Sandy Alcantara strikes out six in short outing

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Sandy Alcantara looks ready for Opening Day.

Yes, it’s only his second outing of the 2021 Spring Training, but the Dominican starter seems to be cruising in this Spring Training to lead the young staff from the beginning of the season.

After tossing two scoreless innings in his first outing against the New York Mets on March 1st, Alcantara came back with another solid outing on a rainy Saturday afternoon in Jupiter.

Alcantara did allow two runs in the first inning, but neither of them counted towards his ERA, because of a Miguel Rojas error that extended the inning.

Alcantara struck out three in the first, two in the second and one in the third, before getting pulled by Don Mattingly with a man on first.

Sandy finished his outing with 48 pitches, and he should be scheduled to pitch again on Wednesday or Thursday.

Alcantara and Kim NG, the highlights of the trip

Sandy Alcantara was the main attraction of the day, with the Marlins using a lineup that looks very similar to what we should expect for Opening Day (without the DH, of course).

But besides watching Sandy pitch, Aguilar and Cooper carry the team offensively, I actually got to talk to Kim NG for about a minute, in the Roger Dean Stadium elevator, on our way to the press box.

The Marlins are doing well in Spring Training. Let’s wait and see if they can keep it up for when it actually matters, like Kim NG says.

 

By Alejandro Villegas | @alejandrovg32 on Twitter

A Breakdown of Jimmy Butler’s Late Takeover Against New Orleans

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After Jimmy Butler missed the previous two games against the Atlanta Hawks, he made the trip to New Orleans and ended up suiting up. And well, those two missed games didn’t seem to take him out of his rhythm, since he took over late in the fourth, shooting the ball as well as he ever has in a Miami Heat uniform.

So, let’s take a look into this Butler scoring dominance right before the All-Star break…

– The missing piece without Butler

Before diving completely into Butler’s late game offensive play, the biggest thing Miami missed without him must be noted first. And that is a downhill presence, both in transition and half-court offense.

The transition offense, which is shown in the first clip, just shows the missing piece of reading situations and capitalizing on them. Miami had a 5 on 4 opportunity, which basically means find Jimmy Butler to create a mismatch or so he can take it right into a defenders chest, and he did just that.

The second clip is the more important element. One of the reasons Miami lost to Atlanta in the previous game was that nobody could get to the rim consistently, which led to constant reliance on three point shots falling. But when Butler’s on the floor, they can get back to their drive-and-kick offensive play, which he can score at the basket at will whenever he chooses to do so.

– Stagnant offense to Butler offense

The six minute mark in the fourth quarter is when Butler pretty much said he was taking over. New Orleans cut Miami’s lead to two points, and the Heat were having major trouble getting into a flow on this possession.

They ended up resetting at the top of the key, flowing into a Goran Dragic-Butler pick and roll. Due to a low shot clock, Josh Hart edged up high on the pick, leading to Dragic lobbing the pass for the rolling Butler. He then rises up at the basket for a layup with Steven Adams contesting, and converts.

Without Bam Adebayo, it seemed like a good set to run with Dragic and Butler, since there’s an immense amount of trust in those veteran guys late in games. I’d also like to see that action run throughout a game more often, since both of them can put their head down and charge the basket, which makes for a unique set.

– Jumpers are falling, legs are rested

This shot from Butler pretty much tells you how the night was going for him, since he doesn’t even attempt shots like this unless he’s feeling it.

But the part to evaluate here is the level of rise he had on this turnaround jumper. When people ask about Butler’s shooting stroke, I always mention it’s completely about his legs. And after missing two games due to knee inflammation, giving him an extra rest, his rise looked better than ever, while the knee swelling was clearly gone.

It’s another reason this team has to feel great about Butler getting a week off at home, instead of a busy All-Star weekend. Miami will be looking to make a second half push, and a rested Jimmy Butler will be at his peak levels.

– The Robinson treatment

Once again, when offense becomes stagnant on a possession, just find Jimmy Butler.

Take a look at Josh Hart guarding Butler on this possession, since he’s basically getting the Duncan Robinson treatment. He gets denied on the first DHO, but immediately comes back into the opposite direction. Hart goes back under the screen this time, and Butler’s slight pump-fake gets both Hart and Adams in the air.

Obviously he made an incredible and-1 triple, but it’s the setup and defensive scheme that stands out more. If teams were to worry about Butler on the perimeter in this fashion, it’ll be an endless night for the opposing team with the amount of dribble penetration he’d present.

– Bail-Out Butler

There were many possessions late in this game where Miami was in awkward positions late in the shot clock. But well, it’s not that awkward when the ball can be given to Butler to bail you out.

As mentioned earlier, these types of shot attempts are pretty rare from him, but there’s a confident feeling when he attempts them since he only does it when the deep ball is feeling good.

Although he has a one-on-one opportunity with a good defender, in Eric Bledsoe, all of the signs were point toward getting to the rim. Late shot clock, under 3 minutes to go, 8 point game, and most importantly, a smaller defender. But instead, a step-back triple with a heavy contest was attempted, and ultimately knocked down.

This Heat team has been in plenty of late-game situations this season, which may be a good thing for their offensive execution down the stretch come playoff time. But it also has given major clarity for this team, since the amount of trust this team has in Butler at that point in the game is very high, while Butler reciprocates that right back.

Therefore, caps off the importance of the Jimmy Butler effect.

Marlins Sign Gio Gonzalez

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The Miami Marlins signed Miami native Gio Gonzalez to a minor league deal this week. If he makes the big league roster, he will make $1 million. The southpaw has had great success throughout his 13 seasons in the MLB, posting a solid 3.70 ERA. He provides a solid veteran presence in the Marlins rotation going into the 2021 season. 

 

Here’s what Miami can expect:

 

A Veteran Impact

 

I have written countless articles detailing how the Marlins staff is in desperate need of a veteran guy to lead the young guys through a full season. Gio Gonzalez does not provide the value that, say, James Paxton would, but he fills the gap nonetheless. Gonzalez is a 2-time All-Star that has been a core piece of great rotations throughout his years. He could be a solid 5th man on an otherwise young and promising rotation.

 

Innings Eater

 

Gio Gonzalez can pitch deep into ball games and has consistently shown his ability to do so throughout his career. In Miami, he is not being asked to be “the guy.” All he needs to do is get the Marlins to the bullpen on his day of work. At this point in time, I believe that Gio Gonzalez will put the Marlins in a better position to win on Day 5 than either Trevor Rogers or Nick Neidert. If Gio can keep it close on half of his outings, the bullpen will be able to steal games on days where the Marlins aren’t expected to win. 

 

Gonzalez Regressing with Age

Statistically, and pretty obviously, he’s not the pitcher he once was. Ever since 2016, Gonzalez has consistently been regressing backwards. His FIP (true pitching statistic similar to ERA that accounts for external factors) was dominant in his years in Oakland and early years in Washington at averaging about a 3.00; however, since 2016, his FIP has slowly jumped yearly landing him at a 5.50 FIP last year in Chicago. Basically, what this tells us is that his quality of pitching was worthy of a 5.50 ERA (he posted a 4.83 actual ERA). His performance is unlikely to skyrocket back up, especially in a strong NL East.

 

Overall for Marlins

 

The Marlins won’t be asking much of Gio Gonzalez if he is a part of the rotation. His regression over the past few years may prove to continue, but I’d take his veteran knowledge over the younger arms right now. 

 

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Victory Over Pelicans

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The Miami Heat finished off the first half of the regular season with a win over the New Orleans Pelicans, getting them to .500 before the All-Star break. A late-game Jimmy Butler takeover led to Miami pulling away, and an Andre Iguodala slam sealed it under a minute to go. So, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: The Kelly Olynyk show early on.

As I’ve discussed many times in the past, Kelly Olynyk finds himself on one of these takeaway pieces once every few games, since he always has that one breakout game where he can’t miss. And well, that game was tonight. The scoring obviously must be noted first, since he exploded early on, scoring 13 points in the first quarter while the entire Pelicans team scored 15. As I noted before the game, Olynyk was going to have an advantage on the perimeter against the Pelicans’ drop coverage, especially since Steven Adams was dropping. And as expected, he had plenty of open opportunities to begin the game. Instead of discussing his scoring tonight, his passing must be mentioned as well. With Bam Adebayo out, they missed the facilitator in the middle of the offense who can hit back-door cutters in stride, but Olynyk became that guy quickly with high arcing passes time and time again for Miami’s offensive flow.

#2: A smooth running offense is the Jimmy Butler effect.

Coach Erik Spoelstra mentioned after Miami’s strong first quarter that the spacing was looking good. And the reason for that was Jimmy Butler, plain and simple. The last game against the Atlanta Hawks proved that offense can’t flow without a downhill presence and their primary play-maker, in Butler, which bounced back as soon as the ball was tipped. Other than his effortless 11 points in the first half, his 7 assists in that span speak major volume. Miami began to get into their drive and kicks once again, which allowed even more open threes for guys like Olynyk, due to the drop coverage collapsing completely on Butler when attacking. The offense was running quite smoothly on a night without Bam Adebayo, which pretty much proves the amount of impact Butler can have just by his presence.

#3: Precious Achiuwa getting thrown in the fire off the bench, blending in quite perfectly.

It’s not easy to be a starter from middle school to high school to college, then get thrown into the NBA without a Summer League and get placed into a bench role. But well, that’s been the situation for Precious Achiuwa this season, and the adaptation he’s made to that role continues to be very impressive. As soon as he enters the game, his presence is felt as a constant energy and rim runner, while putting major emphasis on runner since he never stops moving. Another thing is that he is totally locked in on his individual job as a screener and roller, while never straying off into other areas in a fast paced game, which most young players tend to do. That point right there highlights his mindset and focus to understand who he is as a player and what benefits the team, and that continued bench role benefits this Heat team majorly.

#4: The natural KZ Okpala roller coaster game.

There’s a lot to dive into when discussing the young career of KZ Okpala. He’s had a few stints throughout the season, and the same negatives and positives continue to pop out. On the negative side of things, the lack of playing time has led to his hesitance in the offense. Almost every time he receives the ball, he doesn’t even almost look toward the rim to try and score. Now, that has a lot to do with just trying to fit in, instead of playing in a free and natural way. But although he may think that unselfish play will lead to increased playing time, it may be the complete opposite. That takes us to the positives in his game, which always come when he avoids that hesitance. The third quarter showed that when he came out immediately and shot a contested three, which although it missed, it’s clear coaches or players got in his ear about it. That led to a very impressive side-step three in the corner, and a nice up and under layup in a solid spurt on both ends, which showcases an expected roller coaster on a nightly basis when he takes the floor.

#5: The non-Butler minutes a worry without Adebayo, which leads to more Dragic.

Non-Jimmy Butler minutes and Goran Dragic pretty much go hand in hand. He’s always been the trusted guy to keep his unit afloat while Butler takes a breather, which is what he did early in the fourth tonight once again. Three-pointer to mid-range jumper to getting to the free throw line. He’s a guy that has been incredibly good at finding mismatches, which is even easier to do against this Pelicans team. On a night that Tyler Herro struggled again, Dragic was going to be needed to get downhill and generate offense, and he did just that. Crafty pump-fakes and footwork around the rim when the defense collapsed, occurred possession after possession. There’s only so much that he can do in those non-Butler spurts, but it’s very promising to continue to see him step up in those spots, then handing the keys back over to Butler to close. And well, he took the keys and drove this team all the way home.

4-star QB Kaden Martin commits to Miami Baseball, may play football

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On Wednesday afternoon, both the Canes baseball and possibly football team received a commitment from Kaden Martin. The son of former San Diego Chargers QB Tee Martin, he plays outfield and pitcher for Knoxville Catholic on the diamond and is also a QB on the gridiron. 

He’s ranked as the 7th-best dual-threat QB in the country and #341 overall according to the 247Sports’ Composite. 

 

According to sources in Coral Gables, his commitment is more so for the Canes’ baseball team with a chance to also star for the football team, but he is more likely to suit up for the former than the latter.

 

Martin alluded to Canes’ baseball head coach Gino DiMare and his recent success of sending multiple players to the big leagues as well as developing a relationship with former Cane John Jay.

 

 

However, there is a possibility that he may not suit up for either as he is a highly-regarded baseball prospect who may be selected in the early rounds of the 2021 MLB draft. 

 

IMPACT

 

I personally did not know how hard Miami was recruiting Martin initially, simply because it was no secret that Miami was hot on the tail of Lowndes QB Jacurri Brown. 

 

Martin would be nice to have in our class for insurance and he’s no fluke for a gunslinger, but all signs still point to the 6’4”. 205 lb. Brown as their #1 target on the QB board. 

 

Now that I mention Brown, I feel confident assuming that Miami’s interest in the 5th-ranked dual-threat QB  is reciprocated as he did include Miami in his top-5 along with Florida, Auburn, Arizona State, and Texas A&M.

But Rhett Lashlee’s been on his tail nonstop and they should be considered the favorites for him.

 

Stay tuned to @SixthRingCanes and I (@PaulAustria_) on Twitter as we keep you updated and get you ready as the Canes begin spring camp next Saturday, March 13th. 

 

That includes a new episode of The Sixth Ring, which you don’t want to miss.

 

What Does a Jimmy Butler Return Mean for Miami?

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Jimmy Butler made the trip to New Orleans for Miami’s final game before the All-Star break, but he’s still listed at questionable. But it’s clear that he wouldn’t have gone with them if there wasn’t a very good chance he was going to suit up.

With that being said, it’s necessary to discuss the meaning of Butler playing tonight, other than the obvious elevation that occurs when he’s on the floor.

The team currently sits at 17-18, which means this is ultimately a pretty big swing game for this team mentally. Getting a week off with a record of 18-18 or 17-19 are two majorly different things, which is why I feel a win against Atlanta on Tuesday would have led to Butler not making the trip.

But, that’s not the current situation. The current state is that this team wants to get back to .500, so they can return from the All-Star break with a clean slate.

Bam Adebayo is listed as questionable for tonight’s game as well, due to left knee tendinitis. But knowing his track record, I think it’s pretty clear the team is preparing for him to play.

The reason that is important is due to recency bias, since Adebayo had a rough night against the Hawks, mostly because of his lack of aggression. That means a bounce back game against New Orleans to finish off the first half of the season holds much more than many may think.

The terms and phrases that have been used time and time again between players are “playing together” or something along the lines of “confidence.” And well, 18-18 puts you right in the mix around the four seed in the East, which is quite impressive considering the roller coaster of events that have occurred throughout their first 35 games.

Boston’s currently 18-17 while facing the Toronto Raptors tonight, who are 17-18. The New York Knicks have a winnable game against the Detroit Pistons to push them up to 19-18, while Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and Milwaukee are comfortably out in front.

So, that being said, Miami’s not in a terrible spot at the moment. They get a week off, without dealing with All-Star Weekend

A Look into Bam Adebayo’s Offensive Aggression vs Atlanta

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After Miami’s rough loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night, it was clear that eyes would turn to the Heat’s young centerpiece, Bam Adebayo. It wouldn’t be a big deal if he just struggled offensively, but he didn’t even put himself in position to take that chance.

He lacked aggression in two straight games without Jimmy Butler, which is a bit alarming at the moment since he’s the second guy on this team, who should be able to take charge when needed.

So, here’s a look into Adebayo’s lack of aggression last night, in comparison to his offensive explosion against Brooklyn earlier in the season, since it’s essential to evaluate the major differences.

– Early reliance on Goran Dragic generating offense

Before diving totally into Bam Adebayo’s offensive play, the early tone must be noted. Without Jimmy Butler, Miami lacked a guy who can get downhill. Kendrick Nunn is capable, Tyler Herro has a crafty ability, and Dragic can attack pick and rolls, but there isn’t a consistent ability as when Butler is playing.

Although this play ends with a Duncan Robinson three point make, the spacing issues early are clear while Adebayo is doing his nightly off the ball screens. A crowd formed as Dragic got to the basket, and Clint Capela altered his focus onto him, putting his back toward Adebayo.

It’s obvious that Butler makes Adebayo’s job a lot easier in the offense, but there must be a change in mindset when he’s out, instead of just handing the keys to the 34 year old veteran.

– Open space not being utilized

As Dragic clears to the corner early in the play, take a look at the amount of space Adebayo is given to operate. More importantly, look at the wide open space at the free throw line, which is his favorite spot to dribble toward for a pull-up jumper.

In the first quarter, a major issue was getting Adebayo his touches, since the offense was not working through him in any way. But as the game progressed, they began to feed the ball to him in his spots, but he didn’t look to take advantage of it, leading to Kelly Olynyk kick-outs in a crowded space.

Now, take a look at this play on the same side of the floor. Do you see anything similar? Do you see anything different?

Well, I do. The similarities I see is that there’s wide open space at the free throw line, as the team clears out in any way possible for him to operate. The only difference is that he actually attacked that spot in this game.

There are a lot of factors to this overall situation other than his personal aggression, since some can point to game-plan. In this Brooklyn game, it seemed as if the offensive plan was to give the ball to the best player on your team, and allow him to play freely in open space.

But not only did that game-plan not occur yesterday, Adebayo didn’t seem to want it that way either.

– Lack of aggression leads to careless turnovers

It’s never important to just highlight a single turnover during a game, but it is essential when evaluating the reason for the turnover.

The reason this occurred is due to Adebayo’s passive ways late in games. 7 minutes left in the game, down by 2, 12 seconds on the shot clock. And yet, he’s still trying to create offense for others in these offensive sets.

The pass was clearly careless, but the pass isn’t the issue here. It’s the fact that he’s facing the Hawks bench at this point in the game without Jimmy Butler.

– Late game initiative non-apparent

Take a look at the end of this play, when Gabe Vincent clears the ball out to the wing with 7 seconds left on the shot clock.

Adebayo had a chance to call for the ball to make a play, while Vincent could clear out, but instead he looked indecisive if he wanted to set the screen or get the pass. Although Herro almost converted on that reverse layup, your two-way player shouldn’t be the one attacking to make a play late in the game.

One more time, let’s take a look at what happens in a game where he has a scoring mindset. He gets a cleared out side of the floor here as well, and takes his defender off the dribble, leading to a converted tough jumper.

This just shows that he’s capable of making plays like this when it matters, but that indecisiveness kicks in at times and throws everything off. There’s a reason that on nights when the jumper is falling, he makes a bunch. It’s because when he sees one go in and realizes what he is capable of, he is a hard guy to stop.

But it’s clear the only guy that can stop Bam Adebayo is Bam Adebayo.

– Once again, watching the offense instead of being the offense

Lastly, just watch Adebayo on this play. Atlanta just went on an 11-1 run, so it seems like now is the time for Adebayo to step up and try to create offense. Except, the complete opposite occurred.

He sets a screen for Dragic, then fades to the opposite baseline. For the next 10 seconds, he stood in place in that exact spot, while Andre Iguodala, Dragic, Herro, and Nunn ran in circles to find open space.

This play pretty much sums up my entire point about his aggression this game. When it’s a game without Butler, dribble penetration late in games fades away, but that shouldn’t lead to Iguodala post-ups into contested dribble hand-offs.

Once he realizes it himself in game speed, instead of post-game media sessions, it’ll be the biggest leap in his game to this point. The weaknesses in his game are very limited, which is why this final barrier is the part many people are awaiting to be broken.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Hawks

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The Miami Heat lost to the Atlanta Hawks this time around, in an absolute nightmare of a game. Erik Spoelstra has discussed playing games in the mud this season, but they played this game in something much worse than mud. Anyway, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: Miami’s offense no where to be found early.

Well, there’s not much to dive into when discussing the Miami Heat’s offense in the first half, other than shots just not falling. Good looks were being generated throughout beyond the arc, but somehow Miami ended up with 37 points in the first half. The biggest reason for Miami’s offensive struggles was the lack of a guy who can consistently get downhill. Jimmy Butler is usually that guy, but in a game where he was watching from the sideline, that issue became more apparent. This type of offensive play early says a lot about Butler as a player, but it also says a lot about this team. It’s clear they rely on Butler a bit too much at times, since it’s a lot of standing around until he generates offense. Goran Dragic helps that a bit, which was the only type of flow that they had, when he was attacking and kicking.

#2: Bam Adebayo needs to step up amid big time struggles.

When something is going wrong for a team, it’s natural to look toward the best player and leader for that particular night. It was obvious Bam Adebayo wasn’t having his best game in the first half, but 2 shot attempts through 16 minutes of bad basketball should never be the case. As I mentioned previously, dribble penetration and rim pressure was a big issue tonight, which is why setting screens for more pull-up jumpers should be altered a bit. The Clint Capela match-up favors Adebayo from an offensive perspective due to quickness, but that advantage was never really looked to. Butler definitely makes Adebayo’s job a lot easier in most of Miami’s sets, but when Adebayo has to carry a lineup come playoff time when Butler takes a breather, there must be a high amount of trust.

#3: Andre Iguodala may be the only reason things stayed close.

Andre Iguodala is the only guy on the current roster who can replicate some of the things Butler does, mostly from a facilitating perspective. Even though he was directing traffic, shots still weren’t falling, but his continued activity on both ends sparked them in some spurts. That Iguodala-Gabe Vincent tandem continues to impress many on the defensive end, due to both of their extremely aggressive mindsets to get on the ground for loose balls, pick up full-court, and more. A couple stops began to get Miami into transition offense, which seemed to be the only efficient offense early. There’s an immense amount of confidence when Iguodala is running the break, due to his high IQ play-making abilities, which was the only reason Miami trailed by 7 at the half, after a horrific performance early on.

#4: Duncan Robinson sparks third quarter run.

Duncan Robinson found a good time to get free on the perimeter for some three point makes, since it was the spark Miami was waiting for. But it wasn’t just Robinson finding space out of nowhere, he actually generated it himself. He put the ball on the floor a little more to begin the third quarter than he usually would, which was necessary in a game where shots weren’t dropping. Although he wasn’t scoring off the dribble, it gave the defense something to think about, and surprisingly they were thinking about it. Those triples weren’t the traditional dribble hand-off either, since he even utilized some pick and roll sets in which he’d pull up off the dribble. Seeing Robinson have the ability to score in a variety of ways when not being absolutely swarmed, is a healthy reminder after the recent defenses he’s faced.

#5: Tyler Herro finally flips a switch late in the third, but it wasn’t enough.

Tyler Herro stepping up late in the third quarter, after Robinson played a big part early, was all Miami needed to find any type of offense. As I discussed after last game, Herro has an ability to flip an individual switch, leading to increased confidence and more aggression. On a night that he struggled, one shot going in the basket is all it took for him to get back to himself, which led to him straying away from his passive ways early. Those passing abilities made an appearance in the fourth quarter once again after he had a quick scoring run, but that’s when play-making is most effective for him. Herro is not a natural play-maker, he’s a natural scorer. But he can be a trusted facilitator once defenses begin to target his scoring time and time again. Even when he attacked, though, play-making can’t be harped on when the players around him were struggling with uncontested jumpers.

Six tricks to becoming a better golfer

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Golf is such a wonderful game and completing 18 holes has so many great benefits for health and happiness. Golf is a fantastic exercise, enables players to spend time in nature, and is a great way to hang out with friends. Even though golf is so fun, it is also among the most difficult of all sports to play. Even the best players in the world are constantly looking for ways to improve their game and iron out any mistakes in their swing or stance. Every golf fanatic has a tip they just heard in the clubhouse which they are eager to share and so it can be hard to know which will have legitimate benefits and which won’t.

To separate the facts from the fiction, here are 6 tricks to become a better golf player.

1. Adjust Your Grip Until it is Totally Comfortable

The golf grip is the vital connection between your body, your club, and your ball, and so finding a grip with which you are totally comfortable is very important. One of the biggest problems that many beginner golfers have is their shots not going straight, and this is usually due to an incorrect grip. Make sure your palms, fingers, and thumbs are all in the right position and that you are holding the club at the right angle. Never rush your grip. Every time you hold a club, go through every step of forming your grip one by one and your accuracy will dramatically improve.

2. Buy Clubs that Suit Your Game

The second thing you need to do to improve your play is to buy clubs that actually suit your game. Many players, both beginners and more experienced players make the mistake of just buying the most expensive clubs or the brand which their favorite players use. You need to try out every kind of club, from Titleist Drivers to Ben Hogan Edge Irons to see which clubs feel best to you. The most important thing you need to check is the weight of the clubs. If a club is too light or too heavy it can negatively impact your balance, swing, and final shot. Borrow clubs from friends to try them out and test which provide you with the most control and power potential. You may find your club needs to change as you progress and develop as a player so never stop being curious when it comes to golf clubs.

3. Make Sure your Stance is Perfectly Balanced

Alongside the grip, a golfer’s stance is a critical part of an effective golf swing, and the perfect stance all comes down to balance. If you have secure foundations, you will then be able to perform a smooth swing, a clean connection with the ball, and a powerful and accurate shot. Even a slight imbalance can throw you off as the imbalance will pass through your body and arms into your club. As with your grip, go through each stage of your stance systematically before committing to your swing.

4. Keep Your Eye on the Ball

Despite all the tips and tricks out there (notwithstanding these ones, of course) golf is actually very simple. If you make clean contact with the ball on each shot, you are going to get a good score. Where this simplicity falls down, is that consistently hitting the ball cleanly is far from easy. The most important thing is to make sure you are hitting the ball dead center on the head of the club. If the contact is off to one side, the ball will almost certainly travel off center. While you won’t be able to see exactly where on the club head you are striking the ball, you can work it out based on the flight of the ball. If you are constantly slicing your shots, you need to tighten up your swing. If the ball goes off to random sides on every stroke, you need to spend more time lining up the shot, reduce the power a bit in favor of more control, and make sure your stance is firm.

5. Make a Video of Your Swing

One pro trick for checking everything from your stance to your contact is to video your swing in its entirety. You don’t need anything fancy to do this, just the video camera on your smartphone is sufficient. You will then be able to look at every minute stage of your swing frame to frame. It can be hard to know exactly where you are going wrong when you are the one making a shot. By watching a video of yourself back, you will be able to identify mistakes and then drill them out through practice.

6. Practice All the Time

Speaking of practice, last but not least, the single best way to become a better golf player is to practice all the time. At its simplest, this means just getting a round in as often as you can. The more golf you play, the better you are going to get. From NBA basketballers to PGA Tour golfers, professional sportsmen put in hours of practice every day. As well as playing 18 holes regularly, you should dedicate time to focusing on specific aspects of your game where you are weakest. Set aside some time every practice session to just work on your short game, set up a chipping net in your garden, and hit the driving range once or twice a week. By working on each element one by one, when you bring it all together on the course the next time you play a full round, the difference will be enormous.

 

Becoming a better golfer takes a lot of practice and hard work and dedication, but most importantly, you need to recognize your weaknesses and work on them every day. Making sure you use the right clubs and that you have a firm grip and a balanced stance will ensure that you have the right foundations for your swing. Never rush a shot, keep your eye on the ball, and hit the links as often as you can. Try out these tricks and you will be knocking shots off your handicap in no time.

A Breakdown of Precious Achiuwa’s Two-Way Play

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After not getting any playing time on Friday night in the win over the Utah Jazz, Precious Achiuwa made a huge impact on both ends of the floor against the Atlanta Hawks. He’s an intriguing young player, since he battles every step of the way in his limited minutes.

So, let’s take a look into Achiuwa’s two-way play against the Hawks…

– Switching onto small guards effectively

Achiuwa entered late in the first quarter, and made his defensive presence felt. Rajon Rondo is always searching to find the mismatch, but he quickly found out that Achiuwa covering him might not be a mismatch.

On the first play, he switches onto Rondo while Kendrick Nunn slides for the double. Rondo looks to pass it for an easy bucket, but Achiuwa’s active hands deflect the ball, leading to transition offense for Miami. The second possession was a similar thing, except Rondo looked to take him off the dribble this time. He utilizes his well-known ball fake, which got Achiuwa up in the air, but he somehow recovers.

Achiuwa’s energy and heart will be highlighted throughout a lot of these plays, but he also has natural defensive mechanics like quick recovery speed.

– A Precious move

This is a part of Achiuwa’s game that hasn’t been seen much, since most of his points come from put-backs or alley-oop dunks.

He utilizes a gather dribble after receiving the ball from Andre Iguodala, and goes right into a spin for an and-1. For starters, his footwork is highlighted here and proves to be pretty polished at this stage of his career. He also has a very solid left hand around the rim, which is why he has such flexibility around the basket, making it hard for defenders to block his craftiness.

If Miami can get consistent offense from him like this, it makes his Adebayo relief play even more realistic.

– The never-ending battle for offensive rebounds

When evaluating Achiuwa’s above average ability to locate offensive rebounds, it’s more than just his high energy. It has a lot to do with timing, since as seen here, he waits for the ball to fly off the rim and immediately runs to the front of the rim to grab it.

And take a look at how this play ended. It went from an empty possession to a Kendrick Nunn three, which is important for this team specifically since extra possessions are so crucial for them.

Here’s another example of that fight on the offensive boards. For one, he notices he’s battling with a guy that is his size, so he utilizes his right arm across his body to tip it up in the air.

This allows him to get possession of the ball, and take a look at how quickly he went back up with it. Quick decisions are important for young players, even if they’re not always the right decision. It led to another trip to the free throw line, which may come a lot for him due to his aggression down low.

– An ability to readjust

An interesting part about Achiuwa as a lob threat is his ability to read a team’s pick and roll defense.

Kendrick Nunn created a 2 on 1 opportunity, which John Collins slid up leading to the lob. Trae Young dropped down on Achiuwa, which means he could’ve clearly rushed the catch and laid it in. Except, he knows he can land and take it back up on the smaller Young, which is exactly what he did.

Once again, many young players without experience aren’t readjusting on that play. But Achiuwa knows his role so well at this point, that he can read situations by the rim pretty easily.

– Plays much bigger than he is

Achiuwa only being 6’8 does not seem to be the case most nights, since he plays as big of any center he matches up with. He’s powerful, physical, and well, isn’t afraid to throw it down.

On this play, Nunn’s improved play-making must be noted for a second. He draws two defenders when driving baseline, and instead of getting stuck, he throws a great bounce pass to Achiuwa under the basket.

He utilizes yet another gather dribble, which seems to be his safety net, and rises right up for an impressive slam. And once again, did not look like a guy that is only 6’8.

– Running the floor, playing above the rim

Another thing that must be discussed is Miami’s bench unit once fully healthy. Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro being in the back-court will be quite the offensive push, while Achiuwa always seems to thrive with them on the floor. But a name that hasn’t been linked to Achiuwa a lot is Iguodala, and he should.

Iguodala runs a lot of Miami’s offense, while a fantastic play-making ability means more opportunities for Achiuwa. These four guys complete Miami’s 9 man rotation for now, and it’s quite the mix of play styles.

On this play, though, take a look at Achiuwa to start the play. He’s way behind Iguodala, who is bringing the ball up the floor, and immediately turns on the burners to get straight to the basket. It seems as if Collins just gave up on the defensive possession for Atlanta, even when Achiuwa created the 2 on 1.

Of course, it led to an easy alley-oop finish for him, and there are more to come when that bench unit gets into a rhythm together pretty soon.