I am Tiger Woods...

The weather was perfect.

The work week was over.

I had to play some golf.

When I entered my score, the handicap computer told me that the score was much lower than normal and was I sure I wanted to submit it... uhh... yea I want to submit it!

I played out of my mind. I have never, ever felt the way I felt on golf course as I did today. I wish to god I played with one of my friends (so they'd believe me) and played a full 18. But that said, the +5 (41) I shot on the back 9 at Tashua Knolls is a round I'll remember for a long, long time.

I made par back to back TWICE!

I sunk a 20 foot putt for par!

I chipped up with a lob wedge twice to within 10 feet!

I channeled my inner Tiger Woods (hmm, maybe not - when was the last time Tiger shot +5 on 9 holes?). Back to regularly scheduled suckfests soon, don't worry.

Seriously though, here's what I think I did differently. I slowed everything down by 20 or 30% and took an extra club. I tried to keep my swing smooth and to stay "long" in my back. I've been feeling like I have been dipping down to hit the ball (lots of chunks) - staying long in my back worked for me today.

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Yea, I Thought So

When I got my first ever handicap (18.7), I knew it was too good to be true; or rather, I wasn't that good at all. I was right. I got my updated number today:

USGA HCP Index: 23.3

Shooting 104's isn't going to get me where I want to be. I need to get to the range today and get some practice.

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Whitney Farms Golf Club

I played in the annual Father's Club tournament to benefit my kids school at Whitney Farms in Monroe. It's not an easy course!

I managed to remember to snap a pic on one of the nicer holes. I played OK - not great, shooting a 104 (adjusted for handicap).

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Product Review: Swing Reminders

Full disclosure, I got an e-mail from the guy who invented "Swing Reminders" asking me if I'd review his product. I'm happy to do so and am thrilled to finally (yes!) have a moment to write up my review.

What are they? Swing Reminders are a bunch of hardwood tokens with golf swing tips to help you improve your game. In my hands, they feel like poker chips (that's a good thing, especially if I'm holding a bunch of them!).

I stalled at first before using these, they sat in my bag for a few rounds before I pulled them out. But I really wanted to try them out and sure enough, I grabbed a few and thew them into my pocket along with tees and some balls a few weeks ago.

On the first tee, I went to pull a tee and ball out and instead, had a token in my hand that said "No Sway." Because swaying is my biggest issue right now, I was surprised to myself. I dropped the token back into my pocket and hit a nice tee shot.

Throughout the round (and subsequent rounds since), I've been using the reminders every few holes. I think it helps if you don't overdo it - there is no reason to look at 5 or 6 tips right before you take a shot. That said, I have found that glancing at a single swing reminder is a nice way to get my head back into the moment.

My favorite 3 reminders so far are:

• no sway
• quiet legs
• pick your target

I think Swing Reminders are a great novelty or a gift item - they are inexpensive and quite useful. If I had a handy dandy product review rating system or if products were given a golf score, I'd give them a par. Check out their site at swingreminders.com.

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Where the Hell Did It Go?

My swing is gone. Absolutely gone.

Midway through a great round my swing left me. I started topping everything and when I adjusted, the chunks came back with a vengeance. Last week, I played in a charity tournament at Whitney Farms and while I didn't score horribly, I felt terrible about my swing. I ended up shooting an adjusted 104 (yikes) and would have shot worse except I managed to putt decently.

I've been getting physical therapy for a hurting leg (back of the thigh) and the therapist told me I was "wicked" tight. That can't be good right? She then went on to tell me that I have essentially no mobility in my lower back.

I've been doing a ton of stretching and now I'm starting to think I'm going to have to re-learn my body positions as I get more and more flexibility. It never ends!!!

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Annika, noooo!

Just saw this story about Annika Sorenstam planning on retirement... oh no! I was going to post this weekend about how the Annika/Lorena rivalry could develop nicely into a much needed matchup but I guess not! Just as Annika regained her swagger too... darn it.

The upside is that if Paula Creamer can really get it going, she can definitely push Lorena to the limit. Go Paula Go!

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Man, I'm Tight!

I've been having a slight pain in my right leg for a few months and finally went to the doc to check it out. I thought it might be something horrible, but it turns out I'm just wound really, really tightly. The PT told me that while I have decent flexibility in my upper back and arms, my low back and hips don't move at all.

Hmm....

Ya think that's part of my problem? Me too. She's hopeful that I will loosen up quickly (2 sessions a week for 4-5 weeks). Not only do I hope I start to feel better, but I secretly hope that this is why I am so inconsistent on the golf course.

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Reality TV Opportunity

I got an email from ABC yesterday and wanted to share. My wife would never consider this, so I'm passing on my 15 minutes of fame to you, my loyal readers!

Here it is... good luck!

My name is Gaby Wilson. I'm a Casting Producer for ABC's Primetime show, "Wife Swap." I hope you don't mind me contacting you, but we're currently into our fourth season at the moment and we're looking for one-of-a-kind families with plenty of personality. Specifically, we're looking for families that love the game of golf! If your life revolves around getting to a tee time, golf lesson, or driving range and sharing golf with your family, and you've always thought your family was meant for TV, I want to hear from you! In addition, please feel free to forward this email on to any families you think would be interested in taking part in this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

In case you are unfamiliar with the show, the premise of Wife Swap is to take two different families and have the moms switch places to experience how another family lives. Half of the week, mom lives the life of the family she is staying with. Then she introduces a "rule change" where she implements rules and activities that are important to her family. It's a positive experience for people to not only learn but teach about other families and other ways of life. Wife Swap airs on Disney owned ABC television on Wednesdays at 8 pm- the family hour!

Requirements: Each family must consist of two parents and at least one child between 7 and 17 and should reside in the continental U.S.  (There may be other children living in the home who are older or younger than the required age…as long as one child is in the required age range.)

Participating in the show is a very unique experience that can be life changing for everyone.  In addition, each family that tapes an episode of Wife Swap receives $20,000 as compensation for their time.   Anyone who refers a family that appears on our program receives $1000 as a 'thank you' from us. 

I appreciate you taking the time to read this email and I hope to hear from you soon.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me! If you're interested in learning more, please include your contact information.

--
Gaby Wilson
Casting Producer
Wife Swap
gaby.wifeswap AT gmail.com

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