Source: Vietnam News

The next day we were musing about the worst-case scenario, if bird flu made the jump to other animals…it would be truly a disaster.

Mad Cow made people afraid to eat beef, bird flu takes chicken and other fowl out of play and could theoretically take pork off the menu as well if it jumps to pigs. If it jumped to humans then it’s Game, Set and Match, so we won’t go there as its too depressing to think about.

That leaves only fish and vegetables, but unfortunately, in some parts of the world, fish show signs of mercury contamination and vegetables have been either genetically-altered or sprayed with enough chemicals to float a battleship.

Is there nothing safe to eat anymore?

The fact of the matter is that anytime we screw around with something – in hopes of improving upon nature – we tend to pay for it later in spades.

Golf swings are a lot like that as well.

I constantly see players wanting to "change their swings’ to be more like a Tour player they admire…unfortunately, their builds are nowhere close. When I tell them it is physically impossible to swing that way for their body type, they refuse to accept it and search out someone who will give them the swing they want.

They usually come back to see me a few months later, hopelessly screwed up and begging to get their "old" swing back.

Look, elephants will never sit in trees and birds will never knock trees over. They are two different creatures altogether. Both are beautiful and have amazing traits, but they can never be something they are not.

The best advice I can give anyone is to swing naturally and be yourself. Your character, temperament and body strengths will all be reflected in the way you swing, so don’t fight it – amplify it.

Find your strengths and develop them, find your weaknesses and limit their influences. There is nothing more frustrating than to watch someone fighting themselves on the golf course. If you slice the ball, then aim left of the target. If you hook, aim right.

Play your natural shot and save the corrections for the driving range under the watchful eye of your local professional.

You’ll play better golf and have a lot more fun being "yourself".

One question that pops up every so often is "how long does a golf ball last?"

If you ask some of the players I know, they’ll tell you a golf ball lasts one round – if they’re lucky. If they’re not lucky the ball becomes fish-food.

I remember one player in a group had the habit of always using a new ball - especially on Par three holes over water. He always splashed a few before finding the green. When I mentioned to him he should use an old ball on water holes, he claimed he never had a ball long enough for it to become old.

Spalding golf, which manufactures Top Flite golf balls says the shelf life of a golf ball (if properly stored) is 2-5 years. A golf ball should be stored at room temperature around 50º F. Don't leave the golf balls in the trunk of your car or in the sun. A temperature of 150ºF is hot enough to change a golf ball's shape."

When it comes to golf balls, players should remember that most of the top-shelf (higher priced) balls spin more, meaning that if a player normally "fades" a hard-shell ball – like a Top Flite, then a ball which spins faster – such as a PRO V1 will slice like hell on them. Draws become hooks, etc…

Use the best ball for your skill level.