How to Develop More Consistency in the Golf Swing
June 25, 2007
Imagine every one of your shots in the middle of the fairway, every chip two feet from the hole, and every putt nailing the center of the cup. Well, maybe some of us dream of never having to ever putt and each approach shot goes into the hole, but I think you get the picture. A consistent swing is probably what many golfers dream of when our heads hit the pillow.
The majority of us are aware that golf is a game that requires consistent shot making to be successful (and have fun). If we are hooking, slicing, and hitting our wedges fat, it can really start to get frustrating. Consistency is key to hitting a low score and enjoying the game. So how do we get there?
First, let us do a little review of the golf swing. To hit the ball squarely on the center of the club head you must take the club through the proper swing path. A proper swing path will allow the club to align itself correctly with the ball to hit the shot you are trying to hit. For more advanced players this could be in the form of a draw, fade, cut, or some other variation. Higher handicappers will be happy with just plain old straight shots. Anyway, this process begins with your address, moves through your take away, into the back swing, onto the transition between back swing and down swing, into contact, and finishes with the follow through.
Schwinn Ellipticals Are a Great Ride
June 25, 2007
Schwinn Ellipticals live up to the name Schwinn. Everyone is familiar with their bikes, so you won’t be disappointed with their ellipticals, the company puts the same quality into those.
Schwinn makes two machines in the mid price range for ellipticals. They are the Schwinn 418, and the Schwinn 428P. Both these ellipticals are thought to be worth the money.
Most people are more comfortable on ellipticals when the flywheel is in the rear of the machines, like the ones you might find at the gym. However the Schwinn ellipticals come with the flywheel on the front of the unit. This is unusual because they have still somehow managed to make a smooth and comfortable ride. They are simple to assemble and seem to be made of durable and quality parts.
The pedals have some movement so that the heel of your foot is supported, which makes for a smooth stride that most people can use. It is always a good idea though to try the machine out in the store before you buy.
The Schwinn elliptical uses a motorized brake, which people say is fairly quiet.
Golf! How To Power That Drive Away
June 24, 2007
Anyone who tells you, that he or she would not like to hit the golf ball further is either a liar, or Tiger Woods.
Drive for show and putt for dough maybe sound advice, but if you ask the average weekend golfer whether they would like to putt like Brad Faxon, or regularly belt the ball like Tiger, most would opt for Tiger’s power off the tee.
It is this fascination with power in golf that prompt’s me to write this article, and provide a golf tip.
A couple of facts first, that were discovered two or three years ago, by the teaching profession in the USA. These were, that by using the golf swing, test robotic arm generating a clubhead speed of 100 mph, the golf ball, on average, would go around 265 yards.
However, if the clubface is opened by 2 degrees only, then the distance reached was only 225 yards, with the same clubhead speed. Again by opening up the face to 4 degrees, the distance covered was only 185 yards.
This shows that distance is not just about power, and clubhead speed, but also hitting the ball squarely with a nice golf swing. This may sound like common sense, however many golfers are trying to hit the ball with the incorrect golf swing.
The Cool Down - Recover Faster & Avoid Injury!
June 24, 2007
Many people dismiss the cool down as a waste of time, or simply unimportant. In reality the cool down is just as important as the warm up, and if you want to stay injury free, it’s vital.
Although the warm up and cool down are just as important as each other, they are important for different reasons. While the main purpose of warming up is to prepare the body and mind for strenuous activity, cooling down plays a different role.
Why Cool Down?
The main aim of the cool down is to promote recovery and return the body to a pre exercise, or pre-workout level. During a strenuous workout your body goes through a number of stressful processes, muscle fibers, tendons and ligaments get damaged, and waste products build up within your body. The cool down, performed properly, will assist your body in its repair process.
One area the cool down will help with is “post exercise muscle soreness.” This is the soreness that is usually experienced the day after a tough workout. Most people experience this after having a lay-off from exercise, or at the beginning of their sports season. I remember running a half marathon with limited preparation, and finding it difficult to walk down steps the next day because my quadriceps were so sore.
Maybe Bikram is Right?
June 23, 2007
For some reason, I had the time to sit down and watch a little television, and as luck would have it, Bikram Choudhury was being interviewed on 60 Minutes Wednesday.
My wife, Marie and I don’t often get home at that time of the night, as we are usually closing up the wellness center, so this was fate and a bit of luck.
Our center does not have 105 degree Bikram classes or hot Yoga classes, but we are familiar with Bikram’s style and his wife’s many accomplishments. Rajashree Choudhury is a five-time winner of the All-India Yoga Championship competition.
I am not a Bikram fan, but I am not swayed by some of the anti-Bikram articles that work their way into the world of Yoga. Before I touch some of the finer points of his interview, I must concede that he snatched the lime light with exuberance and now I know why some love him, while others don’t feel so warm and furry about him.
I laughed at his rhetoric, equally, as much as watching Jerry Seinfeld or Ray Ramano, do a stand up comedy routine. The man is pure entertainment and he has a point.
Pipes, Guns, Bazookas - Killer Biceps
June 23, 2007
Pipes. Guns. Bazookas.
Take your pick. Grab your weapon of choice.
This common weight room jargon refers to the muscle that separates your elbows from your shoulders, those bulging beauties known as your biceps.
Although biceps are considered a small muscle group, smaller than say the chest, legs, or back, their importance within a hard-core bodybuilder’s physique is undeniable. The double-bi pose is among a bodybuilder’s favorite.
Of course, before you go carving them into oblivion, it is most imperative to amass the mass on your arms. You cannot shape what you don’t have.
Here are a couple of biceps-blasting exercises designed to load up those guns for the big showdown:
ALTERNATING DUMBBELL CURLS: You can do these either standing upright or sitting on a bench. Take a pair of dumbbells of considerable weight and hold them at your sides so that your palms are facing your legs and your thumbs are facing outward. Slowly curl one arm toward your torso, turning your arm in so that your palm is facing upward. Squeeze your biceps during the contraction. As you slowly lower the weight toward the floor, your other arm should begin curling the weight toward your torso, repeating the motion. Do 3 sets of 10 reps on each arm.
How A Golf Stretching Routine Can Impact Your Game Quickly
June 22, 2007
Even as you read this article, golf stretching routines continue to positively revolutionize the games of many golfers around the country and indeed around the world. Golf stretching routines play a major role in helping many golfers achieve consistent and good results on the course with their swing.
Still many golfers are yet to fully appreciate the potential of golf stretching routines and many are not aware of the fact that they usually have a huge impact on a golfer’s game.
A golf stretching routine will tend to concentrate on the muscles and parts of the body used when playing golf and especially during the golf swing. A useful golf stretching routine will be able to help any golf attain more flexibility as well as strength on the course. It is important to remember that most of the body is used for a golf swing.
Right from the feet to the knees, hamstring and hip, the lower part of the body is critical to the golf swing. Then there are the more obvious participants in the body like the arms and upper body and neck.
The Test
June 22, 2007
“Will this work so that I can use it instinctively in vital combat against an opponent who is determined to prevent me from doing so, and who is striving to eliminate me by fair means or foul”. ~ Rex Applegate
It really does NOT matter one iota what style, system, method, or technique you MAY wish to apply to your personal survival training.
What DOES matter is, if “whatever” it is that you choose passes the above TEST.
This requires HONEST self-appraisal first and foremost. Forget how you would LIKE the world to be; see the world as it really is.
And look at yourself in the same light.
I’ve “learned” thousands of techniques over the years. I practice about a dozen (striking and grappling) on a daily basis.
I have been ruthless in rejecting ANY technique or method that DOES NOT pass Applegate’s “test”.
We can take a page from “combat” sports here:
Boxers, wrestlers, and Judokas ALL have that one “Sunday punch”. One technique that they have drilled and practiced and drilled and practiced. And generally these “techniques” as applied to each specific sport are repeated over and over.
Burn Calories On The Nautilus Elliptical Trainer
June 21, 2007
The Nautilus elliptical trainer is made by Nautilus which is the second biggest makers of exercise equipment. Nautilus also makes the Bowflex, which is a very good machine.
The Nautilus elliptical is a higher priced machine but the parts are of quality construction, making the machine durable enough for home use.
The Nautilus Pro Series elliptical trainers have an unusual feature that automatically adjusts its stride to match its user and their workout. It also has a feature that will record your workout so that you can keep track of your progress.
Two ellipticals that Nautilus makes are the Nautilus E2000, and the Nautilus E3000. The Nautilus E2000 has handlebars that move and foot pedals that are articulating. The resistance is electromagnetic and the unit has ten programs and sixteen resistance levels.
There is a thirty year warranty on the frame of the Nautilus elliptical E2000, three years on parts, two years on the electronics, one year on the labor, and one full year on the wear parts.
Triathalon Racing, It Starts At The Beginning
June 21, 2007
Long before you can enter into triathalon racing, you will need to prepare. You will need to prepare your mind and your body for the competition and the fight.
It will not be easy, but if you stick to it, you can overcome all the obstacles in your way.
Triathalon racing is a complex sport that just looks easy. What you don’t know is that there was a lot of preparation for the average triathlete
The run. The swim. And, the biking.
These three aspects of triathalon racing will need to be carefully understood and developed.
You will need to first prepare your mind for the struggle that lies ahead.
You will then need to prepare your body and make it as nutritiously sound as can be.
Then, you will need to condition it to the elements that you will test it on. How do you do all of these things?
Training and coaching. Be prepared to spend a lot of energy and time if your goal is to be competitive, but even if your desire is just to take part in triathalons and stay healthy this still is true.
