Tuesday, June 23, 2009

A Lesson Learned: 2009 U.S. Open

PGA.com :: Features :: A Lesson Learned: 2009 U.S. Open. Shared via AddThis

I thought this was an amazingly well written and insightful article. I decided to just repost it, as a quote - instead of butchering it!
:)

By Trevor Gliwski, PGA- PGA.com

June 23, 2009 -- You will see all kinds of numbers and statistics centered around this past week, but in my opinion, this year's U.S. Open was won with a driver. Lucas Glover proved, once again, how critical driving is to winning major championships. Lucas was No. 1 on tour all year in total driving and this week at the 7,400-yard Beth Page Black course, he was first in the field. Total driving considers both distance and direction and Lucas is currently the master. There are some key lessons that you can learn from Lucas's driving game.
First, Lucas had great posture. When most golfers think of posture they envision a straight back and a good bend from the hips. There is another part of posture that is widely unknown, spine tilt. If you look at Lucas Glover's set up from face on, you will notice that his right hip and shoulder were lower than the left. The players on tour who drive it the farthest hit up on the ball and tilting away from the target at address, encourages this.

Second, Lucas kept his swing under control and made very solid contact. Clubhead speed produces distance, however solid contact cannot be overlooked. Although Lucas hit the ball hard, he never swung at 100-percent speed. As a result he was able to stay in balance and make consistently solid contact. I call this the "85-percent rule." Unless you absolutely have to rip it, you should always leave a little in the bag, to consistently hit the center of the club face.

Third, Lucas hit the same shot off the tee every time. Whether he was on a dog leg left or right, he played his draw. For most players it is easier to play the same shot pattern, rather than try to work it both ways. Whether you draw it or fade it, try to hit the same shot every time, and you will drive it more consistently.

Learn from Lucas Glover's awesome driving performance at the U.S. Open and make your driver one of the best clubs in your bag. Driving sets up the hole and gives you an opportunity to score. Working on driving it longer and straighter may not produce a U.S. Open victory, but you will have a heck of a lot more fun and shoot lower scores.

Monday, June 1, 2009

McBlare: A Robotic Bagpipe Player

I know, I know... I have been a horrible blogger as of late ~ zero updates, but loads of fun! In another post, I will tell you about all our recent adventures to far away magical kingdoms, full of bright lights and wonder!!!

BUT

Before that, I had to share the story of McBlare: The Robotic Bagpipe Player!

How cool is that!?!

CLICK HERE FOR THE STORY




The story and construction go back to 2004, so it is not a new "breaking" story or bleeding edge... but have you heard of a robotic bagpiper recently... or for that matter, ever? I sure haven't! Below is the first paragraph directly quoted from the web-site. Enjoy!

"McBlare" is a robotic bagpipe player. It plays an ordinary set of bagpipes using an air compressor to provide air and electro-magnetic devices to power the "fingers" that open and close tone holes that determine the musical pitch. McBlare is controlled by a computer that has many traditional bagpipe tunes in its memory. McBlare can also add authentic sounding ornaments to simple melodies entered through a piano-like keyboard and play the result on the bagpipes.

McBlare was constructed by the Robotics Institute for its 25th Anniversary in 2004. The team that built McBlare includes Ben Brown, Garth Zeglin, and Roger Dannenberg.