GOLF issue
aRUDE comment
ONLINE content
ARBITERS
Got Game Marisa Baena interview by Iké Udé
Large Arc Robert Baker interview by Iké Udé
MirrorMask Neil Gaiman interview by Brandon Judell
Cineman Chief at MOMA Jytte Jensen interview by Brandon Judell
Scents and Sensibility Chandler Burr interview by Lacy Crawford
The Supreme Tiger Tiger Woods profile by John Huggan
Building Bridges Bob Rubin interview by Nicholas Callaway
BEAUTY
Beauty Illustrated photography by Jamie Nelson
A Girl's Best Friend photography by Kimio Takeyama
BON APPETIT
Questions for Chanterelle's David Waltuck
Questions for Gualtiero Marchesi
Casati in Chocolate by Scot D. Ryersson & Michael Orlando Yaccarino
FASHION
Self Portrait Diane von Furstenberg Essay & interview by Iké Udé
Costume Change Harold Koda interview by Ralph Rucci
Hannah And Her Syster photography by Nicholas Callaway
KULTURE & ART CINEMA
The Boy From Oz Michel Wright interview by Brandon Judell
Eternal Tees Maggie Gyllenhall interview by Brandon Judell
Smart and Smarter Jeff Daniels interview by Brandon Judell
Happy Endings Lisa Kudrow interview by Brandon Judell
The Toronto Kid Norman Jewison interview by Brandon Judell
Family Values Natasha Richarson interview by Brandon Judell
LEGEND
Immortal Bobby Bobby Jones interview by Robert Green
The Quixotic Limelight Payne Stewart interview by Robert Green
Master and Peacock Walter Hagen interview by Robert Green
Eternal Optimist Gary Player interview by Cyril le Tonqueze
OFF THE WALL GREEN IS OUR COLOR
Pier Guerci
Robert F. Smith
REVIEW
aRUDE Comment by Iké Udé
Telescope A close-up of the stars, notables, scenesters and picturesque dilettantes
ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
The Impresario's New Act Ian Schrager interview by Alex Ulam
Golf Landscapes
STYLE
Pardon Our Apparance Kangaroo, Lake karrinyup...
Element of Style aRUDE's template for style
Style File Robert Rufino
15 Minutes Plus Ragin Success Idris Mignott interview by Lola Ogunnaike
Fantasy & Simulacrum Giraffe, The Leopard Creek...
Le Girl
aRUDE comment
golf_issue_rbaker.php
ONLINE content
ARBITERS
Got Game Marisa Baena interview by Iké Udé
Large Arc Robert Baker interview by Iké Udé
MirrorMask Neil Gaiman interview by Brandon Judell
Cineman Chief at MOMA Jytte Jensen interview by Brandon Judell
Scents and Sensibility Chandler Burr interview by Lacy Crawford
The Supreme Tiger Tiger Woods profile by John Huggan
Building Bridges Bob Rubin interview by Nicholas Callaway
BEAUTY
Beauty Illustrated photography by Jamie Nelson
A Girl's Best Friend photography by Kimio Takeyama
BON APPETIT
Questions for Chanterelle's David Waltuck
Questions for Gualtiero Marchesi
Casati in Chocolate by Scot D. Ryersson & Michael Orlando Yaccarino
FASHION
Self Portrait Diane von Furstenberg Essay & interview by Iké Udé
Costume Change Harold Koda interview by Ralph Rucci
Hannah And Her Syster photography by Nicholas Callaway
KULTURE & ART CINEMA
The Boy From Oz Michel Wright interview by Brandon Judell
Eternal Tees Maggie Gyllenhall interview by Brandon Judell
Smart and Smarter Jeff Daniels interview by Brandon Judell
Happy Endings Lisa Kudrow interview by Brandon Judell
The Toronto Kid Norman Jewison interview by Brandon Judell
Family Values Natasha Richarson interview by Brandon Judell
LEGEND
Immortal Bobby Bobby Jones interview by Robert Green
The Quixotic Limelight Payne Stewart interview by Robert Green
Master and Peacock Walter Hagen interview by Robert Green
Eternal Optimist Gary Player interview by Cyril le Tonqueze
OFF THE WALL GREEN IS OUR COLOR
Pier Guerci
Robert F. Smith
REVIEW
aRUDE Comment by Iké Udé
Telescope A close-up of the stars, notables, scenesters and picturesque dilettantes
ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
The Impresario's New Act Ian Schrager interview by Alex Ulam
Golf Landscapes
STYLE
Pardon Our Apparance Kangaroo, Lake karrinyup...
Element of Style aRUDE's template for style
Style File Robert Rufino
15 Minutes Plus Ragin Success Idris Mignott interview by Lola Ogunnaike
Fantasy & Simulacrum Giraffe, The Leopard Creek...
Le Girl
ROBERT BAKER large arc
aRUDE Magazine
Robert Baker photography Dave Canon click image to enlarge aRUDE Magazine: Your technique is not only creative, but also instructive and logical. What inspires you?
Robert Baker: I love the precision and undeniable fact of physics in play. I guess taking that apart and seeing what makes it work inspires me. Golf is a very difficult game; there are so many things that can go wrong in the many complex elements of physics and physique necessary to swing a club with the desired effect. Most golfers really have to struggle just to play a reasonable game. The mathematical variables for error involved in hitting a very tiny ball a distance up to 300-plus yards with a tiny club head swinging through a very large arc at high speed are astounding. It is therefore very challenging to solve problems and diagnose swing flaws
aRUDE: Do your teaching methods allow room for improvisation?
RB: Every golfer's swing is like an individual fingerprint. I love to give golfers of all levels answers to their swing flaws. Logical Golf presents an easy-to-grasp overall visual picture of the swing with basic principles. This can be incorporated into each teacher's individual style and adapted to suit any instructor's personality. It is simply a framework from which to teach. If there is improvisation involved, it comes at the moment I see the golfer's natural swing, and take his individual strengths to the next level.
aRUDE: How would you compare Tiger Woods with Singh, stylewise?
RB: Tiger Woods has incredibly well developed quick twitch muscles, and more torque in his swing, with more acceleration. Vijay has a longer smoother swing and generates power at a more graceful pace.
aRUDE: To what extent is an individual's style predetermined?
RB: So much of what we do in sport is influenced by the way we live our lives, and there are definitely influences from that involved in the mechanics of the swing. But style is largely determined before we ever set foot on the golf course.
aRUDE: What accounts for the rest?
RB: Excellent coaching, hard work, and a support group.
RB: An excellent swing requires coordinating the hips, knees, arms, wrists, and shoulders with the body movement synchronized with the clubhead, which is swung on a large arc. It therefore has to be rhythmical, swinging back slowly with gradual acceleration into the downswing.
aRUDE: What players, past and present, would you rank highest for their graceful rhythm?
RB: Sam Snead, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Bobby Jones.
aRUDE: Intricacies in the use of body weight pose myriad problems for a golfer. Are these problems a constant or can they eventually be mastered once and for all?
RB: There are many ways in which to accelerate the club. Heavier players tend to have shorter and flashier hard action, like Craig Stadler. Skinny players have a wider bigger arc through which to generate speed. Golf can be taught to players of different body types, provided they are fairly coordinated; they can be managed more than mastered. As with all other challenges to the swing, these are dealt with over the lifetime of the golfer. You've said that the arm and wrist at 90 degrees provide two powerful levers.
aRUDE: What are the risks in playing at less, or more, than 90 degrees?
RB: Less than 90 you would have very little speed. More than 90 it is difficult to control, unless the player is very strong and practices many hours.
aRUDE: Who are your favorite golf icons, historically and contemporaneously?
RB: Historically, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus. Contemporaneously, Nick Faldo, Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros.
aRUDE: What did a golf icon such as Bobby Jones represent in his age? What does he symbolize in golf today?
RB: Bobby Jones won all the major championships as an amateur, an extraordinary feat; he was also the golf world's consummate gentleman. His dress and conduct were impeccable. He was one of the founders of the famed Augusta National, where they play The Masters. He was more than a great champion, he was a living legend in his day, a man who single-handedly put American golf on the map and set the standard for elegance and style.
aRUDE: What accounts for the alarmingly sloppy attire in today's golf?
RB: Golf has been mass-marketed to the general public. Back in the day, it was a gentleman's game played at private clubs; only men of a certain class and status played. Today golf is a business. With the tremendous popularity of the public courses, you have a more casual feel to the presentation all around. Also, these courses probably feel that the more rules for dress codes they try to enforce, the fewer golfers will play there. So in part it's a business decision. To a certain extent, the courses are better groomed than most of the players. Which is part of what people love about the game: a beautiful manicured golf course is a lovely place to spend an afternoon. It's not just golf, though; style of dress in general has become more sloppy in contemporary life, particularly in America.
aRUDE: Is there a conspiracy against elegance in contemporary golf?
RB: There are still country clubs where dress codes are strictly enforced. But even at its best, contemporary golf attire has definitely sacrificed style for functionality and comfort.
aRUDE: What factor does age play in a golfer's supremacy?
RB: Golf is a sport in which you can win the ultimate prize of a major championship as early as age twenty and as late as age fifty. The peak has always been suggested to be at about 35, so the interesting thing will be to see if Tiger Woods, who started quite young, can maintain his record as he gets older.
aRUDE: Who is your ideal student?
RB: A really good athlete with ball sense: the natural ability to connect with ball.
aRUDE: What is the major distinction between a professional and an amateur golfer?
RB: Aside from the obvious issue of whether or not one makes it one's livelihood, in terms of quality of play, as a general rule a professional golfer sweeps the ball off the turf, where an amateur or inexperienced player chops down at the ball.
aRUDE Magazine
Robert Baker photography Dave Canon click image to enlarge aRUDE Magazine: Your technique is not only creative, but also instructive and logical. What inspires you?
Robert Baker: I love the precision and undeniable fact of physics in play. I guess taking that apart and seeing what makes it work inspires me. Golf is a very difficult game; there are so many things that can go wrong in the many complex elements of physics and physique necessary to swing a club with the desired effect. Most golfers really have to struggle just to play a reasonable game. The mathematical variables for error involved in hitting a very tiny ball a distance up to 300-plus yards with a tiny club head swinging through a very large arc at high speed are astounding. It is therefore very challenging to solve problems and diagnose swing flaws
aRUDE: Do your teaching methods allow room for improvisation?
RB: Every golfer's swing is like an individual fingerprint. I love to give golfers of all levels answers to their swing flaws. Logical Golf presents an easy-to-grasp overall visual picture of the swing with basic principles. This can be incorporated into each teacher's individual style and adapted to suit any instructor's personality. It is simply a framework from which to teach. If there is improvisation involved, it comes at the moment I see the golfer's natural swing, and take his individual strengths to the next level.
aRUDE: How would you compare Tiger Woods with Singh, stylewise?
RB: Tiger Woods has incredibly well developed quick twitch muscles, and more torque in his swing, with more acceleration. Vijay has a longer smoother swing and generates power at a more graceful pace.
aRUDE: To what extent is an individual's style predetermined?
RB: So much of what we do in sport is influenced by the way we live our lives, and there are definitely influences from that involved in the mechanics of the swing. But style is largely determined before we ever set foot on the golf course.
aRUDE: What accounts for the rest?
RB: Excellent coaching, hard work, and a support group.
Golf has been mass-marketed to the general public. Back in the day it was a gentleman's
game played at private clubs; only men of a certain class and status played. Today golf
is a business.
aRUDE: You've said, "Playing golf is just like dancing."
What is rhythm in golf?
RB: An excellent swing requires coordinating the hips, knees, arms, wrists, and shoulders with the body movement synchronized with the clubhead, which is swung on a large arc. It therefore has to be rhythmical, swinging back slowly with gradual acceleration into the downswing.
aRUDE: What players, past and present, would you rank highest for their graceful rhythm?
RB: Sam Snead, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Bobby Jones.
aRUDE: Intricacies in the use of body weight pose myriad problems for a golfer. Are these problems a constant or can they eventually be mastered once and for all?
RB: There are many ways in which to accelerate the club. Heavier players tend to have shorter and flashier hard action, like Craig Stadler. Skinny players have a wider bigger arc through which to generate speed. Golf can be taught to players of different body types, provided they are fairly coordinated; they can be managed more than mastered. As with all other challenges to the swing, these are dealt with over the lifetime of the golfer. You've said that the arm and wrist at 90 degrees provide two powerful levers.
aRUDE: What are the risks in playing at less, or more, than 90 degrees?
RB: Less than 90 you would have very little speed. More than 90 it is difficult to control, unless the player is very strong and practices many hours.
aRUDE: Who are your favorite golf icons, historically and contemporaneously?
RB: Historically, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus. Contemporaneously, Nick Faldo, Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros.
aRUDE: What did a golf icon such as Bobby Jones represent in his age? What does he symbolize in golf today?
RB: Bobby Jones won all the major championships as an amateur, an extraordinary feat; he was also the golf world's consummate gentleman. His dress and conduct were impeccable. He was one of the founders of the famed Augusta National, where they play The Masters. He was more than a great champion, he was a living legend in his day, a man who single-handedly put American golf on the map and set the standard for elegance and style.
aRUDE: What accounts for the alarmingly sloppy attire in today's golf?
RB: Golf has been mass-marketed to the general public. Back in the day, it was a gentleman's game played at private clubs; only men of a certain class and status played. Today golf is a business. With the tremendous popularity of the public courses, you have a more casual feel to the presentation all around. Also, these courses probably feel that the more rules for dress codes they try to enforce, the fewer golfers will play there. So in part it's a business decision. To a certain extent, the courses are better groomed than most of the players. Which is part of what people love about the game: a beautiful manicured golf course is a lovely place to spend an afternoon. It's not just golf, though; style of dress in general has become more sloppy in contemporary life, particularly in America.
aRUDE: Is there a conspiracy against elegance in contemporary golf?
RB: There are still country clubs where dress codes are strictly enforced. But even at its best, contemporary golf attire has definitely sacrificed style for functionality and comfort.
aRUDE: What factor does age play in a golfer's supremacy?
RB: Golf is a sport in which you can win the ultimate prize of a major championship as early as age twenty and as late as age fifty. The peak has always been suggested to be at about 35, so the interesting thing will be to see if Tiger Woods, who started quite young, can maintain his record as he gets older.
aRUDE: Who is your ideal student?
RB: A really good athlete with ball sense: the natural ability to connect with ball.
aRUDE: What is the major distinction between a professional and an amateur golfer?
RB: Aside from the obvious issue of whether or not one makes it one's livelihood, in terms of quality of play, as a general rule a professional golfer sweeps the ball off the turf, where an amateur or inexperienced player chops down at the ball.
