Bare Feet, Beer and Heavy Metal Bangers. Golf Chills Out and Gets Cool.

By BY BILL PENNINGTON from NYT Sports Traditional golf is increasingly seen as old and stuck in its ways. But imaginative takes on the sport are making it more fun and attracting new players.https://nyti.ms/3h99bx1

Bat Used by Lou Gehrig in 1938 Sells at Auction for $715,120

By BY NEIL VIGDOR from NYT Sports The 34-inch, 36-ounce Bill Dickey model Louisville Slugger had been owned by the family of Earle Combs, a onetime teammate of Gehrig’s and coach with the New York Yankees, auctioneers said.https://nyti.ms/3fGX9KJ

Old Ballgame, New Ball

By Unknown Author from NYT Sports Major League Baseball introduces a new ball in response to years of record home runs.https://nyti.ms/3wi8ve4

In Naming a New Chief Executive, the U.S.G.A. Looks to the Women’s Game

By BY BILL PENNINGTON from NYT Sports With the L.P.G.A., Mike Whan grew women’s golf. Now he’ll try to solve some of the sport’s most contentious debates: outrageous distances off the tee and a return to more traditional sites.https://nyti.ms/3rW0loK

As His Pay Shrinks in the Absence of Tennis, His Heart Grows Fonder

By BY CHRISTOPHER CLAREY from NYT Sports Ron Yu, a racket technician for some of the best players in the world, has lost his primary source of income during the coronavirus pandemic but also remembered how much he loves the sport.https://nyti.ms/3cCwomm

With Games Paused, Sports Companies Shift to Making Medical Supplies

By BY DAVID WALDSTEIN from NYT Sports Formula One teams are producing CPAP machines for patients, while several sporting goods businesses are making personal protective equipment for health care workers.https://nyti.ms/39SofrY

M.L.B. Sends Message: Pitchers, Not Baseballs, Must Adapt

By BY TYLER KEPNER from NYT Sports Home runs are up and pitchers are grumbling but baseball said a study of its seemingly supercharged baseballs had led them to conclude they did not need to change a thing.https://nyti.ms/2RIeyqz

The Evolution of Tennis in Four Grips

By BY JOE WARD AND GEOFF MACDONALD from NYT Sports Over the years, players have moved their grips farther and farther under the handle. It creates a lot of topspin, and some strange looking swings.https://nyti.ms/2LgKXj9

A Bat Dies, and a Half-Dozen Chopsticks Are Born

By JERÉ LONGMAN from NYT Sports The Japanese, meticulous in their approach to baseball, recycling and reuse, have figured out how to make good use of splintered bats.https://nyti.ms/2qbCT99

From the Archives of the International Tennis Hall of Fame

By DAVID SHAFTEL from NYT Sports A peak at photographs and objects that are tucked away in storage at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I.https://nyti.ms/2o9cGHe

Tilting at Tennis Rackets

By BOB ECKSTEIN from NYT Sports Don R. Mueller, a former physics professor who calls himself Professor Tennis, has been on a yearslong campaign to persuade tennis players that they could be so much better if they considered physics. https://nyti.ms/2KfEpzb