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Dipping into the mailbag
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 Wednesday on CNNSI.com. October 25, 2000 I'm overseas preparing for next week's Mizuno Classic so I thought I'd answer some of your questions instead of writing a full-fledged diary entry this time around. Leta, I hear the term "knockdown shot" a lot. What is that?
The knockdown shot is a shot that goes lower. It's often used under windy conditions when you're trying to keep the ball low and out of the wind. You hit the shot by playing the ball back in your stance, and by keeping your hands forward through the shot and by having a short follow through. Basically, you're taking loft off the club. We have a number of questions in regard to caddies. Do most players on tour have their own caddies like you or do they hire them from the area of the tournament? For those with full-time caddies, how are they paid and are they responsible for their airfare and hotel expenses etc.? If you miss the cut, do you still have to pay the caddie their same rate?
I don't know the percentages, but most of the top players have full-time regular caddies. Other players might hire local caddies at each event or they might hire a different tour caddie each week. Caddies are responsible for their own expenses, although some players work out deals with their caddies where they might pick up some or all of the expenses, especially if it's an expensive airfare, such as when you're going overseas. I pay them a base weekly salary and a percentage of the winnings. A couple of tournaments ago, you had two pitch shots that were facing on 15 and 16. On 15 you tried to hit a bump and run and on 16 you came up short. Can you describe your thought process before the shot and what you would have done differently. Keep up the good work. You are exciting to watch.
First of all, I'm not sure which course you are talking about. My shot process in terms of picking the type of chip I'm going to hit has to do with the conditions, how firm the greens are, how much green I have to work with, and if I have to deal with mounds and undulations of the green. If I had to hit a bump and run, then I probably had a lot of green to work with. If I hit a pitch, I probably didn't. I just discovered this diary, and I printed all of the old entries to catch up on your year! I just discovered you at the last great tournament you had. I think you are a remarkable golfer and very articulate as well. My question is whose clothes do you wear? I saw the same emblem on the tank sweater you wore and the black skirt, but I could not figure out which company that was. You dress impeccably on the course, and I would like to buy those clothes!
I'm wearing a new clothing line that's based out of Chicago called Earth Angel. They have a jewelry line and sporting wear line. It's fashionable, functional and feminine. (I guess you could call it the three Fs!) You can start looking for it next year, I hope. They are working on a website and a catalog. A lot of people ask me about my clothes, and I'm really excited about it. How are first-round pairings determined?
It's done by computer. We have A tee times and B tee times. Whether or not you are an A or B is determined by the money list. So if you have an A tee time, you are never at the extremes, first or last. You are usually mid-morning. That's a good goal to have. I enjoyed your game and presentation when you were in Ottawa. I am interested to know what kind of shafts you like for your woods and irons?
I like graphite shafts. I like them because they are lighter weight than steel and I can get more club-head speed. I've just always played graphite, and I recommend it for women and men. I play a regular low kick graphite shaft, and that's what works for me. It helps me get the ball in the air. I've attended several LPGA tournaments. Sometimes when you are walking between holes and you are outside the ropes, the players literally get caught up in the gallery crowds. Do you or any of the other players find that distracting or upsetting to your games?
It's not so bad except sometimes the better you are playing, the bigger your gallery. People sometimes say things and they sometimes say the wrong things. But most of the comments are encouraging, and it never really bothers me. That's what makes golf popular. You are so close you can literally touch the players. In football, you can barely see the athlete's face. In golf, you can see them, touch them. I think that helps our popularity. I followed you a few years ago during a tournament in my hometown. You have a very interesting pre-shot routine. Can you tell me how that came about? You have such good tempo when you hit but it appears that your practice swings have a much quicker tempo.
I guess I try to have a nice strong practice swing. The quicker tempo probably came from a few years ago when I tried to speed up my swing. Most of all, the routine is about trying to loosen the muscles, shake out the tension and get focused on my shot. We're here, let's focus. I do the same thing every time because I try and make it the same so it's consistent and I can have the same good results. -Leta
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