Thoughts and Non Thoughts

Record rainfall caused flooding in Manila. six hours of rain equivalent to a month's rainfall. My daughter commented that she can now relate to the Noah's Ark story. If six hours of continuous rain can do this, you would really need an ark for 40 days and 40 nights of non-stop rain.

This is a cheap shot at "pogi points" at the expense of the historical integrity of the Philippine Flag. The eight rays of the sun in the flag are embedded in the Philippine Declaration of Independence. A look at the history and evolution of the Flag reveals the profound meanings the revolutionaries who fought for independence put into the design of the flag. No one should lightly put these things aside, not even -- not specially -- a Senator who has not shown any significant contribution. I say leave the flag alone. If they can't respect its historical significance, how can the citizens be expected to show it more respect?

Ayala Greenfield Golf and Leisure Club. Fairways of hole no. 4 and 5.

Shelved the Nike Unitized Leo and went with the Yes! Nicky. First time I held it in my hands, it immediately felt right. I was actually surprised, this being an "old-fashioned" heel-shafted flange putter. But the double sight lines looked reassuring, and the 350-gram headweight felt perfect. The heavy toe seemed to help with my tendency to push putts, like a draw biased driver alleviating the tendency to slice. The fact that it looks similar to an iron at address also lends it an immediate familarity. The proprietary C-Groove technology attempts to bring this design to the 21st century. It works best with minimal forward press and the ball left of center. On the greens today, it gave a preview of its potential. Distance control was superb and short putts seemed easy to sink. The best of the lag putting feel from my Cameron Circa 62 #2 and the short putt confidence from my Odyssey 2-Ball Blade. The Nike Unitized Leo ended up not as good at distance co

Had quite a good striking with the irons. In a recent golf forum discussion, the topic was "do you hit with your left or right arm?" A similar question/thread was, "do you push or pull in your backswing and downswing?" What works for me is that I push with my left arm/shoulder in my backswing, then I pull with my left arm in the downswing -- until impact -- then the right arm takes over on the release just after impact and then the follow through. The finish is a natural turn of the body as the right arm follows the swing plane towards the left shoulder. An early wrist cock in the backswing is critical for me, with this "lag" maintained on the downswing. I hope this holds up...

Replaced the Japanese R flex shaft of the 19 degree Burner Rescue with a Japanese S flex. Suits my swing better, not balloning now. Still easy to hit. Having compared the Burner Rescue clubs with Reax shafts (19 and 25 deg) vs the Cobra Baffler DWS with an Aldila NV 65 R shaft (a club I've been using for more than a year), I can sense that the Aldila has a "smoother", really sweet feel to it. The Reax shaft is a bit "grainier" or rough in feel. The Rescue head is very forgiving and has a hot face. I wonder if shafting them with Aldila will really transform them to something magical. The jury is still out, so I'll give it more time, but so far these have been very good clubs for me. Didn't have that good a putting game with the Nike Unitized. I don't know if it's because the greens were soggy or because it was raining during the entire front nine. Let's see if it will redeem itself next time. Oh, and rain and golf definitely don't go toget

Got new clubs this last couple of weeks. 1. A Nike Unitized Leo putter. It has an Anser-type head that has been laser-welded into the shaft to have a "unitized" club to enhance feel. From one round it does seem to live up to its promise on distance control. The SS303 face is "hotter" than the carbon steel Circa 62 but actually requires less backswing for me, probably beneficial since I have a slow putting stroke. It has a surgical and precise feel which gives confidence. Let's see how it goes for a couple of months. 2. Burner Rescue 19 and 25 degrees. I really like these, specially the 25 deg rescue. Need to be more consistent with the 19 deg but I have been able to hit it well in the range. A couple of months and the verdict will be out. 3. V Steel 3 wood. This one is a keeper. For the first time I can hit a 3 wood on the fairway. Just need a more consistent swing, but this has already allowed me to rea

Before You're 10: 1. A childhood friend 2. A good English teacher 3. A sport In Your Teens: 1. A girlfriend/boyfriend or at least a crush 2. A good Math/Art/Computer teacher 3. A good dentist/derma In Your 20's: 1. Lifelong friends 2. Political beliefs 3. Your owns sense of style In Your 30's: 1. A family 2. A passion, business, or career 3. A good barber/hairdresser In Your 40's: 1. A good doctor/internist 2. A good banker 3. A good lawyer In Your 50's: 1. A spiritual adviser 2. A good name 3. A contribution to society In Your 60's and Beyond: Pick any 3 from the above. The list doesn't actually come in sequence.