Yahoo! Answers

Hey Guys,

If you were stuck on the moon and could only bring one CD to listen to, what would it be? What about reading material? Which book would you bring along? Astronaut Alan Shepard faced a similar question when he was heading up to the moon on the Apollo 14 mission in 1971. Only instead of books or albums, Shepard had to decide what golf club to bring.

I wasn’t around when Admiral Shepard walked on the moon, but I remember hearing stories of him setting up a camera on the moon’s surface and hitting a few golf balls. It got me wondering, what club did he use?

A random question to spend my time answering? Absolutely, but you never know what you’re gonna find on the Web until you look. A few weeks ago, I looked into what I thought was going to be a relatively easy answer on how who coined the phrase, “The dog ate my homework.” My research skills were quickly humbled, as I was unable to find any reliable answers.

This time, it was quite the opposite. I thought, “There is no way I’m gonna find out what golf club an astronaut used four decades ago,” but not only was the answer out there, I found the video of Shepard swinging away. If you listen carefully, you can hear him mention that he’s using a six iron.

Due to the bulkiness and inflexibility of his space suit, Shepard had to golf one handed. Upon hitting the second golf ball, he joked that it went “for miles and miles.” According to Wikipedia, Shepard later admitted that the ball likely flew between 200 and 400 yards. Not shabby until you consider that the moon has one-sixth the gravity of planet Earth.

In his later years, people would often ask Shepard about his lunar golf swing. He wasn’t sure if the golf balls would be preserved on the moon for future generations, or if, due to vast swings in temperature, they exploded. Interestingly, according to Sports Illustrated, Shepard never revealed what brand of golf balls he used, for fear that his famous swing would be inadvertently commercialized. Again, according to SI, Shepard knew that his having hit golf balls on the moon is what made him famous. “I’m probably a hell of a lot more famous for being the guy who hit the golf ball on the moon than as the first guy in space,” he said.

As for the six iron, it’s on display at the USGA Museum in Far Hills, New Jersey. Astute viewers will note that Shepard sawed off the club and attached it to a sample collection tool in order to bring it with him to the moon. A good golfer knows how to improvise.

Thanks for reading,

Mike

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Photo by GonchoA

Ahh, March. If you’re a college basketball fan, this time of the year means one thing to you: March Madness. For many, part of getting ready for the season means preparing your bracket, and getting your “picks” together. For some, this is all just fun and games, but for others, it’s a science. And, this science even has a name: “bracketology.”

It’s the science of picking winners and knowing who will be the last team standing in the end. Whether you believe in the science of it all, or, are just in it for the game, there are loads of resources popping up on the web this year making it easier for you to stay in touch with your fantasy picks and favorite teams, including Yahoo! Sports “Tourney Pick’em” fantasy sports bracket. (And, this year you can win up to a million dollars if you end up with a perfect bracket!)

Online selections open on Sunday, March 14^th and close Thursday, March 18^th, but you can start creating a pool of your favorite Answers friends, college buddies, or office mates now while you wait for the tournament field to be announced on the 14^th.

Or, if you’re looking to meet a few fellow Yahoo! Answers users who also love basketball, you’re welcome to join our bracket, found here.

Need some last minute tips and information on this year’s teams from Kansas and Kentucky? Don’t forget to check out the Basketball category on Answers in addition to the NCAA section on Rivals But remember– if you’re asking specifically about your fantasy picks, be sure to place your questions in the appropriate category: Fantasy Sports.

Good luck!

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