Sports

How to Play Golf

October 22, 2021 by how

One of the first things that you need to do when starting golf is to make sure that you have a proper grip and stance. These are core fundamentals of golf, and should not be overlooked if you are serious about the game. You should grip the club mostly in the fingers and not the palms, and your stance should be shoulder width apart with a good spine angle.

After you have the proper setup position it is time to work on the backswing. The takeaway should be low and slow as this helps establish a good tempo in your golf swing. Tempo is key to success, and a solid takeaway will put you miles ahead of most people who are learning how to play golf.

What You Need to Know if You Want to Learn How to Golf Better

You will NOT learn how to golf better by buying the newest, most expensive golf clubs; buying dozens of golf swing aids; trying to copy a PGA Tour professional golf swing; constantly experimenting with different swing styles; changing from a blade putter to a belly putter, a long putter, a mallet putter, or a heavy putter.

The Best Golf Swing

To learn how to golf better, you need to understand that the best golf swing is your own golf swing. Sure, it is a good idea to learn the fundamental swing mechanics and techniques and to settle on one swing style, but do not get caught up seeking the perfect golf swing or trying to copy a Tour professional’ swing. The illusive perfect golf swing does not exist and is not important; what is important is making consistent and perfect impact with the ball. Just look at the many different swing styles on the PGA Tour – some are very unconventional looking but they get the job done, that is hitting the ball straight and long down the middle of the fairway.

As long as you get all the basic components right that are involved in the golf swing then you will have the foundation for achieving a good, consistent golf swing. Also, if you are a complete beginner or even a more seasoned golfer that is struggling with the traditional golf swing, I would highly recommend checking out The Simple Swing by David Nevogt; this is the same swing that I adopted several years ago that finally ended a couple of decades of frustration – the difference it made to my golf game was astonishing.

Golf Clubs, Golf Balls and Golf Aids

Golf Clubs: One of the mistakes that many golfers make is to buy the latest and greatest golf driver, hybrids, putters, and/or golf balls. They believe the marketing hype that these clubs or balls will make all the difference to their game. The golf clubs and golf balls manufacturers spend millions each year to convince golfers to part with their hard earned money to buy their latest offerings. Their reasoning is that because the technology is changing constantly, then they should upgrade to this year’s latest and improved golf equipment.

All I can say is that the golf clubs and balls that you choose have to be the right ones for your game. Make sure that the golf clubs are suitable for you; buy clubs with the correct shaft length, shaft material, flex, grip size, and head design for your game, physical attributes, and style of golf – you could try out some of the game improvement clubs that are available nowadays.

Golf Balls: The same goes for choosing the right golf ball for your game; you have to take into consideration the characteristics of each golf ball type; spin, feel, distance, and control. For, example, if your natural tendency is to fade the ball then you might want a ball with less spin because a higher spinning ball could result in a slice instead of just a fade.

Golf Aids: Although there are a few good golf aids available to help you with your golf swing, swing faults, putting, grip, etc., there are also hundreds of other golf aids that are a waste of money. If you have a persistent golf swing problem and you have tried all the conventional methods of trying to fix that fault, then there might be a golf swing aid that can help you overcome the problem. You should search online for as many unbiased reviews for the golf swing aid specific to your requirements to see what other golfers and professionals think about it before investing in one.

Playing golf can either be a rewarding experience or a very frustrating one, sometimes both together even on the same round of golf. That is what makes golf so fascinating as it can be a real challenge to pull all the components together all the time. If you are serious about becoming a good golfer or you want to learn how to golf better then you have to take into consideration all the areas involved in playing a good game of golf.

Apart from having the right golf clubs and balls for your game, and knowing the basic swing mechanics and techniques, there are other considerations as well. Golf is an all-round game so you need to learn and understand the metal game of golf; the importance of golf stretching, flexibility and fitness; and how to implement a proper golf practice routine.

Driving Range Practice

One of the major differences between a professional golfer and a recreational golfer is the amount of practice the pros put in. Even though you may not have that much time for practice, you should make the effort to get in some driving range practice at least.

Apart from driving range practice there are other ways to practice for golf. You can practice at home with a golf mat and golf net, with a golf training aid, and also you can practice while playing a round of golf if the course is not too busy.

Types of Driving Range

Hopefully, you have a driving range close to where you live or there may be one at your local golf course. Most driving ranges are just open grass areas with a row of hitting mats at one end. However, there are some that have the hitting mats under a protective roof that lets you practice golf even when it is raining. Others are floodlit, which lets you get in some practice time at night. All driving ranges should have yardage flags or markers set out every 25 or 50 yards which is useful for judging the distance of each club in your bag.

You will also be able to buy golf balls by the bucket; just remember though that these will be range balls or practice balls that have been well-used. They will probably not play like your regular golf ball but should be adequate for your driving range practice. There are different sized buckets, for example: medium bucket – 96 balls, large – 125 balls, jumbo – 205.

Driving Range Practice Tips

You can use a driving range for a number of types of golf practice; for trying to fix a swing problem, for gauging golf distances for each club, for improving your golf swing, for working on a specific type of shot like the draw, or for warming up before a round of golf.

Whatever type of practice you are doing, please bear in mind one thing. Do not do what the majority of recreational golfers do on a driving range: they buy a big bucket of balls, pull out their driver, and proceed to smash drives down the range with all their force. Even if you came to the range to fix a driver golf swing problem, this is not the way to start a practice session. This is why a driving range should be referred to as a practice range.

Instead, you should begin with a few stretching exercises without hitting a ball. Once you have warmed-up and stretched your muscles, you can then take a few practice swings but not a full driver swing. Use a medium iron and swing to only about 50 to 75% of your normal swing. You can swing the club back and forth in a steady rhythm to continue warming-up and stretching those golf muscles.

Now it is time to start a proper driving range practice routine. Begin with your wedges, then your short irons, mid irons, long irons or hybrids, woods, and finally finish with your driver. Even though you might start with a driver on the first tee, for driving range practice, you should gradually work your way up to using a driver.

There are a couple of reasons for this; first, with a driver you are using more force and putting your muscles and spine through more exertion than you are with a short iron. Second, in a round of golf you will be hitting more shots from within 100 yards than you will take with your driver. So, you should be putting more practice into your short game than you put into your driving.

Ideally, you will want to get a hitting mat that is in front of the yardage markers. This way, you can check how far you are hitting each club. This is necessary for good course management; you need to know how far each club can hit the ball. For example, with your wedges, you should use a full swing, three quarter swing a half swing. Aim towards the yardage markers and see where your ball is landing for each swing length.

Another important driving range practice tip is to treat each shot with the same respect as if you were on the course playing in a competition. Don’t just hit away, one shot after another until your bucket of balls is finished. You should go through your normal pre-shot routine, golf setup, and address position. Focus on each shot so that you make each shot count.

The final golf driving range tip is to not over exert yourself. With a medium sized bucket of balls holding about 96 golf balls, it is easy to go through them in an hour and a half. That would imply that you are hitting one ball every minute non-stop. This is not a good idea, even if you warmed up and stretched prior to your golf driving range session. You should take a break every so often and before starting again, do a few more stretches.

Driving Range Practice Summary

It is true that practice makes perfect but you have to know the best way to practice for golf. Hopefully, the next time you get some driving range practice time in that it will be quality practice time – don’t forget to practice your putting as well!

How to Box?

October 21, 2021 by how

Maybe you’re sick of being the nerdy guy (and all the shit that goes along with it) or you’ve watched Rocky one too many times, but the idea of learning to box is really starting to excite you. Good, hold on to that passion and energy, you’re going to need it.

Boxing is a tough and challenging sport that will push you to your limits both physically and mentally. However, stick with your new “hobby” long enough and I guarantee it will become one of your life’s most rewarding pursuits. You’ll develop the ripped body of a Greek God, the iron will of a warrior, and the self-confidence of Muhammad Ali.

But where do you start? Timidly following Youtube videos in the safety of your bedroom while shying away from judging eyes? Or do you go full throttle and sign up to be someone’s punch bag at your local boxing gym? And just how fit do you need to be to join a boxing gym? Do you need your own gloves? And what about boxing rules and etiquette?

If all of these questions has got your head spinning more than a hard right to the chin would do, fear not, Learn How To Box was created to be the ultimate resource on boxing for beginners. Whether you’re a complete newbie or an old hand in the fight scene, stick around, you might just learn a thing or two.

Benefits of Boxing

Who would have thought that trying to knock another human beings head off would not only feel good, but have so many physical and mental benefits? Here’s what you can look forward to when you get into boxing:

Fit and healthy body with increased muscle tone
Development of a Jedi mindset – Ability to remain calm during intense physical and mental situations
Self-confidence that you can “handle yourself” in a fight
Learning a martial art
New friends and gym buddies
Stress Relief – there’s nothing more effective for lowering cortisone than smashing pads at the end of a long day

Where Can I learn boxing?

Although you could theoretically learn to box anywhere, there are three common venues where your training could take place.

Sports Hall – Boxing classes could be held in any sports or recreational facility such as your gym, town hall, school, or university. The quality of trainers and difficulty of classes can vary enormously. The classes are predominantly aimed at beginners, and they are useful for learning the fundamentals of boxing or if you strictly want to practice boxing for exercise (boxercise).

Boxing Gym – Joining a fight gym can be intimidating for a novice, but they cater for people at all levels. Don’t worry, you’re not going to accidentally stumble into some underground fight club and be forced into a cage to do battle till death. Relax, boxing is a sport, and the instructors are almost all too happy to share their knowledge of the game.

Boxing gyms come in all manner of styles, from the state-of-the-art gyms, to the warehouse kitted out with a couple of worn out punching pads and some smelly, old pads. Joining a boxing gym is the best way to learn boxing as you’ll learn correct technique from boxing gurus with years of fight experience

At Home – Online boxing training has seen an enormous rise in popularity. Instructional workout DVDs, eBooks and boxing training videos on Youtube and are all credible methods to teach yourself boxing. However, don’t get suckered into buying hyped-up inferior products and remember to check the credentials of whoever’s behind the training.

Can I Actually Learn Boxing At Home?

Your closest boxing gym may be an hour’s drive away, or they may not be one in your town at all. Busting out a few combos while in the comfort of your living room seems like the perfect solution. I mean how hard can it be? Just do exactly the same as the guy in the video.

However, the major flaw I see with boxing training at home is that there is no one available to correct your mistakes. Digital sources are fantastic learning tools, but their training is only one directional.

It also leaves your skills untested. No amount of boxing training videos will prepare you to use your skills in a real fight. For that, you need sparring. Nothing else will teach you how to dodge, block and parry an opponent’s punches, how to take a punch and keep fighting, or how to remain calm while under intense pressure. Plus, what’s the joy in learning to cook if all you do is prepare the food?

However, there is nothing wrong with practicing boxing at home or using it to learn basic boxing moves and to get the body in shape.

Is boxing hard and will I get hurt?

Call it stating the obvious, but in case you weren’t aware, boxing is a full-contact sport. Expect to get hit in the chops a few times.

Now this rule doesn’t apply at a beginner level or for boxercise classes where technique is less of a focus and it’s all just about simple combos for cardiovascular fitness (cough, pussies, cough).

Stroll into a boxing gym for the first time, and your fresh, unmarked face will scream newbie to the instructors who’ll ask you about your previous experience. Now is not the time for macho bravado. Tell them it’s your first time or you’ve had a little practice but still don’t know your right hand from your left. That way you’ll be partnered with someone with a similar skill level, and you’ll not end the class eating the local champs glove.

At a beginners boxing class, you’ll perform stretches, exercises, simple drills on the pads and possibly some bag work. There will be little physical contact except perhaps blocking as part of a combination (tip: never with your face), or some very light conditioning.

Advanced classes will contain combinations that are more complex and may allow some sparring. The intensity of the conditioning will also increase. Expect to engage in torturous exercises such as taking punches to the gut, or having a medicine ball dropped on your stomach from height.

Fight training or sparring classes are offered by some gyms. When it comes to sparring sessions, you will get the occasional black eye or burst nose, and you’ll find yourself wincing like a little girl at times. However, you often don’t feel the punches in the heat of the moment and by the time you’ve reached fight training level, you should have conditioned your body somewhat.

How long does it take to learn boxing?

How long is a piece of string? Asking how long it takes to learn boxing is a similarly retarded question.

Many people would be keen to know how many hours, months or years it will take to become good at boxing. But all I can offer is a shoulder shrug and a non-committal “it depends”. It depends on how often and how long you train, your training methods, the intensity of training, who your instructors are, any God-given natural talent you possess and how hungry you are to learn.

Now it’s time for some sensei wisdom Mr Miyagi styles. Don’t be impatient – It will take as long as it takes. Remember that anything worthwhile in life takes time.

Learning how to box is a venture that could take years to complete. In fact, you never actually finish. Sure, you reach a level of expertise that you are happy with, but there’s always the quest to get better, faster, stronger.

Discontentment is a good thing. It keeps you at the top of your game.

However, what I can say with confidence is that the surest and quickest way to learn boxing is to immerse yourself in the sport completely. That means joining a fight gym and showing up six days a week whether you feel like it or not.

What Boxing Equipment Will I Need?

I’m assuming you’ve read all of this, and you’re not put off by the long road of hard slog that lies ahead? Good, now it’s time to get kitted out.

No warrior heads into battle without weapons and armor. However, don’t be that knob head that has all the gear and can’t box a dozen eggs. You know the one – he splashes out on the best of equipment for each new hobby that takes his fancy, quickly realizes he’s not cut out for it, or lacks the commitment to get good, and then ends up selling his pre-loved wares on EBay. “Boxing Gloves for Sale – Hardly Used”. Yeah, don’t be that guy.

Here is a list of the essential items that should make up your kitbag when starting out.

Boxing Gloves – (well duh! You’re going to need a set of gloves unless you plan on using those wretched, blood and sweat stained gloves the gym provides) If you can only afford one thing, splash out on a decent pair of gloves (around $100). If you need help choosing a pair, check out our boxing glove reviews or select a pair from our top ten best boxing gloves below.
Hand Wraps – Support the wrist and protect the hands when punching. Not just a pointless accessory for added color coordination.
Water Bottle – Get a water bottle that is durable and with a lid that is easy to open with gloves on.
Training Bag – There is no excuse for missing training. You bring your kit with you everywhere you go.
Mouth Guard – Now this item could be omitted if you’re not planning on doing any sparring within the first few months. When it does come to buy one, go premium and select a mouth guard with excellent shock absorbing properties while that is compact and still allows you to breathe easily. The toothless hillbilly look is not cool.
Comfortable Clothes – Shorts and T-shirt will do.

Everything else is surplus. You can add to your training arsenal in time.

How Free Are Free World Cup Bets? – 2018 Investigation

June 9, 2018 by how

The 2018 football (or soccer for our American friends) World Cup is approaching and there is no better time to join in the party celebrations. This year over 1 billion people will watch the World’s biggest sporting event, this year hosted in Russia.

The World Cup will bring in £billions of revenues for small and big businesses around the world. From the bars we watch the matches in the shops we buy replica kits, all these businesses are hoping the World Cup will bring a much needed boost in hard times.

Online betting is also expected to be boosted from June 14th when the tournament kicks off. It is thought that in the United Kingdom alone up to £750 million will be bet on the World Cup Bet. Competition between bookmakers is fierce and this is good news for consumers.

Consumers could score with betting offers

It is no secret that online betting is big business, especially during the biggest sporting events when people are looking for a little wager. However are free bets as good as they sound?

After researching the latest world cup betting offers it is clear to see that there is no such thing as a free lunch. To put it simply you will not get £200 free for doing absolutely nothing. However there are free bets which consumers should take advantage of as long as you are clear about the terms and conditions.

Getting a free world cup bet

As we have established rarely is anything completely free, however if you fancy a wager and are willing to bet some of your own hard earned money then you will find some really great deals online.

Every free bet offer I looked at required you to deposit a fixed amount before you receive a free bet. This is completely normal and means that you can easily claim your free bet. Some bookmakers also require you to bet £10 before you get your free bet. Most online bookmakers operate a double or match free bet offer where they double the amount you deposited, let’s say you deposited £15 then your free bet will = £15.

So while there offers are not completely free, there is no scary catch. I like to think of them as buy one get one free offers.

It’s important to take the time and do some research, you may want to compare world cup free bets and see what separates each online bookmaker. I would personally recommend finding a service which allows “in-play betting” this means that you can bet on a football match during the game. Even with 1 minute before the final whistle. Also check that they accept a wide range of payment options.