|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Taking some friendly advice
Leta Lindley, 28, is in her sixth season on the LPGA Tour. She had her best year in 1999 with a tie for second, as well as four other top 10 finishes. In 1997, she finished second at the LPGA Championship, losing to Chris Johnson on the second hold of a sudden-death playoff. She was a four-time All-American at the University of Arizona and set an NCAA record for lowest 54-hole score (nine under par). Check out Lindley's diary each week on CNNSI.com. September 20, 2000
My week off was very nice and relaxing. I worked hard with Matt, hit a lot of balls. I also got to do important stuff like get organized, go through my mail,and look at my house, which has a roof now. It's the little things in life that make me happy. Like Ashdan's Yogurt in West Palm. They have the best frozen yogurt in the country! I always get fat-free oreo, and I got to go there a few times this week. I really crave it when I'm not around. It's so good! I flew out on Saturday since I had an outing on Monday. When I got here, I ran into a college teammate Paige Veliz-Gilbert. She's a teaching pro and she was in Portland trying to Monday qualify for this event, the Safeway LPGA Championship. It was sort of a fluke thing that I talked to her. But I mentioned some of the problems I had been having with my swing. Lud has always suggested I talk to other people because you never know if someone is going to say something in a way that registers with you. And guess what? She did! I was working on stuff with Matt and it wasn't getting any better. I knew I was getting the club inside, on an inside plane, so it was a matter of how NOT to do that. That's why I was hitting the push draw shots. But Paige helped me a lot with my takeaway and it feels so much better. She gave me a quick lesson on turning my shoulders under more instead of keeping them so level. My right arm was getting underneath my left arm, which promotes an inside swing. So by keeping my right arm a little higher in the first half of my backswing, it gives me a more upright plane. So now my ball starts on target instead of to the right of the target. As I've said before, we're talking small, small things that can make a big difference. It's unbelievable. I've been fighting this and feeling so uncomfortable. Even with how I played last week, finishing seventh, I wasn't happy with my swing. My ball flights had been low, which I didn't like. I couldn't stand watching by ball push out right and draw back. It just irritated me. But now that I have a different plane, it's carrying further and landing softer. So this week I want to win for Paige (she unfortunately didn't qualify). So that's big news! I have a few more days to work on this, but it's just so much better. For the first time in a long time I feel like I'm going into a tournament excited. I feel like I can be strong. Plus, this is one of my favorite courses on tour. I'm so happy when I'm here. I love every hole and I just love this tournament. You can't make an ugly course in the northwest, what with all the pine trees and everything being so green. Matt's here caddying this week, so he's off doing his thing. And a lot of his family will be here, too. It's nice having them out here rooting for you. It makes a big difference. And the weather is good. This is a good week. I can feel it. -Leta
| ||||||||||||||||||||
