The San Francisco Giants 2012 and 2010 World Series Trophies will be making a stop in Antioch on Monday, January 28 during their tour of the state, this winter.

Residents can see the trophies at the Antioch Community Center at Prewett Park, located at 4703 Lone Tree Way, Antioch, across from Deer Valley High School from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

This will be the second public trophy tour held in the past three years and will feature both the 2012 and 2010 trophies. The focus of the San Francisco World Championship Trophy Tour presented by Bank of America is to share the trophies with Giants fans in Junior Giants communities throughout northern California.

“It was really important to us this time, given a second opportunity, to create a trophy tour which allowed us to connect with our fans as well as the more than 20,000 kids who participate in our Junior Giants baseball program,” said Larry Baer, Giants president and chief operating officer.

The organization is working in partnership with their Junior Giants Leagues throughout northern California to create public viewing opportunities in the following cities throughout the months of January, February and March. Fans will have the chance to both have their photo taken with the trophies and support their local Junior Giants Baseball League.

Major League Baseball World Series Trophy Fact Sheet

For more information on the trophy’s tour, click here.

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“Dynamic” according to Webster’s Dictionary, definition #3: of energy, motion, or force in relation to force.

Your Pro’s Corner

By Ron Parish, PGA Director of Golf, Lone Tree Golf Course

Have you ever made a swing and it seems like you have to strain with your hands and arms to get enough power for the shot? Or you get stuck on the way down and then slap at the ball? You don’t end in balance and the ball doesn’t go as you intend. I see a lot of beginning and intermediate golfers trying to be perfect and under the misconception that locking or straining your muscles, giving a feeling of control is what you are supposed to do to make a good swing.

The concept of dynamic balance and being synchronized can help address this misconception (Important Note: with this discussion there is the assumption that the grip, alignment, and ball position fundamentals are all in place). To understand dynamic balance and its role in the golf swing, let’s start with some analogous comparisons with other sports.

Tennis: When waiting to receive and return a serve, what do top tennis players do? They’re in the ready position with feet shoulder width, knees slightly bent and in balance, spine aligned, and they are ready to move. They start shifting their feet right before the server launches their serve. Baseball: Stealing second base. Runners getting ready to make the jump to second shift their weight back and forth between their feet. It is very small, subtle and quick, but if they don’t do this they will be slow on the jump or get stuck. Playing catch. Two players throwing a ball back and forth stays in constant motion and balance; think about it. Snow skiing: Right before launching from the starters gate snow skiers move their skis back and forth to get the whole body working together, legs working with torso, and arms.

All of the above are references at the start of the given motions and each are “athletic positions” and “dynamic” or “of energy, motion, or force in relation to force”. A good concept to convey to the golf swing. I always remember Jimmy Connors shuffling his feet before receiving a serve. Why do Jimmy and other athletes do this? Because the last thing they want is to be stagnate or stuck with their body motion; if that happens, only parts of their body can make the move and not the entire body working together. The little shifting back and forth allows them to move with their whole body working together and in balance. Watch really good golfers up close and you will notice this. It is in a more subtle manner, but they have honed their routines so that they stay athletic and “in motion” and “in balance” (better to notice in person then on television). A great player to watch who you can see stay athletic despite television, is Tom Lehman on the Senior Tour. Watch his set up and routine. There is a smooth rhythm to it, several looks to the target which is a good thing, a little shifting back and forth that keeps the muscle supple, ready, all in tune with the body’s weight shifting, followed by a great, powerful athletic move.

To learn a feel for this dynamic balance and motion try the following:

• Work on and know your routine. Hit balls on the range and practice just like you play on the course, start from behind the ball and walk into each shot; learn your routine and what you feel comfortable with and always stay in motion. Take this routine to the course, it will help.

• Know and develop your trigger. As you start your swing, learn what it is that really starts it. This will take time. It is different for everybody. Ernie Els uses a press of his hands and arms towards the target. Sam Snead had the same thing but tied it into his feet and legs. I trigger with my feet and legs. Gary Player kicked in his right knee. Jack Nicklaus the turning of his head and a firming of his left side. A trigger is a little shifting of weight towards the target and the subtle recoil from that shift starts the swing consistently and in balance (sounds “dynamic” doesn’t it?).

• Over the top drill. Take a seven iron and tee up a ball. Instead of starting the backswing with the clubhead directly behind the ball, hover the clubhead over the top of the ball, swing the clubhead forward towards the target 18-24 inches and then flow back into a backswing but pass over the top of the ball on the way back (fyi: this is teaching you a trigger); from there, hit through the ball as normal. This drill teaches dynamic balance and motion better then any in my opinion. It is Jack Nicklaus’s favorite drill.

• Hit these two balance points. Hit balls on the range and notice your balance 1) on your back leg and foot at the top of the backswing and 2) at the finish. Be balanced with both and I will bet you hit a good shot. Swing only 70% power and just really stay in motion but in balance at these two points.

• Line drill. Tee up five balls in a row on the range two inches apart. Take a seven iron and start making practice swings back and forth and work your way towards the line, and start hitting right down the line one right after the other. Never stop swinging and after you hit a ball, flow into the next backswing but inch your way towards the next ball and hit it on the way through inching as you go. To work into each ball you will have to keep dynamic balance.

Like all aspects of the game, a little experimentation and trial and error is necessary for you to understand dynamic balance, but give the above a try and I think you will further your understanding of this important concept for your game and improve with that understanding. Good luck and have some fun with it.

Thank you for all you do for Golf and for Lone Tree Golf Course and Event Center.

If you are interested in reviewing other articles from Coach Ron go to www.lonetreegolfcourse.com under “The Course” tab.

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Mayjoffo Facebook profile photo

Sophomore outfielder Anjelina Mayjoffo from Antioch, California was among thousands of student-athletes from 600 institutions named 2012 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Scholar-Athlete Award winners, announced late Thursday afternoon.

The NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete Award is presented to any player submitted by a member coach who achieved a grade-point average north of 3.50 during the 2011-12 academic year. The prestigious honor marks the second component of the Association’s academic award program. Back in late October the squads with the highest GPAs in each membership category were recognized as the 2012 NFCA Top Ten All-Academic Teams.

Mayjoffo not only excelled on the diamond earning New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Rookie of the Week honors twice while hitting a team-high .406 in 24 games but also in the classroom receiving the honors for the first time. The Antioch native looks to build off her impressive freshman season where she tied Nighthawk career single-game highs with four hits and four runs scored against non-conference Framingham State College on April 5, 2012. She plays both infield and outfield for the team.

Mayjoffo, a 2011 graduate of Deer Valley High School, was a two-sport athlete in high school. She played four years of varsity softball under Head Coach Amy Tillson and three years of varsity soccer. She’s the daughter of Julie and Don Mayjoffo. Anjelina volunteered in local little league and church.

Newbury College has been a leader in career focused education for 50 years. The school is located in Brookline, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston. For more information visit www.newbury.edu.

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By Ron Parish, PGA Director of Golf, Lone Tree Golf Course

For starters, this insight is not all my own, I remember an article in a golf magazine 30+ years ago about dining with good putters, and I have picked up a couple of tips here and there and have added to it across the years, but I wanted to pass the gist of it on because I think you will find it worthwhile. Essentially, the idea is, if you know a good putter or two, hang out with them. Practice putting with them. Play a round with them and watch them on the putting green. Continue to hang with them and do as they do. You will most likely find some common characteristics about good putters; from my dining, some of these characteristics are…..

• Shooter Mentality. Good putters are like good shooters in basketball. A good shooter doesn’t care about what happened on the last putt, they know they can make it and so they want the ball. If they missed the last shot, they feel like they are over due to make it and so their next shot is more likely to go in. A good putter is the same way, they are confident that they are going to “make it”. This is the strength of their game. They want to have a clutch putt.

• Distinctively and uniquely see the putt. Good putters see the ball precisely how they want to hit it before they hit it. They make that decision before they are set up over the ball. They decide on the speed and the line and the amount of break. Usually they see it or visualize it one of two ways:

  • Apex putting. They pick the speed that they want to hit it and then they see the apex of the putt (the spot where the ball breaks away from). They putt to that spot and then let the ball role and break out towards the hole.

  • Complete Line putting. Again speed is picked which determines the amount of break to play, but these golfers visualize a line along the break the entire length of the putt to the hole (and into it). Often, they will use their imagination and see the line in a certain color, say purple or neon green, in their minds eye. This distinctive image helps them be clear about what they want to do. Visualizing like this is just like all other parts of your game, taking a little practice to keep it sharp.

  • Additionally: On short putts, SEE the ball hit something in the hole. Often good putters see the ball hitting something specific in the hole like a smudge of mud on the cup liner, or a fleck of chipped paint, or possibly a certain blade of grass.

• They don’t worry. Good putters don’t worry about the consequences. This is huge. All they care about is hitting the putt the way they want to hit it, from there; good putters accept the results, whatever they are. If it goes in great, if it doesn’t go in, as long as they hit it the way they wanted to they are good with it.

• They don’t beat themselves up. Again, they give the putt the best chance possible but good putters have a wisdom and confidence to know that they are going to make many more putts then they are going to miss. So on the occasion that they miss one, they are their own best friend and don’t beat themselves up.

• Selective memory. Similar to the shooter mentality, what do you hear good putters remember and talk about? They talk about the putts they make not the ones they miss. They attach their emotion to the positive putts or the ones they make. What does this do? If all you remember are the putts you make, then you are building your confidence. If all you remember are the ones you miss, well you are only going to tear down your confidence.

• Love putting. Finally, and probably most importantly, good putters love to putt. How many of you dread putting?? You can often find good putters on the putting green. I had a buddy on my college golf team, Willie Williams, who was the best putter on the team. One time I played 9 holes with Willie who was also known for his mean hook (balata balls) and he didn’t hit one green in regulation and he shot even par. He made everything. While others were out beating buckets, Willie had his “Walkman” on (Yes, Coach Ron went to college in the 80’s) and he would be putting away and you could tell, Willie was enjoying himself. He was having fun. He wasn’t cringing, grinding, or necessarily trying to develop perfect fundamentals. He just loved to putt. Everything he was doing as he practiced was positive and you could just see it. He was good at it and enjoyed it. He would hit three balls from the same spot and role one soft, one medium, one firm speed; then move on to the next hole. He wouldn’t think about it too much, he would just work his way around the putting green and stay familiar with his stroke and keep the feel. He often could be found putting in a game with other golfers for hours at a time. How about you? Where do you spend your time?

I hope some of these insights help your putting and maybe even provided you a little vicarious dining. Putting in a lot of ways is like an art form and more about how you think about it then anything else. Hang out with some golfers you know who are good putters and you most likely will find some positive pointers like the above listed ones that you can pick up on. Good luck and have some fun with it.

Thank you for all you do for Golf and for Lone Tree Golf Course and Event Center.

If you are interested in reviewing other articles from Coach Ron go to www.lonetreegolfcourse.com under “The Course” tab.

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By Ron Parish, PGA Director of Golf, Lone Tree Golf Course

Who is it? Hank Haney? One of the Harmon brothers? Jim McClean? Michael Breed? David Leadbetter? Martin Hall? Or should we go Old School? Bob Toski? Jim Flick? Tommy Jacobs? I could keep going. It would be nice to spend time with one of these guys wouldn’t it? But then you might have to look at the finances and see if you can afford such and engagement. Several of these instructors command a four digit fee. I propose that you already meet regularly with one if not the greatest teachers of all time. Do you realize that? Each one of you. Who? The golf ball. Really Coach Ron? Really? Yes, really. The question is, are you listening?

Granted, there are things that a qualified PGA instructor can and will help a student improve in their game. There are times when we don’t realize some things are going on and we need to have someone shed some insight, and getting lessons and an understanding of fundamentals is vital. But the golf ball is constantly teaching us and I don’t believe enough golfers are listening. I try and stress this to my students but I have to be honest, I get frustrated because they aren’t listening. So I will pose a few questions to help you get where I am coming from and hopefully help the golf ball teach you.

What does the golf ball know? Only the club head, and the golf ball is trying to tell you the message the club head is sending. By the way, the message it is sending is coming from the shaft, which is held by you and your body, and so you are ultimately telling the club head what to do and again it is the only thing the ball knows. So how does the golf ball teach us? Here are some of my top experiences with students and hopefully this will help:

Full swing

• The bladed ball. This one is pretty darn common with beginners. There is something innate for a beginner here. I think it comes from an uncertainty or doubt because they know they are new to the game, or because a fear to disturb the grass when hitting down on the ball, and so what happens? Blade after blade, singed night crawlers and nervous gophers. What’s the ball telling you? You are hitting the ball on the leading edge not the clubface. What do you do? Check your ball position, possibly move it back in your stance and then keep your eye on the back of the ball and hit down and brush the grass after you hit the ball. A little divot is good for a beginner. If you hit it fat, don’t beat yourself up, just keep at it and you will learn to hit the ball first.

• Slices. The golf ball is telling you the clubface is open in relation to the path of the club head. Remedy? Start with the grip. Rotate hands towards the back foot (stronger) when gripping the club and move the ball back in your stance until you start to hit it straight or with a draw.

• Driver that flies low and shoots offline. The ball is telling you the path of the club head is coming in too steep and not sweeping enough. Tee the ball high, keep the ball position forward and really sweep the take away low to the ground. On the way through, pretend there is a small nail sticking in the back of the ball just below the equator and the club head is going to sweep through and drive the ball squarely through the golf ball. A good drive should launch at about 45 degrees.

• Putts that don’t feel solid and come up short. If everything is square and the path is good, the ball is telling you it needs to hit the sweet spot of the putter. Tape two band-aids just outside of your sweet spot, leaving a small opening to hit the ball, and then practice hitting putts right on it. I bet you will find the ball rolling your intended distance soon.

• Chips that are chunky. The ball is telling you to hit the little ball before the big one. Move the golf ball back in your stance. Keep stance open. Keep your weight favoring the forward foot and keep your hands ahead throughout the motion. These things will help you meet the golf ball first. Still not getting it? Push yourself. Practice chipping and see how far you can move the ball back in your stance. 2”. 4’, 6’ behind your back foot? Try it and watch what happens, I bet you will start making good contact with the golf ball and you will figure things out.

These are just a few examples, there are many more, but my point is mainly made so to help yourself learn. Watch and listen to what the golf ball does instead of getting frustrated at a missed shot and you will be more easily able to make change and improve your game.

I hope this helps. Thanks to all the golfers that frequent Lone Tree and for all you do for our course and golf in the area. Please try to bring someone new to the game soon or let them know about a golf program offered here or elsewhere. Someone else is out there who would like to have the fun that you are having with this great game.

If you are interested in reviewing other articles from Coach Ron go to www.lonetreegolfcourse.com under “The Course” tab.

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Sponsorships available

For the past ten years, the Kiwanis Club of Pittsburg and Delta-Antioch have joined together to present the “Big Little Game” Football recognition Luncheon for the age old rivalry between the Pittsburg High and Antioch High Football teams.

This worthy endeavor brings together business and community member, football players, along with school administrators and coaches of both high schools, for sportsmanship and scholarship recognition. All the Senior players are invited as our guests to participate in the luncheon and the program. During the luncheon, a senior football player from each school, picked by his coach and fellow players, receives a scholarship.

Please put this year’s touching, yet humorous event on your calendar, Wednesday, October 31, 2012, from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM at the Pittsburg Elk’s Lodge, Pittsburg. This event has proven to be a wonderful success and we hope you can join us!

On behalf of the Kiwanis Clubs of Pittsburg and Delta-Antioch, I would like to ask for your support for the 11^th Annual Pittsburg – Antioch “Big Little Game” luncheon. Tickets for the luncheon are $20. Sponsorship opportunities are also available, beginning at $100 Supporter Level (includes two luncheon tickets), $250 Fan Level (includes four luncheon tickets), $500 Coach Level (includes eight luncheon tickets). A souvenir program will be printed for the luncheon, identifying all the sponsors.

Please feel free to contact me if you have questions about sponsoring the event. The deadline for sponsorships/tickets reservations is Friday, October 26, 2012. For more information, reserve your spot at the luncheon or in the program, please call Tim Stone (925) 432-3145 or Email tim@readyprint.com or Jim Craft, (510) 541-8074 or Email jcraft@stsacademy.org. Thank you in advance for your support and consideration.

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Jessica Caylyn sings the National Anthem at the Oakland A’s playoff game in the Coliseum on Thursday night, October 11, 2012.

Antioch resident Jessica Caylyn was chosen to sing the National Anthem before the sell-out crowd at the Oakland A’s American League Division Series game against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday night, October 11, 2012.

Here’s what she had to say about the experience: “I’ve sang the Anthem at several games, races, etc., but I was a little nervous because my voice was more tired then usual. Also, I could feel the energy level of the crowd and it was much bigger then regular season games. I didn’t meet any of the players this time around, that’s okay though I got my fair share of eye candy. Ha! It’s not only an honor but very exciting to sing our nation’s most well respected song, for so many people. I think artists tend to forget what the song actually represents, in that moment it’s not all about shining as a vocalist. It’s about delivering the song in a classy manner. I just hope the crowd felt that I did it justice!”

For more information about Jessica, visit www.JessicaCaylyn.com.

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