Golf Annika's Way - Rilegato

Sorenstam, Annika

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ISBN 10: 1592400760 ISBN 13: 9781592400768

Casa editrice: Gotham Books, 2004

Riassunto

The Swedish-born LPGA champion takes readers inside the world of golf to teach golfers of all levels of skill how to play and win like a pro, with detailed instructions on the swing, fundamentals of grip and posture, and putting, along with tips on using every club in the bag and furnishing helpful advice on her own innovative training regimen. 175,000 first printing.

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L'autore:

Annika Sorenstam is the all-time LPGA money leader and a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. She has won more than fifty tournaments, including a career Grand Slam; has won the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average five times; and has been named Rolex LPGA Player of the Year six times.

Estratto. © Riproduzione autorizzata. Diritti riservati.:

FOREWORD

In 1999, Annika Sorenstam and I were attending a corporate outing in San Francisco when she asked me if I would look at her putting. I gave her a couple of ideas to start off with, and then we got together a couple of weeks later at Bighorn Golf Club in Palm Springs for a serious session.

When I teach someone to putt, I use the words “feel” and “roll” instead of words like “try” and “hit.” Annika tended to putt mechanically, and I wanted her to reach into her subconscious and feel the ball roll so that her putting would have almost a Zen-like feeling. True, we worked on the usual—grip, posture, and alignment, but we always stressed visualization and feel, which would lead to much better technique. We also increased the amount of loft that Annika had on her putter to help her roll the ball better. Annika was a quick and willing student, always working longer and harder than I suggested, and always accepting the risks connected with change. The results she achieved gave me a great deal of satisfaction. She went from a two-victory season the year before we worked together to amassing a total of 30 wins over the next four years.

I was proud of her in 2003 when she entered the Bank of America Colonial in Fort Worth—a tournament I won in 1967, the first win of my PGA Tour career. Colonial Country Club, or “Hogan’s Alley,” as it is known, is a true shotmaker’s course. Annika played spectacularly from tee to green, only to fail to putt as well as either of us would have hoped. Through all the pressure created by fans, media, and competitors, her confidence, smile, and competitive determination showed through.

I was very honored when she asked me to write this foreword because I understand what a powerful message her book contains for all golfers regardless of age or ability. Annika is a golfer in total control of all aspects of the game, especially when it comes to creative thinking. The goals she sets are no longer laughed at—such as total victories, single-season grand slams, and scores (she already owns a 59). She even speaks of one day shooting a 54—all birdies. I wouldn’t bet against her. Annika Sorenstam has become one of the most dominant female players in history. Let yourself learn from her here—her courage and strength, her determination and intelligence, and her deep faith in her ability. Then put it all to use in your own game, for your own improvement, and the results should be startling.
—By Dave Stockton, PGA Champion, 1970 and 1976

FOREWORD

This must seem like a weird twosome—a singer writing a tribute to a golfer. But I had the pleasure of meeting Annika several years ago through a mutual friend, and since that first meeting we’ve spent some time together in each other’s worlds. I have played golf with her—which is a totally amazing experience for a duffer like me—and she has been a great supporter of my music, coming to see my shows all over the place.

As brilliant as her golf is, it’s only one of the things I admire about Annika. What really strikes me is the strength of her spirit—her determination to get better and better. I know what it takes to be at the top of your game, whether you’re a doctor, a painter, a carpenter, a plumber, a singer, or a golfer. To be the best at anything, you have to be strong. You have to be willing to overcome all the obstacles that get in your way, and you have to make sacrifices. She’s an athlete and I’m an entertainer, both of us blessed with talent, which is a gift. Annika has taken that gift and raised it to the highest level. I’ll never forget the 2003 Bank of America Colonial tournament, when Annika became the first woman in fifty-eight years to play in a PGA Tour event. Remember her opening tee shot? How wonderfully she hit the ball, straight and true. Then she gave a big smile, put her hand to her heart, and pretended to stagger away in relief. The pressure was incredible, but she still performed remarkably well, with grace and dignity, and she wasn’t too proud to make fun of herself.

She wasn’t trying to outdo the men that week. She was doing what she had done her whole life—challenging herself to reach the top of her potential. Annika was pushing Annika!

That’s why I admire her so much. She will not allow herself to give a mediocre effort. She will not settle for second best. Annika believes in her dreams, and she follows them. She is an inspiration to me, and to millions of other men and women who are giving their all to reach their potential. I’m very proud to call her my friend.
—By Celine Dion

PROLOGUE

In May 2003, I undertook the biggest challenge of my life—playing against the men of the PGA Tour at the Bank of America Colonial Tournament in Fort Worth, Texas. The timing couldn’t have been better. I was peaking physically, mentally, and emotionally, coming off a season in which I’d broken or tied 30 LPGA records and won 13 times worldwide. Just two years earlier I couldn’t have endured the physical challenge of being the first woman to play a PGA Tour event since Babe Zaharias in 1945, let alone a media frenzy that the great Babe could not have imagined.

While there was some criticism of my decision, I saw only the positives: the chance to take my game to a new level, to meet new people, to win new fans and, yes, to learn from the men of the PGA Tour. The worst that could happen would be to finish last—but even then I knew I would gain valuable experience.

When I woke on the morning of my first round, my stomach was jumping. I knew that every lesson I’d learned in golf and life would come into play that day. First and foremost, I had to face my fear—and, believe me, I was afraid. Television vans with satellite dishes lined the course, and there were so many fans—a record crowd of 40,000—that I employed Tiger Woods’s security team for the week.

I saw the Colonial as my Mount Everest, and when I arrived at the course I briefly felt breathless, as if I really were about to climb a 29,000-foot peak. But the fans were overwhelmingly supportive and positive, as were my playing partners, Dean Wilson and Aaron Barber. I was touched when Dean arrived wearing a green “Go Annika” button: He and Aaron seemed as flustered as I was.

“I’m so nervous I don’t know if I can handle this,” Aaron told me, “but we’ll go through it together.”

I could barely feel my arms when we arrived on the 10th tee (our first of the day), but that’s when my training as a competitive athlete kicked in. As the announcer introduced me, a different Annika took over. I drew a few deep breaths and began my preshot routine. Suddenly, despite the noise, energy, and excitement, there was solitude. My mind quieted. In some faraway sense I knew I was about to achieve everything I had ever worked toward, but I had just one thought as I stepped up to the ball: “Swing easy.” As soon as my 4-wood made contact, everything felt right. The ball hung in the air for what seemed an eternity, traveled 243 yards—and split the fairway. I’d faced the shot of my life and pulled it off. Relief flooded over me.

Although I didn’t make the cut (a few more putts and I would have!), I’m proud that I pushed myself to the highest level. I did the best I could, and learned a lot along the way. But all the knowledge was just a fraction of what I’ve learned since I began playing the game as a shy 12-year-old in Sweden.

Now, I’m a shy 34-year-old—shy for a so-called celebrity at least. When I look back on my career, I realize how much golf has given me. It’s taken me around the world and introduced me to interesting people, including my husband, David, who I met on a driving range. Golf has given me a home in Tahoe and a house in warm, sunny Florida, where I can practice year-round. Even more important, it has given me a way to master my abilities and challenge myself.

But no matter how often I win, or how many of my goals I meet, I’ll never master the game itself. And I wouldn’t expect to. Because golf is a never-ending challenge; there’s always one more shot to hit, one more opponent to beat, one more course to think my way around. That’s why I love the game, and I’ll bet that’s why you love it, too. And if my 22 years in golf have taught me anything, it’s that we all need inspiration. I hope that by sharing what I’ve learned, I can help you climb your own Mount Everest— whether that means winning the U.S. Open, winning your club championship, or breaking 100 for the first time. Whatever your goal, I hope you discover—just like I did at the Colonial—that success isn’t only about the goal you choose. It’s about the experience, the effort, and the journey.
—By Annika Sorenstam

1.

My Journey: Golf—It’s Child’s Play

It makes me laugh when people call me “robotic” or “mechanical.” I might be all business on the course sometimes, but I’m smiling on the inside. I love the game of golf, and I’ve never lost the intense passion for sports and sense of pure fun I had as a kid. That passion helped turn a so-so junior player into an LPGA champion, and I’ve got my family to thank for instilling it in me at an early age.

I was born in 1970 in the small town of Bro, about 30 miles from Stockholm, where my father worked as a product manager for IBM and my mother worked at a bank until my sister Charlotta came along in 1973. We were typical middle-class Swedes in every way but one: We were sports crazy and super-competitive. My mother played golf while she was pregnant with me—I know I picked up the rhythm of her swing before I was born. And the only unusual thing about our three-bedroom house, which stood on a cul-de-sac, was the game room my dad had built in our basement. We had a badminton court, table tennis, and later, when Charlotta and I got interested in golf as teenagers, a hitting net. My fierce competitive drive was born in that rec room, during our family tournaments.

To my parents’ credit, my first memories of golf have more to do with ice cream and pretend pony rides than with white-knuckle competition. In Sweden, middle-cl...

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Gotham Books
• Data di pubblicazione: 2004
• ISBN 10: 1592400760
• ISBN 13: 9781592400768
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Numero di pagine: 320
• Redattore: Golf Magazine (New York N. Y.)