Know Your Shopping

Watch the pros on Tour and notice how in-control they look at the finish position of the their golf swing. Why? Because they are!

They are in perfect balance. Even the pro who might look a little “crooked” at the end of the swing has a balanced swing. Vijay, who is slightly bent to the side at the finish position of his driver, is still in perfect balance.

How often do you think an amateur practices or even thinks about his or her finish position? Probably never. I would surmise that once contact has been made with the golf ball, most amateurs’ thoughts shift to the ball flight rather than where our body is finishing the swing.

Why is the finish position so important to a successful golf swing? And beyond that being in a balanced finishing position?

The finish position is directly related to two very important concepts involved in the golf swing. Number one is swing plane and clubhead is number two.

The swing plane is defined as the path on which the golf club should travel upon during the swing.

A quick review of the swing plane tells us that beginning with the address position, into the backswing, onto to the downswing, into impact, to follow through, and completing with the finish position, the golf club is intended to travel on a specific arch. This arch is a result of the biomechanics of the golf swing sequencing properly. In other words, everything working with the correct timing.

Think of the club traveling in a circle during the swing.

This imaginary circle is your swing plane and it dissects your back shoulder on the backswing and transition phases of the swing.

Returns to the same position as you started at impact with the ball, and dissects your front shoulder during the follow through into the finish position.

If the golfer maintains the clubhead on this path during the swing this is an indication that the mechanics of the swing are being performed properly.

What does a balanced finishing position have to do with the swing plane?

A balanced finishing position is yet another indicator that, number one, the golf club is following the correct swing plane, and number two, the golfer is performing the mechanics of the swing in the correct sequencing with proper timing.

Secondly, the finish position is directly related to what is referred to as “feeling” the clubhead.

Ask any Tour player they will tell you that they can “feel” the clubhead at any moment during the swing.

Completing the swing in a balanced finish position requires you to be “tension” free and feeling the club head through the entire swing.

Now the bigger question is, how does the amateur golfer get to a balance finish position?

Easier said than done. To develop “feel” in the swing, maintain the proper swing path, and develop a balanced finish position requires mastering three principles.

Principle number one is proper swing mechanics. In order to develop “feel” and correct swing path requires the golfer to develop the correct mechanics of the swing.

Not only do you need to learn the different fundamentals of the swing, you need to train yourself to put these fundamental in proper sequence.

Principle number two is the body. The body swings the club. Your body must have the flexibility, balance capabilities, strength, endurance, and power to perform the mechanics of the swing.

If the body is unable to take the club on the proper swing plane because of a lack of flexibility or lacks the power to develop clubhead speed. The ability to maintain a proper swing path, and finish in a balanced position will be compromised.

Principle number three is practice. In order to develop the proper swing plane, create “feel” for the club, master the mechanics of the swing, and develop a body to support the swing, you must practice the swing and train the body. Over time this will result in the development of components of a proper golf swing.

The amateur will often leave out one of the three principles. If the golfer does not practice, train the body, or develop swing mechanics, it is unlikely ou will keep the clubhead on the correct swing plane.

Bottom line, a balanced finish position is a very good indicator that particular swing was efficient. It also should tell you that your body is flexible, strong, and powerful.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website www.bioforcegolf.com. To contact Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com.

Christmas gift ideas can be hard to come by. If you’re buying for a backpacker, here are a few unique backpacking gift ideas.

Okay, I’ll be the first one to admit publicly that buying gifts for the holidays can be a pain in derriere. When it comes right down to it, who knows if a gift will be a hit or a dud. If you’re shopping for a backpacking enthusiast, your task is going to be much easier.

Unique Backpacking Gifts

Despite the relative simplicity of backpacking, there are lots of items you can give as gifts to backpackers. Here are a few that will be a big hit.

1. Trekking Poles - Backpackers tend to go in two directions - forward and up. Regardless of the direction, they are going to be hoofing a heavy backpack from here to there. Trekking poles are very popular with backpackers because they let them use their arms to support part of the weight. Think of Gandolf in Lord of the Rings, but with a backpack on and a smaller beard! Black Diamond and Leki are good brands, but you can expect to pay a little over $100 for them.

2. Digital Handheld GPS - Yep, even backpacking has gone digital. Who would’ve thunk it? Digital handheld GPS units are a recent phenomenon and popular with backpackers. Regardless, backpackers use the units to make sure they know where they are at all times and not get lost. The Garmin brand is solid and you can expect to pay $120 to as much as you can spend.

3. Hydration Waist Packs - Backpackers consistently face the threat of getting dehydrated while hoofing it around God’s green earth. Hydration packs help prevent this by letting the backpacker carry water comfortably. You’ll have a choice of waist, shoulder and full on backpack systems. The waist packs are the best. You can expect to spend in the $30 to $45 range and Amphipod is a good brand.

4. Nomad Backpacking Journals - A little self-promotion here. Nomad Backpacking Journals are compact writing journals that let backpackers keep notes and diaries of their hikes. They can record whom they hiked with, the route, weather conditions and funny little events occurring during the trip. You can click the link at the bottom of this article to see them and expect to pay between $10 and $25 depending on the size.

If you’re looking for gifts for backpackers, consider yourself lucky. The equipment tends to be inexpensive and last a very long time.

Rick Chapo is with www.nomadjournals.com - makers of writing journals for hiking, backpacking and camping. Writing journals are great Christmas gifts for him or her. Visit www.nomadjournaltrips.com for more backpacking articles and stories.

Golfers tend to give a huge amount of importance to the swing. A good swing produces a low score is their rationale. George Knutson had a great swing. Tom Purtzer is another. Arnold Palmer is not another, yet Arnold is a house hold name and the other two are well known by only a few. I played with both Tom and George and they could really hit some shots. Arnold’s record stands for itself. I think I saw a stat on TV that compared all the good players for their top three year period and it was Arnold with 27 wins from 1960-1963. Don’t quote me on this stat but I’m close.

The moral of that paragraph is that it’s not how pretty the swing is that’s important but how low you can score on a consistent basis. So give up trying to have a perfect swing and hitting nothing but perfect shots. Concern yourself with figuring a way to score low with the game and ball striking you have right now.

Nicklaus was never great with the wedge around the green. The rest of his game made up for the weakness. Did he try to get better with the wedge? Yes, but not at the expense of the rest of his game. His strength was thinking well and making putts when he absolutely needed to. Jack has always had a solid foundation for his golf game and he did nothing to upset that foundation. Leave things the same. That way he knew what to expect from himself, his equipment and his game.

This is true about any of the greats of the game. Byron Nelson, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Hogan, Snead, are some of the greats that won for many years. They don’t change anything in their swing or playing style. They know their strengths and weaknesses. They play to their strengths and avoid their weaknesses. They don’t do anything that would upset their foundation.

Rather than seeking a swing fix or trying a style of play that doesn’t suit your personality, learn to play golf your way. Recognize your strengths and your weaknesses and play toward your strengths and away from your weaknesses. Quit trying to change everything so you can be just like……….what’s that pro’s name?

If you are hitting your driver 155 with an uncontrollable slice, you have some shot quality issues that need to be addressed so you can have a foundation.

Solid Foundation

What would happen to a two-story, 2,800-square-foot house built on sand with no footings? The weak foundation would cause the house to collapse and fall down at some point. There would be nothing solid under the house to hold it upright over time. Why am I talking about houses? I’m not. I’m talking about foundations. A house needs a solid foundation. So does every golfer.

The principles which under gird your ideas of the swing and the game must be solid as a rock. They must be timeless and unchanging in all conditions and situations and at all times. If this is not the case you will likely be frantically searching for quick fixes and solutions every time you hit a bad shot or get into a bad stretch. The player who wins occasionally does not have a solid foundation of swing concepts and playing concepts. He will become a consistent winner only when his constantly changing ideas are replaced by a solid foundation of changeless, timeless principles.

A golfer whose game has a solid foundation is not disturbed by a bad shot. He is not deeply upset by a poor round or a bad tournament. He is willing to adjust his game plan on the day he is not hitting crisp shots, but he is not looking for a quick-fix swing change. This is fundamental to long-term good play. If your foundation is shaky, your scores over time will be erratic at best. The player who scores well one day, then scores poorly the next couple of days, then has a good day is one whose foundation is built on shifting sand.

The five swing principles of Concept Golf give you the rock-solid foundation you need to become a consistent ball striker. They eliminate the swing as a variable in your game. The ideas in Golf Can’t be this Simple - Playing the Game will put you on solid footing to consistently play the game well. Concept Golf will teach you how to actually play the game.

John Toepel is a Veteran PGA Tour Player, instructor, author, and professional speaker. He is also the discoverer of Concept Golf, the quickest way to immediate, life-long lasting improvements to anyone’s golf game. To learn more about Concept Golf, including the most comprehensive golf instruction system ever, “The Concept Golf Perfect Shot Making System”, please visit http://www.conceptgolf.com/PSMS.htm and Discover the Par Golfer in You!

A tendency by many beginners and by many experienced golfers is a desire to hit up at the ball to make the ball go up. It is amazing; with all that is written about the game of golf and all of the instruction available that the basic concept of hitting a ball on the downswing is not conveyed.

We all watch the pros hitting irons and taking divots. Are they trying to take the divots or not? They are. Realize these are the best golfers in the world. If they can’t do what they want, we don’t have much of a chance. Since they are consistently taking divots, we probably should be too.

Does the divot occur before the ball is hit or after the ball is hit? If the club hits the ground before it hits the ball, club head speed is greatly diminished. As a ball sits on the ground, there is no room to hit up at it. To hit up at the ball, the ground will have to be hit first. We want to hit the ball on the downswing because we have more club head speed on the downswing than on the upswing.

We all marvel at the Pros’ shots that hit the greens with a lot of back spin. A downward motion at contact is needed to put the proper spin on the ball. If the golf swing is traveling up when it gets to the ball, the ball will have less than the desired amount of back spin. Additionally, back spin is needed to keep the ball airborne. If a field goal kicker kicks a ball with top spin, the ball may not clear the linemen’s heads. The same principle holds true for a golf ball. A ball hit with top spin will not stay in the air for very long, it will not go very high and it will also roll for quite some distance. When hitting a ball into a green, we usually want it to go high and not roll very far. To create the proper back spin, the ball has to be hit with a descending blow. The divot should occur after striking the ball.

To work on hitting the ball with a descending blow, lay a tee down about 2″ in front of the ball (target side). Your goal is to hit the ball then the tee. If you take a swing and hit the ball but the tee does not move, you probably did not hit the ball on the way down in the swing.

Golf Tip:

We often hear the term “releasing the club”. It might better be described as hinging, unhinging and re-hinging. We hinge on the backswing and unhinge on the downswing. The confusion comes as to the proper time to re-hinge. If the re-hinging starts at the contact of the ball or before contact, body rotation will be impeded and manipulation of the club will occur. The re-hinging of the club does not take place until the shoulders are squared up to the target. When the release is done properly, it may feel as though you hang onto the swing longer and definitely your balance will improve.

Ron Hanson is the Director of Instruction at Interbay Golf Center in Seattle, Washington. Through countless hours of instruction, numerous appearances at exhibitions and published articles, he is one of the most highly regarded instructors in the Pacific Northwest. Ron received national exposure on the Golf Channel as a featured instructor for an episode of The Golf Channel’s Golf Makeover Challenge. He recently completed the first in a series of instructional DVD’s. “Golf in Balance, Volume I” is a simple, understandable overview of the golf swing appropriate for golfers of all levels. To see more about “Golf in Balance” visit http://www.ronhansongolf.com

Ron Hanson, PGA Professional

Director of Instruction - Interbay Golf Center

Seattle, Washington

For more help with your golf game, visit http://www.ronhansongolf.com.

- Golf in Balance with Ron Hanson -

If golf is a game that you enjoy and that you wish to excel at then you need to start watching the golf channel. There is no end to the number of benefits that you are going to get out of watching this fascinating channel. Not only is the golf channel fun to watch and full of exciting games to bet on, it is also a wonderful learning tool that you can use to improve your game quickly and perfectly. The golf channel has t all, it has all kinds of pros for you to watch, and it has tips and many other things. The golf channel is affordable and well worth the little bit of money it costs to get for your home.

You can learn a lot by watching others play golf on the golf channel. You can observe the way they stand when they are taking a shot, you can watch the way they grip their golf club and you can even see the way they swing the golf club. And when you are watching the golf channel you can also keep an eye out for the clubs they choose for each shot. Maybe they know something that you don’t. Just think of all the things you could pick up just by watching the golf channel for a while each day. You will find yourself learning all kinds of things from the golf channel even if you only watch it once and a while. Just how much you learn from the golf channel is entirely up to you, but it can be a powerful tool in your learning to master the game of golf.

And let’s face it, the golf channel is just plain fun to watch. You can have all of your buddies over for a cold beer and some good golf channel golf. They get all of the best tournaments so you will never have to worry about missing your favorite golfer when you are watching the golf channel. He or she will be there for sure. Look at it this way, some people watch wrestling on TV and some people watch the golf channel, if the golf channel is what turns your crank then go with it. You will have a blast watching and learning from the golf channel so sign up for it today.

Jason Powers, a devoted golf fan, offers more golf tips
on his personal website ===>http://www.golfsites.info

And of course, each loan and each borrower are different. Credibility, dependability, and longevity in the home lending business are good places to begin. So how do you find a lender or broker you can trust’ Although most mortgage experts say that rates 5 percent are pretty much the same wherever you go, give or take this tiny 3 percentage. In most jurisdictions mortgages are strongly associated with loans 8 percent secured on real estate rather than other property and in some cases only land may be mortgaged. Start with credibility. It’s not easy to know if the prices quoted by lenders are reliable. Many of these fees are fixed but some can be negotiated.

Arranging a mortgage is seen as the standard method by which individuals and businesses can purchase residential and commercial real estate without the need to pay the full value immediately. Both banks and brokers have their strengths and weaknesses. While a mortgage in itself is not a debt, it is evidence of a debt of 6 percent. But others will claim low rates to bring in customers or tell you that the rates 5 percent offered by competitors will change.

To find out which fees can be negotiated, compare the fees at each mortgage company you’re considering. A mortgage is the pledging of a property to a lender as a security for a mortgage loan for 7 percent. It is a transfer of an interest in land, from the owner to the mortgage lender, on the condition that this interest will be returned to the owner of the real estate when the terms of the mortgage have been satisfied or performed.

Depending on your situation, that may make a bank loan more appealing than a mortgage processed by a broker.

Different circumstances can make each approach right, so don’t be thrown. Some will quote you precise, competitive rates 5 percent.

Translated in Dutch it means: Woon je in Leidschendam-Voorburg of Menterwolde en heeft u BKR’ Lenen met zonder BKR registratie is nergens zo eenvoudig. Koop een nieuw huis met online lenen, 376474 euro is gewoon mogelijk om te financieren. Van Aalsmeer tot Nijefurd, financieren met BKR gaat hier altijd.

Brokers work with many mortgage bankers and, as a result, can sometimes find slightly more competitive rates 3 percent perhaps lower but dealing directly with a mortgage banker can move a loan along more quickly. Different lenders charge different fees. Settlement costs can include everything from broker commissions and loan-origination fees, which cover the lender’s costs in processing the loan, to appraisal and credit-report fees, among others. In other words, the mortgage is a security for the loan that the lender makes to the borrower. See which lenders are charging fees 10 percent and for how much. See mortgage loan for residential mortgage lending, and commercial mortgage for lending against commercial property.

Weight training for golf is viewed by golfers as a lot of work, time-consuming, boring and you need a gym membership to do it. None of the above is true, and if you read this article, I’ll explain why.

You see…weight training for golf isn’t on machines anyways…so that eliminates the requirement of a gym. It’s not a lot of work, if you pick and choose the area you want to focus on. It’s not time-consuming if you do it in the convenience of your home, and have a plan of action. And lastly, it can be a lot of fun, when you use bands, exercise balls and training equipment specific to golf.

There many “so-called” weight training for golf programs, but when you take a look at them, you’ll see pictures of golfers sitting on their butts in a machine. I don’t know about you, but I think golf is done “on your feet”, right?

Weight training for golf is close to becoming “mainstream” with the golfing community. We see and hear all the pros doing it and playing their best golf; so why wouldn’t we amateurs do it also?

There are so many reasons why to participate in a weight training for golf program, that you can’t overlook it and say you don’t need it.

Lacking power in your swing? It’s because your body can’t produce any stored energy from a full backswing with torque in your core. That’s a ‘physical’ issue, not mechanical.

Is your golf swing inconsistent from one swing to the next? Swing faults originate from some deeper physical limitation that’s not allowing you to make a mechanically sound and repeatable swing. How many times have you taken a lesson and heard your pro say, “you need to make a full backswing”, but you just can’t physically do it? That’s a ‘physical’ issue, not mechanical.

How about injuries? Do you have one at the moment? The golf swing is physically damaging to the body if you don’t have enough strength and flexibility to withstand the force the golf swing puts on it. Swinging a 3 foot long lever (club) at up to 90 mph is unbelievably stressful on the joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles of the body. That’s a ‘physical’ issue, not mechanical.

I could go on and on, but I think you might get the idea by now.

Weight training for golf may be your “missing link” to your best game ever! If you’ve tried all the ‘other’ methods, this is the ONLY one left. Why wouldn’t you explore the possibilities a little more?

If you’re looking to add power to your golf swing; improve your consistency; and prevent golf injuries, then you’ve got to consider weight training for golf.

A successful website is something that everyone venturing into the new arena of Internet marketing and communications wants to have. Your website will often be a potential client’s first impression of you and your business. That being said, it is vitally important that your website represent you in a favorable manner. Your website is a component of your overall marketing strategy and should be reflective of your business and current marketing presentation. Just as your brochures and other print materials represent a level of quality and professionalism, your website should also represent that same level of quality and professionalism. As a point of comparison, you most likely wouldn’t have just anyone design your company’s marketing materials or for that matter, prepare your tax statements. Similarly, it is important that the person creating your website know how to effectively communicate both your message and style, and be able to create an effective experience for those visiting your site.

What does it really take to have your website be successful, and what are some of the most important steps you can take to make that happen?

1. If you intend to have a unique domain name for your website, you must first check to see if it is available. You can check to see if a domain name is currently registered at http://www.internic.net.

2. Set a budget for your website. It is important to know how much you can spend on your project. In considering costs, remember that a website is a complex matrix of text and images and a professional execution is very important. As a generalization, the larger your investment, the greater your return. In order to spread your investment over time, you can also grow and expand your website gradually. Don’t forget to include costs for promotion and advertising.

3. Determine the purpose for your website and the intended results. Does this purpose support the mission and vision for your company? The number of options and variables that are possible in the design of a website are virtually endless. Without a clear idea of the purpose for your website, you may end up putting time, energy, and money into a project which doesn’t meet your needs. If you know in advance the results you intend to achieve, you will be better equipped to create a website which will achieve those results.

4. Consider the design and layout of your website. Is it easy to use? Does it take too long to download? Is it easy for Internet visitors to find information? Does it meet the needs and expectations of your visitors? Several smaller pages eliminating the need for scrolling are often more effective than one long page. If an Internet visitor doesn’t have a positive experience of your website, she/he probably won’t return, or won’t tell someone else about it. An effective website often creates a reason for the visitor to return. This reason can take the form of unique information that changes on a regular basis, interesting and useful resources, or a way for visitors to communicate with you or with each other. Use your website to build a relationship with your Internet audience.

5. Promote, promote, promote.

No one will find your site if you don’t let them know about it. Your site must be posted to search engines such as Lycos, Yahoo, and Excite. There are approximately 20 to 30 main search engines and several hundred that are smaller or specialized. You can find an extensive list of website submission sites, services, and resources at http://dir.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/World_Wide_Web/Site_Announcement_and_Promotion/.

Include your website address on all your marketing materials; business cards, and advertising; you can even paint your address on the side of a company vehicle. The idea is to have as many people see your site address, and thus your website. You may also consider hiring a publicist to help you get the word out.

6. If at all possible, begin your website now. The companies which have been on the Internet the longest are those which achieve results sooner. If you are in an industry which isn’t widely represented on the Internet yet, so much the better - you’ll be able to start off with a larger market share. It’s estimated that there are about 200 million people using the internet with 75% of them in North America. Start your Internet presence today!

About The Author

Steve Lillo author of Websites That Work! is the President of PlanetLink, a website design and consulting firm which specializes in creating websites which get results. They also provide their Web Rx Service for increasing the effectiveness of existing websites. PlanetLink can be reached at http://www.planetlink.com or by telephone at 415-884-2022.

steve@planetlink.com

While golf is long overdue to benefit from the application of fitness, thanks to women like Annika Sorenstam, women are now realizing strength training and flexibility conditioning aren’t just for men. The benefits on the golf course are well worth the effort of sticking to a regular golf fitness regime.

Today’s women golfers are more determined than ever to stake their claim to the golf course and a higher standard of performance. One of the primary factors allowing women to compete more competently on the course is fitness. From the baby boomers to the juniors, golfers are beginning to realize the advantages of increasing strength and flexibility. The women are no exception.

Here are some things women should keep in mind as they begin regular golf fitness training:

Women tend to be more flexible than their male counterparts. While there are exceptions to every rule, women can typically use stretching more for maintenance of flexibility as opposed to achieving or re-establishing full range of motion.

While flexibility for female golfers is important, strength is essential. Most women would be well served to place emphasis on building muscle strength to be more competitive.
You should place emphasis on strength of the posterior chain muscles (lower back, glutes, and hamstrings), the abdominal muscles, and the shoulder girdle.

Females tend to be quadriceps dominant in most activities requiring lower body force production. When is comes to golf, your power will come from the muscles you don’t see in the mirror, not so much the front of your thighs. Be certain to include exercises that focus on the posterior chain like deadlift variations, good mornings, rowing variations, and total body rotational patterns like medicine ball wood chops.

Susan Hill is a nationally recognized fitness trainer, CHEK golf biomechanic and sports nutrition specialist. For more information on golf specific nutrition, exercises or stretches, visit http://www.fitnessforgolf.com.

A charity entry in a google search engine optimisation contest could win thousands of dollars for Oxfam. The aim of the contest is to rank number one on a google search for the term v7ndotcom elursrebmem.

http://www.v7 ndotcom-elursrebmem-contest.com has been created with the sole aim of winning the contest for charity. Several high profile webmasters and search engine optimisation experts have already pledged their support and the sites creators believe that more will follow.

The designers of http://www.v7 ndotcom-elursrebmem-contest.com are hoping that a large number of webmasters will be interested in this contest but won’t have the time or resources to take part themselves. By putting their weight, or back links, behind this charity entry everybody can take part and win a large sum of money for Oxfam.

Dave Smith, creator of the v7ndotcom-elursrebmem-contest.com site, also hopes that the contest will raise awareness of how non-profit organisations can use the internet effectively for promotion.

http://www.v7ndotcom-elursrebmem-contest.com is not just relying on people’s generosity to win this contest - it also uses all the available knowledge of search engine optimisation to create a site that is clear and easy to navigate with lots of useful information.

Key features of the site include a blog which will be updated throughout the contest and a live v7ndotcom elursrebmem leader board which can be easily integrated to any third party website.

Controversy and a certain amount of hype has surrounded this contest from the start, the official press release for the contest stated that “John Scott, editor and administrator of v7n.com, announced the contest on December 20th, with a $1,000 grand prize. Soon afterwards Greg Boser, a web page optimizer, announced a $1,000 reward for not playing by v7n rules. Two of Greg Boser’s friends - Mike Grehan and Todd Friesen - then contributed to the reward pot, bringing the anti-contest grand prize to $3,000.

Many in the SEO community were outraged by what they saw as an attack on the popular v7n community, and John Scott in particular. The blogging community rallied and added $3,000 plus an iPod to the v7n contest, putting the total at $7,000 and an iPod for the grand prize winner, with smaller cash amounts to those who place 2nd through 5th.”

Whatever the motives of the organisers it is clear that this contest and v7ndotcom elursrebmem is set to be one of the most discussed topics of the next few months.

If anyone wishes to help http://www.v7ndotcom-elursrebmem-contest.com win this contest for charity or are interested in the methods being used to promote the site please look at our homepage or the FAQ’s section.