Lionel Messi - Player Focus

Another off the Argentine assembly line of New Maradonas, Lionel Messi may be the first to live up to that unfair comparison. Where Javier Saviola, Juan Roman Riquelme and Pablo Aimar have unsurprisingly failed to match HIS high standards despite initial promise, Messi has shown that even at a young age he is able to carry the weight of expectant teammates and a nation on his shoulders.

Credit must also be given to his barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard for not rushing him into a starting place at barcelona he is more than ready to hold.

"It is clear Messi is a talent, a future player, but I ask that everyone continues supporting him when he is out of the team because he is still very young." Rijkaard said in a recent interview. He continued:

"I'm convinced about him because I know he isn't paying attention to all the speculation in the media."He prefers to do his talking on the pitch.

In fact his three goals and one assist in nine league starts for barcelona this season to add to his goal and assist in the UEFA Champions league back up his coaches claim, and at 18 years young we are only just starting to see glimpses of his enormous potential. Messi states:

"I want to keep on learning and I hope things go well for me. The thing is to help the team as much as possible."

These are the words of a young man with a focused head on his shoulders and more importantly good advisors around him. How many times have we seen the vultures swoop in on young prodigies sweet talking them and their parents into committing career suicide by sulking and demanding more playing time only to become no more than a trivia question five years down the road.

With the World cup in Germany swiftly approaching Lionel Messi will definitely be one to watch if selected for national duty.

Enrique Domnguez, Messi's former coach said "He could do things with the ball that defied the laws of physics. The only other person I have ever seen do that was Diego Maradona".

let us all recall that Maradona himself did not come into his own until the 1986 World cup in mexico despite being tipped for great things in Spain four years prior. That World cup was a general disappointment for Maradona as well as Argentina. Messi will be three years younger than Maradona was in his first World cup appearance and it is important that we all allow Lionel to continue developing at his current pace without placing on him too much pressure for a teenager to handle. For his part Messi must maintain his enthusiasm and work ethic that has so far impressed his coaches and peers. If he can do that then the sky is indeed his limit.

Career Highlights

June 24, 1987Born in Rosario, Argentina

2000Lionel and his family move to Spain to help treat his hormonal growth deficiency

Signs for barcelona at the age of 13

October 16, 2004Makes his barcelona first tem debut against RCD Espanyol

May 1 2005Becomes the youngest league scorer in Barcelonas history against Albacete when he scored his first goal at 17 years, ten months and seven days

June 2005Helps the Argentina under 20 team win the fifa World youth championship scoring two goals against Nigeria in the final

June 27, 2005Renews his contract with barcelona until 2010 with a 150 million buy-out clause

August 4, 2005Receives his first call up to the Argentine national team

September 25, 2005Obtains spanish citizenship allowing him to play more games for Barcelona no longer being restricted by the non-EU player quota

Jivamukti Yoga New York

Grooved Golf Swing Series - Always Try To Hit A Chosen Spot From The Tee, Keep That Right Elbow In

We all have trouble with our drives, making the ball land where we want it to. Would that be a fair statement?

If you asked me I would certainly say yes. So, what am I saying?

I am saying that you should try every time to land your ball on a chosen spot on the fairway.

I can hear you saying I can rarely put my ball onto a spot. Goodness, if I can get it on the fairway I am more than pleased. With this in mind, are you saying that you line up and blaze away in the general direction of the green, hoping that you will finish on the short grass?

Well, here is an adjustment to any thoughts along these lines. On every shot, even if you think you cant, try your best to hit your chosen spot on the fairway.

There are mental and physical reasons for this.

First, the more care you take mentally to hit your target, the more this will have an effect on your physical game.

I mean, your lining up, your care in lining up your club head so that it hits the ball with a square club face, and your own personal placement of your feet and the line of your shoulders.

In other words, how you yourself align your body.

If you pay enormous attention to the mental and the physical aspects as described, there will be a much greater chance of hitting your ball to your chosen spot on the fairway.

This is a step forward. Your next shot must have a clear passage way to the green and if you can place your ball in a position to achieve this, you are playing better golf.

This means a lower score and a lower handicap.

Now once you are lined up, all you have to do is take your club back and hit your ball.

Next a little reminder on the basics of the swing. As I have said before, set up with your head over your right knee (right handers) and leave it there. Yes, leave it there during the whole swing. This will keep your head behind the ball and prevent it coming forward on the down swing resulting in a hook.

Now turn your chest to the right taking your arms with it.

Place your left shoulder under your chin with a final turn of your shoulders, taking your club to the horizontal. Now on the down swing, here is something your may not have heard of.

All this talk of hitting from in to out. It certainly takes some doing. hitting from out to in is a no no. Lost your yet? I got lost too.

My coach used to place a tee at an angle of 30 degrees to the flight of the ball and tell me to move my club face in the direction of the tee. Talk about double Dutch. Utter confusion. I just couldnt get the mental picture or do as I was told. It was impossible.

The trouble was that the coach didnt understand the principles of what he was trying to teach me.

He should have paid more attention to keeping my right elbow tucked into my side. A flying right elbow plays havoc with your ball flight doesnt it?

Actually, I am convinced that most shanks are caused by a right elbow leaving the side just a bit. Think about it. I think you will agree. The whole thing moves the club head forward towards the ball.

Here is what you do. The first part of your down swing should be a simple short movement down where the butt of your club is pointed at the ball. There is only one way you can do this - by tucking your right elbow into your side. It is fool proof.

This move takes care of the movement of your left hip. It makes it go up and back. This is what it should do.

However, dont try to do this or you will have all sorts of problems. The simple movement of pointing the butt of your club at the ball takes care of all the complicated movements described in so many books.

Some one said to me that the whoosh of the club starts here and not at the top.

Have a look at hitting from the top. It is a devil of a job keeping your elbow in. It is more likely to move away from your body causing you to hit from out to in.

So much for the in to out and the out to in. All it means is keeping your right elbow tucked in to your side, and the only foolproof way to do this is to point the butt of your grip towards the ball as the first part of your down swing.

To get the hang of this, I suggest you practice this movement in isolation (without the rest of the swing) until it becomes second nature and then incorporate it into your swing.

Bill Maitland is a thinking, inventive golf guru. He thought out and developed simple techniques and tips which enabled him to lower his handicap from 25 to 18, then from 18 to 15, and finally from 15 to 12. He is a passionate golfer, and delights in helping others with their game should they want his help. To receive a valuable weekly golf tip go to his web site http://www.onlinegolfershandbook.com and subscribe to his free hole In One News Letter. You will be so glad that you did.

Author of On Line Golfers' Hand Book. An e-Book that takes you step by step to being the best golfer that you can possibly be. The basics in great detail. To learn about his tips and simple techniques and order his book, visit his web site

www.onlinegolfershandbook.com

sign up for his free news letter and receive a wealth of great tips every time. He really tries to tell you everything and leaves nothing out as so often happens. When you sign up, receive his free chapter from his book on bunker play.

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