Posted on July 2nd, 2008 — in Online Sports Resources
A conventional F1 race track as a rule includes a stretch of straight tarmac on which the starting marks are to be found. The pit lane, where the drivers stop for fuel & replace old tyres during the race, & where the Formula 1 teams operate on the cars previous to the Formula One grand prix, is traditionally positioned in parallel to the starting grid. The outline of the remaining parts of the race circuit changes widely, even though in certain cases the circuit goes in a clockwise way. Those few race circuits that do go anticlockwise (C181& consequently have mainly left-handed turns) might cause grand prix drivers health pains as a result of the vast lateral forces produced by Formula One machines dragging their heads in the opposite direction to normal.
Several of the courses currently in use are exclusively made for racing days. The current street courses are the Circuit de Monte Carlo & Melbourne, though races in other urban cities come and go (Las Vegas and Detroit) and plans for such circuits are regularly discussed ? recently London and Beirut. A number of other courses are also completely or partly laid out on public roads, like that of Spa-Francorchamps. The charm and love of the Monaco motor race are the primary cause why the course is still in use, since it’s thought not to pass the stern safety requirements imposed on other race tracks. Three-time Formula One World champion Nelson Piquet notably depicted driving in Monaco as “like riding a bicycle around your own living room”. For info about Formula 1 Grand Prixs, then go to F1Tribute.com today.
Comments Off
Posted on June 18th, 2008 — in Online Sports Resources
The perfect way to elate your spirits, the peculiar cowboys and cowgirls and their sturdy horses, their thrilling activities and the mind boggling music…the world of Rodeos is charismatic and bewitching in its own way. Initially Rodeos were associated with Texas only but now its events have spread their wings throughout the globe.
A Short Brush with the Past
The history of Rodeos can be traced back to 1854 when San Antonio hosted the foremost Texas Agricultural Fair which turned out to be a massive success and thereby took place annually. Till 2003 the John and Henry Freeman Coliseum is known to have hosted the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo.
The Rodeos Distinct Proceedings
The Rodeos has always been welcoming and a wonderful experience not just for the kids but for the entire family. The innumerable Rodeo events fill every heart with excitement and pleasure. Some of the staggering Rodeo events are Bull Riding, Tie Down Roping, Barrel Racing, Saddle Bronc Riding, Bare Back Riding, the whacky Calf Scramble and the Mutton Bustin’ challenge etc. The crowd catching events like Xtreme Bulls requires the hardest hombres around (in men and bulls) and the top thirty bull riders to compete. Besides the live performances and dance lessons at the Billy Bud Dance Hall, the shows at the Community Stage, the Rock and Ride Roadhouse and the Ham on Rye Virtual Theatre have always invited lot of attention. The Stock shows are of great significance in Rodeo proceedings. In this the animals are studied, adjudicated and rewarded and even auctioned. The month of June provides you the opportunity to see the ranch cowboys at their best. The event is termed as the Cowboy Roundup USA in which the cowboys compete with each other sprinkling fun and enthusiasm throughout the place.
The World’s Greatest Horsemanship Competition is attended by multitude of people. It is the time when the cowboy and his horse parade their talents to score, win and of course enjoy.
The Chuck Wagon Cooking is another exciting event. The Ranch rodeos teams prepare the best of the food and also present it. What counts on the performance here is not just the delicious taste of the food but also how much your style is affiliated with the tradition and history. The ranch rodeos are basically team work that also competes at the events like-wild cow Milking, Calf Branding, Cattle Roping, Cattle Sorting and Saddle Bronc Riding etc.
The Mesqite Championship that runs from April to September is also another pull. The location is the Amarillo National Center and the Amarillo Tri State Fairgrounds. The proceedings take place in the large Resistol Arena that is wonderfully decorated and its design specifically caters to the comfort of the audiences. The cowboy hangs for his life in the bull riding and the saddle bronc competitions. The youth can experience the pleasure of the Calf Scramble which goes on contemporaneous with other events.
Especially meant for the kids’ amusement is the petting zoo where the children can have a close encounter with some of the gentler critters like a pony, rabbit, baby sheep and goat, calf etc. When it comes to food, the Sonny Bryan’s BBQ Pavilion offers a delectable cuisine and the coveted opportunity to dine with the cowboys.
There is much to shop here with exclusive discounts on certain traditional items and souvenirs. People also enjoy the purchasing from the vendors that come from within the US, Canada and Mexico.
However, this is just the tip of an iceberg, there us much more to the Rodeo exhilaration than one can ever imagine!
Mansi aggarwal writes about rodeos. Learn more at http://www.experiencerodeos.com
Comments Off
Posted on June 2nd, 2008 — in Online Sports Resources
If you want to go skydiving, the safest way to start is to become acquainted with the basic rules and risks associated with the sport. By doing this you will greatly reduce the risk of injury and accidental death.
Most skydiving companies have an age restriction of 18 years and over. A parent cannot sign a document for a minor saying that they are allowed to jump, there are usually no exceptions to this rule. You must also weigh under 240 pounds in order to ensure the softest landing possible.
Skydiving is not a physically demanding sport, but you must be in basic good health and strong enough to pull your parachute line, which for most people is not a problem.
Courses at skydiving schools will last around four to six hours and the jump is completed on the same day if the weather permits. Some schools allow you to jump the first time alone, although this is up to the teachers’ discretion. W
hen you show up for skydiving, you should wear lose, comfortable clothing and running shoes. Restrictive clothing, sandals, or open toed shoes should not be worn. Glasses and contacts can also be worn because goggles will be provided that can fit over either. A skydiving jump usually lasts 60 seconds, with 35 seconds of free fall.
Many people report that free falling feels a lot more like flying than falling and can be one of the most exhilarating experiences of a lifetime. And of course, the question everyone wants to know, how safe is skydiving? Skydiving is actually a very safe extreme sport, although it is important to know that there are risks involved. When you jump out of a plane that is 10, 000 feet above ground and fall at about 120 miles an hour, there are bound to be risks. But when done properly, the risks of injury or death are very unlikely.
Remember, that there is always a relationship between your knowledge, skill and attitude, and your chances for survival with any extreme sport. I recommend researching this topic more in depth and never stop learning.
skydiving
Tyler D King
Comments Off
Posted on May 16th, 2008 — in Online Sports Resources
Fix Your Golf Slice With Basic Corrections
A
golf slice can often be cured by some simple, basic
corrections in set-up.
For instance, while a golfer can occasionally compensate for a
poor swing, you cant play well with a poor grip. It is
important, if you want to fix your slice permanently, that you
take the time to check your grip using this simple drill:
Take a blade of grass and trap it between the fleshy pad on the
underside of your right thumb and the top of your left thumb.
Now, complete your grip and swing the club to the top of the
backswing. If the blade of grass has remained in position then
your grip is secure and firm, but if the grass has fallen out,
this is a sign that your hands are separating, which causes the
club to move about at the top of the backswing.
Having the clubface in the correct position at the top of your
backswing is fundamental to correcting a golf slice.
Unfortunately, thats not an easy position to check when the club
is out of sight and behind you. The way to check the clubface
position is to look up and check the direction in which the
knuckles on your left hand are pointing.
If they are well to the right, the clubface will be closed to
the target line, which in the downswing normally produces a
right-to-left hook flight. If your knuckles point to right, the
clubface will be open and the result will be a sliced golf shot.
If the knuckles point straight up to the sky the clubface is
square to the target line.
In fact, grip faults can often be the main reason for slicing in
golf, and the problem with grip faults is that they can get into
your game without you really being aware of them. To prevent
this slow decline in technique perform the following check:
Grip the club and make sure that you can see around two and a
half knuckles on your left hand. Then take a pen and draw a
small dot on your golf glove on the last knuckle showing. To
ensure your grip is correct on every shot, all you have to do is
to look down at your glove after taking up your grip. If you
cant see the dot then your grip has probably become too weak.
Likewise if you can see a knuckle beyond the mark, then your
grip is probably becoming too strong.
Many players have a golf slice by allowing their left side to
slide too far to the left in the downswing, making it difficult
to square up the clubface correctly at impact. This can be a
difficult habit to correct but there is a mental drill that
could help you keep those hips from sliding.
When you address the golf ball, imagine you are next to an open
door with your left side positioned against the wall. When you
swing the club back down to the ball, imagine the wall stopping
your legs from sliding to the left, while your arms and hands
remain free to swing the clubhead on through the open door. This
will prevent your legs from sliding to the left. It will also
encourage you to adopt the correct active hand action in your
downswing.
Comments Off
Posted on May 13th, 2008 — in Online Sports Resources
Part Three:
Q-DW: With all the years of hard training and instruction going up through the kyu grades what was the final path to your first dan ?
A-SE: I was always fortunate that not only did I receive personal instruction and guidance directly from Sensei Williams and my own Sensei, and all the dan grades previously mentioned.
I also think that being assistant instructor to the beginners class from 7th to 4th kyu, I was able to form a good practicing relationship with a small select group of students who all later became the second generation of ” HUT” dan grades.
The group was made up of people like Ron James at 6ft 5ins tall and about 250 lbs seemed like a giant to me as a boy. He never took that into account and never gave me any leeway at all so it was very hard but good to train with this giant of a man.
He would not “go” for anyone so he was always a challenge for me.
Ron was a good friend and brother In law to another dan grade Andy Allen, who was assistant to Sensei Foster.
Sensei Ellis and I would often bring young ladies to the dojo visitors area. Andy who was the oldest student of us all was a very dry and dour kind of man.
I would say to him “Andy, she is nice isn’t she” and as long as I knew him I always received the same grim reply;
” Huh! They are all nice until you marry them!!”. Andy was one of my regular training partners.
Trevor Jones who was junior assistant to Sensei Williams was probably the one I trained with most and we became inseparable not only as aikidoists but also as friends and we helped each other to prepare for dan grade.
I guess that’s how I eventually got to that point of my preparation for dan grade.
I received my first dan grade just before I became 21 yrs of age. At the same time I had just completed my apprenticeship as an engineer.
It was then that Sensei Williams asked Sensei Ellis and I to travel and spread the ‘gospel’ of Aikido. We were the early ‘disciples’ as he put it.
Although aikido had started to spread a little, there were areas that had no knowledge of this new martial art.
My beloved “Isetta” bubble car, which I had pushed to it’s limits, had finally BURST !
It had to be dumped. Luckily at the same time, Sensei Ellis had just bought a one year old Mini car which was in those days the “business”.
So looking at the car and the prospects of aikido and travel and some amorous adventures I readily agreed to go along.
Rat Attack.
Q-DW: I have read and enjoyed Sensei’s stories of your travels from his perspective is there anything that you would like to add as you were also a part of that experience.
A-SE: At this point Henry and I had become good friends outside of the dojo, yet on the tatami I would still give deference, and that is how it has always been even today.
The first dojo we visited was in Nottinghamshire and run by George Cotterell, where we were employed for a short while.
Mr Cotterell bred Chihuahua dogs of which there must have been about 50 or 60 of what Henry called overgrown rats.
These dogs were all in the paved back yard. The only toilet was situated at the rear of the yard, next to the funeral parlour.
At night the gate would be locked so the only way to the toilet was through this dog filled yard.
One night we had just got back from a good night at the local pub and Henry went straight to bed whilst I stayed up for a cup of tea and a chat with Mrs Cotterell.
After about one hour, Henry came out of the bedroom wearing just his jeans with no socks or shoes, and he ran across the yard to the toilet ( that is some strong ale they drink up North).
He made it before the dogs could snap at his ankles. We heard a lot of commotion and looked out of the window to see all these dogs yapping outside the toilet door and in their excitement were doing their “business”.
Henry was now trying to open the door, and seeing all the dogs and the mess he then realised he had no shoes on.
Mrs Cotterell and me were in total hysterics at what was going on. Henry was shouting for me to bring out his shoes but with that northern ale inside of me I felt brave and ignored him and enjoyed the fun.
Watching him running across that minefield was just like a scene from a Jerry Lewis film. As he ran he was shouting threats of gross physical abuse at me.
Shortly after that we had problems with the boss over the photos we had taken with the coffins as related in the “Fighting Arts International” magazine. We lost our jobs as undertakers assistants and we were now on the road again to more adventures.
Visiting dojos and martial arts clubs, schools, and anywhere that we were allowed to just show a little of our Aikido in the hope that they would ask us for more.
In those days in the North there was not much work to be had at any time, so we would take any job that was offered to us and I mean ANY job.
These included general labourer and building labourer , also working as labourers on Britains first motorway the M1. Undertakers, Road sweepers, cesspit cleaning, steel mill worker, deckchair attendants, beach front photographers, painters. The worst job of all was the “Railway”, that was slave labour and we hated it, that only lasted a few days.
That is how we spent the days. In the evenings we would very seriously spend that time promoting Aikido including Saturday and Sunday, In what we considered were successful attempts to extend and build the ever expanding ” Abbe Schools of Budo”.
The HUT market!
A-SE: David, I would like to regress at this point if that is ok with you, It is that I would like to mention one unforgettable character, who got off to a very bad start with Sensei Ellis and later became a very close friend to the both of us - a man called George Stavro.
On the night George made his first appearance at the HUT he arrived about 30 min before Sensei Ellis.
I was on the mat busy taking preparation exercise. George being Greek and a trader, came into the dojo with two large suitcases and within minutes there were clothes on display all over the reception area.
I wasn’t taking too much notice as I thought he must have previously arranged to do this with one of the senior instructors.
It was then that Harry arrived just as George was getting into his sales pitch with two students that were waiting for permission to go on the mat. This is the only time I have heard Harry swear in the dojo.
Harry shouted ” What the #### do you think is going on in here! What do you think this is Bangladesh market day?”
He then threw the suitcases outside the dojo door in the rain, with George scrambling around getting his merchandise together and put it all back in his car.
George then walked back in the dojo with a big smile on his face as if nothing had happened and asked what was going on in this hall, I explained that we were doing Aikido classes.
He came back the following week with about 8 of his friends who all joined.
George was a very powerfully built man and also an accomplished street fighter and he became the one for me to train with.
I did not earn much money being an apprentice engineer, George was older than me and soon took me under his wing and quickly embroiled me in his nefarious activities which included a very profitable enterprise of delivering black market hooch to all the Indian restaurants in West London.
Harry was angry over my involvement until he also got involved, and he also got all the decorating contracts for the restaurants.
We worked on the door of some of the restaurants and from that day on we always had as many curries as we could eat and we never had to pay.
George became a favourite of Kazuo Chiba Sensei and is now a third dan, George was a brown belt when he left the HUT to join Sensei Ellis at the Slough dojo in 1968, and can be seen in some photos with Mr Jack Poole who was a beginner at that time. George remembers him well and was the one who actually signed him in when he joined.
We could write a book on the escapades we had together.
George was at my wedding and did the full Zorba dance with the glass of water on his head, my family still talk about it now.
Relocating and Leaving the HUT.
Q: DW.
Sensei, You told me earlier that this was around the time you got married and moved away from the HUT and the locality. Could you expand on this time.
A: SE. Yes, After I married I moved to Basingstoke in Hampshire.
My work involved a lot of traveling as I was working on the drilling rigs, drilling for Gas in the English Channel just off the River Humber.
I would also take the opportunity to visit local Aikido clubs and train whenever possible.
I later found work nearer home in 1969, I renewed my contact and friendship with Trevor Jones who had also married and now lived in Camberley Surrey only 10 miles from my home.
He told me he had recently opened a new dojo at the Hawley Hotel. He was now working as an Airline steward and asked me to look after his dojo and teach when he was on long haul flights, I agreed.
I found that Trevor’s Aikido had definitely moved up a gear, although the training and technique was still fairly traditional, he had by far the most powerful aiki movement of any person I had ever met including the Japanese.
The dojo later moved from the Hawley Hotel to Brookwood, with two good students Mike Cashmore and Colin Relph as assistants , I also remember Wasil Kolenkisov training there as a beginner, he later joined Sensei Ken Williams as an assistant. At The beginning of 1969 I opened ” The Basingstoke Aikido Club” I would still occasionally help Trevor who had now moved to a purpose built dojo at the “Frimley Budokan”. Unfortunately, Trevor Later had some health problems and the dojo was then run by my old friend Andy Allen from the HUT With the assistance of John Harding who still practices today and who we are still in contact with. With Trevor I re-visited many dojos including Sensei K Williams who had left the HUT and was now in the Rhonnda Valley in Wales. I also visited the HUT which was now being run by Sensei Haydn Foster who always made me very welcome.
Aikido visits to Europe .
Q: DW. Sensei, could you tell me about your visits to Europe at this time ?
A: SE. Sure, these were good day’s. Trevor and I would visit Noro Sensei at the Paris Aiki-Kai. Noro Sensei was really pleased to see us, and on my first visit he surprised me by awarding me 2nd dan which was unusual as I was not a regular student, he never ever charged me for gradings or lessons.
Noro Sensei reminded me of the time I was at the HUT on one of his visits, where he recommended to Sensei Williams that I should only do backward ukemi (break falling) until his next visit in two weeks time, Sensei Williams said he would punish me with a shinai if he caught me doing forward ukemi, however Noro did not visit in two weeks but 4 months later, I had by this time adapted to some amazing breakfalls from all angles except forward.
Noro asked Sensei Williams in astonishment, “why is Mr Eastman breakfalling in this odd way”.
When informed it was as a result of his instruction, he just roared with laughter. He then said this was very similar to an experience he had with Osensei and then said the experience would do me no harm anyway.
Q: DW. Were you still in contact with Sensei Ellis at this time
A: SE. Yes, I had always kept in regular contact with Harry Ellis, visiting his Bracknell dojos whenever possible and his Slough dojo, we would also meet socially with our families.
It was at this time that Harry’s business was expanding and he could not maintain all of his dojos. He gave his London dojos to Chiba Sensei, and his Slough dojo to George Stavro who later was to give the mats to a student who had helped him, a man called Jack Poole.
My own work was now taking me back to Europe. When in Belgium I would visit Sensei Pierre Nassens dojo. I would visit Leiage often where there were 6 different Aikido clubs, and in the true spirit and harmony of Aikido they seemed to hate each other and did not communicate.
I did like one dojo though which was run by Sensei C Van Parys who had assisted the most dynamic swordsman ever to teach Aikido, Murashagi Sensei, who very sadly was later killed in a car accident.
This dojo was very traditional with strong links to Tadashi Abe Sensei who was still visiting the area.
Q: DW. Sensei, You have mentioned so many name of the aikidoists from the old days at the HUT, do you know of those that are still involved in aikido? And are you still in contact with any of these people?
A: SE. As of this date 2003, There are only a few that are still involved and teaching Aikido and I am occasionally in touch with some of them.
Sensei Ken Williams founder of the HUT Judo dojo and chief instructor, who was the first student to study Aikido in the UK, and is now the head of the Ki Aikido Federation of Great Britain.
Sensei Haydn Foster who is still at the HUT and head of the Institute of Aikido.
Sensei Henry Ellis who is head of the Ellis Schools of Traditional Aikido.
Sensei Ralph Reynolds who was a regular visitor to the HUT in the 50/60s, who is now the head of the Aikido Fellowship.
Sensei George Stavro who is associated with several dojos and still linked to Chiba Sensei.
Continued in Part Four:
About the Author
Derek Eastman began his Aikido career in 1958 as a sixteen year old special student at th e famous Hut Dojo London UK. He was a direct student of the legendary master Kenshiro Abbe Sensei
Comments Off
Posted on May 7th, 2008 — in Online Sports Resources
If you’ve never played golf, perhaps you’ll never understand the attraction. But if you’re like many celebrities–whether they’ve been playing for years or just recently began to tee it up–you’ll agree that the game has an unusual appeal that can consume you.
Golf has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years, so much so that the game–long and wrongly considered a less-than-physically-challenging sport–is inspiring yoga and Pilates workouts. Celebrity golfers, who often pay personal trainers big money to help them get in shape and help them stay physically fit–say there are some definite physical benefits associated with an outing on the links.
Experts say you can get the most out of a round of golf if you walk the course, the length of which can measure about 5 miles, depending on the course. Walking improves your cardiovascular health, builds endurance and allows you to burn a moderate amount of calories. If you carry your clubs, you can get an upper body workout as well. And hitting the ball actually can improve your hand-eye coordination, which can be useful in many other areas.
Many celebrities and professional athletes have begun playing to add another level of competition to their lives and to be able to spend more time together with their families, who are joining them on the course.
Advertisement
Some players like Oakland Raiders cornerback Ray Buchanan love the sport so much that he and his wife, Sheree, built their dream home at Sugarloaf Country Club in Duluth, Ga., home of the PGA Tour’s Bellsouth Classic. Their multimillion-dollar mansion overlooks the 9th hole, and Buchanan, a former Pro-Bowler, plays two to three times a week during the off-season.
“At first, I didn’t like golf,” says Buchanan, formerly of the Atlanta Falcons. “But after a while, it was like a virus–so contagious that I wanted to keep playing and learn more.”
Sheree Buchanan, who starred as part of the “NFL wives” team in the Emmy-winning reality TV series The Amazing Race 4, just started playing golf a few months ago, in an effort to spend more time with her husband. She took up golf; he took up her favorite sport–tennis. She’s just beginning to understand why her husband loves the game so much–the competition with yourself and a desire to always do better. Eventually, the couple hopes that their four children will grow to love the sport as much as they do.
“[Golf is] still brand new for me,” Sheree says. “For us, it’s fun. He teaches me, and as long as we don’t have a lot of people [playing] behind us, it’s OK.”
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad, who also owns an entertainment company and nonprofit foundation, says he started playing golf when he entered the NFL and “fell in love with it.”
“Golf is something that is very relaxing for me,” says Muhammad, who already is encouraging his 3-year-old son to play. “I think being able to play golf allows you to meet and associate with different people.”
But it’s not only professional athletes who enjoy time on the course. Actors such as Samuel L. Jackson and Will Smith, and singer Johnny Gill also love the game. Even celebrity couples make the rounds together.it comes to golf: “We wish we had started to play when we were kids.”
Carl is a pro golfer. Get discounts when buying golf equipment and purchase from cheap online stores:
golftravelcase.blogspot.com
Comments Off
Posted on May 4th, 2008 — in Online Sports Resources, World Of Shopping
If you are trying to expand your attributes therefore a high quality tennis racket is going to be imaginably one of the tennis products on the top of your inventory. Though, just ahead of acquiring a tennis racquet there are a big quantity of reasons that need to be evaluated. These incorporate: the tennis rackets heaviness, steadiness, head dimensions and a couple number additional factors. By recognizing what advantages & disadvantages the numerous brand of racquets will be able to supply can help you to consider a more evaluated choice in the procurement action. Grab the latest Tennis Rackets at VTennis.co.uk
Power Level:
The energy supplied by the most current tennis racquet changes very considerably and every level achieves remarkable good points dependent on your specific technique. The 3 sorts of energy levels in a tennis racket are made up of; ?Power Racquets?, ?Tweener Rackets’ and ?Control Racquets?.
Power rackets achieves a big amount of strength and is targeted at players to take smaller & smoother tennis swings. Tweener tennis racquets are for people who are wishing a balance between power and control & are for that reason constructed for tennis players that have an intermediate to long tennis racket swing speeds, & moreover take an average to long cuts at the ball. These are more ideal for younger age groups who are going to full length tennis racquets.
Last, but unquestionably not least, control racquets are designed for tennis individuals that require extensive & rapid tennis swings when they play. The most important explanation for this is that control racquets entail the player to generate the power. This brand of tennis racket is advised to be passed up by teenagers unless they have the capability to get to grips with the further weight.
Comments Off
Posted on April 17th, 2008 — in Online Sports Resources
RC cars generally need a paved surface to run on, so open parking lots of schools, churches, and office areas provide plenty of space to play on. If you’re racing or practicing on someone else’s property, it is extremely important to ask their permission first. And, if there are younger children out running their cars or watching, make sure there is proper supervision.
With RC trucks, the type of surface doesn’t matter as much, since they can be driven on pavement, dirt, gravel and all types of ground. Even long grass can be tackled- though only for short periods of time. Open fields, vacant lots, and construction yards are perfect places to run or race, as long as it’s safe and you have permission.
Though many people enjoy simply running their car by themselves up the street, this can be made infinitely more fun by practicing and racing with others. Setting up pylons easily turns an empty parking lot into a racetrack, while a vacant lot can be host to a tug-of-war.
If you prefer off-roading or a more rugged challenge for your vehicle, you can construct your own jumps in a field, yard or lot. Scraps of wood or cardboard can be used to make ramps and jumps or challenging obstacle courses. Off-road RC vehicles have a lot of power, but don’t overestimate their torque when you construct your track. Make sure that if there are younger children playing you have proper supervision.
But if you prefer official races, they’re held often enough that you can be racing every few months. For some hobbyists there’s nothing else that compares to RC car racing. Most race areas are on-road (paved) tracks, usually in unused parking lots. Other locations are off-road, featuring all-dirt surfaces with lanes separated by boards or plastic pipe. Most metropolitan areas have a race track nearby. To find the racetrack nearest you, start with the internet and the yellow pages.
About the author:
Mike Lindsey runs the RC Cars site, about buying and racing Radio Control (RC) Cars
Comments Off
Posted on April 14th, 2008 — in Online Sports Resources
A golfer’s short game can make up for all kinds of deficiencies in their long game. So even if you are not the most accurate driver or long ball hitter, you can still recover fairly nicely in many cases if you have a good short game around the greens.
The clubs that you’ll be using when you get within 100 yards or so of the green are called wedges, and there are four general kinds of wedges that most golfers should be concerned with, depending on both their skill level and the shot at hand. Let’s take a look at each type of wedge and see how they are used.
One of the most common wedges that can be found in almost any golf bag is the pitching wedge. These are great irons to use for approach shots of around a hundred yards or so away from the flag. Usually they have a club loft of between 45 to 49 degrees.
The next wedge to consider is the gap wedge which is more suitable for shots that are 80 to 90 yards away from the flag or your intended target. The loft on these short clubs is usually between 49 to 54 degrees.
Another very common wedge that is found in almost every golf bag is the sand wedge. A sand wedge has a loft of between 53 to 57 degrees, and so is most effective from about 60 - 70 yards away from your target. Of course, the sand wedge also doubles as the weapon of choice for hitting out of a sand trap. The clubhead is designed to prevent allowing the club to dig into the sand as the shot is made, helping you blast the ball out of the sand trap instead.
And other type of wedge that has become increasingly popular in recent years is the lob wedge. This club head has around 60 degrees of loft, making it only useful for shots that are extremely close to the green, perhaps around 40 yards or less. They lend themselves very well to short high shots where you need to go over obstacles and stop quickly.
As you can see, there is a progression of club loft angles that can fit almost any shot situation that you can encounter when you are in close around the green. It may seem like a good idea to carry all four wedges with you in your golf bag when you play, but keep in mind that rules require that you can only have 14 golf clubs with you in your bag as you play. For most golfers, that means that one or two of these wedges may have to be sacrificed to make room for other clubs that are more commonly used.
In that case, the pitching wedge and sand wedge make good all-around choices for clubs that will be needed in short yardage situations. However, if you repeatedly find yourself in certain situations that call for a different club loft, choosing one of the other two wedges mentioned above to take along with you may work out well.
Beginners generally don’t need to worry about having each type of wedge represented in their bag though, and usually just the pitching and sand wedge will do nicely.
Steadman Issenburg writes on many consumer related topics including golf. You can find golf club supplies and knock off golf clubs by visiting our Golf Tips website.
Comments Off
Posted on April 8th, 2008 — in Online Sports Resources
You can see them all around the Softball park, swinging their bats, hitting at imaginary targets and sometimes practicing at objects, improving their strength all the time. The force behind the swing of the batters can be tremendous. The truth is, it is not the strength behind the swing that only matters. It is also the kind of bat one uses.
How to pick the right bat?
The Length
To pick the correct bat length, the bat should be long enough to reach your wrist when you are standing straight with arms on your size. With the tip of the bat touching the ground to your wrist will very most likely the most comfortable bat length that you can pick.
The Weight
Every softball player has his own individual requirement especially when it comes to carrying out weights. The rule of the thumb when picking the correct bat weight is to try out the bat first. See if the player can swing the bat comfortably and control the swing with both hands without strain. The bat has to be the heaviest that the player can swing without loss of speed. If the bat does not fall into these categories, look for another one. It does not matter if the bat chosen is the most expensive and the most beautifully crafted with the most advanced material. If the player will be sacrificing these, the player will only be having a good top of the line, technically crafted bat. You can not say that for his swings.
Whatever the case, always take a bat that is light. Lighter bats can be swung faster and the resulting distance could be farther.
Having said that, here are ways to pick legal bats.
Advancement in technology has created bats where the softball bats can fit and be comfortably swung by players of all ages and built. Even the less technically proficient can today, swing the softball bat and hit the ball at speeds that can pose a serious problem with the pitcher and the infielders. Technically advanced bats can also ruin the game, as players would rely more and more on the more expensive multiple alloys instead of having fun and developing the skill. For these reasons, many softball organizations started banning specific bats and having guidelines for softball bat specifications. Some of these standards are:
The BTF or the Bat Performance Factor has to be 1.20 certified.
The Ball to Exit Ratio has to have a 97-MPH BESR on a normally thrown pitch.
The bats must have a smooth safety grip not just tapes.
The ideal softball bat in the hands of a good player translates to the game Americans love. To prepare for a good batting positions here are a few suggestions:
Loosen up. Twist back and forth, bend up and down, do a stationary jog, do anything to loosen up the muscles. If you have a good bat speed, fluidity in movement will give you the power.
Use a carbon based softball bat. Carbons perform better than aluminum.
When you are batting, distribute your weight on both feet. When the ball is in the level between your shoulders and your chest, hit it. Hitting the ball in that position is just giving it another direction. The power that you smash it with will give it the distance.
Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides softball bat resources on http://www.your-softball-bat.info
Comments Off