Phill Mickelson is right handed of course! There maybe some truth in what you say. If you take batting in cricket then a stronger front arm definitely helps playing the ball straight on the point of impact and helps control the trajectory of the ball. However, with sports like golf, baseball, tennis, etc. it’s more about the shoulders and core. With golf on most shots the arms and hands are more of an hindrance if anything and you try to minimize their influence on the swing & putting stroke on most shots. So I wouldn’t advise anybody to play golf opposite handed to what you are. The only reason so many left handed people play right handed golf is because most people pick right handed clubs when starting off playing (Mickelson was the opposite). With cricket I see more of an advantage.
Gareth Bale retires | Begins his golf career next month
- Thread starter Pexbo
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Phill Mickelson is right handed of course! There maybe some truth in what you say. If you take batting in cricket then a stronger front arm definitely helps playing the ball straight on the point of impact and helps control the trajectory of the ball. However, with sports like golf, baseball, tennis, etc. it’s more about the shoulders and core. With golf on most shots the arms and hands are more of an hindrance if anything and you try to minimize their influence on the swing & putting stroke on most shots. So I wouldn’t advise anybody to play golf opposite handed to what you are. The only reason so many left handed people play right handed golf is because most people pick right handed clubs when starting off playing (Mickelson was the opposite). With cricket I see more of an advantage.
He's got a lovely clean swing. Goes to show how much pure athleticism helps a golf game.
For a so called amateur, that swing is pretty damn impressive.. handicap of 2 so was obviously going to be pretty good… Wales Golf Madrid
Yeah, it's one or the other. For people of a certain age Charles was a god, the team I played for in the Welsh national league actually had the bar and lounge named after him. Shared the same positional flexibility, with Charles being both a CB and a CF.
I always liked the Jack Charlton quote about John Charles
"John Charles was a team unto himself. People often say to me, 'Who was the best player you ever saw?', and I answer that it was probably Eusebio, Di Stefano, Cruyff, Pelé or our Bob. But the most effective player I ever saw, the one that made the most difference to the performance of the whole team, was without question John Charles."
I give Bale a lot of kudos for changing the mentality of the Welsh national team. His dedication to making himself available as much as possible, including friendlies and the like, really helped in getting others to buy in to the whole idea. For such an injury prone player and one who retired young, 111 caps is impressive. Before him it was a very different environment and there was less enthusiasm across the board, including in the stands.
I actually spent 3 months doing everything I could with my left hand (writing, picking things up etc) and as it got stronger, my golf game improved. I think for people with smoother swings, its a nice thing to consider as it helps with tempo
His true calling. Seems like an overall nice guy with a good sense of humor
I tried Golf once. Annoying as feck and hard to hit that stupid little ball.
I tried Golf once. Annoying as feck and hard to hit that stupid little ball.
Also depends which eye is your dominant one.
I actually spent 3 months doing everything I could with my left hand (writing, picking things up etc) and as it got stronger, my golf game improved. I think for people with smoother swings, its a nice thing to consider as it helps with tempo
I had a similar experience actually! I worked for about a decade in a biology lab - where your dominant hand is usually the one pipetting and so got very very good at throwing things (specifically empty eppendorf tubes) accurately with my left hand. My golf game came on by leaps and bounds as well - there's a lot to be said with developing fluidity with complex motions involving multiple joints.
Also now I am very very good at hustling people at beer pong.
Good point. Actually what I really mean to say is play the way which feels the most natural & comfortable. For the majority of the population that’s going to be right handed in golf.
Looks in a great mood...good for him.
No, that is a right handed golf swing. I play a bit of golf and tennis and believe me, a lefty sets up the other way around. Probably simply left footed and right handed. I was just surprised (and I would kill for that golf swing).
Therese Johaug surely the best example.
Here’s her winning her skiing gold medal.
And here she is winning the Norwegian Championships at 10k a few years later:
my comment was more to do with the idea that he might still be left handed but golfs right handed
a cool way to learn how important the lead arm is is to record your normal swing, then hit 50 balls one handed with only your lead arm, or until you can consistently make good contact. Then, put other hand back on the club then record the swing and compare the difference.
Therese Johaug surely the best example.
Here’s her winning her skiing gold medal.
And here she is winning the Norwegian Championships at 10k a few years later:
Would be more impressive if she actually won an international race. But I bet she would have been pretty much unbeatable in most endurance-based sports. It's good for the sport and the health of those trying to catch her that she retired.
It's not hard to hit the ball
It's just hard to hit the right direction, I can hit it 250 yards easily, 200 yards straight and then it takes a left turn and goes 50 yards the wrong way
Finally something that doesnt rely on pace
Not only that - is also, potentially, a better golfer too. These pro players who love golf play of like low handicaps (2ish), but that's not good enough to go pro, not even close. Steph Curry attempted this, in an actual event, missed the cut by a fair chunk after it fizzled off.
Deion Sanders is another who played both NFL and MLB
Finally?
Jimmy Bullard is really good at other sports. I’m sure he’s won fishing competitions and he’s been involved in some European tour golf stuff before.
he isn't changing sports, he just got a celebrity invite to this event
but Jordan is the obvious example, went to play Baseball for a bit
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Give it time, he'll be winning the Masters soon
The next Tiger Woods.
Ash Barty took 2 years off cricket, despite having no formal training was good enough to play professional cricket for 2 years before going back to tennis and becoming world number 1 and winning 3 majors
Rebecca Romero was a world champion rower for GB, before switching to cycling and then becoming a world and Olympic champion in that sport.
Victoria Pendleton. Cycling to horse racing.
Ester Ledecka, alpine skier and snowboarder, is olympic champion in both sports!
Has to be said that his first win was an absolute joke. Easily the most undeserved winner I know of, based almost entirely off the hype of him demolishing Maicon in two matches in the CL. Otherwise he wasn't remotely close to being one of the best that season.
His second was certainly well deserved, but it still amazes me he got handed the first.
It's not that unusual.
Fred Perry was Wimbledon singles champion 3 years in a row and also a world singles champion in table tennis.
Wow that’s really impressive. These footballers are just natural athletes
Not sure any of this is fair on the leagues or clubs around them. There’s players there that should be playing divisions above Wrexham
What about Foster?
Reynolds got him to come out of retirement to play for Wrexham and he saved a penalty in their league topper against Notts County before their promotion. Epic stuff.
Is Bale one of those now? Not sure what he will even be like, to be honest. I don't see an issue with them joining lower clubs if that is what they want to do; it is not like they would be getting prime Bale, who would turn Division 2 into a joke.
I find it highly unlikely Ben Foster has any interest in playing a season of League Two football, I would be utterly shocked if Gareth Bale did
Didn’t Edgar Davids play for Barnet?