Thursday, August 30, 2018

Thin Shots in Golf - What They Are and How to Avoid Them


A talented financial leader with extensive experience as an executive vice president and a CFO, Paul Liska operates as a private investor. An avid golfer in his free time, Paul Liska particularly enjoys playing at The Country Club at Castle Pines, The Club at Wynstone, and Pinehurst.

In golf, a thin shot occurs when the head of the club meets the ball near its midpoint or higher. Where these types of shots will land is extremely difficult to predict. Thin shots also produce more vibration in a golfer’s hands, thus making them uncomfortable for the player.

Thin shots typically result from an issue or issues with a golfer’s swing. When swinging, golfers must keep their upper body even. Some players rise up at the moment of impact, which makes them hit the ball higher than usual. To address this, golfers should remain mindful of the position of their head throughout their swing. By ensuring the head maintains the same vertical distance from the ground through impact, golfers can avoid rising up during their swing.

Swaying during a swing can also cause thin shots. During a swing, golfers who sway move their hips away from the ball during their backswing and toward the ball during their downswing. By leaning the right knee in during the address, which occurs when the bottom of the club approaches the ground, golfers lock in their stance and keep the body from swaying.

Other issues that cause thin shots are positioning the ball poorly when setting up, having a narrow stance, and flipping the golf club. These problems are easily addressed by making sure the ball is neither too far back nor too far forward and by widening the stance. Meanwhile, golfers can avoid flipping the club by ensuring their pressure on the grip remains light and keeping the hinge in their wrists.

Monday, August 13, 2018

An Introduction to Divestiture


Paul Liska has held leadership roles at companies such as Motorola, Speciality Foods Corporation, and Kraft General Foods. In these roles, he became familiar with a wide range of business functions. Paul Liska has spent the past several years working as a private investor in Illinois.

The opposite of investing, divesting is getting rid of an asset by exchanging, selling, or closing it. In most cases, divesting of a business unit is done because the unit is not part of the company’s core competency. 

To refocus the business, management may decide to get rid of certain units through divestiture. In doing so, they reduce the lines of business a company must manage.

If a business is struggling financially, it may choose to sell business units to bring in money and return the company’s focus to its primary business line. Divestiture may also be part of a business’ survival plan after a bankruptcy.