October 20, 2021 • 49 mins
Christina goes deep on the changes to her action while Alan frets about the state of his game ahead of the Uncle Tony Invitational. They also have a spirited discussion about Rory McIlroy’s victory and the new USGA limits on driver length, including a dissection of Phil Mickelson’s disingenuous comments on the topic.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hello, and welcome to a very belated new episode of
Full Sanda Christina Kim and Alan Chipnuk. We have been
in Apple podcast hell. Apparently there's another podcast out there
that has full scent in its title. They committed some
sort of copyright violation our podcast. It was mistakenly flagged
(00:28):
taken down. And it's like, did you ever see that
movie Brazil from like the eighties. It's like it takes
place in this dystopian future and this bug falls into
the typewriter. It creates a typo and it sends us
guy's life into utter turmoil. He didn't do anything wrong.
It's very much like that, and um so it finally
(00:49):
got resolved and we're back. I don't even know what
the copyright violated. It better be be a good one.
I mean, like, I hope they put like an entire
new you know, jay Z record up there or something,
because it's like seriously slow. But we're back. See, I
thought we did something wrong and they like flagged we
because I was just like we just sit here and
talk like you're allowed to have podcast with like similar names,
(01:14):
you know, And I'm like, hopefully this wasn't like a
vanilla ice um Bohemian rhapsody like ding ding ding ding
ding ding ding. You know, I was freaking out because
I was like, I didn't know what happened. Yeah. Yeah,
it was just total modern life encapsulated in you know,
someone else does something and then it just sends you.
(01:34):
You into a tailspin. But they can't hold the great
ones down. Christina, We're back, baby, We're back here. I've
missed you, I know, I know. And then we had
the ryder Cup episode where you were traveling and we
had Ryan Friends as a pinch hitter. So yeah, we've
got a lot to catch up on. Like, let's go
tell me what's going on in your life. Your golf
(01:56):
gave all of it well, so let's see. I um
a little bit over a week from coming back from
four straight MC hammers. Um, I've been going through it,
as the young people would say, and I am currently
(02:18):
in like revamp of my golf swing right now because
I this I this fucking right elbow and my like
I I've done this whole thing earlier in the year
where I went and visited this gentleman. His name is
Dr Bob Neil. Um, not Bob and Neil, but Bob Neil,
(02:40):
and he does this like like you know, super high
techie sort of you know, it's like the you know,
this high tech golf performance stuff where he like attaches
all these sensors to you and then he gauges like
where you're generating your speed, like the sequencing of your swinging,
all of the us all of that, and I, um,
(03:03):
he had told me that like my hips fire at
a great rate, but my shoulders, arms, and golf clubs
swing at the same speed. And so there was it
was basically like I had a um, you know, like
I was like Frankenstein's Monster, but with like something super
athletic from the hips flow and then something you know,
(03:26):
in actual corpse from the hips up. So I hope
he used that term, by the way, he did not.
He did not know. Unfortunately, he didn't say I'm half
a Frankenstein's Monster. He was. He was great about it. Actually,
he was like, yeah, you just you need to get
that upper torso going. And I just for the longest
time didn't understand what was going on, and so, you know,
(03:48):
just really working on getting my shoulders to um, what's
the how would I to rotate? Period? And because it's
like I'm saying, I've like looking at these videos, I'm like,
I'm fucking getting stuck and I'm doing this and I'm
doing that, and it's like the moves are not bad,
it's just that, like you know, it's just there's like
(04:10):
someone tossed in like a sugar cube into my gas
tank and so it just kind of fucked everything up.
And so it's been mentally exhausting because I've been swinging
so well and just you know, like I'm like paring
it down and I'm like, well, let's see, i lost
like six miles an hour of club head speed and
I've done this and I've done that, and I'm like,
(04:30):
where is this all standing from? And I'm I'm I'm
super big into cause and effect, and I'm just like, okay,
I know that right elbow just not getting in front
of my my body is the effect? Where is that
fucking cause? And so I've been working very diligently on
(04:50):
figuring that out, and then it was just one of
those aha moments where I was like, oh wait, so
if you turn your shoulders then you know, and and
and working, um, you know, working with my coach on
just getting like my shoulders to like do the thing
and move like it's just it's infuriating, but I feel good, um,
(05:13):
and so I'm definitely making progress, like I um, you know,
I just I'm in my golf attire right now, and
I just finished playing nine holes over our orange tree,
um over here, and I like the fourth hole is
this uphill part four and it just there was like
one moment of glory where I hit I drove it
two and seventy yards and it was just glorious. And
(05:36):
I was just like, so they're so you're saying there's
a chance, you know, and then I it's like, but
now I can feel when I'm in like my old
swing of just not getting those shoulders going, and it's
so you know, and and and you know, I have
good enough hands where I can save those shots to
an extent, but you know, it's like I'm losing like
twenty five yards just by you know, and it's exhaust
(06:00):
seeing physically and emotionally because it's just not efficient, you know.
And so yeah, it's it's it's been a time. It's
tough to make a it's tough to make a living
saving shots over and over. That's that's not what you
want to be doing. But I mean I empathize at
(06:21):
least you've found it. I mean that that's that's part
of that's a big part of the equation. And then
then you have to master it. Then you have to
learn to trust it. I mean it's there's there's different steps.
So I mean when when when you get to the
next LPGA event, I mean, are you looking forward to
ah putting in play or is there is there? It
(06:41):
can be like a high level anxiety, like I don't
know if this is going to hold up. I mean
when you make changes, how does that affect it? You know,
your confidence level when when you show up at in competition. Well,
I will say I'm very fortunate right now because I
can sit back and say, well, if you keep doing
what you've been doing, you know what the result is.
(07:02):
You know, basically another you know, it's just going to
go from four to five miss cuts in the row.
And I'm like, why the fun Like insanity is doing
the same thing over and over, you know. So I'm like,
I'm not going to be insane. I I I'm very
I I have a wonderful ability to be like a
(07:22):
chameleon at times or like like I can replicate things
pretty quickly, which is both good and bad because they'll
be like today, I'm gonna, you know, have a tiger
Wood swing thought, and then the next day's like I'm
going to have an NB Park swing thought, or I'm
going to have this, or I'm going to have that.
And it's just one of those things where I'm like,
(07:42):
I just have to find where my where my swing
thought needs to be and just trust it and stick
with it, you know, less trust it more, just stick
with it. And so um for me, you know, it's
I'm like, why would I wanna? Why would I be
Why would I be so scared that I'm willing to
(08:03):
do the thing that has already been missing cuts? You
know what I mean? Like, No, I mean it sounds.
It sounds freeing if you when you get to that place,
so um, I want it's not rock bottom. My formast
cut sucks. But at least you're you're a place where
you're ready for the change and you've embraced that's got
to be get you a little fire. I have no choice, like,
(08:26):
because you know what the alternative is, you know what
I mean? Like, and it's kind of it's so another
thing is I don't know when my next LPG start
is going to be because there's the girls are playing
in the ladies are playing in Korea this week. I
did not get into that, and then we've got a
couple of weeks off and then we have our tournament
in Tampa and then the CIMME. Um, at this moment,
(08:46):
I'm not in CME. And at this moment, I'm not
in the tournament in Tampa because it's a hundred and
eight player field and so I have not made my
priority status high enough in order to get into that field.
And a couple of things. I'm in Sieni Points. There
are a dozen girls behind me and Points that are
(09:08):
in because of how they played all the funk way
back in which again to an extent, I understand, but
I've been given fewer chances to start, and I've played
better than then this year overall, and so I'm going
to have to go in to do the Monday qualifier,
(09:28):
which is like okay, fine, Like That's what I'm preparing
for right now. And I did apply for a sponsors exemption,
and um, it's it's very it's kind of ironic. I
find it hysterical with every every definition of hysteria in
that the one of I know one of the girls
that did get one of the invites, she just turned
(09:49):
pro earlier this year. Great girl Um, she works over
a golden Ocalla went to faariis State. Awesome, awesome girl.
And I actually gave her a set of p X
g irons because she had the Gen ones. I gave
her a set of the p X g irons that
I had received that I decided I wasn't going to
play with this year. I gave her the the Gen
four O two eleven sc blades with a shaft that
(10:12):
was fit much more appropriately for her she got. She
got the invite, So to an extent, one of my
iron sets is going to tee it up for sure
that week. And it's just one of those things where
I'm just like, what what what what reincarnation of Confucius
(10:33):
or the Buddha or whatever that has been reincarnated into
an aunt did I accidentally step on? Um? So it's
just it's one of the syndrome like there's nothing that
I can do. It's it's all kinds of fucory. That
is one of the things that that always interests me
about professional golf is players helping each other. Like I
(10:55):
can think of many times I saw Steve Stricker on
the putting green with Tiger Tiger Woods and giving him
a little tune up on his putting stroke, and I
would think every other guy in golf was like, dude,
what are you doing. It's not a guy we wanted
to get his stroke grooved. And you know it's Stricker,
just the nicest dude in the world. He's not gonna
say no. And um, you know I VJ. Singh was
(11:15):
always helping guys out. And I mean, it's not a
zero sum sports if you can play well alongside this
person and and and have your own success, but it is.
It is ironic. Sometimes you help the wrong person at
the wrong time. But I mean, where do you come
down on that? I mean, have you have you ever
turned down a player who who's asking for something because
(11:40):
you're like, you know what, I'm trying to beat this girl,
and I don't really feel like contributing to her uh
uh success, So I'm not. I would never. I would
never deny anyone anything. I'm sorry. I I the way
I see it is if it would not make you
a mom stir me in my world competitive sport. I
(12:05):
get that. I I definitely I understand what you're saying.
But for me, I'm just like, if I see anyone struggling,
I'm going to do everything that I can to help.
Like it's that's just how I'm built. And again that's
part of the reason why I am absolutely certain I'm
going to die destitute and alone and probably somewhere under
a bridge. And I'm totally okay with that. I've had
a good run. But it's the you know. For me,
(12:26):
it's similar to, you know, the vaccine man of the
vaccination argument, even though there shouldn't be one of yes,
you're you're here to help yourself, but you're here to
do your best to ensure people like Colin Powell don't
die due to COVID complications because he had cancer as
well as being immune. You know, he's he's immunocompromised. He
(12:47):
had cancer of the white blood cells, which is the
you know, and he was unable to build his antibodies.
So for me, it's it's about so much more than
just myself. Um and if I can, if I can
be a part of someone else's journey, I think it's
very fulfilling and it's it's very kind. I just didn't
think that I would get kicked in the teeth by
a horse that's got its feet covered in its own
(13:09):
ship already. Destiny is not that horse. Destiny is not
that horse. It's just the whole. The whole hit you.
So that being said, going back to it, if I
don't make the Monday Qualifier, my fate as to whether
or not I'm going to go to final stage Q
series is out of my control, which will make for
(13:34):
compelling content for our podcast. I guess. So you're welcome. Yeah,
I mean you're suffering does make good content, so thank you.
We would prefer for you to you know, yeah, um interesting,
it's so funny on the topic of swing changes. So
you know, I am immersed in this Phil Nicholson book.
(13:56):
I'm probably of the way through it. It's due December
and the big annual Uncle Tony Invitational is coming up.
It's it's a week from today is when it starts.
And a few weeks ago I called up the commissioner
of course is imaginella uh and I was like, buddy,
(14:16):
I can't I can't come. I'm just overwhelmed by life.
The day after the U T I Uncle Tony invitation,
not you're you're in any track infection that we do
welcome those jokes. Is the start of high school basketball
season and I'll be coaching again at Carmel High and
all the stuff, and so I just sort of had
the weight of the world on my shoulders and like,
(14:36):
and he's like, I refuse to accept a resignation. You're coming.
It's like it'll be good for you, you know, get
away from it all. You can still stay up at
night type and if you want to. And so I'm going.
And but part of also my I've hardly played golf
in the last like six months because I've just been
focused completely on work stuff. And when I and I'll
(14:57):
go like a month out touching the club and then
like I gott I had to the member guest at
money Pends a country club, which is wonderful and great,
but no, I know, but I'm saying, like two very
very you know, top one hundred golf courses hyper competitive
because there's all the money on the line and the
trophies and and it's just hard to like parachute into
that setting when you haven't touched a club and so
(15:19):
then you kind of play bad and you feel bad
about yourself, and it perpetuates this thing like I can't
I can't play golf until I can really get serious
about playing golf. So anyway, I'm gonna show up a
band and like totally rusty and again with the firm
turf for the cross winds and this this like ridiculously overheated,
uh competitive environment. It's like it's a tough place to
(15:41):
go and find your game. But I've kind of just
decided in my head because you know, my what's really
been hurting my game is I'm just the big miss
off the tea, like I'm just not driving it well
at all. I was like, you know what, I'm just
gonna play a cut on such a big banana slice
on every T ball. And so I've been thinking about it,
and when I'm down at the river with Monty, I'll
grab a dick and I'll kind of rehearse it. So, uh,
(16:02):
whether I can actually do this on the golf course
is a total unknown, but at least I have a
game plan and I've got a thought in my head.
And when when I'm laying in bed at night and
I can't sleep, I'm playing all the bandoned courses like
I'm playing these beautiful buttercuts, you know, down down the
left center. So I've got a plan, that's all I got.
But you we'll see what happens. I would say, Uh,
(16:25):
if you get a moment, a couple of times a day,
do some clamshells, do some squats, do like fifteen yards
of walking lunges a few times a day, just so
that you can keep your your your glutes activated, which
will help with your your back and your core. That's
all I can say. And and the Uncle Tony is
(16:45):
an absolute war of attrition. It's like Sunday of the
US Open, Like guys are going down. It's been a
long week of carousing and drinking and hitting the dispensary
and stand up late playing dice and then going we
have we've kind of paired down the itinerary in a
nod to our advancing age. Is not really as many
thirty six whole days as there used to be, but
(17:07):
still like it's just it's yeah, I'm physically, mentally, spiritually,
emotionally not quite ready for it. So but that could
make me dangerous, like to go with no expectations and
and just like just be happy to be there, Like
who knows, absolutely I do. I'm not saying that. I'm
(17:27):
not saying yeah, go ahead. I was just going to
say I do have banned in locked in my forecast,
you are probably going to have to encounter some slashing
rain and wind. I'm just I'm just going to share
that with you as far as I know the next
week is supposed to be. Yeah, I've pretty wet, so prepare.
(17:48):
It's all I can say. I've been I've been following it.
We We've had amazing luck on all these trips. A
lot of times within the summer we just kind of
moved it to the fall. But I've hardly ever gotten
rained on. We've had some some big you know, some
wind days of course, like everyone gets there. But yeah,
I've definitely I've been watching the forecast. It's like chance
(18:09):
of rain every day, so who knows what that actually
means in reality, But um, it'll be fun. I mean again,
it's just all part of the war of attrition. It's cold, wind, rain,
Like I love that stuff. I don't play it at
home very often, but if I want a trip to
band In or to Scotland or Ireland or whatever like it.
To me, it's part of the fun to expect. I
(18:29):
think a big part of playing well. You have to
expect it, you have to embrace it. Like that's a
huge part of playing well, I think is just enjoy it,
like enjoy the challenge, know that you're just gonna be
fighting on every hole and if you can, if you
can just just keep going, that makes a huge difference
because in the face a lot of people have bad
attitude when the when the elements are bad. So um anyway,
(18:51):
and I'm looking forward to that, even though I have
a bit of trepidation about the state of my golf game.
But whatever, it'll it'll be a freaking blast. And that's
the thing. It's not about how you play it. Yeah,
I mean, there's there's fourteen two man teams essentially, and
only two or three are gonna have a chance to win.
The other ten, eleven, twelve, we're just they're just having
a great old time. So in some ways, like I mean,
(19:14):
almost every year I've been in contention with my partners
Steve John because he's a freaking stick and I'll have
my moments and I mean it's like nerve jangling It's
takes me back to high school basketball. The adrenaline, and
that's like so much fun. But if you get off
to bad start in some way, it's almost better, like, Okay,
we're not gonna win, so let's just let's just have
fun and win some side bets and and uh and
(19:37):
just have a great time and enjoy the walk. So
it's kind of a win win if if you play well,
you have the excitement of being there down the stretch,
and if if you play crappy, you might have more fun. Anyway,
it's all good. It's all good. I'm so excited. What
did you think? Did you have it? I know, I
know it's gonna be like you used to show up
(19:59):
on winds Now. We're getting there on on Monday. It's
like Monday through Sunday. It's like a full week, and
it's you know, we do we do alternate shot at
Old Mac, we do the punch bowl putting contest. We
we have like we got an eight syms on on
Bannon Preserve. We play every golf course in the property,
and it's like it's just immersive experience. Walk to the
(20:21):
labyrinth on you know, the last morning, like a lot
of a lot of action around the firepit. I mean,
it's really one of the reasons why the Firepit Collective
is called the fire Pit Collective because there's um a
lot you know, strumming guitars and drinking and hang out.
The firepit is a big part of that week. So
it's a freaking blast um you know, I'm just laughing.
(20:42):
We have this this this mega Yeah, we have this
mega group thread and people are you know, posting track
Man videos and there's like they're going through pyramids of
balls and they're like so locked in and that's just
not my reality right now. It's okay, So so so
what about what do we what's our take on the
world of golf? Here we we gotta we gotta address
(21:04):
Rory McElroy and Ricky Fowler and all the events out
in Vegas because you know, Colin more Cow. It was.
It was an absolutely spectacular leaderboard, even though to me
is one of the most boring golf courses I've seen
a long time. I was just like flat greens and
guys were just it was just too easy. But nevertheless,
the best players were there at the end and and
(21:26):
you know, we talked you and I didn't get a
chance to talk very much about Rory coming out of
the Ryder Cup, which is obviously he played poorly but
sort of in some ways endeared himself even more to
golf fans with his honesty and his rawness. And to
go from that in a dear and then come back
and win in his next start pretty incredible, no doubt.
I think that, you know, there are times when showing
(21:49):
your humanity when you are looked upon as superhuman can
be so freeing. And I also, I mean, I'm a
huge proponent of just fucking rying, like purred yourself of
all those emotions, even if that means going by way
of your your your eye holes and your tear ducks.
(22:09):
Like I honestly think like the number of times where
I'm like, you know what, I need a cry, like
I need to get some shipped out, and just you
sit there in the bathtub and you just weep, and
then you wake up and it's like you go to bed,
you have a little bit of a headache because you've
been crying so hard. You wake up the next morning
you're like it feels like a total weight off of
your shoulders. So I think that it's it's It's one
(22:30):
of those things when you have all of these pressures
put upon you and you're looked upon, you know, because
he's still you know, he's thirty two years old. He's
very young to be looked upon as a leader in
my opinion, you know, but but he is. And and
obviously greatness is oftentimes thrust upon you. But even with that,
like that's mounting pressure and you know, you gotta let
(22:54):
that ship out at some point. And so I'm I'm
just I'm thrilled for him. Um, and I love the
fact that I forget who it was. It was something
like I think maybe Shane Lowry because I have all
of my PGA tour notifications that pop up all the
time and everything, and it was something like Shane Lowry
shot like twelve under, let's say, or thirteen under and
you finished like fifty eight. And I was like, I'm sorry, what, like,
(23:19):
you know, And then I was like I looked and
I was like, and Rory shot twenty five, Like god damn,
that's just yeah, no, they threw that place up. So
can you can you cry? Can you cry? On demand?
You're like, okay, I need to cry. Let's just let's
just let it out well. It needs like there needs
to be a reason to cry. Like you can't just
sit there and be in a good place and then
just start crying like that. That is just a little uh,
(23:41):
that's You're not Meryl Streep. You're not Meryl Street. If
I had to, I could right now, but it wouldn't
be a genuine cry. I don't think like I would
be able to get my eyes to water and then
as a result of that will be able to think
of something sad um. But for the most part, no,
it has to be like a like a completely immersive experience,
is the way that I see it. It's all got
to be happening. But yeah, I can cry. I mean like,
(24:04):
if you give me about forty five seconds, I could
start tearing up. But it's it's not that's that's like
it's like forcing yourself to hit a draw when you
normally play a cut. It's it's not it's it's not
one worth What would what would what would you think
about to get to that that place? And now I'm
really intensely curious. First I would just make sure I
(24:26):
keep my eyes open. I would look up a little
bit um and then so the eyes would start to
water and then you know, I mean just anything like
you know, one of the last episodes of ted Lasso,
or just the idea of you know, Sarah McLaughlin's you know,
Angel song while you're sitting there watching like the Humane Society,
or or or a SPC A commercials or something like that,
(24:47):
or just the idea like there's a dog that's not
getting fed somewhere, or a kitty cat that's not getting
pet um, you know, the the idea that you know,
there are so many people that are dying in the world,
everything that's going on in Haiti, right, I mean, I
could think of anything. I could think of, probably like
a really sad Hallmark commercial, and then that would just
get it, get it going, and then I would be
(25:09):
able to start feeling bad about, you know, whatever I
actually want to feel bad about in terms of what's
going on, like in my life and my golf swing
and there's not whatever, but you know, there's always there's
always something um, you know, or any moment in Marley
and me. This is actually educational. Yeah, yeah, I get it.
(25:29):
I feel this is helpful in case I every need to,
you know, squeeze out a few tears on demand, Yeah,
you got your eyes. Open your eyes so that you
there's you, so that you see the white surrounding your pupil,
because then your eye is going to be like, oh,
what the hell, like what someone closed the window? And
then your tear ducks are going to start going and
then you start thinking to something sad and you're just like,
(25:49):
oh my god. Although there is they do say. I
think it's something like if if your tear is falling
from your right, I first is disingenuous, but from the
left I first means it's genuine. Like there's just like
I read this somewhere where it was Yeah, it was
just it was maybe something along the lines of like
how to like It was like it was like how
(26:10):
to tell if someone's manipulating you. I think it's one
of the things where where it's like, you know, if
you're talking to someone and they like look off to
one direction, they're recalling a memory, whereas if they're looking
off in the other direction, they're trying to create a lie.
I forget what exactly it was. Um, I don't remember
what any of those things were, but I was just like, huh, interesting,
(26:33):
that is interesting. Um alright, so how how much. Did
you get to watch of the I guess to let
that I'll marinate a little bit. But um, yeah, so
I want you to get to watch of the how
do you say it? Aeronko team series? Aramiko? Give me
you know the pronunciation of that. Uh No, that's not
a part of my universe. So no, I do know
(26:59):
that Charlie shot sixty four in the final round, and
I'm proud of her for getting um, getting the w
I I am not here to the judgmental I just
know that that is not a no you are you
are here. No. My life of having your own podcast, no,
my my my purpose and having a podcast is just
(27:21):
to talk um. But no, I I we've talked about
this before. I I'm I don't really, I'm a little
torn because you know, one, I'm a firm believer of you.
In order for there to be changed, you have to
meet people where they are. But where people where those
people are was in New York, not in Saudi Arabia. Um.
And then at the same time, I was like, well,
if I did go, I could have you know, let's say,
(27:44):
if I played well and had a press conference, I
could have been talking about you know, women's rights and
l g B, t q A, I P plus rights
and um, you know, Black lives matter, and you know,
law enforcement reform, not not abolition, just reform and all
of those things. I couldn't. I couldn't bring myself two.
(28:08):
I want to go though, But I'm proud of Charlie.
She shot six four in the final round. Just in
case anyone's not. Yeah. Yeah, because obviously this whole thing
is funded by Saudi Arabian money. That that's that's the issue.
And yeah, it's also it's kind of to me, it's
almost sort of an unfair burden on female golfers in
(28:32):
that I mean the European Tour that the men play
is is floated almost entirely by Saudi Arabian money and
Middle Eastern money and oppressive regimes. Like if they if
they started saying no to all the bad actors out
there who are sponsoring golf tournaments like the European Tour
would basically blow away and um, and so everyone just
(28:54):
kind of accepted it, you know. And so to put
the onus on on LPG players or women golfers from
around the world, you know, that's that's that's asked. That's
that's a bit much given that, you know, you guys,
don't you need to be have a solvent tour as
well and make it living. So yes, now I think
it's it's. I think it's a genuine that's a genuine
(29:16):
issue that all golfers need to confront. I think it's
fair just to put on the women as my point.
For sure. For sure it's it's but there is an
additional sense of I don't know if I would call
it irony. But you know, part of the problems are
the fact that, so you know, a lot of the
issues in Saudi Arabia are the rights of women, and
(29:37):
you've got women that you know like it's But again,
if if if there, if their prince really is wanting
to make changes as opposed to just making it look
like he gives a ship, then yeah, I mean I don't.
I am happy to support things. That doesn't mean I
have to be on the forefront of that. Like I
(29:57):
have no problem watching something with trepidation and being told, hey,
you're wrong, like he actually wants this or that, or
he wants to be known for helping all people or
what have you. But until that is actually proven and
shown by how his UM people are being treated. I
don't have to believe it. I don't not saying he's lying,
(30:18):
I just don't. I just don't see any actual fruition
of that to his own people. It's just that he's
putting in millions of dollars into these tournaments with um,
you know, players not from Saudi Arabia that are playing
and getting paid for as well as you know, probably
just as much money going into appearance fees and bullshit
like that. I don't know. Yeah, yeah, I know. It's
(30:41):
a healthy skepticism I think is warranted in this situation,
but just patience. You're right, maybe this is a start
of something. Yeah, we'll see, but I think we're both
heavily skeptical. Uh So, one thing you and I haven't
talked about either, which I'm curious your take on. Again,
it's probably not a big, big effector in the women's game,
but the more generally the U s G a finally
(31:07):
kind of yes, driver link, but not just a driver
link with USG finally wading into these murky waters. Right,
they've been sitting on the sideline for a really long time,
and Mike Juan's now running the show and it seems
like there this is the first of a few steps
we're gonna try and rain in the power game, which
um admittedly is more of an issue on the PGA
(31:29):
Tour than the LPGA tour. But what is your what
is your take on the U s G finally becoming
a little more activist on this subject. One, you're talking
about those amateurs right as Phil calls them. I'm yeah,
exactly Jesus Christ read the room, buddy. Um uh now
(31:50):
so one yeah that and then to a d T
about damn time, you know, and I'm worried it might
be borderline too late on top of that, Um, I
hope it's not. But yeah, like I I don't know,
Like I'm I'm all for you know, believing in your
(32:12):
convictions obviously, as as as I was just you know,
ranting about the previous segment. But at the same time,
it's just like, well, okay, but do you do you
really think that limiting the length of a driver shaft
is going to truly deter people from wanting to play golf?
You know, like look at look at baseball, look at tennis,
(32:34):
look at football, all of these sports, like you're only
allowed you're allowed certain parameters. So why is golf not
being held under the same scrutiny of you know, to
maintain the integrity of the sport, there have to be
certain parameters that should be met, like I don't know,
not a forty eight inch driver, dummy head, you know,
(32:57):
I I don't know that. I'm all for it personally. Yeah,
it's just it's time for something to be done. I mean,
you've got these modern optimized athletes playing on these ancient
playing fields, and the game has just been too skewed
in the direction of power. I mean, look, look, talking
about what Roy did out in Vegas, my basic problem
(33:21):
with that whole tournament was that the back nine on
Sunday was just boring. There was no sense of imminent
danger because he could just lay up with hybrids and
three woods and still smoke them over everything. And that
just left little short irons into the green. And you know,
good players who are playing well, they're just not gonna
(33:43):
miss greens by that much. If they have a wedge
in their hand, you know, they might hit the thirty
feet and have a harder put, but he's not gonna
blow into the desert from the middle of the fairway
with a nine iron and so um it just felt
like they they it's tilted too much of the direction
of a power player where it just takes a lot
of the excitement out of it. And I'm fine with
(34:04):
the guys making birdies and I don't even really care
what the winning scores, but they're just it's just coming
too easily right now. Um, you know, there's I mean
to me, like the ultimate risk Award whole in golf
is fifteen and Augusta National. I've stoo up there on
that hill so many years, going back to the early nineties,
watching guys hit that shot and when when they have
a three iron in their hand, it is freaking dangerous
(34:26):
and they have to they have to shape the ball
in there to get to stop. And it's so fun
to watch because they can make a three or they
can make a seven, and it's all on the table.
And if if, now, if you're just gonna nuke and
eight iron as high as you can, Um, it takes
so much of the danger out of it and so
much of the art because you just hit it as
high and as straight as you can. And uh so
(34:49):
it was just like, you know, there was that moment
in the telecast where in the span of a few minutes,
marcarroy a banswer and Calmark how all made eagles and
like eagles are cool. I love eagles, but when when
they come a little too easily and there there's there's
there's there's very little risk and it's all reward. It
just it takes on the fun out of it for me.
So that that's why I'm glad the U s G
(35:11):
is finally taking this on UM. It's you know, reducing
driver length is the simplest, cleanest way to address UM.
To start addressing the issue there, They're gonna have to
keep going if they truly want to, you know, make
some of these older golf courses relevant, and they want
to they want to bring a little more art back
into it. UM. But it's it's a beginning, and I
(35:32):
think it's an important beginning and that it shows that
the mic Want administration is ready to start taking action,
no doubt. I mean, Mike wan he de gaff like
he don't give up. And when you take all of
the factors involved with where technology is these days, like
(35:53):
ultimately all you're doing is you know, and it's it's
a great building block because at least at this point
it's like, Okay, we don't have to worry about rolling
back technology, we don't have to worry about going in
a completely different direction. We just take chafts that are
already you know, they're all built and all of this
and that, and just making sure that they they are
capped at a certain length. Um. You know, although you know,
(36:14):
I think they say the vast majority of the players
on the PGA Tour, which I think is a greater
problem by way of driving distance and obsoletion of these
golf courses than it is for the women. You know,
most of them play. You know, I think it's no
more than forty five and a half inches finished length. Um,
So I still won't really solve much of the problem.
You might grab a handful of guys that are going
(36:35):
to have some issues. Um, but at least, you know,
it's it's it's at a point where it's like, well,
we already have all of these bits and whatever of
research and this and that whatever, like, is there anything
we can do with what we already have? And you know, they,
in their own roundabout way, I know, the us G
has been trying to figure out how to get not
so much to not to to not amplify the best
(36:59):
when it comes to off but you know, like they
were like, oh, there are too many birdies, and there
are a lot of people, not all of them, but
a lot of people are using the anchored putter. You know,
they're using the belly putter, they're using the broomstick. And
it's like, well, if we take that away from them,
then there there won't be quite as many birdies, which
is you know, not necessarily that that's the ultimate goal,
but you know there there is going to come a
(37:21):
point when it, if it already hasn't happened, where things
start getting away from you. And I sit there and
I'm like, yeah, but like the band on the anchored putting,
which I was, I was all for because I didn't
do it, and I was just like, you know what,
they're they're doing their best to try and figure out
what they can do. That was more of an effect
and less of an actual cause because it's like, yeah,
(37:44):
they're making more birdies. Their proximity has gotten better though,
and the reason the proximity has gotten better is because
they're hitting a nine iron in instead of the six iron.
You know, it's like you just kind of keep scaling
it back a little bit. Um But I I this,
I all thinks this would be the most cost effective
(38:05):
potential way of starting this this change in this this reform,
if you will, um So at least I think they're
trying to give people some time to figure out a
way too. You know, said they don't have to just
sit there and be like, well, all of this is trash,
let's just burn all this. It's like, oh, hell's your
carbon footprint doing that the first shot across the bow.
And as you're saying, even like the change in the grooves,
(38:25):
it was they're they've been nibbling around groves. They've been
nibbling around the edges of this. And I think, you know,
the old leadership at the U s g A. They
there have been so many decades of compromises and kind
of running away from the fight. And I think that's
why this is significant, not because, as you say, it's
(38:46):
not going to affect that many players the shaft reduction,
but it's it's just there's a new sheriff in town.
And you know, Mike Juan he worked in the equipment industry.
You know, he worked at Wilson and Taylor, made, and
so he has rate relationships with those guys and I
think he's obviously we all know he's a very effective salesman.
I think he can make the case that this is
(39:07):
what's best for the game, you know, in a way
that other previous USGA leadership folks could not. And so
again it's just it's just time. I mean, um, you know,
Rory is hitting his hybrid to seventy five and just
three with three twenty and there's no golf course on
the planet that can really challenge him at that point,
(39:28):
you know, as it stands from from a length issue,
and um, it's just I just missed some of some
of the way the game used to be played. And
I don't want to sound like a dinosaur, but I
mean I remember watching, you know, out on tour events
in the nineties and early two thousands, like it was
just a different way that that players would attack the
(39:49):
golf course. Um, and it it's sort of evokes what's
happening on the LPGA now, where you know there's there's
still you still have to play the golf course to
a large degree as it's presented. You can't I everything,
and there's it's a little more tactical and it's a
little more artful, and I mean, of course it's awesome, yeah, yeah,
but I mean, you know it's true, like is it
(40:11):
coolest down behind the green or behind the T box
and Watts, you know, Dustin or Tony Finau or whomever
smashed them all. Of course we all love that, but
there's there's a downside to it, and I mean the
TV product is really freaking boring. Like I literally took
a nap on the back nine in Vegas because there's
(40:31):
just no way that Rory was going to give any
shots back once you had that three stroke lead. If
there's just there's no danger out there. There was there
was nothing that that could trip them up. And um,
you know, it's different if if he's coming into a
green with a six iron versus versus a weds, Like,
there's a more chance you're gonna hit a bad shot
and get yourself in trouble. And so for all the reasons,
(40:55):
you know, you know, Phil feels kind of falling back
on well, we gotta do it's best for the game
and grow the game, and people want hit it a
long way, but I think what's best for the game
is it's just really exciting products, you know, um from
as far as the highest level, and the tour has
gotten increasingly sort of monochromatic and boring. And that's the
(41:15):
bottom line for me. Like I just I just think
watching tour golf has gotten gotten tedious and so um,
I think the more they can they can roll back
the equipment, the more interesting the golf will become. And
that's what I miss. So that's where I'm coming from. Yeah, agreed, agreed.
I would say two things, one like and and agree.
I agree that we need to make sure that we
(41:35):
get as many people involved in the game as possible,
but you know how many people it This kind of
tells me a little bit about what, you know, my
my thoughts and opinions when it's like someone's like you
just wanted really for you know, and and I'm just like,
who is all of this thing that you speak of?
(41:57):
You know? And And one thing that I love about
what Mike and everyone at the U s g A
is doing right now is that because this is you know,
it's like when Mike was with the LPGA, like he
had you know, the players were one of his number
one concerns. He also had to be cognizant of our sponsors.
He had to be cognizant of of of um, you know,
I would say network television, but we still don't fucking
(42:18):
have any so the Golf channel, and you know, he
had to be cognizant of like, you know, these these things.
But now that he's heading the U. S. G A,
he has to be concerned about manufacturers, He has to
be concerned about golf courses. Like he this is his
first full rate into doing the most equitable thing that
he possibly can, while still trying to rain in on
(42:41):
the horrors of hitting the ball to god damn far um.
But real quick, what do you think is going to
be the next change? Then that's a good one. I
mean I think ultimately it's going to be the golf ball. Um,
it's yes, it's simpler. Um. You know, if you if
(43:02):
you all of a sudden, if you if you make
the clubhead maximum size three d ccs, every company in
the world, we've got a re engineer their their golf club,
the golf ball. It's there's a there's there's there's fewer
people out there on on the golf ball. There's there's
As far as manufacturing, there's there's not the same level
(43:25):
of you know, you don't need titanium and graph fight
and massive engineering. I mean, it's one product, And is
it gonna suck for titlists perhaps, But you know, I
think initially again we're talking about bifurcation where everyday golfer
is nothing's gonna change for them, So they're still gonna
make sales many pro v ones. Now there's gonna be
(43:45):
this cool new product that only the tour players have
that might be coveted as for souvenirs and for autograph
seekers and for high level amateurs who want to give
it a go. Like I don't know, maybe maybe it'll
help them in in some way. They they've got this,
like it's like getting behind the velvet rope, Like, who
I got one of Dustin's golf balls? Like how cool
is that It's not not the same t P five X.
I can buy a golf Martency side, Like this is
(44:07):
actually a very limited edition special thing. Uh. I mean
there might be that might make it kind of cool
and fun so and and honestly, yeah, it'd be like
the the the uniforms that whether it's MLB or NBA
or you know, something that the shoes that the guys have,
the cleats that they have, Like there there is a
reason why that there they get something different and special
(44:30):
and unique, you know, like it's it's part of you
know what. I look upon it as, like this is
a perk. Like everyone so fucking selfish as it is
at the professional golf level. Not in a bad way necessarily,
but you know, it's it's it's an individual sport and
we always got to take care of number one unless
you're willing to give a set of irons to someone
that's gonna end up taking your spot in a tournament,
which is it's it's it's still just funny to me,
(44:52):
but like, you know, like this is another way, Hey,
you snowflakes, this is another way you can be looked
upon as special. Here's your own off ball. I love it.
Um well, it's you know, I have a feeling as
long as you doing this podcast, we're gonna be talking
about the equipment stuff and the way the game is played.
It's it's it's it's evolving, and it's it's interesting and
(45:13):
it's contentious and uh so yeah, it's it's definitely changes coming.
I think that's the bottom line. And I think that's
a good thing real quick again. Sorry you said the
golf ball. What about the golf ball? No, I don't
think that. Yeah, and they, you know, however they want
(45:34):
to do it, whether changing the men, there's a lot
of ways you can do it, but um essentially they'll
they'll just say, okay, on our you know, iron Byron
test the golf all camp fly more than two yards
when we put it on this machine. You figure out
how you want to do it. If you want to
change the density of the core, if you want to
(45:55):
use different materials for the cover, if you want to
if you want to create you know, make it more
high spin, like I think you'll still they'll still allow
the different manufacturers to do things differently to meet the
needs of a wide variety of of tour players. And
it's not gonna be uniform like everyone has to play
the exact same ball. It's just merely it can't fly
(46:16):
past this distance in our testing, and figure out how
you want to do it. And so I think I
think there will still be a lot of difference between
a bridge stone and a titlist and a callaway because
they have all their engineers and they're gonna they're gonna
try and maximize what they can get under whatever rule
comes down. But um, you know, I think it's just
there's just gonna be uniformity where whatever the number is now,
(46:37):
you know, and they're testing, we're gonna lop off ten
or of that, then go figure it out. M hmm.
I like it. I like it. I'd be totally okay
with a smaller golf ball because that would also funk
with the US. I mean, because there's that part. There's
a there's a ratio of size of club head to
(46:59):
golf ball that'll lot of us are comfortable with. And
there's you know, aside from just loft and everything, but
the length of Like there are some people that are
like freaked out by hitting their driver because they're like,
the ball looks so small. So imagine doing that with everything.
Like if you ever like putted with like a like
a black golf ball, it looks smaller just visually. Yeah,
(47:20):
it's the same size, but just because the way your
eyes processed it. So yeah, I see what you're saying.
I mean, sure, why not anything's on the table, I guess,
but yeah, it's like the size of the size of
a Marvel be hard to find in the rough. But yeah,
but that's where the shot taser comes into play. But
(47:45):
that's the thing, like just incrementally smaller, you know, or
if you make it smaller but smaller where it's just
past imperceptible and then your brain is just gonna be
like wait what what what? Then that could mess with
the mental aspect of the game too, which I'm yeah,
I'm all for. I imagine poor Bryson. I could already
(48:06):
see like the steam and the springs are popping and
things are breaking in his brain, Like actually I look
forward to that. Yeah, And then you got Dustin with
the monkey and the symbols in the best ways because
he's just like, that's the golf ball now, Okay, I'm
mun hit it, and if I get bored, I'm just
(48:28):
exaspirational for sure. Uh well, all right, We've we've touched
on a lot of things here, c K. But the
most important to them is that you're feeling good about
your golf swing. And you know, we're on this journey
with you, so not to add any pressure or anything,
but we're just excited to see where where this takes you.
And uh, you know, well, I'm sure we'll get more
reports going forward. Ditto ditto for how how I whether
(48:51):
the store, the Uncle Tony. In fact, next time we tape,
I'll be up and band. Everyone is sending you pray
I love. It can go wrong, I'm gonna totally regroup
my golf swinging and go play in thirty mile hour
cross winds. I mean, it's a recipe for success for sure.
So absolutely absolutely all right, Well, it's always fun. It's
(49:13):
good to have you back, and for the listeners out there,
we will will be coming coming to you with our
regular scheduled program and going forward, um so every week
barring the unforeseen. I agreed, So thank you guys for
listening to. Yeah, another episode of Full Send with Christina
Kim and Alan Shiftnuk. That's a rap. Bye,
Hello, and welcome to a very belated new episode of
Full Sanda Christina Kim and Alan Chipnuk. We have been
in Apple podcast hell. Apparently there's another podcast out there
that has full scent in its title. They committed some
sort of copyright violation our podcast. It was mistakenly flagged
(00:28):
taken down. And it's like, did you ever see that
movie Brazil from like the eighties. It's like it takes
place in this dystopian future and this bug falls into
the typewriter. It creates a typo and it sends us
guy's life into utter turmoil. He didn't do anything wrong.
It's very much like that, and um so it finally
(00:49):
got resolved and we're back. I don't even know what
the copyright violated. It better be be a good one.
I mean, like, I hope they put like an entire
new you know, jay Z record up there or something,
because it's like seriously slow. But we're back. See, I
thought we did something wrong and they like flagged we
because I was just like we just sit here and
talk like you're allowed to have podcast with like similar names,
(01:14):
you know, And I'm like, hopefully this wasn't like a
vanilla ice um Bohemian rhapsody like ding ding ding ding
ding ding ding. You know, I was freaking out because
I was like, I didn't know what happened. Yeah. Yeah,
it was just total modern life encapsulated in you know,
someone else does something and then it just sends you.
(01:34):
You into a tailspin. But they can't hold the great
ones down. Christina, We're back, baby, We're back here. I've
missed you, I know, I know. And then we had
the ryder Cup episode where you were traveling and we
had Ryan Friends as a pinch hitter. So yeah, we've
got a lot to catch up on. Like, let's go
tell me what's going on in your life. Your golf
(01:56):
gave all of it well, so let's see. I um
a little bit over a week from coming back from
four straight MC hammers. Um, I've been going through it,
as the young people would say, and I am currently
(02:18):
in like revamp of my golf swing right now because
I this I this fucking right elbow and my like
I I've done this whole thing earlier in the year
where I went and visited this gentleman. His name is
Dr Bob Neil. Um, not Bob and Neil, but Bob Neil,
(02:40):
and he does this like like you know, super high
techie sort of you know, it's like the you know,
this high tech golf performance stuff where he like attaches
all these sensors to you and then he gauges like
where you're generating your speed, like the sequencing of your swinging,
all of the us all of that, and I, um,
(03:03):
he had told me that like my hips fire at
a great rate, but my shoulders, arms, and golf clubs
swing at the same speed. And so there was it
was basically like I had a um, you know, like
I was like Frankenstein's Monster, but with like something super
athletic from the hips flow and then something you know,
(03:26):
in actual corpse from the hips up. So I hope
he used that term, by the way, he did not.
He did not know. Unfortunately, he didn't say I'm half
a Frankenstein's Monster. He was. He was great about it. Actually,
he was like, yeah, you just you need to get
that upper torso going. And I just for the longest
time didn't understand what was going on, and so, you know,
(03:48):
just really working on getting my shoulders to um, what's
the how would I to rotate? Period? And because it's
like I'm saying, I've like looking at these videos, I'm like,
I'm fucking getting stuck and I'm doing this and I'm
doing that, and it's like the moves are not bad,
it's just that, like you know, it's just there's like
(04:10):
someone tossed in like a sugar cube into my gas
tank and so it just kind of fucked everything up.
And so it's been mentally exhausting because I've been swinging
so well and just you know, like I'm like paring
it down and I'm like, well, let's see, i lost
like six miles an hour of club head speed and
I've done this and I've done that, and I'm like,
(04:30):
where is this all standing from? And I'm I'm I'm
super big into cause and effect, and I'm just like, okay,
I know that right elbow just not getting in front
of my my body is the effect? Where is that
fucking cause? And so I've been working very diligently on
(04:50):
figuring that out, and then it was just one of
those aha moments where I was like, oh wait, so
if you turn your shoulders then you know, and and
and working, um, you know, working with my coach on
just getting like my shoulders to like do the thing
and move like it's just it's infuriating, but I feel good, um,
(05:13):
and so I'm definitely making progress, like I um, you know,
I just I'm in my golf attire right now, and
I just finished playing nine holes over our orange tree,
um over here, and I like the fourth hole is
this uphill part four and it just there was like
one moment of glory where I hit I drove it
two and seventy yards and it was just glorious. And
(05:36):
I was just like, so they're so you're saying there's
a chance, you know, and then I it's like, but
now I can feel when I'm in like my old
swing of just not getting those shoulders going, and it's
so you know, and and and you know, I have
good enough hands where I can save those shots to
an extent, but you know, it's like I'm losing like
twenty five yards just by you know, and it's exhaust
(06:00):
seeing physically and emotionally because it's just not efficient, you know.
And so yeah, it's it's it's been a time. It's
tough to make a it's tough to make a living
saving shots over and over. That's that's not what you
want to be doing. But I mean I empathize at
(06:21):
least you've found it. I mean that that's that's part
of that's a big part of the equation. And then
then you have to master it. Then you have to
learn to trust it. I mean it's there's there's different steps.
So I mean when when when you get to the
next LPGA event, I mean, are you looking forward to
ah putting in play or is there is there? It
(06:41):
can be like a high level anxiety, like I don't
know if this is going to hold up. I mean
when you make changes, how does that affect it? You know,
your confidence level when when you show up at in competition. Well,
I will say I'm very fortunate right now because I
can sit back and say, well, if you keep doing
what you've been doing, you know what the result is.
(07:02):
You know, basically another you know, it's just going to
go from four to five miss cuts in the row.
And I'm like, why the fun Like insanity is doing
the same thing over and over, you know. So I'm like,
I'm not going to be insane. I I I'm very
I I have a wonderful ability to be like a
(07:22):
chameleon at times or like like I can replicate things
pretty quickly, which is both good and bad because they'll
be like today, I'm gonna, you know, have a tiger
Wood swing thought, and then the next day's like I'm
going to have an NB Park swing thought, or I'm
going to have this, or I'm going to have that.
And it's just one of those things where I'm like,
(07:42):
I just have to find where my where my swing
thought needs to be and just trust it and stick
with it, you know, less trust it more, just stick
with it. And so um for me, you know, it's
I'm like, why would I wanna? Why would I be
Why would I be so scared that I'm willing to
(08:03):
do the thing that has already been missing cuts? You
know what I mean? Like, No, I mean it sounds.
It sounds freeing if you when you get to that place,
so um, I want it's not rock bottom. My formast
cut sucks. But at least you're you're a place where
you're ready for the change and you've embraced that's got
to be get you a little fire. I have no choice, like,
(08:26):
because you know what the alternative is, you know what
I mean? Like, and it's kind of it's so another
thing is I don't know when my next LPG start
is going to be because there's the girls are playing
in the ladies are playing in Korea this week. I
did not get into that, and then we've got a
couple of weeks off and then we have our tournament
in Tampa and then the CIMME. Um, at this moment,
(08:46):
I'm not in CME. And at this moment, I'm not
in the tournament in Tampa because it's a hundred and
eight player field and so I have not made my
priority status high enough in order to get into that field.
And a couple of things. I'm in Sieni Points. There
are a dozen girls behind me and Points that are
(09:08):
in because of how they played all the funk way
back in which again to an extent, I understand, but
I've been given fewer chances to start, and I've played
better than then this year overall, and so I'm going
to have to go in to do the Monday qualifier,
(09:28):
which is like okay, fine, Like That's what I'm preparing
for right now. And I did apply for a sponsors exemption,
and um, it's it's very it's kind of ironic. I
find it hysterical with every every definition of hysteria in
that the one of I know one of the girls
that did get one of the invites, she just turned
(09:49):
pro earlier this year. Great girl Um, she works over
a golden Ocalla went to faariis State. Awesome, awesome girl.
And I actually gave her a set of p X
g irons because she had the Gen ones. I gave
her a set of the p X g irons that
I had received that I decided I wasn't going to
play with this year. I gave her the the Gen
four O two eleven sc blades with a shaft that
(10:12):
was fit much more appropriately for her she got. She
got the invite, So to an extent, one of my
iron sets is going to tee it up for sure
that week. And it's just one of those things where
I'm just like, what what what what reincarnation of Confucius
(10:33):
or the Buddha or whatever that has been reincarnated into
an aunt did I accidentally step on? Um? So it's
just it's one of the syndrome like there's nothing that
I can do. It's it's all kinds of fucory. That
is one of the things that that always interests me
about professional golf is players helping each other. Like I
(10:55):
can think of many times I saw Steve Stricker on
the putting green with Tiger Tiger Woods and giving him
a little tune up on his putting stroke, and I
would think every other guy in golf was like, dude,
what are you doing. It's not a guy we wanted
to get his stroke grooved. And you know it's Stricker,
just the nicest dude in the world. He's not gonna
say no. And um, you know I VJ. Singh was
(11:15):
always helping guys out. And I mean, it's not a
zero sum sports if you can play well alongside this
person and and and have your own success, but it is.
It is ironic. Sometimes you help the wrong person at
the wrong time. But I mean, where do you come
down on that? I mean, have you have you ever
turned down a player who who's asking for something because
(11:40):
you're like, you know what, I'm trying to beat this girl,
and I don't really feel like contributing to her uh
uh success, So I'm not. I would never. I would
never deny anyone anything. I'm sorry. I I the way
I see it is if it would not make you
a mom stir me in my world competitive sport. I
(12:05):
get that. I I definitely I understand what you're saying.
But for me, I'm just like, if I see anyone struggling,
I'm going to do everything that I can to help.
Like it's that's just how I'm built. And again that's
part of the reason why I am absolutely certain I'm
going to die destitute and alone and probably somewhere under
a bridge. And I'm totally okay with that. I've had
a good run. But it's the you know. For me,
(12:26):
it's similar to, you know, the vaccine man of the
vaccination argument, even though there shouldn't be one of yes,
you're you're here to help yourself, but you're here to
do your best to ensure people like Colin Powell don't
die due to COVID complications because he had cancer as
well as being immune. You know, he's he's immunocompromised. He
(12:47):
had cancer of the white blood cells, which is the
you know, and he was unable to build his antibodies.
So for me, it's it's about so much more than
just myself. Um and if I can, if I can
be a part of someone else's journey, I think it's
very fulfilling and it's it's very kind. I just didn't
think that I would get kicked in the teeth by
a horse that's got its feet covered in its own
(13:09):
ship already. Destiny is not that horse. Destiny is not
that horse. It's just the whole. The whole hit you.
So that being said, going back to it, if I
don't make the Monday Qualifier, my fate as to whether
or not I'm going to go to final stage Q
series is out of my control, which will make for
(13:34):
compelling content for our podcast. I guess. So you're welcome. Yeah,
I mean you're suffering does make good content, so thank you.
We would prefer for you to you know, yeah, um interesting,
it's so funny on the topic of swing changes. So
you know, I am immersed in this Phil Nicholson book.
(13:56):
I'm probably of the way through it. It's due December
and the big annual Uncle Tony Invitational is coming up.
It's it's a week from today is when it starts.
And a few weeks ago I called up the commissioner
of course is imaginella uh and I was like, buddy,
(14:16):
I can't I can't come. I'm just overwhelmed by life.
The day after the U T I Uncle Tony invitation,
not you're you're in any track infection that we do
welcome those jokes. Is the start of high school basketball
season and I'll be coaching again at Carmel High and
all the stuff, and so I just sort of had
the weight of the world on my shoulders and like,
(14:36):
and he's like, I refuse to accept a resignation. You're coming.
It's like it'll be good for you, you know, get
away from it all. You can still stay up at
night type and if you want to. And so I'm going.
And but part of also my I've hardly played golf
in the last like six months because I've just been
focused completely on work stuff. And when I and I'll
(14:57):
go like a month out touching the club and then
like I gott I had to the member guest at
money Pends a country club, which is wonderful and great,
but no, I know, but I'm saying, like two very
very you know, top one hundred golf courses hyper competitive
because there's all the money on the line and the
trophies and and it's just hard to like parachute into
that setting when you haven't touched a club and so
(15:19):
then you kind of play bad and you feel bad
about yourself, and it perpetuates this thing like I can't
I can't play golf until I can really get serious
about playing golf. So anyway, I'm gonna show up a
band and like totally rusty and again with the firm
turf for the cross winds and this this like ridiculously overheated,
uh competitive environment. It's like it's a tough place to
(15:41):
go and find your game. But I've kind of just
decided in my head because you know, my what's really
been hurting my game is I'm just the big miss
off the tea, like I'm just not driving it well
at all. I was like, you know what, I'm just
gonna play a cut on such a big banana slice
on every T ball. And so I've been thinking about it,
and when I'm down at the river with Monty, I'll
grab a dick and I'll kind of rehearse it. So, uh,
(16:02):
whether I can actually do this on the golf course
is a total unknown, but at least I have a
game plan and I've got a thought in my head.
And when when I'm laying in bed at night and
I can't sleep, I'm playing all the bandoned courses like
I'm playing these beautiful buttercuts, you know, down down the
left center. So I've got a plan, that's all I got.
But you we'll see what happens. I would say, Uh,
(16:25):
if you get a moment, a couple of times a day,
do some clamshells, do some squats, do like fifteen yards
of walking lunges a few times a day, just so
that you can keep your your your glutes activated, which
will help with your your back and your core. That's
all I can say. And and the Uncle Tony is
(16:45):
an absolute war of attrition. It's like Sunday of the
US Open, Like guys are going down. It's been a
long week of carousing and drinking and hitting the dispensary
and stand up late playing dice and then going we
have we've kind of paired down the itinerary in a
nod to our advancing age. Is not really as many
thirty six whole days as there used to be, but
(17:07):
still like it's just it's yeah, I'm physically, mentally, spiritually,
emotionally not quite ready for it. So but that could
make me dangerous, like to go with no expectations and
and just like just be happy to be there, Like
who knows, absolutely I do. I'm not saying that. I'm
(17:27):
not saying yeah, go ahead. I was just going to
say I do have banned in locked in my forecast,
you are probably going to have to encounter some slashing
rain and wind. I'm just I'm just going to share
that with you as far as I know the next
week is supposed to be. Yeah, I've pretty wet, so prepare.
(17:48):
It's all I can say. I've been I've been following it.
We We've had amazing luck on all these trips. A
lot of times within the summer we just kind of
moved it to the fall. But I've hardly ever gotten
rained on. We've had some some big you know, some
wind days of course, like everyone gets there. But yeah,
I've definitely I've been watching the forecast. It's like chance
(18:09):
of rain every day, so who knows what that actually
means in reality, But um, it'll be fun. I mean again,
it's just all part of the war of attrition. It's cold, wind, rain,
Like I love that stuff. I don't play it at
home very often, but if I want a trip to
band In or to Scotland or Ireland or whatever like it.
To me, it's part of the fun to expect. I
(18:29):
think a big part of playing well. You have to
expect it, you have to embrace it. Like that's a
huge part of playing well, I think is just enjoy it,
like enjoy the challenge, know that you're just gonna be
fighting on every hole and if you can, if you
can just just keep going, that makes a huge difference
because in the face a lot of people have bad
attitude when the when the elements are bad. So um anyway,
(18:51):
and I'm looking forward to that, even though I have
a bit of trepidation about the state of my golf game.
But whatever, it'll it'll be a freaking blast. And that's
the thing. It's not about how you play it. Yeah,
I mean, there's there's fourteen two man teams essentially, and
only two or three are gonna have a chance to win.
The other ten, eleven, twelve, we're just they're just having
a great old time. So in some ways, like I mean,
(19:14):
almost every year I've been in contention with my partners
Steve John because he's a freaking stick and I'll have
my moments and I mean it's like nerve jangling It's
takes me back to high school basketball. The adrenaline, and
that's like so much fun. But if you get off
to bad start in some way, it's almost better, like, Okay,
we're not gonna win, so let's just let's just have
fun and win some side bets and and uh and
(19:37):
just have a great time and enjoy the walk. So
it's kind of a win win if if you play well,
you have the excitement of being there down the stretch,
and if if you play crappy, you might have more fun. Anyway,
it's all good. It's all good. I'm so excited. What
did you think? Did you have it? I know, I
know it's gonna be like you used to show up
(19:59):
on winds Now. We're getting there on on Monday. It's
like Monday through Sunday. It's like a full week, and
it's you know, we do we do alternate shot at
Old Mac, we do the punch bowl putting contest. We
we have like we got an eight syms on on
Bannon Preserve. We play every golf course in the property,
and it's like it's just immersive experience. Walk to the
(20:21):
labyrinth on you know, the last morning, like a lot
of a lot of action around the firepit. I mean,
it's really one of the reasons why the Firepit Collective
is called the fire Pit Collective because there's um a
lot you know, strumming guitars and drinking and hang out.
The firepit is a big part of that week. So
it's a freaking blast um you know, I'm just laughing.
(20:42):
We have this this this mega Yeah, we have this
mega group thread and people are you know, posting track
Man videos and there's like they're going through pyramids of
balls and they're like so locked in and that's just
not my reality right now. It's okay, So so so
what about what do we what's our take on the
world of golf? Here we we gotta we gotta address
(21:04):
Rory McElroy and Ricky Fowler and all the events out
in Vegas because you know, Colin more Cow. It was.
It was an absolutely spectacular leaderboard, even though to me
is one of the most boring golf courses I've seen
a long time. I was just like flat greens and
guys were just it was just too easy. But nevertheless,
the best players were there at the end and and
(21:26):
you know, we talked you and I didn't get a
chance to talk very much about Rory coming out of
the Ryder Cup, which is obviously he played poorly but
sort of in some ways endeared himself even more to
golf fans with his honesty and his rawness. And to
go from that in a dear and then come back
and win in his next start pretty incredible, no doubt.
I think that, you know, there are times when showing
(21:49):
your humanity when you are looked upon as superhuman can
be so freeing. And I also, I mean, I'm a
huge proponent of just fucking rying, like purred yourself of
all those emotions, even if that means going by way
of your your your eye holes and your tear ducks.
(22:09):
Like I honestly think like the number of times where
I'm like, you know what, I need a cry, like
I need to get some shipped out, and just you
sit there in the bathtub and you just weep, and
then you wake up and it's like you go to bed,
you have a little bit of a headache because you've
been crying so hard. You wake up the next morning
you're like it feels like a total weight off of
your shoulders. So I think that it's it's It's one
(22:30):
of those things when you have all of these pressures
put upon you and you're looked upon, you know, because
he's still you know, he's thirty two years old. He's
very young to be looked upon as a leader in
my opinion, you know, but but he is. And and
obviously greatness is oftentimes thrust upon you. But even with that,
like that's mounting pressure and you know, you gotta let
(22:54):
that ship out at some point. And so I'm I'm
just I'm thrilled for him. Um, and I love the
fact that I forget who it was. It was something
like I think maybe Shane Lowry because I have all
of my PGA tour notifications that pop up all the
time and everything, and it was something like Shane Lowry
shot like twelve under, let's say, or thirteen under and
you finished like fifty eight. And I was like, I'm sorry, what, like,
(23:19):
you know, And then I was like I looked and
I was like, and Rory shot twenty five, Like god damn,
that's just yeah, no, they threw that place up. So
can you can you cry? Can you cry? On demand?
You're like, okay, I need to cry. Let's just let's
just let it out well. It needs like there needs
to be a reason to cry. Like you can't just
sit there and be in a good place and then
just start crying like that. That is just a little uh,
(23:41):
that's You're not Meryl Streep. You're not Meryl Street. If
I had to, I could right now, but it wouldn't
be a genuine cry. I don't think like I would
be able to get my eyes to water and then
as a result of that will be able to think
of something sad um. But for the most part, no,
it has to be like a like a completely immersive experience,
is the way that I see it. It's all got
to be happening. But yeah, I can cry. I mean like,
(24:04):
if you give me about forty five seconds, I could
start tearing up. But it's it's not that's that's like
it's like forcing yourself to hit a draw when you
normally play a cut. It's it's not it's it's not
one worth What would what would what would you think
about to get to that that place? And now I'm
really intensely curious. First I would just make sure I
(24:26):
keep my eyes open. I would look up a little
bit um and then so the eyes would start to
water and then you know, I mean just anything like
you know, one of the last episodes of ted Lasso,
or just the idea of you know, Sarah McLaughlin's you know,
Angel song while you're sitting there watching like the Humane Society,
or or or a SPC A commercials or something like that,
(24:47):
or just the idea like there's a dog that's not
getting fed somewhere, or a kitty cat that's not getting
pet um, you know, the the idea that you know,
there are so many people that are dying in the world,
everything that's going on in Haiti, right, I mean, I
could think of anything. I could think of, probably like
a really sad Hallmark commercial, and then that would just
get it, get it going, and then I would be
(25:09):
able to start feeling bad about, you know, whatever I
actually want to feel bad about in terms of what's
going on, like in my life and my golf swing
and there's not whatever, but you know, there's always there's
always something um, you know, or any moment in Marley
and me. This is actually educational. Yeah, yeah, I get it.
(25:29):
I feel this is helpful in case I every need to,
you know, squeeze out a few tears on demand, Yeah,
you got your eyes. Open your eyes so that you
there's you, so that you see the white surrounding your pupil,
because then your eye is going to be like, oh,
what the hell, like what someone closed the window? And
then your tear ducks are going to start going and
then you start thinking to something sad and you're just like,
(25:49):
oh my god. Although there is they do say. I
think it's something like if if your tear is falling
from your right, I first is disingenuous, but from the
left I first means it's genuine. Like there's just like
I read this somewhere where it was Yeah, it was
just it was maybe something along the lines of like
how to like It was like it was like how
(26:10):
to tell if someone's manipulating you. I think it's one
of the things where where it's like, you know, if
you're talking to someone and they like look off to
one direction, they're recalling a memory, whereas if they're looking
off in the other direction, they're trying to create a lie.
I forget what exactly it was. Um, I don't remember
what any of those things were, but I was just like, huh, interesting,
(26:33):
that is interesting. Um alright, so how how much. Did
you get to watch of the I guess to let
that I'll marinate a little bit. But um, yeah, so
I want you to get to watch of the how
do you say it? Aeronko team series? Aramiko? Give me
you know the pronunciation of that. Uh No, that's not
a part of my universe. So no, I do know
(26:59):
that Charlie shot sixty four in the final round, and
I'm proud of her for getting um, getting the w
I I am not here to the judgmental I just
know that that is not a no you are you
are here. No. My life of having your own podcast, no,
my my my purpose and having a podcast is just
(27:21):
to talk um. But no, I I we've talked about
this before. I I'm I don't really, I'm a little
torn because you know, one, I'm a firm believer of you.
In order for there to be changed, you have to
meet people where they are. But where people where those
people are was in New York, not in Saudi Arabia. Um.
And then at the same time, I was like, well,
if I did go, I could have you know, let's say,
(27:44):
if I played well and had a press conference, I
could have been talking about you know, women's rights and
l g B, t q A, I P plus rights
and um, you know, Black lives matter, and you know,
law enforcement reform, not not abolition, just reform and all
of those things. I couldn't. I couldn't bring myself two.
(28:08):
I want to go though, But I'm proud of Charlie.
She shot six four in the final round. Just in
case anyone's not. Yeah. Yeah, because obviously this whole thing
is funded by Saudi Arabian money. That that's that's the issue.
And yeah, it's also it's kind of to me, it's
almost sort of an unfair burden on female golfers in
(28:32):
that I mean the European Tour that the men play
is is floated almost entirely by Saudi Arabian money and
Middle Eastern money and oppressive regimes. Like if they if
they started saying no to all the bad actors out
there who are sponsoring golf tournaments like the European Tour
would basically blow away and um, and so everyone just
(28:54):
kind of accepted it, you know. And so to put
the onus on on LPG players or women golfers from
around the world, you know, that's that's that's asked. That's
that's a bit much given that, you know, you guys,
don't you need to be have a solvent tour as
well and make it living. So yes, now I think
it's it's. I think it's a genuine that's a genuine
(29:16):
issue that all golfers need to confront. I think it's
fair just to put on the women as my point.
For sure. For sure it's it's but there is an
additional sense of I don't know if I would call
it irony. But you know, part of the problems are
the fact that, so you know, a lot of the
issues in Saudi Arabia are the rights of women, and
(29:37):
you've got women that you know like it's But again,
if if if there, if their prince really is wanting
to make changes as opposed to just making it look
like he gives a ship, then yeah, I mean I don't.
I am happy to support things. That doesn't mean I
have to be on the forefront of that. Like I
(29:57):
have no problem watching something with trepidation and being told, hey,
you're wrong, like he actually wants this or that, or
he wants to be known for helping all people or
what have you. But until that is actually proven and
shown by how his UM people are being treated. I
don't have to believe it. I don't not saying he's lying,
(30:18):
I just don't. I just don't see any actual fruition
of that to his own people. It's just that he's
putting in millions of dollars into these tournaments with um,
you know, players not from Saudi Arabia that are playing
and getting paid for as well as you know, probably
just as much money going into appearance fees and bullshit
like that. I don't know. Yeah, yeah, I know. It's
(30:41):
a healthy skepticism I think is warranted in this situation,
but just patience. You're right, maybe this is a start
of something. Yeah, we'll see, but I think we're both
heavily skeptical. Uh So, one thing you and I haven't
talked about either, which I'm curious your take on. Again,
it's probably not a big, big effector in the women's game,
but the more generally the U s G a finally
(31:07):
kind of yes, driver link, but not just a driver
link with USG finally wading into these murky waters. Right,
they've been sitting on the sideline for a really long time,
and Mike Juan's now running the show and it seems
like there this is the first of a few steps
we're gonna try and rain in the power game, which
um admittedly is more of an issue on the PGA
(31:29):
Tour than the LPGA tour. But what is your what
is your take on the U s G finally becoming
a little more activist on this subject. One, you're talking
about those amateurs right as Phil calls them. I'm yeah,
exactly Jesus Christ read the room, buddy. Um uh now
(31:50):
so one yeah that and then to a d T
about damn time, you know, and I'm worried it might
be borderline too late on top of that, Um, I
hope it's not. But yeah, like I I don't know,
Like I'm I'm all for you know, believing in your
(32:12):
convictions obviously, as as as I was just you know,
ranting about the previous segment. But at the same time,
it's just like, well, okay, but do you do you
really think that limiting the length of a driver shaft
is going to truly deter people from wanting to play golf?
You know, like look at look at baseball, look at tennis,
(32:34):
look at football, all of these sports, like you're only
allowed you're allowed certain parameters. So why is golf not
being held under the same scrutiny of you know, to
maintain the integrity of the sport, there have to be
certain parameters that should be met, like I don't know,
not a forty eight inch driver, dummy head, you know,
(32:57):
I I don't know that. I'm all for it personally. Yeah,
it's just it's time for something to be done. I mean,
you've got these modern optimized athletes playing on these ancient
playing fields, and the game has just been too skewed
in the direction of power. I mean, look, look, talking
about what Roy did out in Vegas, my basic problem
(33:21):
with that whole tournament was that the back nine on
Sunday was just boring. There was no sense of imminent
danger because he could just lay up with hybrids and
three woods and still smoke them over everything. And that
just left little short irons into the green. And you know,
good players who are playing well, they're just not gonna
(33:43):
miss greens by that much. If they have a wedge
in their hand, you know, they might hit the thirty
feet and have a harder put, but he's not gonna
blow into the desert from the middle of the fairway
with a nine iron and so um it just felt
like they they it's tilted too much of the direction
of a power player where it just takes a lot
of the excitement out of it. And I'm fine with
(34:04):
the guys making birdies and I don't even really care
what the winning scores, but they're just it's just coming
too easily right now. Um, you know, there's I mean
to me, like the ultimate risk Award whole in golf
is fifteen and Augusta National. I've stoo up there on
that hill so many years, going back to the early nineties,
watching guys hit that shot and when when they have
a three iron in their hand, it is freaking dangerous
(34:26):
and they have to they have to shape the ball
in there to get to stop. And it's so fun
to watch because they can make a three or they
can make a seven, and it's all on the table.
And if if, now, if you're just gonna nuke and
eight iron as high as you can, Um, it takes
so much of the danger out of it and so
much of the art because you just hit it as
high and as straight as you can. And uh so
(34:49):
it was just like, you know, there was that moment
in the telecast where in the span of a few minutes,
marcarroy a banswer and Calmark how all made eagles and
like eagles are cool. I love eagles, but when when
they come a little too easily and there there's there's
there's there's very little risk and it's all reward. It
just it takes on the fun out of it for me.
So that that's why I'm glad the U s G
(35:11):
is finally taking this on UM. It's you know, reducing
driver length is the simplest, cleanest way to address UM.
To start addressing the issue there, They're gonna have to
keep going if they truly want to, you know, make
some of these older golf courses relevant, and they want
to they want to bring a little more art back
into it. UM. But it's it's a beginning, and I
(35:32):
think it's an important beginning and that it shows that
the mic Want administration is ready to start taking action,
no doubt. I mean, Mike wan he de gaff like
he don't give up. And when you take all of
the factors involved with where technology is these days, like
(35:53):
ultimately all you're doing is you know, and it's it's
a great building block because at least at this point
it's like, Okay, we don't have to worry about rolling
back technology, we don't have to worry about going in
a completely different direction. We just take chafts that are
already you know, they're all built and all of this
and that, and just making sure that they they are
capped at a certain length. Um. You know, although you know,
(36:14):
I think they say the vast majority of the players
on the PGA Tour, which I think is a greater
problem by way of driving distance and obsoletion of these
golf courses than it is for the women. You know,
most of them play. You know, I think it's no
more than forty five and a half inches finished length. Um,
So I still won't really solve much of the problem.
You might grab a handful of guys that are going
(36:35):
to have some issues. Um, but at least, you know,
it's it's it's at a point where it's like, well,
we already have all of these bits and whatever of
research and this and that whatever, like, is there anything
we can do with what we already have? And you know, they,
in their own roundabout way, I know, the us G
has been trying to figure out how to get not
so much to not to to not amplify the best
(36:59):
when it comes to off but you know, like they
were like, oh, there are too many birdies, and there
are a lot of people, not all of them, but
a lot of people are using the anchored putter. You know,
they're using the belly putter, they're using the broomstick. And
it's like, well, if we take that away from them,
then there there won't be quite as many birdies, which
is you know, not necessarily that that's the ultimate goal,
but you know there there is going to come a
(37:21):
point when it, if it already hasn't happened, where things
start getting away from you. And I sit there and
I'm like, yeah, but like the band on the anchored putting,
which I was, I was all for because I didn't
do it, and I was just like, you know what,
they're they're doing their best to try and figure out
what they can do. That was more of an effect
and less of an actual cause because it's like, yeah,
(37:44):
they're making more birdies. Their proximity has gotten better though,
and the reason the proximity has gotten better is because
they're hitting a nine iron in instead of the six iron.
You know, it's like you just kind of keep scaling
it back a little bit. Um But I I this,
I all thinks this would be the most cost effective
(38:05):
potential way of starting this this change in this this reform,
if you will, um So at least I think they're
trying to give people some time to figure out a
way too. You know, said they don't have to just
sit there and be like, well, all of this is trash,
let's just burn all this. It's like, oh, hell's your
carbon footprint doing that the first shot across the bow.
And as you're saying, even like the change in the grooves,
(38:25):
it was they're they've been nibbling around groves. They've been
nibbling around the edges of this. And I think, you know,
the old leadership at the U s g A. They
there have been so many decades of compromises and kind
of running away from the fight. And I think that's
why this is significant, not because, as you say, it's
(38:46):
not going to affect that many players the shaft reduction,
but it's it's just there's a new sheriff in town.
And you know, Mike Juan he worked in the equipment industry.
You know, he worked at Wilson and Taylor, made, and
so he has rate relationships with those guys and I
think he's obviously we all know he's a very effective salesman.
I think he can make the case that this is
(39:07):
what's best for the game, you know, in a way
that other previous USGA leadership folks could not. And so
again it's just it's just time. I mean, um, you know,
Rory is hitting his hybrid to seventy five and just
three with three twenty and there's no golf course on
the planet that can really challenge him at that point,
(39:28):
you know, as it stands from from a length issue,
and um, it's just I just missed some of some
of the way the game used to be played. And
I don't want to sound like a dinosaur, but I
mean I remember watching, you know, out on tour events
in the nineties and early two thousands, like it was
just a different way that that players would attack the
(39:49):
golf course. Um, and it it's sort of evokes what's
happening on the LPGA now, where you know there's there's
still you still have to play the golf course to
a large degree as it's presented. You can't I everything,
and there's it's a little more tactical and it's a
little more artful, and I mean, of course it's awesome, yeah, yeah,
but I mean, you know it's true, like is it
(40:11):
coolest down behind the green or behind the T box
and Watts, you know, Dustin or Tony Finau or whomever
smashed them all. Of course we all love that, but
there's there's a downside to it, and I mean the
TV product is really freaking boring. Like I literally took
a nap on the back nine in Vegas because there's
(40:31):
just no way that Rory was going to give any
shots back once you had that three stroke lead. If
there's just there's no danger out there. There was there
was nothing that that could trip them up. And um,
you know, it's different if if he's coming into a
green with a six iron versus versus a weds, Like,
there's a more chance you're gonna hit a bad shot
and get yourself in trouble. And so for all the reasons,
(40:55):
you know, you know, Phil feels kind of falling back
on well, we gotta do it's best for the game
and grow the game, and people want hit it a
long way, but I think what's best for the game
is it's just really exciting products, you know, um from
as far as the highest level, and the tour has
gotten increasingly sort of monochromatic and boring. And that's the
(41:15):
bottom line for me. Like I just I just think
watching tour golf has gotten gotten tedious and so um,
I think the more they can they can roll back
the equipment, the more interesting the golf will become. And
that's what I miss. So that's where I'm coming from. Yeah, agreed, agreed.
I would say two things, one like and and agree.
I agree that we need to make sure that we
(41:35):
get as many people involved in the game as possible,
but you know how many people it This kind of
tells me a little bit about what, you know, my
my thoughts and opinions when it's like someone's like you
just wanted really for you know, and and I'm just like,
who is all of this thing that you speak of?
(41:57):
You know? And And one thing that I love about
what Mike and everyone at the U s g A
is doing right now is that because this is you know,
it's like when Mike was with the LPGA, like he
had you know, the players were one of his number
one concerns. He also had to be cognizant of our sponsors.
He had to be cognizant of of of um, you know,
I would say network television, but we still don't fucking
(42:18):
have any so the Golf channel, and you know, he
had to be cognizant of like, you know, these these things.
But now that he's heading the U. S. G A,
he has to be concerned about manufacturers, He has to
be concerned about golf courses. Like he this is his
first full rate into doing the most equitable thing that
he possibly can, while still trying to rain in on
(42:41):
the horrors of hitting the ball to god damn far um.
But real quick, what do you think is going to
be the next change? Then that's a good one. I
mean I think ultimately it's going to be the golf ball. Um,
it's yes, it's simpler. Um. You know, if you if
(43:02):
you all of a sudden, if you if you make
the clubhead maximum size three d ccs, every company in
the world, we've got a re engineer their their golf club,
the golf ball. It's there's a there's there's there's fewer
people out there on on the golf ball. There's there's
As far as manufacturing, there's there's not the same level
(43:25):
of you know, you don't need titanium and graph fight
and massive engineering. I mean, it's one product, And is
it gonna suck for titlists perhaps, But you know, I
think initially again we're talking about bifurcation where everyday golfer
is nothing's gonna change for them, So they're still gonna
make sales many pro v ones. Now there's gonna be
(43:45):
this cool new product that only the tour players have
that might be coveted as for souvenirs and for autograph
seekers and for high level amateurs who want to give
it a go. Like I don't know, maybe maybe it'll
help them in in some way. They they've got this,
like it's like getting behind the velvet rope, Like, who
I got one of Dustin's golf balls? Like how cool
is that It's not not the same t P five X.
I can buy a golf Martency side, Like this is
(44:07):
actually a very limited edition special thing. Uh. I mean
there might be that might make it kind of cool
and fun so and and honestly, yeah, it'd be like
the the the uniforms that whether it's MLB or NBA
or you know, something that the shoes that the guys have,
the cleats that they have, Like there there is a
reason why that there they get something different and special
(44:30):
and unique, you know, like it's it's part of you
know what. I look upon it as, like this is
a perk. Like everyone so fucking selfish as it is
at the professional golf level. Not in a bad way necessarily,
but you know, it's it's it's an individual sport and
we always got to take care of number one unless
you're willing to give a set of irons to someone
that's gonna end up taking your spot in a tournament,
which is it's it's it's still just funny to me,
(44:52):
but like, you know, like this is another way, Hey,
you snowflakes, this is another way you can be looked
upon as special. Here's your own off ball. I love it.
Um well, it's you know, I have a feeling as
long as you doing this podcast, we're gonna be talking
about the equipment stuff and the way the game is played.
It's it's it's it's evolving, and it's it's interesting and
(45:13):
it's contentious and uh so yeah, it's it's definitely changes coming.
I think that's the bottom line. And I think that's
a good thing real quick again. Sorry you said the
golf ball. What about the golf ball? No, I don't
think that. Yeah, and they, you know, however they want
(45:34):
to do it, whether changing the men, there's a lot
of ways you can do it, but um essentially they'll
they'll just say, okay, on our you know, iron Byron
test the golf all camp fly more than two yards
when we put it on this machine. You figure out
how you want to do it. If you want to
change the density of the core, if you want to
(45:55):
use different materials for the cover, if you want to
if you want to create you know, make it more
high spin, like I think you'll still they'll still allow
the different manufacturers to do things differently to meet the
needs of a wide variety of of tour players. And
it's not gonna be uniform like everyone has to play
the exact same ball. It's just merely it can't fly
(46:16):
past this distance in our testing, and figure out how
you want to do it. And so I think I
think there will still be a lot of difference between
a bridge stone and a titlist and a callaway because
they have all their engineers and they're gonna they're gonna
try and maximize what they can get under whatever rule
comes down. But um, you know, I think it's just
there's just gonna be uniformity where whatever the number is now,
(46:37):
you know, and they're testing, we're gonna lop off ten
or of that, then go figure it out. M hmm.
I like it. I like it. I'd be totally okay
with a smaller golf ball because that would also funk
with the US. I mean, because there's that part. There's
a there's a ratio of size of club head to
(46:59):
golf ball that'll lot of us are comfortable with. And
there's you know, aside from just loft and everything, but
the length of Like there are some people that are
like freaked out by hitting their driver because they're like,
the ball looks so small. So imagine doing that with everything.
Like if you ever like putted with like a like
a black golf ball, it looks smaller just visually. Yeah,
(47:20):
it's the same size, but just because the way your
eyes processed it. So yeah, I see what you're saying.
I mean, sure, why not anything's on the table, I guess,
but yeah, it's like the size of the size of
a Marvel be hard to find in the rough. But yeah,
but that's where the shot taser comes into play. But
(47:45):
that's the thing, like just incrementally smaller, you know, or
if you make it smaller but smaller where it's just
past imperceptible and then your brain is just gonna be
like wait what what what? Then that could mess with
the mental aspect of the game too, which I'm yeah,
I'm all for. I imagine poor Bryson. I could already
(48:06):
see like the steam and the springs are popping and
things are breaking in his brain, Like actually I look
forward to that. Yeah, And then you got Dustin with
the monkey and the symbols in the best ways because
he's just like, that's the golf ball now, Okay, I'm
mun hit it, and if I get bored, I'm just
(48:28):
exaspirational for sure. Uh well, all right, We've we've touched
on a lot of things here, c K. But the
most important to them is that you're feeling good about
your golf swing. And you know, we're on this journey
with you, so not to add any pressure or anything,
but we're just excited to see where where this takes you.
And uh, you know, well, I'm sure we'll get more
reports going forward. Ditto ditto for how how I whether
(48:51):
the store, the Uncle Tony. In fact, next time we tape,
I'll be up and band. Everyone is sending you pray
I love. It can go wrong, I'm gonna totally regroup
my golf swinging and go play in thirty mile hour
cross winds. I mean, it's a recipe for success for sure.
So absolutely absolutely all right, Well, it's always fun. It's
(49:13):
good to have you back, and for the listeners out there,
we will will be coming coming to you with our
regular scheduled program and going forward, um so every week
barring the unforeseen. I agreed, So thank you guys for
listening to. Yeah, another episode of Full Send with Christina
Kim and Alan Shiftnuk. That's a rap. Bye,
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