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Le Freak
Newly crowned NBA Champion Giannis Antetokounmbo, but of course - who else?
Who'd you think - the on-Interweb snakeoil salesmen & women selling you vegetarian lion fare for your golf swing..??
I understand. 'Tis so tempting, so easy and it's mostly FREE! What a deal; what is the perceived value of 'free,' anyway?
And... is such fodder relevant to you? We are all a case study of one - n'est-ce pas? Have the smooth-talking, pretty-faced, foreign-accent enhanced blue-lit screen peddlers ever actually seen you play the game, live, in-person? Conducted a competent physical assessment, to see just how you do move, what you can (and cannot) do, and where your restrictions and potential for betterment truly lie?
I mean: you (nor anyone, for that matter..) ain't no Giannis when it comes to strength, flexibility & coordination. So why you trying to swing like some Tour player super Gumbie?
You looking for some legit guidance? You know, assistance based in science & experience? I can help - click below.
Never mind - you came here for the music and insight for your personal golf improvement NOW, correctamundo? Let's go....................................................................
Click on the image at the top of the page (not to worry round-ball fans, the video of Giannis' epic block is viewable a bit further South) for a legendary late '70's blast from American R & B band Chic, then bounce pass back thissa way for some ideas on how a cocktail of their lyrics, some fresh, relevant summertime reading + The Greek Freak himself, can lead you to better performance in the golf park, and beyond...
"Have you heard about the new dance craze?
Listen to us, I'm sure you'll be amazed
Big fun to be had by everyone
It's up to you, it surely can be done"
Dance craze = swing method. Here today, gone tomorrow. 'Rotate & flatten' has been in vogue in recent times; pity it's not based in real science nor physics (the body rotates, and the club 'flattens' per se due to inputs/forces - not pixie dust), and more importantly: it's not helping the humans hit it better. Big fun and surely can be done?
Uh... sure, just like you and me can move like Giannis.
Would it not be preferable to find a way for you to hold the golf club, swing it, and play the game? Nothing freaky about that, amigos. Why then do we follow the lead of self-appointed experts, self-anointed gurus and those who are so terribly confident (like you want to be over each & every shot..) yet so incredibly incompetent?
Here's why:
"The Dunning-Kruger Effect"
"Young and old are doing it, I'm told
Just one try and you too will be sold"
One size fits all, right? Young and old. He/She. Mobile & restricted. In golf swing, diet, and lifestyle; wowza, what an awful & boring - awfully boring - reality that would be. And more importantly, 'cause the truth does matter: So. Not. The. Case.
Le Freak making other physical freaks (most of those pounding the hardcourts in the NBA) look like you and me. He's playing to his strengths - are you in a round of golf? And, do you have the right footwear & apparel to excel? I wonder... click on a flying freak just above for some ideas from my peeps at Nike Golf.
Sure, we can all improve at most aspects of the game, yet doing what we do best must be nurtured, not neglected. Examples:
- Not a big hitter? I understand. Find some speed!!! But in the meantime, keep your ball in play, and sharpen that short game (no ginormous physical skills required).
- I see so many strokes lost on the dance floor... Lackluster green-reading combined with atrocious speed/distance management; other than that, pretty good ;). Do you really know how to read a green, with your eyes, feet and instinct? What about 'managing' (STOP trying to control anything, por favor..) the distance the golf ball rolls?
No doubt - different strokes for different folks here, but all good putters trend towards a putterhead that is traveling at a constant velocity to slightly accelerating, when it collides with the ball. For all those that dread deceleration more than the Delta variant, some fantabulous news: I see far more OVER-accelerators in the poor speed family, than the opposite.
The bottom line? Put energy into the putter going back (dependent on the length of the putt), then let it coast/cruise thru the ball.
Click on Charlie and Tiger Woods below and copy what you see...
So, what gives with the crazes, methods and their madness? You know the answer...
"Everyone’s selling something"
"All that pressure got you down
Has your head been spinning all around?"
Even Le Freak has his kryptonite - the dreaded free throw... Or had, I should say.
Giannis made 17 out of 19 in his now-legendary Game 6 performance; what gave? Nothing resembles golf more in hoops than the foul shot (all the time in the world to plan, prepare and contemplate) - so what shifted for Antetokounmbo in a matter of hours - where he went from tossing up bricks that at times barely nicked the rim, to hitting nothing but the bottom of the net?
And, how can you follow his lead when you're over a shot where you're not feeling so chic..??
- Stay in motion 'til it's time to move. Standing over that short putt not moving a muscle, frozen like a statue and hoping it'll maybe go in? Leave your 'hopes' and your 'maybes' in the locker-room, start with intention, look, see & go.
- You too are an athlete, albeit not as physically gifted as Giannis (go ahead now and click on a focused Greek Freak just above, for the game-changing block aforementioned), hence hard-wired for success. Success at sending objects towards a target (are you looking to and fro said target - or staring at the ball?). Success at adapting and adjusting to the circumstances and surroundings. Success at solving problems. Embrace your inherent human athleticism and see what happens.
- Resilience. Think this game called 'golf' is easy? Think again... As tough as that un-guarded 15 footer is at times for Giannis.. Then, to make matters tougher, he's got thousands of opposing fans mocking him, counting aloud. And how about some salt in the wound? Suns' guard Chris Paul's comments after Game 5 (#becarefulwhatyouaskfor):
“Everybody is anticipating him to miss, even him.”
Miss you shall, time and time again. Yet the true question begs: how will you respond to the adversity? Shout, complain and cry? Place the blame on others? Crawl into a safe space?
Best to heed the words of a wizard (can't have a b-ball themed missive w/o some input from Coach Wooden, can we now?) when times are tough and your golf ball misbehaves:
"Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out"
Best you have a plan for progress. I'm here for you.
Remote and in-person coaching options at Eugene Country Club, & Puerto Los Cabos, Mexico. The development of an optimal practice program for you, your needs, and your schedule. Ideas and referrals in the equipment domain - those sticks in your bag, and your physical body. Science and evidenced-based help in achieving higher mental acuity on the course. A competent, comprehensive and on-going loop for learning, regardless of where you are on the planet.
Contact me for a consultation; click on my logo just above for further specifics.
Christopher@ChristopherSmithGolf.com
CSmith@EugeneCountryClub.com
"The unexpected does not pay house calls"
Best,
~ CS ~
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