in South Bend as the early success that the Irish enjoyed under Weis is now gone. It was the immediate success, on the heels of mediocre football under Tyron Willingham, that rewarded Weis with a huge, and premature, contract extension to the tune of 10 years. For all the smart people that reside at South Bend, the extension was a pretty significant lack of intellect on behalf of someone. Of course all fingers point to the athletic director when a decision like that is made. However, I have to think their were a few boosters and board members that wet their pants trying to convince the administration to lock Weis up since they had seemingly found their golden child. Coming from the insanely successful New England Patriot organization, Weis was viewed as the ray of hope to bring Notre Dame back to the glory days. And to lock Weis up for the foreseeable future was, at the time, a mandatory thing to do to solidify the Irish's bright future. So they thought. Now, the Irish have fallen back to their lackluster ways of recent past and the Domers are no longer content to entrust their future to Weis' direction.

Before I proceed, let me first say this - Notre Dame is no longer the be-all-end-all of college football like it was in the 50's and even through the 80's. This is also true for catholic high school football. This is key. Because catholic high schools are private, and heavily funded, they attracted (and still do) a lot of football talent. It was easy for Notre Dame to pinpoint the catholic high schools for their recruiting base. And what catholic high school phenom wouldn't want to go play for Notre Dame? If another college came calling, they were automatically second fiddle to Notre Dame. These "other" colleges had to search high and low for prospects at a time when recruiting wasn't a well funded aspect of the the football department. If a kid wasn't in their backyard, the process to identify top talent was inefficient at best. To sustain success under this process was almost impossible. Notre Dame, on the other hand, could tap into the catholic system year-in and year-out.

College football has now evolved into a national landscape. TV, and now the internet, has evened the playing field and exposed and commercialized many other programs besides Notre Dame. Over the last 40 years, the budgets for other programs have caught up with Notre Dame. Facilities, across the board, have gotten better. Recruiting has become more intense and better funded. While there is still great talent to be found in the catholic high school system for Notre Dame, they have more competition and can't simply send something on their letterhead and expect the recruit to show up in the fall. And let's be honest...South Bend is no Tallahassee, Austin or Gainsville when it comes to climate and booty call options. This reality is something Notre Dame faithful have a hard time coming to grips with. And because they can't, they think money can solve all their problems. I'm not saying they shouldn't try. They should, of course. They can still be successful - just not to the consistant levels that they feel they should be, or have been.

So, back to the situation at hand. From what I've heard, it will take some 19 million dollars to FIRE Weis. On TOP of this will be the money they will have to throw at their next coach. And to think they are going to skimp on their offering because of the money going to Weis and bring in some up-and-coming assistant to fray the costs is just not going to happen. They are going to go after one of the best coaches in the nation in order to right the ship. The two biggest names being floated about are Urban Meyer of Florida and Brian Kelly of Cincinnati. Meyer would have a higher price tag but Kelly wouldn't be cheap either. Assuming Meyer says no (why would he say yes?) let's say they go after Kelly. I assume it will take a five-year contract in the neighborhood of $15 million to get Kelly on board. So, the Domers are in for a cool $35 million over the next five years for their football coach!

Here's my question: What if Kelly falls flat on his face? What if the Irish continue their futile ways under Kelly and go 6-6 and 5-7 in Kelly's first two years? How patient are the faithful going to be with the new guy? At some point, they're going to be stuck with their coach. You can't think that if Kelly goes backward that Notre Dame would be ready to go through all this again, can you?

Let's just go through it real quick. Let's say that after three years Kelly is out. That means Weis will still be on the hook for roughly $8 mil and Kelly $6. So, before they higher a new coach at that point, they would be coughing up $7 million a year. Throw on another $5 mil per at that point for the next sexy name and you're paying $12 million per year for your head coach. Ouch!

I'm sure all the rich Irish alumns will just refinance their house and send the check.

This mentality doesn't have anything to do with the financial crisis the economy is in does it? Microcosm actually. If my example comes true I think the value of the Notre Dame diploma is going to be losing value.

Mike Goes Down Swinging

A couple of weeks ago the greatest player I've ever seen play basketball was inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame. Michael Jordan was the signature inductee into the 2009 class that also included the likes of David Robinson and John Stockton. Jordan's speech, however, was a little baffling to me.

As I sat and watched an emotional Jordan walk to the podium to a hero's welcome, I was expecting a humble Jordan to acknowledge the people that helped him achieve his monumental success on and off the court. That, I got. What I wasn't expecting was the actual names of the people that he chose to recognize.

Instead of focusing on Dean Smith, Phil Jackson, his dad, Scottie Pippen, Jerry Reinsdorf and others, Jordan, instead chose to drive a few final nails in the coffin of Bryon Russell, Pat Riley, Jeff Van Gundy, Isiah Thomas and others that provided the fuel for his killer instinct. I certainly understand the fact that these people drove Jordan in a particular way. However, I'm not sure a Hall of Fame speech is the sensible place to harp on these back-handed motivators.

As I sat and listened to the speech, it made me a bit uncomfortable for such time to be devoted to this cast of characters. It's not that he mentioned them at all, obviously these guys were a driving force in his efforts to use any and all reasons to fuel his fire. It was the fact that they were the basis of his speech. It seemed like he was using his final opportunity to address his decorated career to step on their heads one final time.

We all know by now how competitive Jordan was. It was certainly worth mentioning that part of what made him so competitive were the doubters and those that tried to stand in his way of success - good or bad. But a brief comment on these people would have been sufficient in this moment. To provide play-by-play examples and details of the ways in which he used these people to motivate him was over the top. It would be like giving a wedding speech and talking about all the girls that you didn't marry to find the one you ultimately chose. Maybe there is some credibility in the fact that there were other women in your life that taught you things about what you ultimately found in your wife. However, I'm not sure going that route on your wedding day is the time to reflect on these moments - and women. Instead, it would seem most appropriate to mention the more sentimental elements of why you were choosing to spend the rest of your life with THIS woman.

It was as if Jordan was saying, I might be done playing basketball, but I'm not quite ready to walk away. Winning was the ultimate high for Jordan. There's no questioning he would take any measure necessary to reach his goal. But in a career that is now over, I would rather have seen Jordan pay homage to those that taught him the game, those that inspired him to develop a love for the game, those that worked along side him to achieve success, those that provided him opportunities to succeed and those that were there to recognize his success. But Jordan took a different route.

I suspect one day he might look back on his speech and wonder why he spent so much time on the pee-ons instead of those that were true cogs in his final destination. Maybe not. But on a night where you only have one chance to get it right, it appeared Jordan fired a brick.

Health Care - My Version

I don't know all the details about the extremely complex nature of what is needed for adequate and acceptable health care reform but I have a few thoughts that seem like reasonable steps to providing a basis for reform. If I were in charge, here is what I would do:

1. Tie health care coverage to employment. If there should be one mandate, it should be that all employed people have to provide proof of health insurance coverage in order to be employed. Period. You want a job? Show proof of coverage before you can receive a paycheck. Much like proof of auto insurance is required to have valid vehicle registration. Now, I understand there is still a good number of people that somehow find a way to drive without auto insurance, so I'm sure this still won't get everyone properly covered - especially those that are self employed or day laborers. However, I suspect it would get more people into the system than there currently are - especially the 20-somethings that don't have health insurance because they think they're invincible and are the biggest segment of uninsureds.

2. Provide a form to be submitted along with tax returns that verifies health insurance. This would be yet another step in making sure people are covered. If the form is not submitted or cannot be verified, then an audit will take place that will either automatically garnish that person's wages for a baseline (catastrophic) policy or have the individual subject to tax evasion.

3. Do away with company provided health care insurance. Leave all insurance policies up to the individual to shop for and choose. Again, much like auto insurance. Have companies, if they choose, provide some sort of subsidy or contribution, by way of a clearinghouse, to the policy of the employee's choice. This creates more competition among insurance providers to reach out to individuals versus corporations - specifcally large corporations. Auto insurance isn't provided through corporations and it seemingly works just fine. Furthermore, costs/premiums are kept in check through healthy competition because there is always another provider that is ready to step in and provide acceptable coverage for an alternative price. You want the Cadillac of coverage? Pay for it. You won't minimal coverage? Pay for it...and accept the consequences when you need it. That's the risk you take and no one is to blame but yourself. As well, employers are still able to help with costs but not control care.

4. While I don't think this is something that can be madatory, I think insurance companies would be wise to be more accessible and user-friendly. Think for a minute about an insurance company having a kiosk or retail-type outlet for customers to come in and shop for coverage - much like how cellular providers do it. You want an iPhone? Where do you go? The Apple store. You can browse the store, ask questions and make an informed decision. You can ask about the details of the service plan and have someone show you how to add different applications to your phone. What if, instead of a phone, you were looking for insurance coverage? You ask a customer service rep about the pluses and minuses of different coverage plans and add different aspects of coverage to that plan. Your single, healthy with no kids and want a low premium? Let me show you this plan with a $1,500 deductible that covers you in case of a car accident or terminal illness. Would you like to add vision or dental to this plan? No? Okay. Our co-pays as part of this plan are 90% of prescription costs. Is that okay? Yes? Good. Sign this policy agreement and we'll start your coverage. You're married with two kids and have a pre-existing condition? Okay, here are a couple of plans that are popular for people like you. Most people choose option B which have a $250 deductible, 15% co-pay of prescription costs, $25 expenses for well visits and preventive care. Vision, dental and pregnancy care are included in this annual coverage. We offer this for $500 per month. Is that okay? Good. Sign here. This is a one-year agreement. At the end of one year you can change your plan to better suit your needs if you find that vision coverage isn't necessary or that you would rather decrease your premium in favor of a higher deductible or alternative co-pay pricing.

5. If the government wants to intervene to "help" control expenses or get more people covered, let them provide subsidies, like food stamps, to qualified individuals who pay taxes. This would hopefully motivate people to file tax returns so there is more money in the system to provide such help. The stamps could be used for mothly premiums, deductible amounts or co-pays. However the individual chooses to use the subsidy, they can depending on the need of the individual. It controls the extent to which those subsidies are used by the people that abuse the system now - i.e. I can't go to the doctor (ER) for every cold because I only have a limited amount of government provided assistance to cover such a visit. I would rather wait until something more "worthy" happens before I spend this subsidy or I would rather use it against my monthly premium.

6. Deny care to those that try and utilize the ER for general care without insurance. There's no other option to alleviate the cost associated with people that abuse the system. If you don't have insurance, we will not see you unless your bleeding, having a seizure, convulsing, been burned, have a compound fracture, a nail sticking out of her head or been brought to the ER by way of ambulance. This sets a guideline for care. If you have insurance, come on in if you think it's truly an emergency. If not, we will not see you unless it's a dire situation. If you're not bleeding, having a seizure, convulsing or been burned, etc., then you'll have to wait - you made the decision to not have insurance, not the hospital. I suspect this reality would cause most uninsureds to take a hard look at getting some sort of coverage. Tax payers don't pay to fix or replace your car when you get in a wreck without insurance, why should they provide health care if you choose not to have insurance? It's simple really. Just get some sort of coverage and you don't have to worry about a thing. For someone with a high deductible, the hospital may not recoup the deductible amount but at least they're covered for anything above and beyond. Better than what they're forced to deal with now.

Again, I don't have all the answers but it seems like these few steps would bring costs down and create a better health care environment. You get what you pay for. Probably way too simplistic. I'm sure there are many holes in my rationale but it seems like a good start.