Backstroke to bunkers: Phelps signs with Ping
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Olympic swimming legend Michael Phelps doesn't do anything by halves when it comes to sport.
18 gold medals in Olympic swimming and now a sponsorship deal with club makers Ping for his fledgling golf career.
Customized clubs have been created for his swimmer's frame; all 6-foot-4 of him, including his long arms and large hands.
''It's pretty wild,'' Phelps told reporters. ''It's crazy to think this sport is so technical. A lot of sports are very technical, but one of the (Ping) guys said there's 50-something different shafts they can put on the clubs.
"I'm used to having a pair of goggles, a small, medium or large swim cap, and a jammer to put on, and that's it.''
And the new clubs have already seen action, as Phelps took part in Wednesday's Phoenix Pro-Am. He almost made the green on the 16th from his tee-shot, but his ball rolled off the front. Another new experience for the All-American hero was the boos he got for that from the boisterous locals.
''I just feel like heartbeat firing through my shirt,'' Phelps said. ''I felt my heart was going to jump out of my chest. It was something that was pretty cool, something I've never seen before and something I've never experienced.
''I was very nervous and my club was like shaking as I'm over the ball. I just pretty much had to try to swing the club as fast as I could. But it's wild. I have never heard people boo you, but I'm sure it's happened, my face is just under water. So it was a little different experience. Hopefully, I have a chance to come back and play again.''
Nevertheless, the former swimmer got some words of praise from playing partner Bubba Watson.
''You can see he's an athlete and he's competitive, so he could be good if he practiced and put some time into it,'' Watson said. ''Any athlete of that level has a chance to be good at another sport.''
Who knows, if Phelps keeps on keeping on and puts the same intensity and dedication into training his golf as he did his swimming regime, perhaps the world will see him back at the Olympiad.
''You can't put limits on anything,'' Phelps said. ''There's so much I could do. Maybe I can get good enough where I can make the Olympics in golf.''
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