Browsing: type

SAN FRANCISCO — After three months of contentious free agency negotiations, Golden State Warriors wing Jonathan Kuminga signed his contract in Cleveland on Tuesday night, flew to San Francisco on Wednesday and will join the team for practice on Thursday afternoon.

The next question looming over the Warriors will be about Kuminga’s immediate buy-in to the mission at hand — elevating the Warriors back to title contention before the end of the Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler era.

Coach Steve Kerr will be in charge of guiding Kuminga back into the fold. He reiterated twice after Wednesday’s practice that he has a fine personal relationship with Kuminga and doesn’t believe the player is the type “to come in and tear a team down.”

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

“Jimmy is an alpha,” Kerr said. “Steph and Draymond are alphas. They run that locker room. I’m not worried about anything.”

Kuminga spent the offseason searching for either a better contract or a sign-and-trade to a different team. He has made it clear he believes his career could flourish with more opportunities elsewhere.

But the dynamics of restricted free agency led him back to the Warriors on a two-year, $48.5 million deal that includes a team option on the second season and a 15% trade kicker. Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, made it clear that Kuminga was seeking a player option.

Throughout the negotiations, both sides acknowledged the awkward fit with each other and ultimately landed on this contract structure because it is designed to be more easily moved come Jan. 15, when Kuminga will be trade eligible again.

“We feel like we have a player that can be really good,” general manager Mike Dunleavy said. “I don’t feel like there’s a need to make a move. Now, we’ll see how the season unfolds. This time last year I would have said we need to get better. I don’t feel that right now. It could change. We have a lot of guys in the team that have value around the league and could be traded, but I think the structure is more so what works for us and the player.”

Turner made many of the details of the negotiations public, including a 40-minute sit-down podcast with ESPN’s Hoop Collective that included the revelation of the transparent nature of the sign-to-trade contract.

Dunleavy said he would keep his own version of the negotiations “behind closed doors.”

“From my end, as a former player, understanding there’s a shelf life on your career, I’ve got no issues with guys doing whatever they can to get the deals they want,” Dunleavy said. “The money, the team, the role, all those things you’re looking for as a free agent. However you want to go about doing it, I have no issues. Would I do it that way? No. But I’ve got no issues. The offseason is time for business. During the season is time for basketball.”

Kerr was in contact with Kuminga during the process, checking in on the fifth-year forward.

But Kerr, a former general manager in Phoenix, sat out of the contract portion of the conversations.

“I told [Dunleavy] there was a reason I hated being a GM,” Kerr said. “Those 92 days were a great example of that. I’d much prefer being a coach and letting management handle all the contract stuff.”

But now the job falls to Kerr, who has toggled Kuminga in and out of his rotation for four seasons. Kerr said he plans to have a long conversation with Kuminga in the coming days to discuss what transpired this summer, the basketball scars of the previous four seasons and what lies ahead.

“It may not be the contract he was hoping for, but that’s life-changing money,” Kerr said. “The whole idea is to get him to get better, help him become the player he can become and sign a few more contracts. That’s what he has to focus on and I have to focus on — the getting better part. That’s been the thing that’s held him back — what we need verse what he wants to do. There’s no denying that’s been an issue.”

Source link

Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game-improvement column that will help you become a smarter, better golfer.

So, you want to become a more consistent golfer? It all starts with the fundamentals.

There’s a reason coaches are always harping on fundamentals. They’re the foundation for a solid golf swing, and if you don’t have a solid foundation, you’ll never be able to play consistent golf.

These basics are not “sexy” nor are they the most exciting things to work on. But if you dedicate yourself to learning them the right way, you’ll be well on your way to a much more sound golf game.

One such fundamental that is crucial is your setup, and in the video below, LPGA teaching professional Gia Liwski explains how you can find the best possible setup position for your swing.

How to find the right setup position

When finding the best setup position for your swing, it’s important to note that it will look a little bit different for everyone. Just like most things in the swing, there’s no one-size-fits all position that will work for everyone.

To find the position that is best for you and your body type, Liwski suggests doing a simple test. First, stand tall with your arms dangling and your hands flat on the front of your upper thigh. Now, start to push your hinge at the waist and start to push your hips back as your hands slide down the front of your legs.

Once your fingertips reach the top of your knees, stop and start to move your weight forward onto the balls of your feet. It should feel almost like you are getting ready to dive into a pool.

“This is gonna be especially important with your irons,” Liwski says. “It’ll get your shoulders turning a little steeper and get the club working steeper, which is what we want with the irons.”

From this position, you will be in a great position to put a solid swing on the ball and create crisp, ball-first contact.

By doing this test, you’ll soon find that your setup position may look a little different than your playing partners. Because of our body types, the amount we need to hinge forward will differ slightly from person to person. The key is finding the position that allows your arms to dangle freely in front of you while leaving the correct amount of room to make a solid and consistent swing.

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