Greetings Golfers,

37 year old Tony Romo shot 77 yesterday in the first round of the Punta Cana Classic in the Dominican Republic. Most of the regulars on the PGA Tour are playing in Austin, Texas at the Match Play tournament.

Romo grew up in Wisconsin, played quarterback at Eastern Illinois University, and wasn’t picked in the 2003 NFL draft. However, he signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free-agent and made the the team as their 3rd string quarterback. He became a starter in 2006 and had a very good career with the Cowboys until he retired at the end of the 2016 season.

And now he’s playing in a PGA Tour event. And, he’s a lead broadcaster for CBS on NFL games. He’s already led a charmed life.

Years ago, another NFL quarterback led a very similar life. John Brodie was the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers from 1957 – 1973. Then he retired and was a lead announcer for NBC on NFL games. When he turned 50, Brodie qualified for the PGA Senior Tour … was a successful player for many years … and actually won a PGA Senior tournament. Not bad for a football player.

Sometimes in the winter months, I’d watch those goofy Pro-Am golf tournaments filled with celebrities and athletes. The best players were usually baseball pitchers and football quarterbacks. And hockey players. Hockey players obviously are pretty good at hitting an object with a stick … which naturally translates to golf. And pitchers and quarterbacks have a nice motion and hand action to propel a ball with power and accuracy … which also translates naturally to golf.

Yet, much modern golf instruction focuses on the “big muscles” and minimizes the use of the hands. If that were true … wouldn’t the offensive lineman be the best golfers?

Though we still have snow on the ground … the golf season is almost here. Make this your best golf year ever by working on your hand action … and making your golf swing like a throwing motion. The combination of the two will give you more control, and a healthier, more repeatable natural swing.

Cheers,

 

Tom Abts

GM and Head Golf Professional

tabts@deerrungolf.com