You are here: Home >Posts Tagged ‘ball

How to Hit a Bump and Run

The bump-and-run is a very useful shot to have in your arsenal when playing on fast or unreceptive greens. Hitting a high spinning or even a low spinning shot into this type of green will not work. So what should you do? Hit a low shot that runs out, called the bump-and-run.

So what is the bump-and-run? It is a low spin, running shot that usually lands short of the green or just on the green and roles out to the hole. It is a great shot because it is not affected by the wind, and is very useful on fast greens.

Below are very simple steps that outline how to hit an effective bump-and-run.

  1. Start with the ball back in your stance and your weight on your left foot. (Or your right foot if you are left-handed.)
  2. Bring your feet close together and turn them to the left 30 degrees (if you are left-handed, then you turn your feet to the right 30 degrees.)
  3. Make sure that the ball is positioned off your back heel.
  4. Place the club head behind the goofball and set your hands forward – this means closing down the club face by moving your hands towards the hole. Your hands should be just off the inside of your left thigh (if you are left-handed then your hands should be just off the inside of your right thigh.)
  5. Start your swing by turning your shoulders and only swing back so that the club is a couple feet away from the ball. (If you go any further you might hinge your wrists and this makes it impossible to hit a bump-and-run.)
  6. Start your downswing by turning your hips towards the hole – this will cause your arms to follow and you will come down and impact the ball consistently. Make sure not to start your downswing with your upper-body at all, as this ruins consistency and predictability.
  7. Accelerate through the ball and watch how it behaves, you can learn how to hit a better bump-and-run by watching every single shot that you hit and learning how the ball behaves when rolling out.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS

Some of the Best Indoor Sports

There are times when you need to exercise a sport however you are quite frankly not in position to go outside the house and do such a thing. This is certainly because you possibly do not have had enough time or the weather does not allow you. If this is usually the situation then you could very easily decide to practice an indoor sport. By exercising such an activity you are in a position to sustain your own health as well as physical condition even in the winter season.

So whenever you wish to exercise an outdoor sport currently there are quite a few things that stand in your way. The weather outside is usually not well suited food such type of a thing or you are a too busy individual to accomplish such a thing. If you find your self in this particular scenario then you can think about exercising an indoor sport. The outstanding thing about it is normally that you don’t have to concern about the fact you will not discover a good one mainly because truth be told there are quite a few from that you can choose. Some of the finest indoor sports which usually are well preferred all over the earth are racquetball, basketball, ice skating and hockey, weight lifting, volley ball as well as dancing.

One of the greatest indoor sports is with out a doubt racquetball. This is a very intense activity that requires a lot of movement. Due to the fact of this by practicing it on a regular basis you can easily improve you general health in a significant way. If, perhaps you have got in mind to practice this sport you have got to understand that you just cannot do it at home. You need to be in a special designed place such as your local gym or health club.

One of the most popular sporting activities in the world is without having a hesitation basketball. This sport activity beside of the fact that it may easily be practiced outside it can also be practiced in an indoor environment. Basketball requires a lot of agility, co-ordination and power. Unlike racquetball this is without a doubt a sport which involves a lot of teamwork. Whenever practicing this sport your entire body works extremely hard. Basketball is excellent any time you want to drop those extra pounds.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS

Sand Shot Tips

Sand shots are often viewed as very difficult shots; however, if you follow the simple rules and tips outlined below, you will become more consistent out of the sand, and as a result, become a better player.

Sand Shot Laws

  • Sand shot with a good lie (the ball sits up on top of the sand) should be played closer to your front foot, as opposed to sand shot with a bad lie, which should be played closer to your back foot.
  • If you position the ball further forward in your stance, you should open the club face more. You do this because since you have a better lie, you don’t need to take as much sand when you hit the bunker shot and taking less sand means you can put more spin on the ball and hit a higher, softer landing shot.
  • If you open the club face more you need to aim further to the left (or to the right if you are left-handed). This is because a more open club face will cause the ball to go in the direction of the club face, make sure that the face is pointing towards your target.
  • If you close the club face more you need to aim closer to your target – you should never aim to the right of your target (or the left of your target if you are left-handed) as this can cause you to cut across the ball and dig into the sand, resulting in a bad bunker shot.
  • The more swing speed you have, the higher the shot will go. A shot with more swing speed will also have more spin and stop quicker on the green.

Follow and apply these sand shot laws to your golf game to improve your bunker consistency and improve your game. Good luck and happy golfing.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS

Teaching the Triple Threat Position in Basketball

I watch a lot of basketball and I love watching players do things the correct way. I love watching a good chest pass that hits the target quickly. I love watching great form on a shot. I love watching players in the post use good footwork to get shots off and I love it when players, especially young players, use the triple threat position.

For those that aren’t familiar with what the triple threat position is, it is when a player is ready to drive, pass or shoot the ball. It’s important because when players use it each time they catch the ball, they make the defense work harder and they proactively create scoring opportunities. When they are in the triple threat position they are immediately ready to attack whatever defensive strategy is being used on them. It allows you to be proactive on offense rather than reactive.

Many players today know what the triple threat position is but not every coach teaches it effectively so let’s talk about that. Anybody can go out there and get in position but not everybody can execute it correctly and be successful. In order for the triple threat position to be completely effective you must sell to the defense that you truly are in a position to pass, shoot or drive. If you get in the position half-heartedly or in a way where you don’t effectively sell it, it’s easy for the defense to expose it.

One of the key things to remember is that part of what makes the triple threat position so effective is that it keeps the defense guessing. They are limited in how they can defend you if they really believe that you could pass, shoot or drive when you have the ball. If you get lazy when you catch the ball and don’t get in the triple threat position you are letting the defense rest and taking away options for you and your offense to score. If when you catch the ball, you immediately put it over your head and examine the floor, it’s easy for the defense to know right away that you aren’t going to shoot it or drive to the basket. They know right away that all they have to do is shut down the passing lanes and they’ve stopped you.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS

Fix My Serve

The tennis serve is the most frustrating stroke in tennis to learn and it can be very embarrassing when you lose vital points due to a sloppy serve in ANY of your games. Why do you need to learn how to serve in tennis properly? Well as I mentioned you will end up losing points in your games and these points could be vital (some may even be match deciders!). What you are looking to do is create a serve that is so consistent, powerful and accurate that it will have your opponent under vast amounts of press and frustration from running around the court trying to return the ball. Serves like this will put opponents into defense and have them afraid of your serve! If you ever wonder “how do I fix my serve?” then just read the following 3 tips that will have you a threat from the service line!

When Serving Toss the Ball out More

What does this mean? When you serve you want to imagine a small box that is slightly in front of you. This is where you should aim the ball to drop if you miss your serve. The reason for this is that you will add more power by making your body lean into your stroke.

Use the Continental Grip

The Continental (otherwise known as the chopper grip for its axe like resemblance) is a grip that is used mainly for serves and volleys and is more efficient than the eastern forehand which many beginners use as it is more natural to use.

Have Fun When Practicing

Many people just practice the serve over and over again which can get boring (and cause repetitive strain injuries) and also frustrating if you make no progress. What I found works is using tennis drills that let you have fun and also teach you the method and how it would be under pressure to stop you asking “How to fix my serve”.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS

Funny Don’ts and Do’s With Pool Sticks

Pool sticks were made for just that… shooting pool. And that means using pool sticks to correctly hit billiard balls on a pool table, not for javelin-throwing in the swimming pool. I have to admit that as a kid, I occasionally used my pool stick for things other than the intended use. Even though using it as a limbo stick wasn’t necessarily harmful to the stick, using it as a sword was. Take some tips from a long-time billiard player who has learned some important do’s & don’ts the hard way, and learn some important tips along the way.

Even though you can make nice chalk designs on the ceiling, don’t. The tip of a pool stick is made of leather and is attached to the shaft of the stick with a ferrule. These are tender spots on a cue stick and should not be used to come in contact with anything other than chalk or a billiard ball. If the rounded leather tip loses its shape or is transformed into the all too common “mushroom”, your shots will be less consistent and it will severely affect your play.

I know of a pool stick that was left outside for a day or two after an exhausting duel. This is really bad. Your pool stick should be stored indoors, upright in a case. Exposure of the elements (sun & moisture) can be fatal. Both the shaft and butt of a billiard cue are made of wood and can warp. If that happens, it cannot be fixed and you may as well use it as firewood where it will serve you better.

If your cue stick is wrapped, don’t peel the wrapping like you would a Budweiser label. Wraps are put there for a reason. They give you a firm, comfortable grip on your cue stick and prevent your hand from slipping when you strike a billiard ball.

Lastly, don’t bounce your cue stick to the beat of the music (or off your competitor’s forehead). The rubber piece on the end of the butt is called a bumper. The bumper is put there to protect the cue stick when it accidentally bumps a wall or the table, or when it rests on the ground. The bumper adds to the precise weight of the billiard cue and should not become loosened. Repetitive impacts to the bumper can also cause the butt to eventually crack.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS

Snooker Training DVD

The sport of snooker is probably one in all the most addictive games that you will ever come across. At first glance, the game appears very straightforward to play as the other players effortlessly pot ball after ball. However you’ll be able to fathom how troublesome the sport is once you start enjoying yourself.

Studying the game well is a prerequisite for playing snooker just like the professionals. And one of many best and most effective methods to be taught the sport is by watching a snooker DVD.

While it is very simple to purchase a snooker DVD there are some issues that you want to bear in mind earlier than you make the purchase.

- Make sure that the DVD begins from the scratch, which signifies that the DVD should have in mind the very fact that you might be a utterly new snooker player. It ought to begin with the basics and cover superior topics as you progress via the chapters.

- You need to also examine whether the snooker DVD has been made by an expert snooker player. There is not a higher means of learning the sport than from knowledgeable snooker player.

- The snooker DVD must show you methods to play all of the shots. One of the best DVDs would have animations showing how a selected shot needs to be played.

- You have to also enquire whether there are enough movies of precise snooker games which can be followed by a detailed analysis.

- The snooker DVD should also let you know when it is time to cease studying for the day and put the educational into practice.

When you start watching your snooker DVD it’s important to also do certain things to guarantee that your studying is consistent and systematic. For starters, you should never bounce the gun. If the DVD is in a chapter mode then ensure that you follow the chapter numbers in a sequential manner. Don’t go to Chapter 5 should you haven’t covered Chapter 4.

You could additionally give yourself time to follow what you learn. Initially you’ll feel some frustration because the balls will not are inclined to behave in the way you’ll want them to. When you get your stance right and discover ways to use the cue then things will begin falling into place. You need some patience here.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS