Browsing: Heres

At first when I heard Rory McIlroy was considering leaving driver in his locker for this week’s DP World India Championship I thought he was speaking figuratively. Leaving it in his locker as in not using it much. But then when he showed up for his first-round tee time it turned out that he had very literally taken driver out of his bag. Second round? Same thing. And it makes sense, when you hear him explain it. But we’ve also never seen this from Rory before. So let’s talk through why this is interesting.

(Let’s talk through some other stuff, too.)

1. Rory has never done this before.

He first teased it in his pre-tournament press conference.

“I’d say the next time I hit my driver will be in Abu Dhabi,” he joked, referring to his next tournament start. But in fact it wasn’t a joke. “I don’t think I’ll hit a driver this week. I just don’t feel like the risk is worth the reward. I’d rather leave myself two or three clubs back and hit a 7-iron into a par-4 instead of hitting a wedge, where if you just get it off-line here, the ball is gone. You’re hitting it into jungle and you’re not going to be able to get it out. You can rack up a very big number very quickly.”

Then came his comments after the first round — his first professional round without his most famous club (and its trademark dog headcover).

“Dog was out of the bag, probably asleep in the locker,” he said. “Yeah, I was sort of thinking about it last night before I went to bed. Sometimes if you’re really conservative off a par-5, you might have like a 5-wood into the green, but I’m never going to hit driver, so I just thought I’ve got to go 2-iron, 3-iron, 4-iron all the way through, and then I’ve got a 5-wood just in case I need to hit it for an approach shot on a par-5. But I just don’t see any hole out there that I hit to hit it more than say 260, 270 off the tee.”

2. My buddy has, though.

I have a close pal who has taken driver out of the bag just because he knows that if it’s in there, at some point he will be tempted to hit it, he will then drive the ball out of play and he will start having a bad time. McIlroy is basically doing the same thing. He just happens to hit his long irons about 80-100 yards past my buddy, who’s a 20 handicap.

3. Then again, he’s never done any of this before.

This is McIlroy’s first time in India and it’s one of the higher-profile tournaments in the nation’s golfing history. It seems like a win-win from each side; McIlroy has for multiple years expressed his interest in playing here and he continues to find joy in new golf tournaments around the world. And because the DP World Tour has a more lenient policy around appearance fees, it’s safe to assume that McIlroy and his high-profile peers are being well-compensated for their time this week.

4. The numbers tell a fascinating story

Through two rounds the average driving distance for the India Championship is just over 265 yards on its measured holes. That is wild when you consider the PGA Tour’s average driving distance is 303.3 yards. McIlroy’s no-driver strategy still has him in the top half, averaging 270.25 yards. But that’s more than 50 yards behind his 323-yard average. There’s a wide range in strategies, though: Thriston Lawrence of South Africa went bombs away en route to a 308-yard average through two rounds, with the average-length Brian Harman just behind him at 299.5 yards a pop.

As for McIlroy’s accuracy? He has hit 75 percent of his fairways, good for T17 in the field and miles ahead of his 51.2 percent PGA Tour average. The tradeoff is pretty clear.

5. The visuals do, too.

If you spend any time watching the India Championship on TV (and I recommend it, particularly if you live in the U.S. and you’re an insomniac) you’ll quickly see why these guys are laying so far back — the course is in the middle of New Delhi, the second-most-populous city in the world, but it’s also essentially cut into a jungle. The corridors are narrow and missing spells doom.

6. For that matter, the sounds tell a fascinating story.

You can hear sounds of the city come through on every minute of the broadcast — and even on the fun social clips the DP World Tour has been posting. We often hear about how courses are in major cities when in fact they’re on the quiet outskirts of quiet suburbs, but not here! It’s worth embracing the extent to which this course is in the mix.

7. He’s still losing to his straighter-hitting pals

It’s no shock that this course would set up well for McIlroy’s two closest friends on Tour, given their statistical profiles; Tommy Fleetwood (who leads at 12 under through 36 holes) has slightly below-average length but is one of the straightest drivers in the world and an incredible irons player. You could say something similar about Shane Lowry (11 under, T2) who is notably straight off the tee and notably elite with an iron in hand from the fairway.

“There’s a lot of holes where you’re not hitting much off the tee and you’re trying to get it in play and that’s why I think it suits me,” Lowry said. “There’s a lot of mid-irons out there which a strength of my game.”

8. This is the golf experiment we’ve been waiting for.

People in and around pro golf think and talk obsessively about distance. Whether pros hit it too far, whether golf courses are too short, what anybody can do about any of it. This week is certainly one example of how to de-emphasize distance as a skill; accuracy off the tee is essential to success, while driver has been effectively outlawed. And the players seem tickled by the test.

“It’s great. We spoke about it quite a bit out there — it’s just such a unique challenge for all of us,” Fleetwood said. “I haven’t hit more than a 5-wood. The one hole where I could hit more is 18, but you get to that and you’re like, ‘Well, I haven’t hit one, and I don’t really feel that comfortable with it.’ It’s such a unique challenge, and the greens are firming out a little bit and the pins have been tricky.

“It’s been very, very enjoyable. It’s a test of patience when you’re not quite on it because like it’s one of those courses, you get a few of them where you feel — if you hit it good off the tee you’re going to have some short irons and wedges and feel like you’ve always got a chance to get it wrong. It’s such a waiting game. You’ve got to be very patient. It’s been a great test.”

9. It’s also a reminder for us.

I live in Seattle, where many courses present as bowling alleys. But I’m so conditioned to seeing the pros hit driver or 3-wood everywhere that I assume if they showed up here they’d do the same. This is evidence to the contrary. Even through analytics have steered pros towards a bomb-and-gauge style of play in recent years, there are limits to that strategy when courses become tight enough and misses become penal enough. So yeah — it’s okay to lay back off the tee if it means you’re going to keep it in play. Not much fun getting stuck in the jungle all day, anyway.

10. Sports rule.

I spent my Thursday night watching Joe Flacco trade punches with Aaron Rodgers in one of the more memorable regular-season matchups in recent NFL history — and then eventually flipped over to catch the sights, sounds and strategies of the India Championship. Sports remain the best thing going because they deliver the unexpected. Let’s go back to McIlroy’s pre-tournament press conference for the final word:

“I would say that deep down at its core, the essence of watching sport, it’s the realest reality show that we have. We don’t know the outcome. We don’t know what’s going to happen, and that’s amazing. There’s very little content on TV nowadays that can actually do that.”

Two more intriguing rounds in this latest episode.

Dylan Dethier welcomes your comments at dylan_dethier@golf.com.

Not every great athlete makes a great golfer. We’ve all seen it — the explosive basketball player who can’t find rhythm in their swing, or the track star whose foot speed doesn’t translate to clubhead speed. Athletic prowess alone isn’t enough; golf demands something different, something more nuanced.

Jackson Eells may be the exception to that rule.

A college baseball player with the kind of natural swing sequence that makes a coach’s job both easy and exhilarating, Jackson walked into my studio with all the raw ingredients of greatness. He had power — tremendous power — but it was wild and unrefined. His grip alignment was off, and while he could generate impressive speed, control off the tee remained elusive.

The breakthrough came when I stopped trying to rebuild Jackson’s swing and started working with what he already knew. His baseball swing wasn’t the problem — it was the blueprint for the solution.

We rebuilt his setup around the mechanics that already worked for him: positioning his grip underneath, establishing a wide stance, allowing pressure to load into his trail foot during the backswing, and creating that crucial pressure shift before the downswing begins. Most importantly, we maintained his natural ability to achieve that classic impact position — upper body tilted, right elbow tucked — that power hitters know instinctively.

Once I identified these elements, the grip adjustment became obvious. We weren’t fighting against his athletic instincts; we were channeling them.

The Results

With a comfortable, repeatable setup in place, it was time to unleash what Jackson does best: swing hard.

In our most recent session, Jackson started at 138 mph of clubhead speed — already exceptional. But as we fine-tuned his setup and swing path, something remarkable happened. The speed climbed: 142… 145… and finally, 149 mph(!!).

To understand just how extraordinary Jackson’s speed is, consider these benchmarks:

Jackson’s 149 mph puts him:

• 34 mph faster than the average PGA Tour player
• 22+ mph faster than the fastest player on Tour (Niklas Norgaard)
• Faster than Bryson DeChambeau’s typical speeds, even after DeChambeau’s legendary transformation
• In elite long drive territory, competing with professionals who train specifically for maximum speed

It just goes to show that you can take the instincts from other sports and channel them into golf. All it takes is a little understanding of what your body does best and then tweaking your foundation to get the most out of it.

TheStack + Stack Radar Bundle

Stack seamlessly and save over 15%.  This is by far our most popular bundle and includes everything you need to start your Stack journey. 
Enjoy personalized speed training with TheStack– including full access to Stack Wedges, Stack Putting and the Learning Library – along with our Bluetooth enabled Stack Radar which sends your data directly to TheStack App while training. 
Stack Radar is small, packs into your golf bag easily, and gives the added benefit of powering Stack Wedges and monitoring your ball speed and club distances.
TheStack Hardware

5 milled Stack weights enable 30 weight combinations between 0g and 300g
Dual-purpose weight case / phone stand
Highly engineered training club – Adult (41.5″).  For Junior sizing, see Fitting Juniors

Stack training requires a speed device that can measure swings without ball impact.  We recommend bundling with Stack Radar (Bluetooth connectivity).  View all compatible devices here.

TheStack App – Speed Training, Wedges, and Putting

Rated 4.9 with over 4,400 Reviews on App Store

Includes 1-Year Membership to TheStack App, accessible on iOS

Fully customized and adaptive speed training formulated by Dr. Sasho MacKenzie
Guided workout timer for reps, sets, and rest intervals
Custom speed metrics to track your gains
Bluetooth Connectivity to integration devices.  Hands-free data entry using voice entry technology for non-integrated devices
Membership includes bundled access to both Stack Wedges, Stack Putting ($59 value), and the Learning Library

Train and track up to twenty local (i.e. family) users under one login.  App works with Family Sharing so the entire family can train easily on separate devices

Connect to any other Stacker using Share Codes

Stack Radar

Capture swing speed without hitting a ball – perfect for Stack speed training!
Instant and easy Bluetooth connection exclusively to TheStack App
Place Stack Radar behind you on the range or course to measure Ball Speeds

Measures: Swing Speed and Ball Speed.  Calculates an estimated Carry Distance and Smash Factor.  Incredibly accurate for ball speed.
Powers Stack Wedges.  Enjoy Seriously Fun Wedge Practice that you can use indoors, outdoors, with premium range balls or not – get great data regardless of your practice environment.
Superb performance indoors or outdoors.
Set speed trigger threshold at 25, 35, 45, or 55 mph! Avoid false triggers due to a fast backswing.
Includes radar pouch to protect the screen while stored (available exclusively for purchases from our website).

Access TheStack App from the App Store when your order arrives. Requires iOS 15.0 or newer. 
See our FAQ pages for questions about membership access.

View Product

It has been known for quite some time now that England are probably going to the World Cup, after their perfect Group K record.

But their entry to next summer’s tournament was rubberstamped when Thomas Tuchel’s men brushed Latvia aside with a 5-0 win, giving the Three Lions a seven-point advantage with just two games left.

Now, attention will quickly turn to who’ll be making the trip across the Atlantic in just under eight months. Here’s who we expect to see…

You may like

There are few names that will make it onto the squad list quicker than Jordan Pickford’s.

His time at Manchester United showed that Dean Henderson is not content with being a mere deputy, but that is what he is likely to be next summer, as something remarkable would need to happen to unseat Pickford.

Much to the chagrin of Manchester City fans, John Stones has a knack for dodging injury primarily around international breaks and managing to get himself into the Three Lions squad.

Being denied his dream move to Liverpool this summer may be the best thing that has happened to Marc Guehi in terms of his England career.

For both Arsenal and England, Declan Rice has proven what an asset he is in the centre of the pitch.

Arsenal fans know all about the unbeatable creative quality that Bukayo Saka brings on the right flank, but England supporters aren’t unaware either.

A leader, creator and goal-getter: England captain Harry Kane will be on the plane come June.

A shoulder injury has provoked a stuttered start to the campaign for Jude Bellingham, and he’s been absent from recent camps as a result.

Cole Palmer is another of Tuchel’s genius attackers who has suffered a tough start to the season through injury, and so has not featured for the Three Lions as much as he otherwise might have.

Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson only has four England caps to his name as things stand, but the 22-year-old is showing promise and appears to be favoured by Tuchel.

Eberechi Eze feels like he’s been around forever now, but has only in recent times begun truly knocking on the England door, not helped by the wealth of talent available to the Three Lions in the positions the 27-year-old likes to frequent.

That’s where Ollie Watkins comes in, offering more running in-behind than Kane can, which differentiates him from the Three Lions’ no.9 and fellow competitors like Dominic Solanke.

As previously mentioned, England are blessed when it comes to attacking midfielders, but Morgan Rogers nevertheless continues to make a strong case for his inclusion.

Source link

With Xander Schauffele’s victory at the Baycurrent Classic, it’s another win for Callaway’s popular Apex TCB iron platform, the company’s most popular on Tour.

Including Schauffele’s two major titles in 2024, and Jon Rahm’s 2023 Masters and 2021 U.S. Open victories, the TCB platform has won the grand slam in the last five years.

Schauffele has been in the Apex TCB ’24 and the previous edition TCB ’21, since their release in 2021, but the current model is a good bit larger in chassis size than the TaylorMade P750s he used as a rookie. While TCB stands for “Tour Cavity Back,” the Apex TCB 24s have slightly more offset than other irons in the category.

And there are other players who have switched from pure blades like this week’s guest on GOLF’s Fully Equipped podcast, Erik van Rooyen. Van Rooyen switched from the 2018 Apex MB blades about a year ago.

Xander Schauffele’s clubs: What’s in his Baycurrent-winning bag

By:

Jack Hirsh

“It was a forgiveness thing. And curiosity, more than anything,” van Rooyen said of the switch. “I’ve played a blade-style club since high school. And I mean, eventually, technology is probably going to have some effect on it and an improvement on things.

“It was met from a place of curiosity. What I found was, I switched into the TCB the week before Sony and just tighter dispersion. That was it, tighter dispersion.”

The performance benefits were obvious, but the TCBs and MBs are very different-looking clubs from address. Fully Equipped co-host Johnny Wunder asked van Rooyen if that made the transition difficult at all.

“I think aesthetically, it has to fit my eye,” he said. “I feel like I’m quite sensitive in that aspect. The minute something looks quite off, it’s hard for me to go, oh, just kind of close your eyes and hit. Like, I see it and I get a feel for it.

“But I think the transition was so, it was way easier than I thought it would be, which I was impressed by. So, yeah, playing a blade for so long, I thought, ‘Jeez, dude, I might have to try this for like two weeks.’”

Callaway Apex TCB 24 Custom Irons

Since Xander Schauffele put a TCB iron in play,his strokes gained in approach have significantlyincreased year over year. Now in 2024, he is top 5 inthe world in strokes gained on the field, and has wontwo major championships with the new ’24 TCB Iron.
MAJOR SUCCESS
Trusting the ‘24 Apex TCB iron, Xander Schauffelewent on to secure two major championships in the2024 season.
TOUR FEEL
Combining our best in technology, the ’24 TCB usesa 1025 tour cavity back body with a 17-4 tour tunedface for consistent spin and control up and down thebag. The feel is second to none. Just ask Xander.
PRO LOOKS
The beautiful raw aesthetic and overall footprint isexactly what Xander was looking for. With a compact controllable shape, and shorter blade length, TCB ’24 are players irons for discerning golfers.

View Product

Only a handful of pictures trickled out over social media earlier this week — not nearly enough of a sample size to understand the totality of what LPGA players were facing in Shanghai.

But then the tournament started, the broadcast cameras turned on, highlight reels cut and sent to the world. Indeed, the greens at Qizhong Garden Golf Club are in rough shape. Probably the roughest you’ve seen in your time watching pro golf this year.

The LPGA itself released this statement:

We are aware of the course conditions at the Buick LPGA Shanghai. The golf course superintendent, tournament team and the LPGA rules officials have worked diligently against extreme heat conditions this season in preparation for this week’s event. We will continue to monitor the situation and care for the course appropriately throughout the week.

They’re right about extreme heat conditions. Typical high temperatures in Shanghai in September float between 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. But this year, from the last week of August through the first week of October, Shanghai saw 23 days with a high of at least 95 degrees.

What that heat has done to the greens isn’t totally clear from 6,000 miles away, but the visuals weren’t great from the first round of the event Thursday. Some areas are clearly baked dry and others show uneven surfaces. Some greens are so ravaged that it would seem difficult to find a place to cut the hole.

This is the second time in the last month the LPGA has battled damage from Mother Nature. In September, the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship was shortened from 54 holes to just 18 — leading to its cancelation — after heavy thunderstorms made the course unplayable.

The shape of this week’s greens didn’t completely deter scoring, as 57 players still shot under par. Of the handful of top performers who conducted post-round press conferences, none were asked to talk about the greens, though Minjee Lee did reference them.

“I feel like with how the greens are, the condition, I think I managed pretty well, to make, what, seven birdies,” she said.

Lee was putting a positive spin on things through 18 holes. One of her birdie looks that didn’t fall was this one, from just nine feet, which she left one foot short.

After teaching thousands of golfers over the years, I’ve discovered something that might surprise you: there is no one “perfect” trail hand position on the grip. Yet checking how your palm aligns on the grip relative to the club face remains one of the biggest steps you can take toward better golf.

I’ve seen successful players with their trail hand positioned under the grip, to the side of the grip and more on top. The common thread among all of them? Their grip matches their body type. This isn’t about following a textbook position — it’s about finding what works biomechanically for your swing.

The real problems begin when a player’s trail hand is misaligned with their natural movement patterns. When this happens, I see golfers struggle with a cascade of swing issues. They fight over-the-top moves, develop a chicken wing through impact, hang back on their trail side or battle inconsistent face control. What looks like multiple swing faults is often just one fundamental error: a trail hand position that forces the body to compensate throughout the entire swing motion.

These compensations happen because your body is trying to solve an error in the face. When your grip doesn’t naturally square the clubface, your subconscious takes over and creates workarounds. Unfortunately, these compensations usually create more problems than they solve, leading to that frustrating cycle of fixing one issue only to have another pop up. Check out below to see what I mean.

So how should your trail hand go on the grip? I use a simple “casting test” developed by Mike Adams, a GOLF Hall of Fame Teacher, through his groundbreaking research and work in BioSwing Dynamics. This assessment helps you discover how your hand naturally aligns with the clubface, taking into account your body’s structure and movement patterns to reveal the grip position that will allow you to swing freely without compensation.

Once you’ve completed the test and identified your ideal trail hand position, the next step is straightforward: match that grip at setup and then swing your swing. Don’t try to change your swing mechanics first — let the proper grip alignment do the heavy lifting.

Here’s what to expect once you match the grip correctly: the ball will fly with much less curve. That’s when you know you’ve found your natural position. With a straighter ball flight as your foundation, you can then fine-tune your alignment, ball position, and other preferences to complement your swing naturally. Instead of fighting compensations, you’re now making small adjustments that enhance what your body already does well.

If you’ve been struggling with your release or fighting multiple swing faults that never seem to fully resolve, this simple adjustment could be the answer you’ve been searching for. In my experience, getting the trail hand grip right has solved more swing problems for my students than any other single change. It’s the foundation that allows everything else to fall into place.

What is kicking off WWE RAW this Monday night?

Earlier this week, Roman Reigns made his WWE return on last weekâ€s RAW, where he destroyed Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed. The OTC rescued The Usos from The Vision member and reunited with his OG Bloodline members. As for whatâ€s next for The Tribal Chief, we wonâ€t have to wait long to find out.

The Head of the Table will officially kick off WWE RAW this Monday evening. Although itâ€s not official what things Reigns will address in this segment, this is the last episode of RAW before Crown Jewel: Perth next weekend.

Despite not currently being announced for a match, Reigns is currently promoted on the official poster for Crown Jewel. This typically hints that a wrestler will participate in an upcoming event.

Following RAW last week, Roman Reigns re-created an infamous promo segment when he walked towards the backstage area and cut a promo while talking to the camera. The former Undisputed Champion reminded everyone that he is the only Tribal Chief and that things he touches turn into gold.

This segment was a recreation of Reigns†iconic promo on RAW leading up to Crown Jewel 2022, where Reigns was set to face Logan Paul. In this promo, the OTC expressed his frustration over people thinking they had a chance against him.

READ MORE:Cody Rhodes Canâ€t Remember The Lyrics To His Theme Song

What do you make of this announcement? Are you looking forward to seeing Roman Reigns kick off WWE RAW this Monday night? Do you think heâ€ll be competing next weekend at Crown Jewel: Perth? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.

Source link

Your hands are the only connection between you and the club, so it’d be wise for you to make sure you’re gripping the club properly. But despite the huge importance of solid grip fundamentals, for many recreational golfers, it’s an afterthought.

Look, I get it. Dialing in your grip is not the most fun form of practice. But if you’re serious about becoming a consistent golfer, you’d be wise to dedicate some time to figuring it out.

Don’t believe me? Just watch Scottie Scheffler on the range when he practices. Not only does he use a molded grip to make sure his fundamentals are correct, he also obsesses over where his hands are on the club before every shot. If it works for him, it’ll work for you.

In the text below, GOLF Top 100 Teacher Mike Dickson sheds some light on how your lead-hand thumb impacts your grip — and how you can make sure it’s in the best position for solid swings.

Master clubface control by doing this

A key component to controlling the golf ball is controlling the club face. Most amateur golfers struggle with this because of an incorrect grip — especially on the lead hand — which compromises club face control and creates a chain reaction of swing faults.

One of the biggest culprits? The position of the lead-hand thumb. A poorly positioned thumb often leads to slices, casting, a lack of power, and inconsistency. Most players place their lead-hand thumb straight down the center of the shaft. This is the worst place to put it.

Athletes coming to golf from sports like tennis, baseball, softball, or hockey often don’t rely on thumbs to grip their equipment. Typically, the thumbs wrap around or barely touch the object. But in golf, where the club moves much faster, thumb placement becomes crucial to controlling the club face.

It’s not just about how the hands connect to the grip — it’s about how they control the club face.

Rethink your setup routine

Let’s start by examining how most golfers approach the ball: They walk up, set their feet, place the club on the ground, and then try to figure out their grip. This often leads to an awkward and inconsistent setup.

Now compare that to what tour players do:

• They start behind the ball, picking a target and visualizing the shot.
• As they walk into the shot, they grip the club with it held at waist height, not resting on the ground.
• They approach the ball with feet unset, place the club behind the ball, and carefully aim the club face.
• Only after the face is aligned do they build their stance — feet parallel to the target line.

This is the complete opposite of what most amateurs do. And the most important part? The club was gripped while in the air, not on the ground.

Creating a neutral grip

Let’s set you up with a Tour-Neutral grip, starting with your lead hand.

Step 1: Mark your glove

You’ll need a Sharpie for this part. Put on your glove and mark a small dot in the center of the webbing between your thumb and index finger. This spot lines up with an anatomical area known as the snuff box in your wrist.

This dot — not your thumb — should line up with the center of the shaft. This is non-negotiable. Most golfers try to place their hand by looking at the palm, but it’s far easier and more effective to use this marked dot as your guide.

Step 2: Hold the glove to take your grip

Hold the shaft just below the grip with your trail hand, pointing the butt of the club toward your belly button. The shaft should be at a slight angle — not vertical or horizontal.

Extend your glove hand out in front of you. Rotate it about 30 degrees to the right (away from the target), then bend the wrist back slightly.

The first part of the hand to connect to the grip is the heel pad, followed by the thumb pad, which should rest just right of center on the shaft. Once the thumb is placed, wrap the fingers around naturally.

Your trail hand is now perfectly positioned to slide down onto the grip, resting over the lead thumb. You may interlock the fingers if you prefer, but it’s not required. In fact, for players with smaller hands, interlocking can often make the right-hand grip too strong, which may close the face too quickly through impact.

Step 3: Align and address the ball

With your grip set, it’s time to address the ball. I recommend using a visual reference point a few feet in front of the ball — aligned with your target — to help with aim.

If you struggle with alignment, especially on tee shots or putts, take advantage of the opportunity to aim while touching the ball. Carefully square the club face to your target first — then set your stance.

Step 4: Final check

Once you’re in position, glance down and check your grip — especially the lead hand. Poor grips often feel uncomfortable at first, but that discomfort is often a sign you’re doing it right. (And frankly, it’s why I have a job!)

Final thoughts

Now that your hands are properly on the club, you’re ready to start hitting compressed, solid shots that fly straight at your target. Remember, the grip is the only connection you have to the club—and ultimately, to the golf ball.

Get this right, and you’ll be amazed at the difference in your swing, your consistency, and your confidence.

At this hour an army of scientists, dressed in white lab coats, are hunkered in the Yankee Stadium offices, pouring over biomechanical data regarding Ben Rice’s swing path, and endeavoring a deep dive into Paul Goldschmidt’s REM sleep over the past nine days.

They are preparing Aaron Boone’s orders for tonight’s lineup, delivered with the usual threat to follow their numbers … or else.

Just kidding.

Boone and bench coach Brad Ausmus, two humans, discussed and wrote the lineup before leaving the ballpark last night, as they always do. In case you haven’t yet heard, this is how the Yankees make decisions.

I haven’t seen tonight’s lineup, but amid all the chatter about first base and catcher, I fully expect the Yankees to start Rice at first in Game 3, Austin Wells at catcher and use Goldschmidt off the bench.

In Game 1, Boone opted for a righty-heavy lineup against Boston’s lefty ace Garrett Crochet. In a few cases, the manager actually went against what the team’s analytics department wanted. That’s a fact.

A game plan against Crochet is different from a game plan against another pitcher, regardless of handedness.

With their season on the line tonight, the Yankees are facing rookie left-hander Connelly Early. After Game 2 Boone would only reveal that he will start Jazz Chisholm Jr. against Early. He left first base and catcher open (why tell Alex Cora before he needs to know, right?).

But he said this:

“It’s not just, it’s a lefty. It’s, what lefty? Is that guy going to be out there for six or seven innings? I want to leverage a spot for whoever my bench guys are to have a good matchup, not three bad matchups that I can guarantee. All of these things factor into it.”

An argument for starting Rice against Early tonight — in addition to the fact that he’s been smoking balls all over Yankee Stadium — is that the Red Sox have five left-handers in their bullpen. And that’s assuming that Crochet won’t give them an inning. It might be six lefties.

This means that if Boone starts Goldschmidt with the intent to swap in Rice after Early leaves (which could be … early), he might be waiting all night. Cora can counter with one lefty reliever after another. Might as well just start Rice.

As for catcher, that does not seem in question, and it has little to do with Wells’ game-winning hit last night. Wells is a superior game-caller, and that’s hugely important in the playoffs, not to mention when working with a rookie in Cam Schlittler.

Source link

The city of Anaheim faces an annual deficit projected at $64 million, so every little bit helps. And, because of the Angels†poor play, that is exactly what the city got in ticket revenue from its hometown baseball team this year: just a little bit.

Until Sunday, in fact, the city did not know for certain that it would get even a penny in ticket revenue.

Advertisement

As part of their lease to play in the city-owned stadium, the Angels are required to pay the city $2 for every ticket sold beyond 2.6 million. On Sunday, the final day of the regular season, the last-place Angels topped that threshold by 15,506. The payment to Anaheim: $31,012.

In better times — amid a run of six postseason appearances in eight years — the city received more than $1 million annually in ticket revenue. The high point: $1,613,580 in 2006, when the team sold a record 3,406,790 tickets.

Although major league teams do not disclose their financial data, Forbes estimated the Angels generated $120 million in ticket revenue last year. The Angels sold 2.58 million tickets last year, so the city received none of that revenue.

Advertisement

When the city and the Walt Disney Co. — then the owner of the Angels — agreed on that stadium lease in 1996, the 2.6 million figure was largely aspirational. The Angels sold 1.8 million tickets that year. In the previous 30 seasons playing in the stadium, the Angels†attendance had topped 2.6 million only four times.

In 2003, however, Arte Moreno bought the Angels from Disney, inheriting a Cinderella World Series championship team and fortifying it with premier free agents, including Hall of Famer outfielder Vladimir Guerrero and star pitcher Bartolo Colon.

The city first received ticket revenue that year, when the Angels†attendance shot past 2.6 million and topped 3 million. Under Morenoâ€s ownership, the Angels won five division championships in the next six years and sold more than 3 million tickets every year from 2003-2019.

The Angels have not made a postseason appearance in 11 years — the longest drought in the major leagues — and have not posted a winning record in 10 years. Attendance dropped sharply after the pandemic, and Anaheim has received a share of the Angels†ticket revenue only twice in the past six years: this year, and $81,150 in 2023.

Advertisement

The city does receive revenue from parking and other stadium events, but only after certain thresholds have been reached. Under the lease, ticket sales are the primary driver of city revenue.

The Angels pay no rent under their lease, since Disney paid all but $20 million of a $117-million stadium renovation. The city said it would make its money back from development of the parking lots around the stadium, which has not happened in the three decades since the lease took effect.

Moreno twice has agreed to deals in which he would own the stadium and develop the land around it, but the city backed away both times: in 2014, after then-mayor Tom Tait objected to leasing the land to Moreno for $1 per year; and in 2022, after the FBI taped then-mayor Harry Sidhu saying he would ram a deal through and ask the Angels for a million-dollar contribution in return. (Sidhu was sentenced to prison last March, after signing a plea agreement that specified he had leaked confidential negotiating information to the Angels. The government has not alleged the Angels did anything wrong.)

Advertisement

In April, current mayor Ashleigh Aitken invited Moreno for a new round of discussions. He made no commitment, and the city subsequently decided to put any talks on hold until the completion of a property assessment designed to determine how many hundreds of millions of dollars would be needed to keep the 1966 stadium viable for decades to come. That study is expected to be concluded next year.

In January, the Angels exercised an option to extend their stadium lease through 2032. They have two other options to extend the lease if they wish: one through 2035, the other through 2038.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Source link