It was 1963 and there I was, star studded night, alone on the Colorado River. I sat quietly in my J.C. Higgins Kingfisher boat, gently, hypnotically swaying back and forth to the rivers swirling ebb tides of ever changing current as the melted snows of the Rockies coursed its way toward the Sea of Cortez in Mexico. Like a giant snake it twisting and turning across thousands of miles of landscape. Millions of years mysteries were contained in its’ debts as it pasted; gurgling, murky never ceasing.

An orange moon cast ghostly shadows through the river mist, as it peeped over the desert mountains to begin its nightly journey across the black sky. How magnificent it was, the Moon, as it slowly began to turn into a silvery glow. The black sky was a testimonial of vastness as nighttime desert skies usually are. I looked into the darkness, studded with stars, sparking like diamonds reviling riches beyond imagination.

I felt so insignificant as I gazed upon God’s creation. Soon, this rugged land would be bathed in a silvery glow and the night creatures would come out to play and forge for food. Some were, not too far away, I heard the deep splashing sound of something very large as it entered into the river’s water. Then there was silence, I strained to hear any evidence of something coming closer but there was only the quiet rustling of the passing water. “It’s Probably just an old cow cooling off”, I said aloud to myself. (I knew fool well there were no Alligators in these waters). I laid the back of the boat’s seat down and got comfortable. After all, I was here to relax and get away from the pressure of a very demanding lifestyle.

My fishing rod was stuck in a holder with the line angling down river about 30 yards or so. I hadn’t got any bites for a while but I really didn’t care if I caught a fish or not. The serenity of the night was my purpose, and the pleasure of it was making me feel very at ease.

It was nearing two in the morning when I must of drifted off to sleep. Suddenly, I was shaken from my slumber by a loud noise as my rod violently shook, banging against the side of the boat. “What the heck is going on”, I said out-loud, as I grabbed the bent over rod and attempted to slow the line that was pealing off the reel. I grabbed the boat’s rope that had been tied to a overhanging tree limb on the bank and pulled it loose. The boat floated into the current and begin to move slowly down river. I was being dragged helplessly by the strong pulling on my fishing line.

I had heard of giant Blue Catfish being caught in this area. Some as big as a man, weighing several hundred pounds were reported seen by skin divers. Soon the line slowed its unraveling, the boat gained speed, matching the movement of the dragging force of the swimming creature on its other end. “What ever it is, it’s big”, I said aloud, as if talking to someone in the boat with me. I strained to gain line back and bring the mighty creature under control. For one hour and a half I fought the giant fish, until my arms felt like rubber that was stretched to its limit. And then, all the sudden, without warning, with a mighty roar, a huge dark figure exploded from the dark water into the silvery black night air, not more than thirty yards away. Water sprayed from the mighty creature like a waterfall, sending a shiver of fear up my back. It did a cartwheel in the air and then came back down with a tremendously loud crashing splash that sent water flying over my head and waves cascading in all directions.

In the dark I could not make out what it was but I knew had never seen anything like it before. Panic griped me and I grouped around for my knife to cut the line and be freed from this unknown assailant that had caught me in its grip. Like the old man and the sea, I had been the fisher who had become the catch. I felt the handle of my knife and grabbed it in my left hand.

As I brought the knife up to cut the line the monster changed direction. The sudden violent movement jerked the boat sidewise, throwing me off balance, causing me to fall into its’ bottom. The line was now tangled on the motor and I couldn’t reach it to cut it loose. The boat was now moving backwards up river and water splashed over its heaving, rocking transom. Soon, water was flowing over my feet as it rushed in from the back. In my desperation of not knowing what to do, I grabbed a coffee can I had been using for bait and began a fruitless baling of water overboard. As the small boat took on water it became heaver to pull and the creature it was hooked to began to slow as it showed slight signs of tiring.

I moved to the front of the boat and bailed as fast as I could for fear of sinking into the murky waters and becoming the catch that caught me for dinner. Suddenly as quick as it begin, it was over. The line snapped with a loud crack that sounded like a bull whip. Up river some thirty yards, a huge object erupted in a huge column of water, into the night air. Its’ gigantic wings beat the night air, sounding like a overloaded helicopter. The alien beast looked like a massive prehistoric bird as it flew over the low desert hills and out of sight.

I sat for, I don’t know how long, stunned, in shock. The slap of branches on my face brought me back to reality as the boat drifted into a overhanging bush. I gathered up my gear and cranked up the motor, hightailing it for the dock some three miles up river. I never went back to that place, not out of fear, but out of respect for the river. The river holds many secrets, some that no man should share with another.

I never told anyone, not even my wife, (She wondered why I returned home in the middle of the night) of my encounter that night for fear of being ridiculed. Is reality a product of the mind or is physical experience its endorsement? Had I fallen asleep and it was all a dream? Maybe it was real, it certainly seemed real enough to me. The broken line on my fishing pole, the half, water-filled boat and the new gray in my hair the next day. The truth is, that was forty years ago, since then I have opted to stay safely at home with my wife, and not fish the Colorado River alone, especially at night.

© 2002 Don Yates all rights reserved

In other words, we as anglers want to maximize our time by being on the water fishing when the fish are the most active. This only makes sense, right? I mean, we only get so much time to spend on the water because of jobs, family, and other activities so maximizing the time we do get only makes sense. So, how in the heck do we figure out when the fish are the most active, so that we can be on the water at these times?

The easiest way I know of is paying attention to the weather and moon. Let’s start with the moon. You probably realize that the moon goes through different phases throughout the month. Well, did you know that certain phases are much better for fishing than others? For example, in the two or three days surrounding a new moon, fish are much more active, and therefore tend to bite much more readily.

How about the weather? Did you know that certain fronts are considered “fish catching” fronts? So, being on the water after one of these fronts passes through your fishing area is a very good idea. For your information these “fish catching” fronts are known as warm fronts. So, when a warm front passes through your fishing area, you want to be on the water. Especially if one of the good moon phases coincides with the warm front!

The bottom line is that figuring out the best time to fish really isn’t that difficult, especially if you pay attention to the weather and moon. Paying attention to these two forces of Mother Nature, and using that information to your advantage will result in you being much more successful as an angler. There’s no need to purchase weird devices that “call” fish to the area that you’re fishing, just be on the water when the fish are the most active and you’ll do just fine.

Steve Prefontaine is the perfect example. Pre never allowed ANYONE at ANYTIME-in practice or competition-to best him. If you wanted to race him in practice two days before an important meet, he would run you into the ground and then do it again on race day, only by a bigger margin.

Pre made it clear who the leader was and why he was the leader. He was not the fastest runner, but he was almost always the best runner. No one had his heart and guts, and if they did, they could not tolerate his work ethic.

Did you know that Pre never missed a single practice or competition during his entire athletic career at Oregon? Did he ever have a cold? Did he ever have the flu? Did he ever run injured? Of course he did; he just never bothered to tell anyone and would not allow himself to show any obvious stress. Pre was, and is, one of a kind.

Probably at least half if not three-quarters of all running coaches in America will tell you that leaders are made and not born. Imagine taking a runner who has never run faster than 13 seconds for 100 meters and trying to make him into a world class sprinter. I never believed this nonsense 45 years ago and I do not believe it today. I believe, and always have believed, that leaders are born and not made.

A lot of runners who appear not to be leaders (and a few very select Michigan State men may be among this group) actually are leaders. They just do not know it. They are not leading today because they have not been required to lead.

Their instinct will click in when faced with a life and death situation in a foxhole during wartime. Or maybe they are 16 and the oldest of 7 siblings, their father and mother are killed instantly in an accident, and they are left with nothing and the responsibility to raise 7 children or the family will be separated by a state agency with the children in 7 different homes.

When it really counts in life, people in danger do not want to know what you think, they want to know what you know because their life may depend upon your experience, courage and wisdom. That is why with every fiber in my body, my life experience tells me leaders are born, not made.

I know from personal experience that it is much easier to find a winner than to try and develop a winner. Trust me when I say that eagles fly, not chickens. You can coach a chicken for 100 years and if they have no talent and no leadership ability, the result will be the same.

If you want to see a winner, go watch Nicole Bush run. When it counts the most, the leaders will surface. If you want to see another winner, go watch Rita Arndt-Molis coach.

Anyone who runs for the Spartans should understand who they represent and Michigan State’s running tradition. There is exactly one school among the 299 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Cross-Country programs that has won more national championships than Michigan State, and that is Arkansas with 11 titles in 17 years between 1984 and 2000.

Michigan State has won 8 national titles-the first in 1939, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1955, 1956, 1958 and the last in 1959, 47 years ago. That is too long ago. From 1948 to 1959, Michigan State won 7 titles in 12 years before anyone ever heard of Oregon, Bill Bowerman or Steve Prefontaine. That is dominance.

For the record, UTEP (yes, THAT University of Texas at El Paso) has also won 8 titles while no other school, including Oregon and Stanford, has won more than 4.

On the women’s side of the ledger, Villanova has won 7 national titles and 6 consecutively from 1989 to 1994. Stanford is the current power, winning the last 3 national championships. It is axiomatic that Stanford can be beaten, just as surely as night follows day.

Those almost silent footfalls that the Stanford runners hear behind them are the Michigan State Spartan women getting closer and closer.

(Editor’s Note: This is Part 2 of a 2-Part Article.)

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

It could a be a stretch of difficult holes, one loose shot or a bad break after a good shot that changes how you feel about your game. Here are five ways that the Pros handle the pressure and tension during a round: Breathing - In stressful situations your breathing tends to become shallow not allowing as much oxygen into your body and your body requires oxygen to perform at its peak. If you practice conscious breathing during the round you will feel more relaxed, clear headed, focused and energetic, all of which are necessary for peak performance.

Be Your Own Best Caddy - I have had the opportunity to work with many very successful business people during my career. It has always amazed me how these successful people talk to themselves while attempting to play golf. At some point during their career, all successful people have had to be a successful sales person. They may not have sold actual products but, they have sold their ideas and others have had to buy-in. I often ask them how they felt prior to presenting an idea. The usual on word answers include prepared and confident.

Confidently Gather Info - How would you go about holding that business meeting? You would first gather information. Just as Annika Sorenstam’s coach, Pia Nilsson has named her book, every shot must have a purpose. Where are the good and bad places you can hit this golf ball? What is your yardage, wind etc.?

Trust - Trust the information that you have put together for your presentation and present your idea or in this case swing the golf club.

Evaluate - Once you had given your business presentation, you would then go and calmly evaluate what went well and what could be a do-better. This should be done while you are still in your balanced finish.

With this information and the past success you have had in business, I suggest that you are better at this than you give yourself credit. Monitor your breathing, be your own best caddy, confidently gather your information, trust your information while you present (swing) and then calmly evaluate what went right and what could be a do-better. These steps will improve your golf game sooner rather than later.

Begin by asking yourself, not your junior, some questions about what your motivation might be for getting their junior golf instruction. Four reasons that parents want junior golf instruction for their young child (under eleven) typically are:

• Because of golf’s reputation for rules, fair play and self-policing, the parents have a genuine interest in seeing their children attempt to play the game.

• A babysitting service, parents get a time out from their kids for a while.

• Parents want to spend more time with their child and have decided that golf will be the vehicle to do this.

• As so many do, parents feel that their children must be in as many activities as possible. Whatever your reasons are for wanting your child to begin to play the game of golf, the important thing is to ensure the kids have fun and enjoy themselves. Golf is a great game that can teach your child many life skills and is a game they can play the rest of their life.

The most important thing to do is ask your child if playing golf is something that they would like to do. If the answer is no, do not push them to play. You do need to make sure that they understand the option is always open for them to play. It make take you asking multiple times and giving them the information they need to feel comfortable to begin a junior golf instruction program.

Once your child decides that they do want to play golf here are some steps to take to get them started and to keep the game fun for them:

• Begin with a real junior set of clubs. Many people think that by making a club shorter it will fit a junior golfer. This is NOT true. The weight would still be too heavy for children. The recommendation I would make is to purchase from La Jolla Golf or LJC. They specially weight their junior golf clubs depending on the size of your child. In addition, you do not need to buy a whole set, you can purchase these clubs one at a time.

• Find a qualified junior golf instructor. You can contact your local PGA Section either by phone or online. If a Certified PGA Professional is available in your area, he or she would be a good place to start.

• Make sure that your junior golf instruction includes sessions on the rules of golf as well as golf etiquette. Depending on their age, the rules and etiquette situations do not need to be deep in the heart of the rule book. It has always amazed me on what a child at any age can retain when they want to learn.

• Your junior does not have to play a “real golf hole” to have fun. Make the putting green the goal. This is a good way for the younger junior golfers to get started and as it reads only count the shots that it takes to get to the green to determine a score.

• The hole does not need to be the end of the hole. What does this mean? Some smaller juniors find it more fun to hit it into a bunker than onto a green. This may seem counter-intuitive to many golf purists however, once you think about it, typically the bunkers are smaller than the putting greens. This can only make them better later. In addition, they LOVE to climb into the bunkers and this gives us a chance to teach bunker etiquette.

The fact is you can smash the ball for 300 yards on a par 4 and still walk away with a 7. And it’s not that difficult either. Overshoot the green, putt beyond the hole, land in the bunker - there are plenty dangers lying in wait of those who’ve lost their concentration. As the saying goes, ‘drive for show and putt for dough’. If you’re greenside play isn’t up to scratch, you can forget about racking up a good score. It really is as simple as that. And this doesn’t just mean putting: it also covers consistency in approach from short range, and in achieving this, the chip and run shot could be a very valuable asset.

If your ball is lying in light rough or on the fairway short of the green, you’ll be facing a tough decision. You can’t putt the ball because you’ll have no way of gauging the resistance of the rough before you reach the green. You can’t chip the ball because you need more control than that.

The solution? Chip and run. Take a middle to lower iron out of your bag. Your club choice should reflect the severity of the rough, so for example if you’re in thick stuff a 9 or pitching wedge is the club to go for, but if your practically on the surface you might even like to try a 3-wood. Hold the club as normal and conduct a normal putting stroke through the ball, with the club you’ve chosen. Simply putt with the same weight as normal, at the same rhythm. With any luck the ball should pop up and trundle nicely towards the hole. This lifts the ball over the rough but keeps it close enough to the surface to give you the control you need for that added finesse around the putting surface.

Improve Your Golf - Swing Is The Thing

The swing begins with your setup at the ball with the proper grip, stance, ball position, proper distance from the ball, weight and head position as we discussed previously. When you are ready to swing the club, it is encouraged that you waggle the club first. This will help with rhythm and grip pressure as your grip should be secured, but not too firm. The majority of your grip pressure should be with the last 3 fingers of the left hand (middle, ring, small). These 3 fingers are where you should feel most of your control from when pushing the club back and pulling the club through the shot.

Your head is the hub of your swing and you must swing with your arms and body moving together under your head with a one piece motion back and through the shot; maintaining a easy, controlled rhythm & balance. This is done by turning your left shoulder down towards the ball with the club head’s path going back inside slightly, and with your hips coiling in unison with your shoulders as you turn and bring the club up to the top of your swing. Your wrists should feel firm at the top of your swing and your left arm should be fairly straight. Once you have completed your backswing, your first move should be with your legs and hips with your weight shifting towards your left side and pulling your arms back down though the downswing. Arms and body still moving together following the same inside-out path you began your swing with.

As you continue to pull through your shot, you should feel your wrists release (roll back over) as you make contact with the ball, keeping your head still and feeling the clubhead continue out towards your target. As you finish your swing, your body continues to turn and face your target as you bring the club up at your target and then around the backside of your neck. As you are shifting your weight from your right to left side, your right foot continues to turn up up onto the toe as you finish. It is very important to finish up on your right toe, otherwise you cannot rotate your hips out of the way of your swing, causing you to lose proper form and power.

Keep reading to learn about club fit and weight and why it matters.

Measuring Height:

To determine whether a golf club is right for your height, you also need to think about its “lie.” A golf club’s lie is the angle from which the club head extends from the club shaft.

When testing your club, picture yourself standing in front of a giant, perfectly round clock with your feet facing six o’clock. When you have a normal or flat lie and you swing the club, it should come back in at nine or ten o’clock. If your club fits within that angle and inside the clock, it usually means the club is right for your height.

Measuring Arm Length:

Put your arms down at your sides and get a friend to measure the distance between the floor and the end of your middle finger. That distance provides a good, rough indicator of what the length of your club should be.

Measuring Swing Speed:

The strength of your swing will also determine the type of club shaft that you’ll need or want.

Your everyday golfer usually likes a club shaft that has a bit of flexibility, and these are typically made out of steel, graphite or hybrid metals. If your swing is slower, that flexible shaft will get you more distance than say a rigid, Titanium-shaft driver.

Ideally, the club will feel comfortable in your hand and your swing should be easy. Try borrowing or renting different sets to get a good feel for the different styles and sizes and to see what fits you best before making the financial commitment to purchase a set of clubs.

If you’re just starting out, consider purchasing a mid-quality set or borrowing a set until you understand the game better and have a more solid understanding of your own playing style and specific club preferences. The game of golf is much more enjoyable when using the right clubs.

Being able to turn your shoulders further back in relation to your hips during your backswing really depends on how loose and flexible certain muscle groups in your body are. In order to improve your game, we are going to go over a few stretching exercises that professional golfers use.

First we will want to stretch the back muscles. In particular, the large muscles that run up the sides of your back along with the lower back. To do so, stand with your feet about shoulder width apart with your arms straight up above your head with your palms clasped together.

Then you will bend to the right side, slowly, until you can feel a tight stretch. You should feel some tension in your left side, shoulder area and upper back. Hold this position for ten to twenty seconds and then repeat the process on the left side. Repeat both sides five to ten times a day.

This exercise will allow your body to turn back more during your backswing. Each week, try to stretch a little further than the week before. The more you can stretch these muscles over time, the better.

Next we want to stretch the hamstrings which will help to increase the power of your swing significantly. Not only will this help increase the power of your swing, it will reduce the risk of pulling a muscle in the back of your legs. A pulled muscle in that area can keep you off the course for several weeks and we don’t want that.

For this stretching exercise, you will need to sit on the floor with your legs out in front. Your legs should be at a 60 degree angle from one another. From that position, just bend forward at the waist, nice and slow, until you feel a little tension, but no pain. Hold the position for ten to twenty seconds and return to the upright position. Repeat the process five to ten times a day.

Finally we want to help loosen up the muscles in our arms and shoulders by stretching the triceps. To work these muscles, stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Raise one arm up over your head and bend your elbow down as if you were reaching for the center of your back. Then take your other arm, reach over your head, and grab your elbow. Pull down and shift your torso until you feel a good stretching and hold for ten to twenty second and then repeat on the opposite side. Try to increase the distance of your stretch more and more each week.

As you work on these simple stretches each day and each week, you will soon start to notice that you can stretch your body a little further on your backswing. Eventually you will notice that you can hit the ball a little deeper, which should help you lower your overall golf score.

All forms of arthritis benefit from exercise, and golf is ideal in that it need not be a strenuous game, yet can improve your overall fitness and strengthen your heart and lungs. If you have arthritis, you will know that exercise is recommended to help your condition. You will also know that remaining inactive is one of the worst things that you can do. If you have to choose a sport then golf is likely one of the best for you.

Golf does not demand extended periods of aerobic exercise such as many athletics disciplines do, nor the extremes of explosive energy as required in sports such as weightlifting, sprinting or field events. It is, as Mark Twain once famously declared, ‘A good walk spoiled’, and although the golf swing is an explosive release of rotational energy, it can be trained for so that the swing becomes as natural to you as breathing, arthritis or not.

If your condition is such that playing is difficult without aids, there are gloves and wrist braces available that can take the pressure off your joints, and there are other aids that can make it more comfortable for you to play. With regard to training, always warm up properly before exercising. Carry out some simple stretching exercises before you start, and do the same before each round. There are some things that you can do to help you take the pressure off your joints and reduce the potential for pain during your golf round.

Your weight is important, so keep it as low as is healthy for you. The less weight you are carrying the less strain will be placed on your joints. When you begin to feel tired, or suffer excessive pain, then rest. You will find that a warm shower will help you before each round, especially if you give your muscles a stretch afterwards. It is important that your muscles are supple and that your joints have as much flexibility as possible.

Practice your swing, taking as much professional advice as you can. Get the help of the club pro if possible, explaining your situation. Pros are generally only too willing to help people with specific disabilities, and they will likely be able to show you how to drive without having to hit the ball too hard. Driving is a matter of technique, not hitting the ball as hard as you can. Warm up your swing before playing a round, and practice your timing rather than your speed or strength. Timing can make all the difference between a good slow swing and a bad fast swing.

Learn a few stretching exercises. You can help not only your golf game but also your arthritis symptoms by gently stretching your joints so that you develop more flexibility. Flexibility in your rotational motion can often be more effective in improving your swing than improving your strength. If you have arthritis, it is more important to enjoy your game than to try to get round in under par. Having a comfortable swing and a reasonable level of fitness can allow you to do that.

It has been proved many times that playing golf can help people who suffer from arthritis. It provides good and gentle exercise while allowing you to maintain a good degree of fitness. If you continue to feel pain for an hour or more after your round you should seek medical help, especially if you experience increased swelling of your joints.

However, these symptoms tend to be relatively rare and the more common result in all but the worst cases of arthritis in an improvement in your condition, and an increased enjoyment in the game of golf. So, if you have arthritis, and are afraid that you will have to stop playing, grab the bull by the horns, start the exercises and carry on playing. You will not regret it.