What Would Freddy Couples Do?

Have you ever listen to golfers when they describe their game or a shot they made?  Seems the best way for most of them to describe what they did or something they liked or disliked about their game is to describe it with analogy of what one of the touring Pro’s did or said to describe a shot they made.

 

Ever since Tiger arrived on the scene the trash talk descriptions of a shot, or of the way a round was played, have been televised and the media sound-bite these phrases across the world.  Now we have the ‘Stinger’ shot being used and the ‘Ranger Rick’ method of playing golf being used in junior golf clinics.   All of these phrases and descriptions are now being used by the hordes of amateurs in every 19^th hole in the country to describe their game.  Some have even taken upon the task of creating their own slogans or analogies. 

 

Let’s take a look at where some of these phrases got their start.  Lets go back to the day of Arnold Palmer…first we got the ‘Arnie’s Army’ description of the galleries around him when he played and then we got ‘swashbuckling’ for a description for the way he swung his club and that quick curl around at the top of his follow-through. You have Lee Trevino with the Merry-Mex one liners and a flat swing that only the Merry-Mex could get away with...making the phrase of ‘I put the Trevino on that shot’ very popular still today.

 

Then moving to more modern times you have Fred Couples who’s style of golf was way ahead of others when it come to being ‘Cool’.  Fred has no fear of going for any pin from any distance because to him that was the fun of playing golf.  It was not uncommon to hear a pin placement tucked two steps from a bunker referred to as a ‘Couples Placement’ or ‘I’ll have to put the Couple’s on this shot to get it close’.

 

Now, you have some descriptions that are cruel and cut like a knife, but really describe what took place accurately.  You have the ‘Phil shot’ or ‘I put the Mickelson on my shot.’ Or better yet I am hearing golfers on the tee say ‘Go ahead and put the Mickelson on that shot, it opens up over there’.

 

You see, there can be some interesting conversations going on about a person’s game that if you are not familiar with what the phrases are describing you could be totally lost.

 

So, let me wrap this up with an example of how a round of golf is described now days.. 

 

My round started with me having to pull a Jacobson and show up at the tee just as we were to kick-start the round.  Of course I pulled the Big Dog instead of the Chicken Stick and Mickelson the shot OB right.  Having pulled a Van De Velt to a creek in front of the green and I finished the first hole with a hockey stick.  So, walking up to the next hole which was a Nickel Dogleg Left, I going to have to put the JD on the ball to get to where I could Duce the green.  So, I Freddy’d my swing so I could make sure I got the Mini Copper on the ball with a Protractor.  After only Sulmaning the fairway I had a Little Dog to the green.  Of course I Trevino’d the shot and ended up with an Ashtray to the green.  Since the pin had been Coupled I was really Tigering on the next shot.  So when I pulled the Trigger the Rock clipped the Stick and dropped about 16 Clicks from the Jar.  I Sutton’d that hole and after that is was a Phil…

 

So, to translate this let me re-state this in layman terms and with explanations as I go.

 

I was late to my tee time. (Peter Jacobson uses to be the worst on tour on making his tee times and sometimes would be standing on the TeeBox putting his shoes on when they were calling his name)  Since I did not get to warm up I played the driver (the Big Dog) instead of seven wood (the Chicken Stick) and sliced (The shot Mickelson made at the US Open) off to the right going out of bounds (OB).  Having fluffed a shot out of the rough (like Jon Van De Velt did in the British Open) into the water in front of the green I ended up shooting a seven (hockey stick) for the first hole.  So walking up to the next hole, which was a Par Five (nickel) that turned to the left (Dogleg left) I really would have to put a very long drive (the JD) on the ball to get to where I could hit the green in two (duce the green).  So, I took the club back real slow (Freddy’d my swing) so I could make sure I got the large clubhead (mini cooper: small auto) on the ball squarely (with a protractor).  After only hitting the drive about 240yds but in the fairway (Sulmaning the fairway; Jeff Sulman is one of the shortest drivers on tour, but he always hits the fairway) I have a three wood (a little dog) to the green.  Of course I hit the ball with a very quick flat swing (Trevino’d the shot) and ended up with a Sand wedge (ashtray) to the green.  Since the pin had been tucked behind a bunker (Coupled) I was concentrating real hard (Tigering) on the next shot.  So when I swung and hit (pulled the trigger) the ball (rock)it  clipped the flag stick (stick) and dropped about 16 steps (clicks) from the hole (jar).  I survived (Sutton’d: reference to how Hal Sutton has survived in the PGA, just hanging on) that hole but the rest of the round was all downhill (Phil: in reference to Phil’s meltdown at the US Open).

 

So, there is a whole different language being formed around golf that is pretty colorful if you study golf and watch all of the tournaments.  Its is all in fun..

 

Scot Duke

President

Innovative Business Golf Solutions, LLC.

scot.duke@innovativebusinessgolf.com

www.innovativebusinessgolf.com 

‘My Blog’ http://businessgolf.blogspot.com 

http://businessgolf.wordpress.com 

 Author of: ‘How To Play Business Golf’, From The Boardroom To The Fairways…

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