Swinging From My Heels - Christina Kim with Alan Shipnuck

I realize this book came out in April but I didn't find a copy until late May and read it over Memorial Day weekend.  So why am I reviewing it now?  Because I always like to give books a second read-through in case I miss something and I just recently had the time to hit it again.  The re-read was especially necessary in this case, when the result was going to be my first-ever online book review.

It's an entertaining read.  Christina's personality and candor comes through in every chapter.  In the preface she acknowledges that her book is the first of its kind, a view inside the life of a popular LPGA player.  Dating back to Jim Bouton's Ball Four in 1970, this type of insider book has covered virtually every male-oriented and at least a couple of female-oriented sports.  So while the Tour itself is fertile ground, the genre is tried-and-true.  Kim details her 2009 season from start to finish, embellishing the timeline with stories of how she picked up the game in her early teens and of her first several years on Tour.  She gives her perspective on the player uprising and subsequent resignation of Commissioner Bivens, along with some interesting points on how the Korean boom has affected the Tour and the American media and fans.  Particularly insightful are the paragraphs about her parents, especially her father.  As coach, mentor, caddy and most importantly Daddy, Man Kim played a huge role in making Christina the player and person she is today.

2009 wasn't Kim's best on Tour by any definition.  She ranked 44^th in my system and finished 38^th on the money list.  She begins the book (and the season) by mutually breaking up with her boyfriend and with her spirits low, she struggles in her first five events.  She contends at the Kraft Nabisco but is forced to withdraw at the Michelob Ultra with a case of food poisoning, kicking off another string of poor performances.  After changing everything from equipment to caddy, Christina gets back into gear at the British Open and Safeway Classic, playing well enough to make the Solheim Cup team.  That weekend brought Kim more attention and notoriety than she could have dreamed of.  She grabbed a Top 10 near home at the CVS in September but the rest of the season brought more struggles.

The shockers that I expected are delivered, as Kim covers the topics of homosexuality and player-caddy romances.  One I didn't expect was her admission that LPGA players don't "get lucky" on their travels as much as you might think, given their youth and physiques.  Her explanations for why this is so hit very close to home, as she mentioned one reason is that most male LPGA fans are "middle-aged".  Not much I can say to argue with that.

Even if you are only a casual fan of the LPGA or have reservations about Kim's Type-AA personality, you would be well served to check out Swinging From My Heels.  The insight it gives into the daily routine of the LPGA Tour - a look we have never gotten in this much detail before - is a valuable one.  Speaking as an avid LPGA fan, for me that insight is priceless.