Golf Swing Instructions

KING COBRA SENIOR DRIVER

admin — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 16:34:09 +0000

What makes a senior driver different from regular drivers? Basically it comes down to one vital element in golf club construction and that is the shaft. The flex on a golf club shaft is really what makes all the difference as to how e hit the ball and how far we can carry it. The King Cobra senior driver is actually a regular King Cobra driver with a more flexible shaft.

The stronger a shaft is, the more difficult it is to hit for the average golfer. Most club golfers require a regular flex on all of their golf clubs and especially on the driver. Senior golfers and ladies often need even more flex than regular due to the fact that there is less power in the swing itself and the torque of the club is necessary to bag that extra distance.

Here is a review that makes comment on how a driver can be respectable to a slower swinger of the golf club:

This was one of the old Cobra drivers from 2005 but the technology in it was more like 2008. A great driver for all. This driver usually has a offset face (to counter act the slice) and about 12 degrees loft. That may seem a lot but according to a golf magazine men should be using at least 11.5! This proves that impartial because you have a low loft doesn’t mean you hit it further. Also the offset promotes a slight scheme which also adds yards to drives. But this doesnt just have distance, it definitely has accuracy off the tee. I recently owned this product but now my swing is to fleet to accommodate the shaft. So for all you out there struggling to hit your driver, give this a try!

When golfers who have slow swing speeds and therefore lack power try to hit golf balls using drivers with stiff shafts, they will usually hit worm-burners because they have trouble getting the ball airborne due to weakness in the swing. Whenever you buy a new driver, the shaft should be one of your main considerations.

Of course it is valuable to get a driver that looks good as you set up and that feels good in your hands, but the best looking driver in the world is useless to you if it is fitted with a shaft that is wrong for you. The King Cobra senior driver is shafted to suit the general swing speed of the senior golfer and therefore is the ideal club for the older golfer.

Whenever you decide on a fresh driver, make sure you seek beyond the look of the club itself or the brand name on the bottom. Make sure it has a shaft that is suited to your swing and you will see loyal improvement in your game.

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Best Golf Shirts for Men for Summer 2009

admin — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 10:47:26 +0000

Performance isn’t unbiased for golf clubs and golf balls anymore. Golf shirts now can have 21^st century performance characteristics, as well as great looks. Here are five top men’s golf shirts for summer 2009.

Nike Dri-FIT UV Tech Men’s Golf Polo Shirt. This short-sleeve men’s golf polo is made of lightweight, moisture-wicking polyester that will look great for all 18 holes and features SPF 30 UV protection. It has a solid knit collar, three-button placket and a Nike swoosh on the sleeve. This golf shirt comes in 10 colors, so you may want to buy more than one. For more information and to purchase this shirt go to www.golfsmith.com, Nike Dri-FIT Polo.

Under Armour Performance Men’s Golf Polo Shirt. If it’s made by Under Armour, you know it is high performance. This golf shirt, which features HeatGear moisture-wicking fabric technology, is designed to keep you cool and comfortable on the course even on the hottest day. It is generously cut for a loose fit that will never hamper your golf swing. Decide from an amazing 22 colors. For more information and to seize this shirt go to www.golfsmith.com//Under Armour Men’s Golf Polo.

NIKE GOLF Dri-FIT Tech Short-Sleeve Mock. Tired of wearing nothing but golf polo shirts. Maybe it’s time for a change. You’ve seen Tiger Woods wear the short-sleeve mock turtleneck shirt on the course and so can you. This golf shirt is made of lightweight, easy-care (only 5.3 ounces) polyester with a solid-knit mock collar and open sleeves. It offers SPF 30 UV protection and sports the Nike swoosh on the sleeve. Choose from four colors, team red, dismal, white and college navy, and sizes from small to XXX large. For more information and to buy this shirt go to www.mensredtag.com/Nike Mock.

Land’s End Men’s Regular DriLite Colorblock Mesh Polo Shirt. Are you tired of a wardrobe burly of solid golf polos? Here’s a shirt with both performance and style. Its pique fabric wicks moisture to keep you cool on the links, its antimicrobial characteristics fight odor, and the color blocking on its shoulders and sleeves give it stylistic flair that set it apart from the crowd. This shirt comes in five colors, classic red, black, dark cobalt blue, legal navy, and white (each with contrast color blocking on the shoulders and sleeves). For more information and to buy this shirt go to www.landsend.com, Mesh Polo Shirt.

L.L. Bean Performance Polo Shirt. What sets this golf shirt apart is L.L. Bean quality and superior SunSmart™ SPF 50 UV protection. Lightweight polyester fabric with a grid texture wicks moisture and dries quickly. Available in six colors and sizes up to extra extra large. For more information and to buy this shirt go to www.llbean.com/Performance Polo.

Sources:

www.golfsmith.com, Nike Dri-FIT Polo, Nike Golf Shirts – Dri-FIT UV Tech Men’s Golf Polo.

www.golfsmith.com//Under Armour Men’s Golf Polo, Under Armour Golf Shirts: Performance Men’s Golf Polo

www.mensredtag.com/Nike Mock, NIKE GOLF – Dri-FIT Tech S/S Mock

www.landsend.com, Mesh Polo Shirt, Men’s DriLite Colorblock Mesh Polo Shirt from Land’s End

www.llbean.com/Performance Polo, Performance Polo Shirt: Polo Shirts at L.L. Bean

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Bowling– a Fun Event for Kids and Adults Alike

admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 07:30:58 +0000

If you are looking for something different to try out on the kids this summer, consider bowling. if it’s been a long time since you’ve donned a pair of styling red and grey striped shoes, here are a few pointers to make your outing a complete success.

Pick the right time. Bowling prices vary depending on the day and time. Most alleys are slow during the day, so they will offer specials to entice customers– like 75 cent games or buy one get one free specials. Some evenings offer family specials that include pizza and pop for a set notice. Saturdays are almost always “kid days” and are packed with kids, parents, and cartoon animation blaring across the scoreboard. The alley is pumps it’s promotions, so Saturday’s are a pleasant time to catch up coupons and other specials.

Always ask for bumpers! For whatever reason, bumpers are seen as the weak way to bowl. However, rolling balls in the gutter and getting zero points is no fun for anyone, no matter what their age. Whether your child is 4, 8, or18 insist on bumpers! Even for those inexperienced parents, bumpers are an okay way to keep that ball rolling straight! Not only will your score be higher, but your kids will love to see you bowling the same way they do.

Play nice! Bowling can come by a little crazy with a lot of kids running around, so it is important to remember a few rules of bowling etiquette. Never use anyone else’s ball unless you have their permission to share. Some people bring their gain balls that they have spent a lot of money on, and the last thing they want is an 8 year old cracking it when he throws it straight into a bumper.

Always wait your turn to bowl. Usually the screen will flash your name or initials when it is your turn. Grab your ball but be considerate of your neighbors (you’ll have both if the alley is busy). Common bowling courtesy is to let the person next to you throw their ball across the line before you begin throwing yours. The last thing you want when you are concentrating on the difficult throw is to see a blazing child flying across the corner of your eye.

Never walk out onto the lane. Bowling with small children will result in more than one stuck ball in the lane, but never walk out there on your own to retrieve it. The lanes are oiled daily and are very slippery for those not use to it’s grip. Always let someone from the bowling alley know that you have a stuck ball and then let them handle it.

Bowling is not the only fun thing to do at alleys, either. Most alleys have video and arcade games, a juke box, and a pool table. One of my son’s favorite parts of bowling is shooting pool. Most of the lounges are open to children during the day. Just make sure you or a responsible older child is there to supervise. Also, there is sometimes outside activities like runt golf and bumper cars designed to bring in families with children. So you see, there is a ton of opportunity for fun this summer at the bowling alley!

Golf Swing Mechanics Correcting the Push

admin — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 02:38:08 +0000

The push in terms of the golf swing mechanics means that when you hit the golf ball it starts going right and then continues to go to the right. This is different from a slice which is hitting the golf ball to the left and then it goes off to the legal.

Why does the ball go to the right? Well, this shot is caused when you are hitting the ball and on the downswing you do not twist your body all the way through to the left. You are doing this while your arms are swinging through to the right. That swing to the right with your arms and not following through with twisting your body to the left is known as a push.

There is a simple practice technique which will improve your golf swing mechanics for correcting the push. Just a reminder you do need to practice to correct this shot. Honest because you know the cause and effect of this shot that alone will not fair the push.

To correct the push get a piece of 2 by 4 lumber and place it parallel to your target. It should be about 2 inches above the ball. Remember that pushing the ball means that on the downswing you are not rotating your body toward the left while swinging the club to the right. If you do that while the 2 by 4 is sitting there you will hear a loud clunk and probably see the board move. Not something you want to see happen with your golf club. Besides that it will sting your hands. But hey, without pain there is no gain.

But if you do it properly you will see that on the downswing your hips will go to the left and so will your arms. This will produce a good shot. But again this is something that must be practiced a lot. If you do practice this swing with this method the shot will be an automatic swing that will be ingrained in your muscles. This is the best way to produce a habit of a good shot without the push.

Just be careful that you do not overcompensate and originate pulling your shots to the left. That shot when you hit the ball to the left and it continues to fly left is of course called a pull.

If you want more tips and news about golf and how to improve your game then go to http://golfswing.withbrian.com.

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Golf Swing for Better Distance

admin — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:33:09 +0000

Right now, this very second, there are golfers all around the world, golfers like you and I, objective regular guys that play a game from time to time just to relax and enjoy the game. That can be much more difficult than it sounds. I used to be one of those thousands of golfers that had the hardest time keeping up with my buddies on the course. I spent hours upon hours at the driving range and couldn’t figure out where I was going wrong.

It’s frustrating when you’re searching the Internet high and low for tips and tricks and you’re practicing and learning new techniques and still just can’t seem to secure it where you want it to be. Yes, at one point I was just like that. I had done everything that I could reach up with. I even tried scrapping my clubs all together and buying new ones in hopes that maybe it was just my tools that were faulty. A majority of golfers that can’t find their problem, find it in the exact place I found mine.

It all starts in the grip. For me, I just needed to adjust slightly for my natural curve on my downswing. For a right handed player, the power hand, or the right hand has a general tendency to curl to the outside as you swing through. This can give you a wicked slice, arch you way too much and drastically take away from your momentum by slacking up your line.

I want to go over a few pointers for fixing your grip issues. There is no reason that anyone should be caught up by something so elementary. Even the slightest issues can give you the largest trouble and the these kind of issues are by far the most frustrating because they’re quite literally lawful under your nose the entire time.

First of all, get your stance and grip the club as you normally would. Take a few slow and full speed practice swings. Observe if the club has much sway in your hand. Your grip should be firm but not to tight. You aren’t going for a kung fu death grip here. It’s a tool, a major part of your game and you should treat it delicately. Give the the club some room to sway in your hand.

You really want to create the full enact of a pendulum and by gripping the club to tightly, you don’t allow for the appropriate recoil. Be careful not to loosen your grip too grand, you’ll have your club swaying every way but the right one. You’ll lose leverage and force if you let go too much. When your grip is too tight, you’ll lose feel for the ball and flex in your wrist as the muscles tighten. The wrists moves too far or not enough, again you have major problems with impact thrust. Not enough flex, and you lose push which kills the steadiness and raw distance. Too much flex and you don’t fetch enough impact power and you lose velocity.

It really becomes a feel thing once you find it. You’ll know the second you have it right. Everything will become one fluid perfect motion. Notice while taking your practice swings, the angle of your club head as you swing through the contact zone. If your club is angled to far away from the ball, you’ll more than likely earn more height than distance. If your club head is leaning too far in, towards the ball, you get a more b-line shot, not much height, but snappily and straight, meaning it will touch down sooner and have to travel farther on the ground. The grass absolutely kills any momentum.

To fix this problem, simply put the club head in position in front of you resting on the ground and grip the club as you normally would. If your instruct is having more lift than you’d like, if you’re right handed, twist your wrist your wrist slightly to the outside and re-grip then position normally. If you’re problem is honest the opposite, then turn your wrist to the other side. Continue practicing and changing it up, soon you’ll find the grip that feels best for you.

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Learn to Golf Like Tiger Woods with These Tips for Amateur Golfers

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:36:48 +0000

As an amateur golfer, you probably have a sparkling amount of bad golfing habits, especially if you were not instructed by a trained professional. You probably adopted these bad habits early and they have persisted with you and have made your golf game poor. Anyone though can break these bad habits and even amateur golfers can learn and master the basics, and kill up playing like Tiger Woods.

The first tip in mastering your golf technique is to improve your aim. This may sound obvious but there are many amateur golf was who simply swing the club and hope that the ball rolls into the hole. Doing this will rarely ever put the ball in the cup simply because direction is everything in golf. The face of the golf club makes contact with the ball and pushes it towards the target, hence you should line up the face of the golf club with the cup and keep your shoulders parallel to the target as well.

Avoiding potential problems is also very important aspect of golf that many amateur players fail to realize which end up affecting their final score. You should always try to tee the ball beside major problems to avoid penalties and to keep the ball in the general playing set. Instead of trying to go for maximum distance and hitting the ball off the fairway, one should instead try to accurately place the ball in a position for a much easier second shot.

Many amateur golfers do not have the satisfactory wrist action to ensure an accurate shot and hence their golf game suffers because of this. The left wrist should be kept flat at all times.

If you want to learn how to play golf like Tiger Woods, you need to properly survey your surroundings. It has been shown that golf balls roll away from hills and as such you should try to keep the ball on level ground at all times. The type of grain that green is composed of these also important since it affects the general movement of the ball. Putting with the grain on the green allows the ball to roll faster and also proceed a greater distance, consequently putting Against the grain would cause the ball to roll at a slower pace and go a shorter distance.

Another very important tip for amateur golfers is to gape your shoulders during your golf swing, they should never lead the swing and very important in determining the direction that the ball with go in. You should ensure that during your stance that the shadow of your head covers the ball, when taking a shot peep to see where the shadow moves to, if it moves that way from the ball you probably have failed to maintain a proper swing centre.

Anyone can learn to be good at golf and even the great Tiger Woods started out somewhere, you too can learn to master the basics of the game and lower your golf score today by following the tips mentioned in this article.

References
1. Free Golf Tips To Improve Your Golf Swing. http://www.learnaboutgolf.com/beginner/swing_tips.html.
2. Golf Tips From Pro’s On The PGA Tour. http://www.golflink.com/tipsvideos/tip.aspx? t=7923

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Five Essential Golf Swing Basics

admin — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 08:42:23 +0000

Golf is one of the most technical sports in terms of player technique. However, it isn’t as complicated as some players make it out to be. In fact, in order to improve your game, all you have to do is learn and implement the basics correctly.

As any experienced golfer will tell you, the key to having the lowest score in golf is to get your golf swing moral. Once you have a decent golf swing, you can hit the ball in whichever direction and for whatever distance you want 8 times out of 10. If you’ve ever marveled at how easily great golfers like Tiger Woods or Vijay Singh get the golf ball to do their bidding, then you should probably know that these players first spent years perfecting their golf swing basics to reach the top of their game.

Here is a brief look at the important golf swing basics:

Golf Swing Basic #1:

The golf swing begins at the time before you are about to tee off. This is where a lot of amateur golfers lose focus and raze up hitting the ball into the pond or woods instead of the fairway. Here, it is important to make a mental map in your head and chart out a specific area where you would like for the golf ball to land and concentrate on hitting it there. Once you do this, you should be able to hit your target without much problem. The key to this is mental focus.

Golf Swing Basic #2:

Next, you need to take care of how well you grip the handle of your golf club. If your grip is too relaxed you are likely to end up slicing the ball and if you grip the club handle too tight, you will probably hook the shot instead of hitting it where you want to. The solution is to find the correct grip level that you are comfortable with before the back-swing. Speaking of which, another important golf swing basic is the back-swing.

Golf Swing Basic #3:

It is a common mistake for rookie golfers to raise the club somewhat casually during the back-swing. If you make this error, it means that you won’t be able to hit the ball very far. This is because, the downswing is where, as you commence to twist your body and energy from your muscles is stored as potential energy, which is then converted into kinetic energy during the downswing and all that energy is transferred to the golf ball at the point of impact. To put it simply, you need to be like a tightly wound up spring in order to generate enough momentum and the best way to achieve that is by executing the back-swing in one motion moving only your arms and not your hands or wrists!

Golf Swing Basic #4:

After the back-swing comes the all important downswing. The secret to getting this honest is to develop sure that you have a collected and late back-swing to begin with and then bring down the head of the club at least 30-35% faster than the hasten of your back-swing.

Golf Swing Basic #5:

One of the most important basics for a good swing is the pivot movement during the back-swing. For right-handers, it is pertinent to get the left shoulder and hips properly into upright alignment while transferring weight slightly to the inside of the right foot. At the same time, it’s equally important to keep this movement as natural as possible without overdoing it.

To conclude, apart from the above-mentioned golf swing basics, the best way to start a day of golf is to step up to the tee with a positive mindset, since a nervous golfer is a dreadful golfer. So just be confident, stick to the basics and you should comfortably find your design around the golf course better than most!

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The First ‘Fore’

admin — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 02:56:48 +0000

How many firsts actually drive that desire to once again capture the initial feelings located with a first act. You may immediately begin thinking about your first kiss from that special someone. You might recall the excitement of your first day at a new job and how in your first hour you already saw yourself making a huge difference with the company and becoming CEO by the end of the week. That unforgettable first car that you got when you turned sixteen also comes to mind. The first solo drive when you got your license. So many firsts come to mind. What about with golf?

I think about my personal love for the game. I remember diligently working during high school and saving money to engage my first set of clubs, Wilson Arrows. I spent hours at the driving range developing that perfect swing. Hours spent on the practice greens learning to navigate the variables of trimmed grasses. And more importantly I recall hearing the distinct sound of the ball dropping in the cup at the bottom of the hole nineteen feet away.

As I began to actually play, my first par and birdie were celebratory milestones. And that of course started with my first double and triple bogies that progressed on to a bogey after much practice. I remember playing golf often with my friends and family. My brother and sister were both on the golf teams in high school. During golf seasons we could be found together after school and work on the local courses playing a round or at driving ranges hitting balls. I remember the first time that I creamed a ball with my driver and flew twenty yards past my father, the seasoned golf veteran of the family. I composed enjoy trips to the local Byron Nelson Classic. In 1997, when Tiger Woods was proving himself as an unstoppable golf force, I had tickets. I awaited golf greats to pass by my friend Jeff and I who sat in a perfectly dismal spot by the green of hole seventeen through out the day Championship Sunday. So many wonderful and special occasions still bring smiles to my face even after many years when recalling golf firsts.

One of my favorite memories is when one of my closest friends Shane decided to play golf for the first time. As we approached the first hole on a busy summer afternoon Shane was asking for pointers. Knowing full well that golf is arduously learned through the practical application of theories and countless hours of practice I told him to simply tee up the ball, swing the club, and hit it as far and straight as he possibly could. I teed off first so Shane could peer and mimic my moves. Selecting my driver, I knocked my ball 300 or so yards straight down the fairway, which wasn’t too bad with a breeze in our faces. All in all, a good shot. Then Shane teed up his ball.

There were two groups of amateur, self-proclaimed golf pros in foursomes behind us waiting their turns to tee-off. They hasty began critiquing Shane’s every movement as they could sense him struggling at the onset with his stance. I was standing even with Shane’s ball facing him to give what little direction I could. Shane stepped forward and backwards a few times. He adjusted his grip on the club. Then stood with his legs a bit too far apart and corrected the awkwardness as best he could. With all of his might, he brought back the driver and swung for the fences.

In a split second as Shane struck the ball and yelled “Fore” there was a thunderous CRASH that sent bystanders ducking for cover. The crowd of momentarily frightened men that flinched at the sound of the deafening BANG, then began to laugh uncontrollably. Directly to the left of the green twenty yards away, was a tool shed and dumpster. To this day I am still not quite sure how the ball took an exact ninety-degree trajectory course and ricocheted repeatedly between the two. Immediately a startled employee flew out of the tool shed nearly falling down as he ran asking what had happened. The small crowd then erupted with a violent laughter as the employee slowed and stood looking around with a puzzled look on his face.

The day was a blast filled with lots of laughter and a small amount of first time frustration. I always enjoy a gigantic game of golf. Especially with wonderful friends. And that is a shared first that I will never forget.

2007 NBA Season Preview – Detroit Pistons

admin — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 20:35:30 +0000

Detroit Pistons
‘06-’07 Record/Standing: 53-29 (.646), Central Division Champs
‘06-’07 Postseason (if applicable): Lost in Eastern Conference Finals (4-2 to Cleveland)
Coach (Record): Flip Saunders, 3^rd season w/Detroit (117-47); 13^th season overall
Key Additions: SG Rodney Stuckey (draft; 1^st round, 15^th overall); G Aaron Afflalo (draft; 1^st round, 27^th overall); SF Jarvis Hayes (FA; Washington)
Key Losses: SG Carlos Delfino (trade; Toronto); PF/C Chris Webber (unsigned as of 10/3)

For the past few seasons, the Detroit Pistons have been the class of the Eastern Conference. While teams like Miami and Cleveland have been perennial contenders as well, it has been Detroit that the rest of the conference looks to and wants to emulate in terms of basketball skills and discipline. However, last season, when everyone expected them to once again be the center of basketball east of the Mississippi River, they were shocked by young LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals. Well, that is just unacceptable for a Pistons team that won the Championship in 2004 and been a fraction of the Eastern Conference finals in each of the past five seasons. A return to that plateau is not only desired, but expected in Motown. That being said, the team decided that only minor changes were needed to a team that was the top seed in the Eastern Conference last year. A few young players, maybe a veteran or two, and this team could be right back on top.

Questions are abound though that Flip Saunders is not getting the type of respect nor attention from the players that stale coach Larry Brown once had. Is that the main reason why the Pistons have fallen short in each of the past three seasons? Can this core of players get back to the playoffs and run the table to the Finals considering the kind of wear and wobble they’ve endured in going to five straight conference finals series? Will Detroit get consistent production from their bench players? Can they keep veterans like Chauncey BiIlups and Rasheed Wallace fresh through the season? Is this the year that the rest of the East really catches up, or do the Pistons further strengthen their grip on the East’s top spot?

Projected Starting Lineup (‘06-’07 Stats)
PG: Chauncey Billups (70 games, 17.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 7.2 apg)
SG: Richard Hamilton (75 games, 19.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.8 apg)
SF: Tayshaun Prince (82 games, 14.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.8 apg)
PF: Rasheed Wallace (75 games, 12.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.7 apg)
C: Nazr Mohammed (51 games, 5.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 0.2 apg)

Backcourt: Few teams can really boast the type of veteran and championship experience that the Pistons have in their backcourt. Chauncey Billups went from being a potential first-round bust into a key roleplayer into the starting point guard of the Detroit Pistons. He’s become an All-Star and MVP candidate while amassing a reputation for big shots. Billups is the best leader for the Pistons because he embodies the philosophy; tough-minded point guard that does whatever it takes for his team to gain. Billups can calmly hit big shots, secure initiate looks for his teammates, and run the offense with alarming proficiency. It was the only place for Billups to play and succeed, which is why you saw him return to Detroit. Meanwhile, when you look up the word ‘flashy’ in the dictionary, Richard Hamilton is there as the complete opposite of that work. Hamilton comes in, does his job, and goes home. The team benefits from his ability to hit the mid-range jumper when few people do it well in the NBA. Hamilton does a great job of playing defense and does not give up a lot of room to players. Between these two guys, it’s nearly 40 points of production per game last year; expect more of the same. Both are NBA All-Star caliber players and should be a astronomical unit for the Pistons.

Veteran Lindsay Hunter is smooth on the roster, but it’s amazing that the Pistons have not really addressed the lack of depth at the guard position. At this point, they are running both Billups and Hamilton ragged. Hunter will factor in, but two rookies look to have important roles for this team during the long season. Both Rodney Stuckey and Aaron Afflalo should win time on the court early to see if either or both of them will be good for the Pistons on the court. Flip Murray is instant offense off the bench as well, but he’s suspect defensively. If he can improve those defensive techniques and stay within the system, the Pistons can benefit from him being on the court.
Grade: A-

Frontcourt: With the expected departure of ragged Chris Webber, the team is left with the unit they began last season with. Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace accomplish up the two forwards on the team. Both of them have wonderful talents and prove to be difficult matchups for teams in the league. Tayshaun Prince may be the longest player in the NBA. When you watch him head down the court, with or without the ball, his strides seem to cover so much distance and get to open spaces quicker. Prince is so smart about the advantages he has on the court; he’ll determine to shoot over smaller defenders and can get completely around bigger guys. He’ll give you good defense, too. What are you going to do when you can’t look anywhere without seeing Prince’s limbs all over the place. Meanwhile, Rasheed Wallace has been good for the Pistons since coming over from Portland. He has proven to be very valuable inside and outside; he is their post-scoring most of the time and can collected stretch out teams from beyond the three-point line. Wallace is almost forgotten on the defensive end, but he gives a lot of effort inside, too. As a post defender, he can body up players and contest most shots on him. You have to wonder whether or not he can stay even-keeled and keep his head in the game. Up front, the void that Ben Wallace left was very apparent last season. Neither Nazr Mohammed nor Chris Webber could do mighty to inspire confidence in their games; Mohammed will get the shot to do it again for this team. He’s not poor, but he does not give great returns on offense and is not as solid as Wallace was defensively.

Their sixth man is Antonio McDyess. Once considered too injury prone to be a factor any longer in the NBA, McDyess has turned into a durable option for the Pistons in the middle. He gives them another low-post scorer. When Rasheed Wallace is not in the game, they lose all consistent offense in the middle unless McDyess is on the floor. He also gives you solid contributions on defense and on the glass. Jason Maxiell decided to return to the Pistons; he’ll be one of the few forwards that had any time on the court last season. He works hard and impressed both head coach Flip Saunders and team president Joe Dumars. Some players that only got very limited action last season (Amir Johnson, Ronald Dupree) will be on the roster, but the rotation in Detroit is notoriously short regardless. A five man rotation up front will more than likely be what the Pistons go with.
Grade: B+

Coach: Flip Saunders took over for Larry Brown and gave them a stronger, more consistent offense. Some, however, might argue that his emphasis on putting points on the board took away the defensive tenacity that won this team a title and has been a staple of the personality in Detroit for over 20 years. Saunders needs a championship; he’s been successful to a degree both in Detroit and previously in Minnesota, but a championship would legitimize his work. Until then, he’s going to have to salvage players to spell his All-Stars; they cannot wear down again in the postseason because there are other teams younger and deeper than the Pistons and they will not derive far without modern stars.
Grade: B

Bold Predictions
Record: 50-32
Team MVP: Chauncey Billups
Overall Grade: B+
Notes: Nothing against the Pistons or their past history, I just really think that the other teams in contention have even the playing field a little better this offseason and that the Pistons have been caught by a few teams. To me, it really looked as though this team is tired after have to play almost 100 games in each of the past five seasons. Their core is still very strong; there was little doubt that Billups would not be back in Detroit to run the team, and the veteran core still measures up as one of the better units. The concern is in depth, where it has been for the past few seasons. This team cannot go far in the playoffs if all their key players are playing more than 40 minutes a game. Guys like Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, and Chauncey Billups need their rest. How much more effective can a quickly aging Antonio McDyess be on some unpleasant legs? Can some of these youngsters step it up and produce? Too many questions here; they will get to the playoffs, but it will be hard to compete, even in their own division.

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Callaway X Fairway Wood Review

admin — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:27:32 +0000

Callaway golf has long been known for its long, forgiving drivers. They started the oversize driver rage in the early 90’s with their original Big Bertha driver and have since seen over 10 new drivers come out since then. Over the years, Callaway has gone from simple hickory shafted wedges to some of the most technologically advanced golf equipment on the planet. Callaway has continued its dominance in the mid to high handicap market with its line of drivers, throw in their irons, wedges, and recent purchase of Top Flite and Odyssey Golf, unique “players” equipment and a big line of Callaway branded golf balls and you have the makings of a monster that will now be in the forefront of golf technology and design for years to come.

The X Fairway Woods are a great upgrade from the Big Bertha and SteelHead III, especially for the average player.

The X Fairway Woods feature a standard size head, but with quite a bit of internal weighting for maximum forgiveness in a fairway wood. They borrowed their VFT Technology from previous designs as well. The VFT Technology stands for Variable Face Thickness, this allows the designers to make the areas of the face much hotter by being able to control the thickness of the entire face, giving the middle of the sweet spot more “pop” at impact while the perimeter of the face is kept a little thicker for added control on off center hits.

Callaway, like in their SteelHead series, incorporate a tungsten weight chip to lower the center of gravity, making it very easy to hit the new X fairway woods off the deck and out of tough lies.

The X fairway woods also features a Consistent Alignment Sole. This feature allows the club to sit perfectly flat on the ground each time it is placed behind the ball. The player will no longer have to difficulty about the club head rocking back and forth, opening or closing, lofting or de-lofting the club head before they swing. They S2H2, Callaways bore through fabricate is also incorporated in the new woods, allowing for a shorter hosel, again giving the designers more weight to move around to the rear and perimeter of the club for more distance.

When I got a chance to hit this club, I was impressed. They took off very high and straight. I tested the 15* with a stiff shaft. The ball flight was surprising given the shallow face. While it took off high, it was very flat once it reached its peak, the ball seamed to hang in the air forever before coming down to earth. I was able to work the ball very easily with this club as well. It features a square club face and went wherever I told it to go! It looks stout at address and the Consistent Alignment Sole really does its job. I only needed to set the club behind the ball, set up my stance and go. No extra fidgeting of the club head was needed to know it was aimed where I wanted it to go.

These fairway woods are still out there folks, and for around $99 on some Internet sites, it is defiantly a solid upgrade for a great price!