ALUMNA ELSA DIAZ SET TO PLAY IN LPGA EVENT

At The First Tee, we strive to provide kids with opportunities that will not only improve their skills in golf but also put them on a path to succeed in life. Like many alumni of The First Tee, these type of opportunities have impacted 22-year-old Elsa Diaz in a big way. An alumna from The First Tee of Greater San Antonio, Elsa joined the program at the age of nine and quickly found a golf family who prepared her for the experience she is about to begin.

Currently playing college golf at the University of Richmond, Elsa recently received an exemption to play in the Kingsmill Championship, a LPGA Tour event. Read More
Eagle Fundamentals: Trajectory
Great golfers not only control the distance and direction of most of their shots, they also control the height, or trajectory. Here are a few suggestions for improving your ball flight:

Control your trajectory through club selection.
  • Changing your club's loft will naturally change the height. While it's true that you can hit two different clubs the same height, understanding the different lofts in your bag is critical.
Control your trajectory with ball position.
  • Moving the ball toward the front foot will generally make the ball go higher. Moving it backward gradually reduces the height.
Control your trajectory via different follow-through styles.
  • Even though you cannot influence the ball once it leaves the club face, your follow-through style has a big effect on the ball flight because you are exaggerating your motion to reach the desired goal. You can modify your follow-through with high or low hands.

All of these methods can be used individually or in concert to reach your goal. Practice these on the range by using different combinations and take note of how each one influences the ball.
Eagle Yardage Book: Career Information Interview
When exploring a potential career, it's important to interview people who are already working in that field. There are three questions that you need to get the answers to:

1) "What is a day at work like?"
This will tell you a lot about the job, and give you an indication of whether or not it will be a good fit.

2) "How did he/she qualify for the position?"
You will need to know what degrees or certifications are required to obtain this particular career.

3) "What does he/she like most and least about the job?"
Find out what the person really enjoys, and also the parts that are not so desirable. Every career comes with good and bad parts. Making sure the good outweighs the bad is very important.
2019 USGA Major Rule Changes
2019 Rule: The player will have an extra option allowing relief outside the bunker using the back-on-the-line procedure, but for a total of two penalty strokes(Rule 19.3b).

Reasons for Change:
It is not uncommon for a player to need to take unplayable ball relief in a bunker, such as when the ball is very close to the bunker wall or lip.

Playing from a bunker can be very difficult for some players, especially when the bunker has steep walls.
  • This can present particular problems in stroke play because the player must finish the hole and so cannot simply pick up and move to the next hole after multiple tries to play the ball from the bunker.
  • Giving those players an option for taking relief outside the bunker will allow them to keep playing rather than be disqualified.

This extra option will result in a total of two penalty strokes, to make sure that:
  • The penalty is consistent with the significant amount of relief being allowed, and
  • This option does not become commonly used by players who are able to play from a bunker.