July 1, 2025 • 31 mins
Summer offers unique opportunities for enjoyment with golf stories and adventures with my dog Sammy, reminding us to treat each day as if it might be our last. The customization of golf equipment, performance techniques, and mental game strategies can dramatically improve results for any golfer willing to invest in personalized approaches.
• Golf equipment comes in customizable parts that can be fitted specifically to your swing style and body type
• Custom golf shops test and fit golfers for equipment that improves performance beyond what's available in big box stores
• The "three fingers and a whip" technique helps increase swing speed and control through proper finger pressure and wrist action
• Superstitions in golf can become extreme, as with "Mercenary Marty" who refuses to play with balls numbered three
• Fan behavior at sporting events crosses the line when people say things they would never say to an athlete's face
• The mental game of golf is equally customizable and often more important than equipment or technique
• Finding "lightning" in relationships parallels finding the right mindset in golf – don't settle for merely "fine"
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Welcome to another episode from Just Tales, a
monthly hybrid of fictional andnon-fictional stories that
compel me to rant.
There'll always be a golf storyor two laced into my blog,
because, well, it's where Ispend a good amount of my
recreational time.
So, whether you're a golfer ornot, if you're a skeptic,
(00:32):
doubter or open-minded, it isthe place for you.
So kick back and listen.
Hey, welcome to another episode, another summer's end, and I
hope it was as eventful for youas it was for me, and I've
(00:53):
talked about this before.
How summer just fits me well.
What an epiphany, right?
Who doesn't like warm and wet?
Take it easy, I try and treateach summer like it's my last,
and, trust me, it's not a morosethought.
I just tend to treat most dayslike that.
I mean, really, what are wesaving our fun breaths for?
(01:15):
If you can't find a skinnyminute each day to enjoy it,
then you won't have weightfulregrets on your deathbed, just
whatever good memories yourbrain will concede.
So yeah, I had a good summer.
Now Sammy's been a big part ofit.
Lots of car rides, dog parks,county parks, trails, street
(01:36):
walks and her and my favorite,the beach.
I mean it's really a funnysight.
The second, I unleash her, shesprints into the ocean and just
lays down and lets the waves hither.
You know, I'm lucky that she'snot an asshole to other dogs or
people, so I guess she's gotthat going for her and that's
(01:57):
nice.
So I got that going for me,which is nice.
Yeah, and for me I've learned anew, a new skill.
Okay, I'm learning a new skill.
The customization of golf, golfequipment, golf for performance
and the mental game of golf allof them customizable.
(02:19):
Most golf stuff comes in parts.
The stuff you find in big boxstores usually comes put
together.
Some of them have dipped theirtoe in the customizing water,
but for the most part, when yougo there, most stuff comes all
put together.
And what's become apparent tome is that at custom golf shops
(02:40):
they test and fit golfers forstuff that gives them a better
chance of winning lunch moneyevery time they tee it up.
I mean it's insane.
Customizable club heads madedifferently by each manufacturer
that all produce different ballflight results.
Customizable shafts that, wheninstalled in certain club heads,
(03:03):
give most golfers betterresults for their body type,
swing dynamics and athleticism.
And to add to that a hundreddifferent style, sizes and
textures and golf grips thathelp to give golfers confidence.
Every time they pull theirclubs from the bag.
I mean, it's virtually the onlypoint of contact the golfer has
(03:23):
with the club.
And of course there are golfgloves and balls that also have
characteristics that garnerconfidence and performance.
All this customizable.
And for those golfers that don'tcompete or bet, when they go to
a custom golf shop they'regoing in there to buy hope that
they'll have that shot, playthat hole, score better and walk
(03:54):
off with just a far betterfeeling of self-satisfaction
than ever before.
And here's a newsflash forthose of you who have never been
fitted before Part of gettingfitted for optimum equipment is
also getting setup or swingadvice.
It's like going on a diet andexercise program before you
attend that wedding.
It's just better when you'rebetter.
Which leads me to my firstsegment three fingers and a whip
(04:18):
Wow, that is really hard.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
That's what she said.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
No, comedy is a place where the mind goes to tickle
itself.
That's what she said.
No, comedy is a place where themind goes to tickle itself.
That's what she said.
So, like I said, the segment iscalled three fingers and a whip
.
Right, I know that most of youokay, some of you, all right one
of you with sexually activeminds want this to be a summer
(04:45):
sex story.
Well, take it easy.
It's not.
It certainly could have been,but, trust me, most online
dating experiences end in eyerolling, fake laughs and early
exit excuses.
But then again, some are betterthan that.
I'll expand on that point atthe end of this episode.
Better than that, I'll expandon that point at the end of this
(05:08):
episode.
The thought of three fingersand a whip is a tried and true
mental picture to help golfersincrease their swing speed, ball
flight distance and direction.
It all comes down toperformance.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
That's what she said.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Okay, sometimes I have the mind of an
eight-year-old.
The golf swing consists oflevers.
Knowing which ones to power andfire and which ones to keep
quiet can make the difference ofa safe green landing or a
watery grave.
The whip is the speed generatorthat accelerates your club head
(05:42):
to hit the ball with the mostimpact.
The wrists, fingers, shouldersand one of your elbows powers
the whip your three fingers.
If you're a right-handed golfer, your three fingers on your
left hand, starting at yourpinky finger, going to your
let's call it your F-U finger.
(06:03):
They control the club head.
It's that simple.
So if you happen, to be one ofthose golfers that wants to hit
it further and straighter.
Here's a possible drill to trySet up to the ball and then step
back a foot or so so that whenyou're starting your practice
you don't accidentally hit theball.
You don't accidentally hit theball, Start waggling the club to
(06:26):
loosen your wrists, because italso prevents you from the
common death grip.
No death grip on a golf clubhas ever produced the farthest,
straightest shot.
You shouldn't choke your clubout to bully it into a great
swing.
It might work the first time orthe second, but it will
eventually leave you for akinder, lighter fingered partner
(06:50):
.
After a few waggles start tomake the pendulum go further.
So now you're waggling it withyour hands up to your hips.
Now you're waggling it withyour hands up to your shoulders,
just so you can get the feel ofwhat it's like to have a loose
grip on your club and allow itto swing freely.
(07:11):
Once you've got your hands allthe way up to your shoulders and
the momentum now, as you startpulling it through, I want you
to listen for a whip sound, andthat whip sound should happen
when your hands and the clubhead get past the ball, Not at
the top of the backswing, butforward in front of the ball.
If you don't hear the switchsound, keep doing it until you
(07:36):
do.
That is the sound of the whip.
Once you hear that sound once,maybe twice now step up to hit
your ball, Pause, take it backand then whip it through your
ball with the anticipation of awhoosh sound in front of your
ball.
(07:56):
And here's where those criticalthree fingers come in.
Those three fingers I talkedabout on your pulling hand
should engage once you've gottento the top of your backswing.
As you're starting the whip,the only pressure you should
feel on your golf club are thosethree fingers, because they're
(08:16):
going to control the face of thedriver.
The three wood, the irons orthe wedge.
They are the key to squaring itup.
It's that simple Three fingersand a whip.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
That's what she said.
That's what she said.
That's what she said.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
You know, in talking about threes, I met this guy
let's call him Mercenary Martywho will under no uncertain
terms play with a golf ball withthe number three printed on it.
You know, I was thinking whatcould have led to that Like
number one?
Was he the third kid out ofthree?
(09:03):
and just got his ass kicked byhis two older brothers until he
was old enough to run away fromhome?
Did his third wife bankrupt himin the divorce, or did he come
in third place in a three-manrace?
His superstition greatlyaffects his everyday behavior.
Under no uncertain terms or anycircumstances will this guy
(09:28):
ever play a golf ball with thenumber three marked on it?
He would rather not play thanplay with that ball.
I mean, come on man.
So how does he acquire golfballs that don't have a number
three on them, you might ask.
Well, some places sell threepacks of golf balls and in all
those three packs it's alwaysthe same number.
(09:50):
So he could buy a three packwith a one, a two, a four, five,
six, seven, eight.
He can do that.
I'm also a little impressed anda little suspicious of any
golfer that walks in a shop orin a pro shop and says I'll just
have a three pack of balls.
I mean that guy is either soconfident in his game that he's
(10:12):
not going to hit three balls outof bounds or in the water.
Look, there could certainly beother reasons why he's only
buying three.
Maybe he's gifting it forsomebody, maybe he's got nine
balls left in his bag.
He wants three more to make aneven dozen.
Now I thought there was a rulein golf that specified you could
only play with so many balls.
I mean, wasn't that tin cup?
(10:33):
Didn't he have 12 balls and hehad to make that last one work
or he's disqualified.
But I read the rules and itsaid there's no maximum amount
of balls, they just all have tobe the same type.
How about that?
But back to my point about howyou acquire them.
So you could buy a three-pack.
You can buy a certain golf ballwith a certain number online,
(10:56):
because the manufacturer hasthem in all kinds of bins.
They'll send you sleeves ofwhatever number you want.
But then there's Mercenary Martywho walks into a golf pro shop,
walks up and looks at all thesedozens of golf balls let's say
they're Titleist ProView ones heopens them up, he starts
(11:20):
pulling out the threes from onedozen and then he opens another
dozen and he replaces the threeswith a one.
So now he's going to have twoones, a two and a four, and then
he goes off on his merry waybecause now he has a box of no
threes.
So now some poor schmuck whobuys the other box of 12 doesn't
(11:42):
look inside.
Most people don't open up a boxto look and see what numbers
they are.
So now this guy takes it, hetakes the balls out and he
starts playing them.
And he's playing them as he'slosing.
First of all he's seeing a lotof number threes.
He's like what the hell is this?
And then, all of a sudden he'slike where are the number ones?
Where are the number ones?
He starts hitting balls intothe water.
He's shanking them into thetrees, all starts hitting balls
(12:06):
into the water.
He's shanking them into thetrees, all because he couldn't
find the golf ball with thenumber one on it.
So you think I'm notsuperstitious.
Hey, when is it okay to yellshit at athletes?
This topic came up the otherday and the conversation starts
(12:28):
with an observation that JohnRahm, professional golfer, made
about the influence of gamblingon the golf world.
Spectators are sharing theirbetting strategies out loud so
the players could hear them.
Because the players just can'tnot hear them because, you know,
(12:48):
in golf you are standing at theropes.
You are probably as close toany professional athlete than
any other sport.
So they're yelling shit likehey, rom, I got a hundred bucks
that you're going to win.
Or one guy talking to hisfriend so that everybody could
hear it he's going to miss thisputt.
(13:08):
No way this guy makes the cut.
Hey, did you get dressed in thedark?
I mean, people are yelling shitnow and it's unabashed, and
they're doing it on purpose,because they either they're
tanked up blotto or they justwant to influence the outcome so
(13:29):
that they could win their bet.
Either way, people are justgetting out of control.
Sports fans in general aregetting out of control and
generally are unchecked in thethings that they say.
So here's the argument Is itever the right thing to do to
yell shit at pro athletes, orany athletes for that matter?
(13:53):
I remember when my kids wereplaying soccer this is, my son
was playing U12.
That means all the boys he wascompeting with were 11 years old
or younger.
And as we're watching thesekids play, parents are yelling
shit at the other kids.
(14:14):
They're yelling shit at11-year-olds that are playing
against their kids out ofcontrol.
And I went to so many footballand lacrosse games where fans
are trying to influence theother teams.
Make a miss, make somebody fall, you know whatever that is.
(14:35):
And in golf, just make somebodyyep a putt.
So the argument for hazing issome would say it's just part of
it.
You know it's part ofprofessional sports.
If you're a pro athlete andyou're making all that money,
suck it up buttercup.
All that money, suck it upbuttercup.
(15:01):
They get paid millions to playa sport.
They should be able to handleit.
You sign the contract to bestrepresent yourself, your team,
this town or this country whenit comes to international
competition.
So the other team's fans haveall the rights in the world to
make it difficult for you to win.
It's part of it.
(15:21):
You buy a ticket and along withbuying that ticket means you
could do whatever you want to do.
One of the arguments was whatwas like.
A family saves up all year togo to a professional sporting
event.
Why should anybody stop themfrom yelling and screaming?
That's part of the event.
See, the thing here is thathecklers get pleasure out of
(15:45):
influencing the outcome, or theyjust like to yell shit around
their friends with zeroconsequences.
Just everybody laughing withthem and at them.
You know it's like inbasketball you become the sixth
man when you have everybody thestudent section sitting behind
(16:05):
the opposition basket andthey've got all of these.
You know whatever they'reholding up in the air to try and
distract players from makingfree throws.
That's a part of basketball.
And I would say this a bunch offans with balloons or signs
yelling and screaming whenyou're making a free throw,
(16:27):
that's a collage moment.
That is a total fan base that'strying to affect the outcome of
the game in favor of their team.
Like it's the entire.
Like in Seattle it's the entirecollective 12th man to support
the 11 on the field.
I mean the Seattle Seahawksactually their stadium fans are
known as the 12th.
(16:48):
And here's where I weigh in onthis.
I think there's limits to whatis normal and what's over the
top.
Now I'll join the collectivefan base for my team and raise
the roof when it's time tomotivate our team, to prevent
another team from scoring ormotivate them to score.
(17:11):
Let them know we're on theirside.
Get them juiced up.
Let them know we're on theirside.
Get them juiced up.
I mean that point's illustratedat the end of any kind of game
or match, when athletes areinterviewed and they want to say
something to the fan base.
Like these fans kept memotivated.
I've heard golfers sayeverybody was on my side.
It got me motivated.
(17:32):
It made me believe I can do it.
So there is a lot of positivityfor the fan mindset of helping
players do things that under,let's say, average, normal
circumstances, they might nottheir skin to say things that
you would never say to theirface.
(17:59):
That's when people are hidingbehind the crowd.
That's when I think it's overthe top.
So I think there is.
There's a line, and everybodyknows what that line is, and
I'll give you an example.
If you're in a closed room nowindows, no doors, no
microphones, no cameras, andyou're in that room with Shaq,
(18:22):
o'neal or LeBron, are you goingto yell the same shit to them
that you would if you're up inthe stands with all your friends
around you?
Hell, no, because there areconsequences.
Well, first of all, all you'restanding there next to a human
being, and so it's you'reprobably not going to have it in
you to do that, but thereshould be consequences for every
(18:46):
action, and so if fans believeit's okay, if you buy a ticket,
you have the right to sayanything you want to say to an
athlete, then then I think thisshould be the rule.
The rule is fans who throw thefirst punch or say the first
derogatory mark shall have nolegal recourse when that athlete
(19:09):
, their teammates or theirbodyguards or team come back at
them, or their bodyguards orteam come back at them.
Zero fines will be leviedagainst players who are
retaliating for asshole remarksor fans throwing things at them.
Now of course this is not real.
We have to protect everybody,but I think if fans knew that
(19:31):
there were dire consequencesthat were going to be paid for
their actions, then I think somecertainly not all would put a
muzzle on themselves.
I mean, as long as there'salcohol sold, there's going to
be an elevation of emotion, andas long as gambling is allowed
and alcohol, there's going to bean elevation of emotion.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
Now.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
I'm aware this is never going to happen.
So I would say a fallbackposition to this would be beef
up security and, as soon aspeople cross a line, take them
out.
Pull them right out, I don'tcare how much money they spent
on their tickets.
Pull them out and then let themlitigate on whether what they
(20:18):
said was damaging enough to bepulled out.
But I think if enough peopleget pulled out of crowds for
doing stupid shit like this,less people would do it Not all,
but less.
I think the final test ofwhether your actions against
athletes is just over the lineis would you say it to their
face, with no crowd to hidebehind or with no legal
(20:42):
retaliation to try and separatethem from their wallets after
they embarrassed you in front ofyour friends by coming into the
stands and just cleaning yourclock, or their bodyguards take
you down and choke you out.
Look, I've said this countlesstimes after observing asshole
(21:04):
behavior, most adults that actlike brazen assholes have never
been punched in the face.
Now, you could take thatstatement at face value or as a
metaphor, because people thathave endured the harsh
retaliation from others thatthey've pissed off, or just have
been beaten down by life'sunforgiving circumstances tend
(21:25):
to go easy on others.
So I'll ask the question againIf, given the opportunity to
stand in front of that athleteand say the things right in
front of their face, with nobodybehind you or no consequences,
and you decide to do it anyway,I would say that, regardless of
(21:48):
how tasteless, damaging or howmuch it would affect their
performance, then you, my friend, are just a royal douche.
Performance, then you, myfriend, are just a royal douche
and eventually someone or lifewill punch you in the face.
In the world of customizationof golf, the mental part of golf
(22:25):
is also customizable.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Swinging what are the secrets of golf?
Is also customizable.
Swinging what are the secrets,what are the secrets of golf?
That pros know Well, I heardthis one time and I remembered
it and it's really.
If you'd write this down it'dreally help.
What I try to do?
I try to flat load my feet so Ican snap load my power package.
That way I can amplify both lagand drag pressure through
impact fix.
(22:48):
As long as my number two poweraccumulator doesn't break down,
I can reach maximum centripetalforce with minimum pivotal
resistance.
You see, the pivot is theutilization of multiple centers
to produce a circular motion forgenerating centrifugal force on
an adjusted plane, plus themaintenance and balancing
necessary for a two-linedelivery path.
See.
Golf is geometrically orientedlinear force.
It involves a physical muscularthrust and a geometry of the
(23:08):
circle.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
Hey here's another newsflash, folks the brain, the
mind.
It's the center of everything,it's the control center, it's
the emotional zen master, theproducer, director, lead actor,
the coach, assistant coach andplayer.
It's the professor and thestudent all in one.
So, like I shared earlier,customization of golf comes in
(23:32):
three parts equipment, golfperformance and the mental game.
All pliable, all customizable,all controllable, if you choose.
So I'm practicing.
The other day and I see my buddy, boston Dave, again, he was the
subject of a podcast episodecalled Two Fucks and a Cunt.
(23:56):
He shared with me recently hislow summer golf scores and all
the supposed result of getting ahandle on his anger trigger, of
getting a handle on his angertrigger.
Then he shared with me that inall of these rounds he had
breaking 80.
He had one where he shot a 94.
Hey look, even the best of bestgolfers have that one round
(24:19):
they would prefer not to thinkabout.
So I asked him hey, Dave, how'dyou handle it?
And he said fine.
Meanwhile his playing partnersitting in the cart next to him
started laughing and said BostonDave cursed like a longshoreman
and then, through some clubs,dave looked at me and said all
right, it's a process If youever listened to a pro golf
(24:48):
interview.
At the end of a round, thegolfer comments on the good.
He or she understates the badand talks about what they need
to do more or less of to stay ontop of the leaderboard to win
the tournament.
You hear a golfer bitch aboutconditions, other golfers or
(25:12):
their shitty play.
I would not bet the farm onthem winning the tournament or
even having a career round thenext time they tee it up.
Over the past several decades, Ihave read almost every mental
side of golf book that I couldget my hands on.
I even started listening to afew podcasts on this subject,
although I haven't landed on onethat really excites me yet.
(25:34):
I think there's a science ofhow the brain works and then the
art of how to clear themechanism to allow yourself to
get out of your own way.
Clear the Mechanism, get out ofyour own way.
(26:02):
Too much thought and you'reparalyzed.
Not enough of the rightthoughts and your ball grows a
mind of its own.
But you're thinking, hey, whatdo I know?
I'm not working with the bestin the most pressure packed
scenarios, but here's the thing.
I'm not talking to the top 0.01%of golfers in the world.
I'm talking to the other 99.9%who step up to a golf hole
(26:25):
that's given them fits anddouble bogeys every time and
they start verbalizing out loudtheir bad luck with the hole
Guaranteed when they startsaying that the next shot
fulfills their prophecy Hookedinto the woods or shanked into
the pond Even good images getmet with bad swings, happens
Sometimes.
(26:45):
You pull the club back way toofar behind you inside you can't
get out of your own way to hitthe ball where you want, despite
the fact that you had a goodvision of the hole, of coming to
(27:11):
fruition than a hopelessthought of despair and
self-loathing before you put adeath grip on your club and try
to will it away from trouble.
If we've ever played togetherthen you've witnessed that.
I try and talk myself into goodshots and you might be thinking
who is he talking to?
He's not talking to us.
I'm just executing the laws ofattraction.
Baby, invite it in and it has amuch better chance of coming to
(28:06):
fruition.
Try it as a last topic.
I only felt it a love-lorntriple divorcee, a pen pal
relationship with the eightpersonalities of Sybil.
I expanded my search and cast awider net the same day that
this other gal did and bam,lightning struck.
I've always answered the quoteof hey, what are you looking for
(28:28):
in a relationship?
What are you looking for inthis online dating?
And I answer with one wordlightning.
There's this invisible forcethat, when it hits you, you
acknowledge its presence, holdon for the ride and do all you
can to keep it.
The universe works in strangeways.
It's uncontrollable to keep it.
(28:50):
The universe works in strangeways.
It's uncontrollable.
But what is controllable isyour ability to know what's good
, what feels right, and then todo all you can to extend its
life cycle.
And, as I've said, the mentalgame is controllable for golf
and everything.
Not golf, if that's even athing.
Speaker 1 (29:07):
Is there a problem?
Tell the truth, he's fine,that's it?
Nothing wrong with that.
Most people are fine.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
It's not about him.
It's about why the fuck youthink he deserves you.
You deserve someone who makesyou feel like you've been struck
by fucking lightning Don't youdare settle for five and who
doesn't like a good quote fromRoy Kent, and with that I'm your
host, Rich Easton, tellingtales from beautiful Charleston,
South Carolina.
Talk to you soon.
(31:09):
I'm going to show scared, butI'm a Thank you.
Welcome to another episode from Just Tales, a
monthly hybrid of fictional andnon-fictional stories that
compel me to rant.
There'll always be a golf storyor two laced into my blog,
because, well, it's where Ispend a good amount of my
recreational time.
So, whether you're a golfer ornot, if you're a skeptic,
(00:32):
doubter or open-minded, it isthe place for you.
So kick back and listen.
Hey, welcome to another episode, another summer's end, and I
hope it was as eventful for youas it was for me, and I've
(00:53):
talked about this before.
How summer just fits me well.
What an epiphany, right?
Who doesn't like warm and wet?
Take it easy, I try and treateach summer like it's my last,
and, trust me, it's not a morosethought.
I just tend to treat most dayslike that.
I mean, really, what are wesaving our fun breaths for?
(01:15):
If you can't find a skinnyminute each day to enjoy it,
then you won't have weightfulregrets on your deathbed, just
whatever good memories yourbrain will concede.
So yeah, I had a good summer.
Now Sammy's been a big part ofit.
Lots of car rides, dog parks,county parks, trails, street
(01:36):
walks and her and my favorite,the beach.
I mean it's really a funnysight.
The second, I unleash her, shesprints into the ocean and just
lays down and lets the waves hither.
You know, I'm lucky that she'snot an asshole to other dogs or
people, so I guess she's gotthat going for her and that's
(01:57):
nice.
So I got that going for me,which is nice.
Yeah, and for me I've learned anew, a new skill.
Okay, I'm learning a new skill.
The customization of golf, golfequipment, golf for performance
and the mental game of golf allof them customizable.
(02:19):
Most golf stuff comes in parts.
The stuff you find in big boxstores usually comes put
together.
Some of them have dipped theirtoe in the customizing water,
but for the most part, when yougo there, most stuff comes all
put together.
And what's become apparent tome is that at custom golf shops
(02:40):
they test and fit golfers forstuff that gives them a better
chance of winning lunch moneyevery time they tee it up.
I mean it's insane.
Customizable club heads madedifferently by each manufacturer
that all produce different ballflight results.
Customizable shafts that, wheninstalled in certain club heads,
(03:03):
give most golfers betterresults for their body type,
swing dynamics and athleticism.
And to add to that a hundreddifferent style, sizes and
textures and golf grips thathelp to give golfers confidence.
Every time they pull theirclubs from the bag.
I mean, it's virtually the onlypoint of contact the golfer has
(03:23):
with the club.
And of course there are golfgloves and balls that also have
characteristics that garnerconfidence and performance.
All this customizable.
And for those golfers that don'tcompete or bet, when they go to
a custom golf shop they'regoing in there to buy hope that
they'll have that shot, playthat hole, score better and walk
(03:54):
off with just a far betterfeeling of self-satisfaction
than ever before.
And here's a newsflash forthose of you who have never been
fitted before Part of gettingfitted for optimum equipment is
also getting setup or swingadvice.
It's like going on a diet andexercise program before you
attend that wedding.
It's just better when you'rebetter.
Which leads me to my firstsegment three fingers and a whip
(04:18):
Wow, that is really hard.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
That's what she said.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
No, comedy is a place where the mind goes to tickle
itself.
That's what she said.
No, comedy is a place where themind goes to tickle itself.
That's what she said.
So, like I said, the segment iscalled three fingers and a whip
.
Right, I know that most of youokay, some of you, all right one
of you with sexually activeminds want this to be a summer
(04:45):
sex story.
Well, take it easy.
It's not.
It certainly could have been,but, trust me, most online
dating experiences end in eyerolling, fake laughs and early
exit excuses.
But then again, some are betterthan that.
I'll expand on that point atthe end of this episode.
Better than that, I'll expandon that point at the end of this
(05:08):
episode.
The thought of three fingersand a whip is a tried and true
mental picture to help golfersincrease their swing speed, ball
flight distance and direction.
It all comes down toperformance.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
That's what she said.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Okay, sometimes I have the mind of an
eight-year-old.
The golf swing consists oflevers.
Knowing which ones to power andfire and which ones to keep
quiet can make the difference ofa safe green landing or a
watery grave.
The whip is the speed generatorthat accelerates your club head
(05:42):
to hit the ball with the mostimpact.
The wrists, fingers, shouldersand one of your elbows powers
the whip your three fingers.
If you're a right-handed golfer, your three fingers on your
left hand, starting at yourpinky finger, going to your
let's call it your F-U finger.
(06:03):
They control the club head.
It's that simple.
So if you happen, to be one ofthose golfers that wants to hit
it further and straighter.
Here's a possible drill to trySet up to the ball and then step
back a foot or so so that whenyou're starting your practice
you don't accidentally hit theball.
You don't accidentally hit theball, Start waggling the club to
(06:26):
loosen your wrists, because italso prevents you from the
common death grip.
No death grip on a golf clubhas ever produced the farthest,
straightest shot.
You shouldn't choke your clubout to bully it into a great
swing.
It might work the first time orthe second, but it will
eventually leave you for akinder, lighter fingered partner
(06:50):
.
After a few waggles start tomake the pendulum go further.
So now you're waggling it withyour hands up to your hips.
Now you're waggling it withyour hands up to your shoulders,
just so you can get the feel ofwhat it's like to have a loose
grip on your club and allow itto swing freely.
(07:11):
Once you've got your hands allthe way up to your shoulders and
the momentum now, as you startpulling it through, I want you
to listen for a whip sound, andthat whip sound should happen
when your hands and the clubhead get past the ball, Not at
the top of the backswing, butforward in front of the ball.
If you don't hear the switchsound, keep doing it until you
(07:36):
do.
That is the sound of the whip.
Once you hear that sound once,maybe twice now step up to hit
your ball, Pause, take it backand then whip it through your
ball with the anticipation of awhoosh sound in front of your
ball.
(07:56):
And here's where those criticalthree fingers come in.
Those three fingers I talkedabout on your pulling hand
should engage once you've gottento the top of your backswing.
As you're starting the whip,the only pressure you should
feel on your golf club are thosethree fingers, because they're
(08:16):
going to control the face of thedriver.
The three wood, the irons orthe wedge.
They are the key to squaring itup.
It's that simple Three fingersand a whip.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
That's what she said.
That's what she said.
That's what she said.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
You know, in talking about threes, I met this guy
let's call him Mercenary Martywho will under no uncertain
terms play with a golf ball withthe number three printed on it.
You know, I was thinking whatcould have led to that Like
number one?
Was he the third kid out ofthree?
(09:03):
and just got his ass kicked byhis two older brothers until he
was old enough to run away fromhome?
Did his third wife bankrupt himin the divorce, or did he come
in third place in a three-manrace?
His superstition greatlyaffects his everyday behavior.
Under no uncertain terms or anycircumstances will this guy
(09:28):
ever play a golf ball with thenumber three marked on it?
He would rather not play thanplay with that ball.
I mean, come on man.
So how does he acquire golfballs that don't have a number
three on them, you might ask.
Well, some places sell threepacks of golf balls and in all
those three packs it's alwaysthe same number.
(09:50):
So he could buy a three packwith a one, a two, a four, five,
six, seven, eight.
He can do that.
I'm also a little impressed anda little suspicious of any
golfer that walks in a shop orin a pro shop and says I'll just
have a three pack of balls.
I mean that guy is either soconfident in his game that he's
(10:12):
not going to hit three balls outof bounds or in the water.
Look, there could certainly beother reasons why he's only
buying three.
Maybe he's gifting it forsomebody, maybe he's got nine
balls left in his bag.
He wants three more to make aneven dozen.
Now I thought there was a rulein golf that specified you could
only play with so many balls.
I mean, wasn't that tin cup?
(10:33):
Didn't he have 12 balls and hehad to make that last one work
or he's disqualified.
But I read the rules and itsaid there's no maximum amount
of balls, they just all have tobe the same type.
How about that?
But back to my point about howyou acquire them.
So you could buy a three-pack.
You can buy a certain golf ballwith a certain number online,
(10:56):
because the manufacturer hasthem in all kinds of bins.
They'll send you sleeves ofwhatever number you want.
But then there's Mercenary Martywho walks into a golf pro shop,
walks up and looks at all thesedozens of golf balls let's say
they're Titleist ProView ones heopens them up, he starts
(11:20):
pulling out the threes from onedozen and then he opens another
dozen and he replaces the threeswith a one.
So now he's going to have twoones, a two and a four, and then
he goes off on his merry waybecause now he has a box of no
threes.
So now some poor schmuck whobuys the other box of 12 doesn't
(11:42):
look inside.
Most people don't open up a boxto look and see what numbers
they are.
So now this guy takes it, hetakes the balls out and he
starts playing them.
And he's playing them as he'slosing.
First of all he's seeing a lotof number threes.
He's like what the hell is this?
And then, all of a sudden he'slike where are the number ones?
Where are the number ones?
He starts hitting balls intothe water.
He's shanking them into thetrees, all starts hitting balls
(12:06):
into the water.
He's shanking them into thetrees, all because he couldn't
find the golf ball with thenumber one on it.
So you think I'm notsuperstitious.
Hey, when is it okay to yellshit at athletes?
This topic came up the otherday and the conversation starts
(12:28):
with an observation that JohnRahm, professional golfer, made
about the influence of gamblingon the golf world.
Spectators are sharing theirbetting strategies out loud so
the players could hear them.
Because the players just can'tnot hear them because, you know,
(12:48):
in golf you are standing at theropes.
You are probably as close toany professional athlete than
any other sport.
So they're yelling shit likehey, rom, I got a hundred bucks
that you're going to win.
Or one guy talking to hisfriend so that everybody could
hear it he's going to miss thisputt.
(13:08):
No way this guy makes the cut.
Hey, did you get dressed in thedark?
I mean, people are yelling shitnow and it's unabashed, and
they're doing it on purpose,because they either they're
tanked up blotto or they justwant to influence the outcome so
(13:29):
that they could win their bet.
Either way, people are justgetting out of control.
Sports fans in general aregetting out of control and
generally are unchecked in thethings that they say.
So here's the argument Is itever the right thing to do to
yell shit at pro athletes, orany athletes for that matter?
(13:53):
I remember when my kids wereplaying soccer this is, my son
was playing U12.
That means all the boys he wascompeting with were 11 years old
or younger.
And as we're watching thesekids play, parents are yelling
shit at the other kids.
(14:14):
They're yelling shit at11-year-olds that are playing
against their kids out ofcontrol.
And I went to so many footballand lacrosse games where fans
are trying to influence theother teams.
Make a miss, make somebody fall, you know whatever that is.
(14:35):
And in golf, just make somebodyyep a putt.
So the argument for hazing issome would say it's just part of
it.
You know it's part ofprofessional sports.
If you're a pro athlete andyou're making all that money,
suck it up buttercup.
All that money, suck it upbuttercup.
(15:01):
They get paid millions to playa sport.
They should be able to handleit.
You sign the contract to bestrepresent yourself, your team,
this town or this country whenit comes to international
competition.
So the other team's fans haveall the rights in the world to
make it difficult for you to win.
It's part of it.
(15:21):
You buy a ticket and along withbuying that ticket means you
could do whatever you want to do.
One of the arguments was whatwas like.
A family saves up all year togo to a professional sporting
event.
Why should anybody stop themfrom yelling and screaming?
That's part of the event.
See, the thing here is thathecklers get pleasure out of
(15:45):
influencing the outcome, or theyjust like to yell shit around
their friends with zeroconsequences.
Just everybody laughing withthem and at them.
You know it's like inbasketball you become the sixth
man when you have everybody thestudent section sitting behind
(16:05):
the opposition basket andthey've got all of these.
You know whatever they'reholding up in the air to try and
distract players from makingfree throws.
That's a part of basketball.
And I would say this a bunch offans with balloons or signs
yelling and screaming whenyou're making a free throw,
(16:27):
that's a collage moment.
That is a total fan base that'strying to affect the outcome of
the game in favor of their team.
Like it's the entire.
Like in Seattle it's the entirecollective 12th man to support
the 11 on the field.
I mean the Seattle Seahawksactually their stadium fans are
known as the 12th.
(16:48):
And here's where I weigh in onthis.
I think there's limits to whatis normal and what's over the
top.
Now I'll join the collectivefan base for my team and raise
the roof when it's time tomotivate our team, to prevent
another team from scoring ormotivate them to score.
(17:11):
Let them know we're on theirside.
Get them juiced up.
Let them know we're on theirside.
Get them juiced up.
I mean that point's illustratedat the end of any kind of game
or match, when athletes areinterviewed and they want to say
something to the fan base.
Like these fans kept memotivated.
I've heard golfers sayeverybody was on my side.
It got me motivated.
(17:32):
It made me believe I can do it.
So there is a lot of positivityfor the fan mindset of helping
players do things that under,let's say, average, normal
circumstances, they might nottheir skin to say things that
you would never say to theirface.
(17:59):
That's when people are hidingbehind the crowd.
That's when I think it's overthe top.
So I think there is.
There's a line, and everybodyknows what that line is, and
I'll give you an example.
If you're in a closed room nowindows, no doors, no
microphones, no cameras, andyou're in that room with Shaq,
(18:22):
o'neal or LeBron, are you goingto yell the same shit to them
that you would if you're up inthe stands with all your friends
around you?
Hell, no, because there areconsequences.
Well, first of all, all you'restanding there next to a human
being, and so it's you'reprobably not going to have it in
you to do that, but thereshould be consequences for every
(18:46):
action, and so if fans believeit's okay, if you buy a ticket,
you have the right to sayanything you want to say to an
athlete, then then I think thisshould be the rule.
The rule is fans who throw thefirst punch or say the first
derogatory mark shall have nolegal recourse when that athlete
(19:09):
, their teammates or theirbodyguards or team come back at
them, or their bodyguards orteam come back at them.
Zero fines will be leviedagainst players who are
retaliating for asshole remarksor fans throwing things at them.
Now of course this is not real.
We have to protect everybody,but I think if fans knew that
(19:31):
there were dire consequencesthat were going to be paid for
their actions, then I think somecertainly not all would put a
muzzle on themselves.
I mean, as long as there'salcohol sold, there's going to
be an elevation of emotion, andas long as gambling is allowed
and alcohol, there's going to bean elevation of emotion.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
Now.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
I'm aware this is never going to happen.
So I would say a fallbackposition to this would be beef
up security and, as soon aspeople cross a line, take them
out.
Pull them right out, I don'tcare how much money they spent
on their tickets.
Pull them out and then let themlitigate on whether what they
(20:18):
said was damaging enough to bepulled out.
But I think if enough peopleget pulled out of crowds for
doing stupid shit like this,less people would do it Not all,
but less.
I think the final test ofwhether your actions against
athletes is just over the lineis would you say it to their
face, with no crowd to hidebehind or with no legal
(20:42):
retaliation to try and separatethem from their wallets after
they embarrassed you in front ofyour friends by coming into the
stands and just cleaning yourclock, or their bodyguards take
you down and choke you out.
Look, I've said this countlesstimes after observing asshole
(21:04):
behavior, most adults that actlike brazen assholes have never
been punched in the face.
Now, you could take thatstatement at face value or as a
metaphor, because people thathave endured the harsh
retaliation from others thatthey've pissed off, or just have
been beaten down by life'sunforgiving circumstances tend
(21:25):
to go easy on others.
So I'll ask the question againIf, given the opportunity to
stand in front of that athleteand say the things right in
front of their face, with nobodybehind you or no consequences,
and you decide to do it anyway,I would say that, regardless of
(21:48):
how tasteless, damaging or howmuch it would affect their
performance, then you, my friend, are just a royal douche.
Performance, then you, myfriend, are just a royal douche
and eventually someone or lifewill punch you in the face.
In the world of customizationof golf, the mental part of golf
(22:25):
is also customizable.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Swinging what are the secrets of golf?
Is also customizable.
Swinging what are the secrets,what are the secrets of golf?
That pros know Well, I heardthis one time and I remembered
it and it's really.
If you'd write this down it'dreally help.
What I try to do?
I try to flat load my feet so Ican snap load my power package.
That way I can amplify both lagand drag pressure through
impact fix.
(22:48):
As long as my number two poweraccumulator doesn't break down,
I can reach maximum centripetalforce with minimum pivotal
resistance.
You see, the pivot is theutilization of multiple centers
to produce a circular motion forgenerating centrifugal force on
an adjusted plane, plus themaintenance and balancing
necessary for a two-linedelivery path.
See.
Golf is geometrically orientedlinear force.
It involves a physical muscularthrust and a geometry of the
(23:08):
circle.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
Hey here's another newsflash, folks the brain, the
mind.
It's the center of everything,it's the control center, it's
the emotional zen master, theproducer, director, lead actor,
the coach, assistant coach andplayer.
It's the professor and thestudent all in one.
So, like I shared earlier,customization of golf comes in
(23:32):
three parts equipment, golfperformance and the mental game.
All pliable, all customizable,all controllable, if you choose.
So I'm practicing.
The other day and I see my buddy, boston Dave, again, he was the
subject of a podcast episodecalled Two Fucks and a Cunt.
(23:56):
He shared with me recently hislow summer golf scores and all
the supposed result of getting ahandle on his anger trigger, of
getting a handle on his angertrigger.
Then he shared with me that inall of these rounds he had
breaking 80.
He had one where he shot a 94.
Hey look, even the best of bestgolfers have that one round
(24:19):
they would prefer not to thinkabout.
So I asked him hey, Dave, how'dyou handle it?
And he said fine.
Meanwhile his playing partnersitting in the cart next to him
started laughing and said BostonDave cursed like a longshoreman
and then, through some clubs,dave looked at me and said all
right, it's a process If youever listened to a pro golf
(24:48):
interview.
At the end of a round, thegolfer comments on the good.
He or she understates the badand talks about what they need
to do more or less of to stay ontop of the leaderboard to win
the tournament.
You hear a golfer bitch aboutconditions, other golfers or
(25:12):
their shitty play.
I would not bet the farm onthem winning the tournament or
even having a career round thenext time they tee it up.
Over the past several decades, Ihave read almost every mental
side of golf book that I couldget my hands on.
I even started listening to afew podcasts on this subject,
although I haven't landed on onethat really excites me yet.
(25:34):
I think there's a science ofhow the brain works and then the
art of how to clear themechanism to allow yourself to
get out of your own way.
Clear the Mechanism, get out ofyour own way.
(26:02):
Too much thought and you'reparalyzed.
Not enough of the rightthoughts and your ball grows a
mind of its own.
But you're thinking, hey, whatdo I know?
I'm not working with the bestin the most pressure packed
scenarios, but here's the thing.
I'm not talking to the top 0.01%of golfers in the world.
I'm talking to the other 99.9%who step up to a golf hole
(26:25):
that's given them fits anddouble bogeys every time and
they start verbalizing out loudtheir bad luck with the hole
Guaranteed when they startsaying that the next shot
fulfills their prophecy Hookedinto the woods or shanked into
the pond Even good images getmet with bad swings, happens
Sometimes.
(26:45):
You pull the club back way toofar behind you inside you can't
get out of your own way to hitthe ball where you want, despite
the fact that you had a goodvision of the hole, of coming to
(27:11):
fruition than a hopelessthought of despair and
self-loathing before you put adeath grip on your club and try
to will it away from trouble.
If we've ever played togetherthen you've witnessed that.
I try and talk myself into goodshots and you might be thinking
who is he talking to?
He's not talking to us.
I'm just executing the laws ofattraction.
Baby, invite it in and it has amuch better chance of coming to
(28:06):
fruition.
Try it as a last topic.
I only felt it a love-lorntriple divorcee, a pen pal
relationship with the eightpersonalities of Sybil.
I expanded my search and cast awider net the same day that
this other gal did and bam,lightning struck.
I've always answered the quoteof hey, what are you looking for
(28:28):
in a relationship?
What are you looking for inthis online dating?
And I answer with one wordlightning.
There's this invisible forcethat, when it hits you, you
acknowledge its presence, holdon for the ride and do all you
can to keep it.
The universe works in strangeways.
It's uncontrollable to keep it.
(28:50):
The universe works in strangeways.
It's uncontrollable.
But what is controllable isyour ability to know what's good
, what feels right, and then todo all you can to extend its
life cycle.
And, as I've said, the mentalgame is controllable for golf
and everything.
Not golf, if that's even athing.
Speaker 1 (29:07):
Is there a problem?
Tell the truth, he's fine,that's it?
Nothing wrong with that.
Most people are fine.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
It's not about him.
It's about why the fuck youthink he deserves you.
You deserve someone who makesyou feel like you've been struck
by fucking lightning Don't youdare settle for five and who
doesn't like a good quote fromRoy Kent, and with that I'm your
host, Rich Easton, tellingtales from beautiful Charleston,
South Carolina.
Talk to you soon.
(31:09):
I'm going to show scared, butI'm a Thank you.
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