Secondhand Slice, page 3
The ball hit the back edge of the cup…
…and dropped in.
“YES!” Hugo shouted from the impressed onlookers. “Eagle! It’s an eagle!”
Ben couldn’t believe it. He crossed the green like he was walking on a cloud. Slowly, a smile spread across his face.
“Excuse me,” he said, passing Evan.
Ben plucked the ball from the cup and tipped his cap to the crowd.
After Evan sank his par putt, the competitors all gathered in the clubhouse. Many of the golfers congratulated Ben. They offered compliments on his putt and on his gutsy second shot.
“You used your slice to your advantage,” Ben’s dad said. He hugged Ben. “That was very impressive.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Ben said.
Mr. Lonigren stood before the crowd. He announced, “The winner of the Strongwood Junior Golf Tournament is… Ben Malone!”
Someone passed Mr. Lonigren a trophy, which he passed to Ben along with the shiny set of golf clubs. “Congratulations, Ben,” Mr. Lonigren said.
“Thank you, sir,” Ben replied.
To Ben’s surprise, even Evan came up and muttered a quick, “Congrats.” Then he slunk away into the crowd again.
Ben studied the trophy. He weighed it in his arms. It was heavier than it looked.
Hugo came up and draped an arm over Ben’s shoulder. “So, Dragonslayer,” Hugo said, “how many rounds of mini-golf will that prize money buy us?”
Ben laughed and shook his head. “I’m afraid to find out,” he said.
“Are you excited to use your new clubs?” said Hugo.
Ben considered the question. He thought about it for a long moment and then cast a glance at his smiling father.
His father smiled back.
“Of course,” Ben said. “But I gotta tell you, Hugo. There’s really nothing wrong with the ones I already have.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brandon Terrell is the author of numerous children’s books, including several volumes in both the Tony Hawk 900 Revolution series and the Tony Hawk Live2Skate series. He has also written several Spine Shivers titles and is the author of the Time Machine Magazine series. When not hunched over his laptop, Brandon enjoys movies and television, reading, watching and playing baseball, and spending time with his wife and two children at his home in Minnesota.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Aburtov works as a colorist for Marvel Comics, DC Comics, IDW Publishing, and Dark Horse Comics and as an illustrator for Stone Arch Books. He lives in Monterrey, Mexico, with his lovely wife, Alba, and his crazy children, Ilka, Mila, and Aleph.
GLOSSARY
birdie (BUR-dee) —
a score on a golf hole played one stroke under par
bogey (BOH-gee) —
a score on a golf hole played one stroke over par
bunker (BUNK-ur) —
a shallow pit of sand or bare earth
dogleg (DOG-leg) —
something that bends sharply, often at an angle of approximately 90 degrees
eagle (EE-guhl) —
a score on a golf hole played two under par
hazard (HAZ-urd) —
part of a golf course that provides a difficult obstacle, usually of sand or water
par (PAR) —
a score on a golf hole played in the exact number of strokes expected for a golfer to get the ball in the hole
pitch (PICH) —
a short shot usually made using less than a full swing
rough (RUHF) —
longer grass that borders the fairway, which has shorter grass
slice (SLISSE) —
a golf shot that bends to the right for a right-handed golfer, usually because it is hit somewhat incorrectly
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Ben is uncomfortable around Evan. Explain several ways this is shown in the story.
Ben’s friend Hugo signed him up for the tournament without asking. Would you have done the same for a friend? Explain.
Ben has a hard time concentrating when others are watching him golf, and this affects his game. Why do you think this is?
WRITING PROMPTS
Design your own mini-golf course and write about what it looks like.
Ben works hard to correct his slice. Write about a time when you worked hard to overcome an obstacle.
Pretend you are a sportswriter who just witnessed Ben beating Evan on the Dogleg of Doom. Write an article for the newspaper.
MORE ABOUT SLICES
A “slice” is a type of golf shot where the ball curves in flight. For a right-handed golfer, it curves to the right. For a left-handed golfer, a slice curves left.
A slang term for a slice is a banana ball.
A slice occurs when the golf club strikes the ball in an open position. This is usually due to the golfer’s swing path causing the face of the club to open.
To fix a slice, make sure your club is not gripped in an open position. The toe, or end, of your club should be pointing straight up.
Also, make sure your feet, hips, and shoulders are aligned with your target line. Your body, just like your club, should be square and not open.
THE FUN DOESN’T STOP HERE!
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Jake Maddox Sports Stories are published by Stone Arch Books
a Capstone Imprint
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Copyright © 2018 Stone Arch Books
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on the Library of Congress website.
ISBN: 978-1-4965-5864-0 (library binding)
ISBN: 978-1-4965-5866-4 (paperback)
ISBN: 978-1-4965-5868-8 (eBook PDF)
ISBN: 978-1-4965-6579-2 (eBook)
Summary: Thirteen-year old Ben Malone is the son of the head groundskeeper at the exclusive golf club, Strongwood, a course Ben has never played because they cannot afford the fee—but when his best friend puts up the money to enter him in a junior tournament at the club, Ben is forced to confront his own lack of confidence (and his wicked slice).
Editor: Nate LeBoutillier
Designer: Brent Slingsby
Production Specialist: Tori Abraham
Jake Maddox, Secondhand Slice
