Goin' Country #3: How Improve Hand-Eye Coordination and Speed as Athlete!

The ZEN OF SWAT. Fly Swatters were an intregal part of my development into an athlete. Hand-Eye Coordination is important in baseball, basketball, football, pool, poker...etc. After all, goin' country is about playing the hand you got and making due.

Four Great Tips to Improve Your Games!

1) Fly Swatters and Roaches- Try this exercise late at night. Once everyone goes to bed, let it get REALLY, REALLY quiet. Have your trusty fly swatter at hand, or, at a relay-able location....then sprint to the light switch in the kitchen. Turn it on quickly, run to the baited location (preferably a table connected to loose chips, bread crumbs, etc) and HAVE AT IT! Nail every one of those jokers! Keep score, hits and misses. VERY IMPORTANT: Body is stiff, use elbow and wrist action! No wasted motion. Oh yeah, clean up is a must!

2. Fly Swatters and Ants- Go outside and find some ant hills near concrete. This is a rapid fire drill. Put out something sweet like a piece of pimento and cheese sandwich or candy. Let the ants form a strong line to and fro the object. Then, once you know how many are in the freeway, rapidly HAVE AT IT! The goal is rapid motion in a small confined area. Remember, body stiff, use elbow and wrist action. More wrist will be needed as you will see.

3. Fly Swatters and Flys- This one is a full body, aerobic exercise that calls for agility and peripheral vision. Summer afternoons are great before or after cook outs, or when you sense them. You'll need multiple outside walls, like a car port. Flys on steps, walls, concrete, cars, poles, you name it. Tightly grip the your weapon, and HAVE AT IT! The goal is to position oneself to take out multiple targets on first strike, cover ground quickly to get from wall to steps, to concrete if needed. This exercise is good every 15 minutes in 1 minute intervals. Rapid feet motion, wrist and elbow, and, peripheral vision a must. This exercise is good so when you play basketball you can find the open player!

And last, but not least.... DON'T TRY IT UNLESS YOU'VE MASTERED THOSE 3 ABOVE!

4. Fly Swatters and Wasps, Bees and Dirt Dobbers- You are in the big leagues now. There is no play at this level. Execution is a must. The ability to take on multiple bogeys in mid air. You must not only swat, but crush. Have good shoes for the task. Boots are good but may impede motion. No Flip-Flops! To be proactive, find the nest and just rattle it a bit. They will fall like pro Fighter pilots. Be ready to engage, disengage, assess, and reengage. Good exercise after watching Top Gun. If one sting- go back to #2. If multiple stings, go back to #1.