Just Hit The Damn Ball offers a practical method for helping golfers at every level move beyond swing mechanics and develop their innate potential. Golf is a game of feel, yet we are obsessed with technical perfection. Every player needs solid fundamentals, however, the vast majority keep "spinning their wheels" when they focus on correcting the endless catalogue of technical errors. The secret to constant improvement is learning to ask how to re-create the good shots instead of obsessing over why you hit the poor ones.
"Well, son, I guess we have to go the to bank." That's what Leon Hess told me the day the Jets drafted me as the number-one player in the NFL draft. But that first day, the day of the draft, was one of the happiest days in my life, because I knew I was ready to make things happen in the league and help turn things around for the sorry-ass Jets. But what a nightmare! Week after week, loss after loss. The Jets went in with a loser reputation, and they were earning it all over again. We had no emotion, no energy, no hunger. The media tried to cover it all. Rich Kotite tried to explain the disasters away. But nobody outside the team knew the real truth of what really went on. This book is going to change all that.
In 1904 a famous and legendary physician named Sir William Osler counseled doctors to “Live a simple and temperate life, that you may give all your powers to your profession. Medicine is a jealous mistress; she will be satisfied with no less.” Unlike this famous advice, most physicians do not live a simple life. The demands by patients, hospitals, communities, political groups, and others for a doctor’s time can be extraordinary. As a young boy Dr. Osler’s mistress seduced me, and I have had a lifelong affair with her. The book’s title, Paging Dr. A, relates to the many ways I was summoned or contacted over the years. A phone ringing, or a pager beeping, or a nurse having a hunch about a patient, or a sheriff coming to my home in the middle of the night all requested my help. I learned that someone waving at me in a crowd, a pat on my back, or a note written on a scrap of paper could also be asking for my assistance with a medical problem or to give a presentation to educate others. With time and experience, I learned that a person’s appearance and body language often communicated a better medical history than the spoken word. This retrospective presents more true stories about my journey through fifty years of medicine. Some stories have extended notes inserted into the text to give the reader clarity about certain topics. Some stories contain “Food For Thought” topics. Like the stories in my other books, Reflections of a Country Doctor, The Next Prescription, and Side Effects, some are silly, some are sad, some will make you happy, and some might make you mad. I hope you enjoy this portion of my life’s journey in medicine.
Have you ever hit a perfect shot? You have the ability. All you need is the recipe. Learn how to re-create those shots. Volume One in the series reveals common misconceptions in traditional instruction. Changing your beliefs about practice, muscle memory and formal instruction is the first step to unlocking your natural ability. Develop the habit of reinforcing the memories of success and you will be playing better than you ever thought possible! The biggest roadblock to improvement for the once-a-week golfer is focusing on technical perfection. This outlook creates an endless cycle of fault-finding and error correction. How often have you asked: "what's wrong with my swing?" You can break this cycle by consistently re-creating the feel of your best shots. The better your "feel," the easier it becomes to forget swing mechanics for one-and-a-half seconds and just hit the damn ball!
Providence and hard work is a journey back to the golden era of the fifties as seen through the eyes of Caleb Morgan, a strikingly handsome, poor farm boy from rural Mississippi. Caleb arrived at the exclusive Marston College in 1955 driving a '23 Model T pickup. He soon became the brunt of everyone's jokes, appearing somewhat slow because of his deep southern drawl and naivety. Caleb's dream was to play football at Marston College, although he had never played before and become a teacher. He soon fell in love with the campus beauty; however, she wore an engagement ring and a mysterious air of sadness. Caleb secures employment at the local country club, tries out for football, and begins classes, making a fool of himself at every turn. Ready to forsake his dreams and return to the cotton fields after becoming the victim of a cruel prank that nearly cost his roommate's life, Caleb gains the attention of Dr. Marston, the most affluent man in Mississippi and owner of the prestigious country club where Caleb works. Dr. Marston is so impressed with Caleb's humility and integrity that he takes Caleb under his wing and begins making secret plans for Caleb's future. Caleb's fortune began to change after that day, and in time, the campus goat became the campus' "Golden Boy." The education he receives is a far cry from the one he expected. With its wry humor and endearing characters; Providence and Hard Work will tug at your heart strings.
In FRACKING DINOSAURS ancient aquatic carnivores that have lived quietly for eons at the bottom of Cayuga Lake in upstate New York are driven to the surface when fracking fluid pollutes their pristine environment. As university paleontologists discover ancient fossils in the strata around the lake, camp counselors discover the fossils are alive and hungry. Gas and salt executives put profit before safety as they compete for the the resources under Cayuga Lake. This competition causes fracking generated earthquakes that rip open the salt mine under the lake flooding it and generating waves that devastate the people living around the lake.
"Liz Maccie's debut novel is as tough, optimistic, and beautiful as her heroine, Roberta Romano. Roberta's voice is heartfelt and funny. Her story is exceptionally moving and honest. I love this book and the hope it has for young women everywhere." —Stephen Chbosky, New York Times bestselling author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower The most important lessons aren't learned in the classroom. It’s the first day of sophomore year for Roberta Romano, but instead of the comfort of her local high school, she's been thrust into the elitist embrace of the affluent Meadowbrook Academy. Surrounded by wealth, Roberta battles her own insecurities to prove her worth and maybe land the boy of her dreams. With the help of two unlikely allies—and an inflatable toy raft—Roberta embarks upon a journey of dark secrets and self-discovery to learn the true meaning of friendship and acceptance. "Roberta will charm and delight you with a voice that’s candid, hilarious, and hopeful, as she narrates her first day at a new high school, reminding us of the epic nature of each hour in our adolescent lives. Lessons I Never Learned at Meadowbrook Academy will make you laugh, cringe, cry, and cheer for the power of friendships that can change us in a single day." —Ava Dellaira, author of Love Letters to the Dead "You wish your first day of prep school was this epic! Every single page of Lessons I Never Learned sparkles with heart and humor. Like a teenage Bridget Jones, Roberta Romano will make you laugh, cry, and cringe as she tries to navigate her first day at Meadowbrook Academy. She finds friends and enemies, earns detentions and serious respect, and makes memories that will last her a lifetime." —Siobhan Vivian, author of The List
Your official source for unofficial golf etiquette. Are you clueless about golf etiquette? Are you a beginning golfer? Have you been invited to play golf with the boss and you've never played? Are you tired of being the last one picked for a golf tournament? Are you simply a hopeless golfer? This book is for you! The Hopeless Golfer will take you from the parking lot to the 19th Hole and help you act "like you've been there before" ... even though your score will give you away...
First Golfer: "Hey, how's your golf game?" Second Golfer: "Not so good. It seems the older I get, the better I used to be!" Whether you're slicing your way through the fairway or chipping up enough dirt to build an in-ground pool, there's nothing like a good golf joke to keep a duffer from taking the game too seriously (you know who you are). This riotous collection contains enough material for you and your fellow golfers to laugh your way to the 19th hole, game after game. Two golfer and their caddies were out on the course one day. By the fifteenth hole one of the golfers had blown so many putts he went berserk. He started swearing out loud, grabbed his putter and, with a mighty toss, threw it at the water hazard forty yards away. One caddy turned to the other and said, "Five bucks says he misses the water!" For anyone with a sense of humor, even those who think that golf and golfers are best left to America's Funniest Home Videos, 501 Golf Jokes will always make a hold-in-one at parties, at the office, at any occasion. Franklin Dohanyos collaborated with Karoyln Grimes on the holiday bestseller Zuzu Bailey's "It's A Wonderful Life" Cookbook and is the editor of The Cats Of Our Lives. He runs his own public relations firm and lives in Royal Oak, Michigan.
When Thom finds a murdered body on the golf course, he can't rest until he solves the mystery of the heinous crime. And the cast of characters he meets along the way is anything but comforting. Thom hates standing just four-foot-seven (and a half!). After watching his mother bleed to death from a knife stuck through her heart, he runs away and lands in backwards backwoods Florida. There, he becomes an expert golfer. This is no small feat, and one he credits to his short game. Thom only golfs alone. It's where he escapes the scorn and ignorance of others. The course is Thom's World. Until, that is, he discovers a woman's bloody corpse on number two-stabbed through the heart. Then Thom's World becomes a black tunnel of terror and guilt. He can't even raise a club without collapsing in panic. Thom must solve the murder not only to escape suspicion, but especially to reclaim his glorious solitude. This, however, finally forces him to open up to others: like Dyleane, who sees Thom for what he is on the inside; Jade, the ample proprietor of a cafe and whorehouse; Father C, a chain-smoking priest with a pitiful toupee; and others still, who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried.
