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The Baseball Hall of Famer and Fox Sports analyst knows very well that in golf no one ever runs the wrong putts.
This interview was originally published in the May 2023 issue of GOLF Magazine.
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G: From your career as a major league player, what skill, mental or physical, do you think has translated well to golf?
youth: The biggest thing is when I see something clearly – whether it’s a line on a shot or a shot through a narrow gap – it reminds me that I’m on the hill and trying to [focus on] square inch of the board or trying to hit the gauntlet. When I see all this space [around me]Not the same quality.
G: Everyone who starts out in golf – they’re not great. You now have a very strong game. What advice, swing idea, or piece of advice did you really stick to?
youth: Everything I’ve ever done in golf has been somewhat self-taught. Until recently, I never learned a lesson. But with this lesson, I’m really trying to get my right hand through the shot.
G: What attracts golf so many athletes from other professional sports?
youth: It’s a great way to play longer, right? There is no doubt that you can play golf for longer [than other sports]. And it comes down to competition – playing against certain people, playing in tournaments. mathematically, [the golf swing] It is a movement that most people who play the sport can do, but not everyone can get to the point of hitting the ball the way they want to. It’s something you can never master.
G: Wind is a huge factor in golf. Was that something you had to think about when you were doing a show?
youth: Oh, sure. If you had the wind at your back, of course it was even harder [for a batter] to hit her. Conversely, if the wind is in your face, it means that your breaking ball and secondary objects will break more. But it also means that if they hit a volleyball –
G: gone.
youth: You will go away.
G: As a pitcher, did you have to deal with crosswinds?
youth: Yes, sometimes. Chicago Wrigley was probably one of the windiest cities around [ballparks], along with San Francisco when it was once on the bay. Chicago, the first thing I did when I got there was look at the flag, and [sometimes you got] A small prick that you don’t want to throw the ball. [Laughs.]
G: On the golf course, have you ever felt the same as when you were out on the hill?
youth: Well, the important thing about golf is that you’re out there alone. Throwing the ball, you start the action, but when you release the ball, [if the] The results aren’t the way you want them to be, you get help to save you – or you don’t get much help. In golf you get to play your foul balls, you know? [Laughs.] makes a difference.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.