The LuxMob Info Tags

Tie together both of people’s most popular quests and what you’ll get is something that’s termed a sportsbook wagers location. What could be more inventive? Picture a group of admirers cheering to support a favorite local players, and regularly antes will be pinned down parallel to the tumult. Set to catch more of the exhilaration, bystanders will generally strive to conjecture who will prevail in the upcoming game. Put together, all of this eventually turns into a cute little game termed sportsbook wagers location.

Granted that it admittedly may appear habit forming, but, instead, sports gambling is, in reality, purely an amusement and of teaming up with fellow sports buddies. Here, you’ll be able to risk a a slight amount of moolah and all the same enjoy an extraordinary time. Read on for sundry basic tips to get going sports gambling.

If you want to wager, you will be best advised to call on a sportsbook wagers location, i.e. a place which receives sportsbook wagers location. In the United States, you have no less than four states where everybody can go for sports gambling lawfully, but beyond legal you can attempt it anywhere assuming that you can hunt out a bookie and if happen to be of age. Among the games you can bet your money on are pro and, moreover, college class basketball as well as football, professional baseball, professional hockey, and, moreover, horse and dog racing. Punters can choose to wager on the comprehensive results of a game, on what round a given competitor will be defeated, and even whether a coin toss in a game comes out either heads or tails.

The odds maker establishment put their face in number to assist you guess which players you trust will prevail. There’s the spread, that is to say point lead assigned to a inferior contestor presumed to fail by a given number points. Of Course, this is the betting establishment’s methodology of organizing fifty-fifty antes for a Sportsbook. E. g., you could choose to risk money on a club presumed to fail and and all the same profit from that wager assuming that the contestor is actually beaten by a given number of points.

We can choose between multifarious brands of wagers- straight bets, where all you have to do is to pinpoint the contestor which you guess is the likeliest to win or be defeated, parlays, and many more, the straight bets being the most common in sports gambling.

So why not take a stab at it, and have lots of fun as well? Only determine that you won’t get overwhelmed and drain your complete retirement pension frivolously. For otherwise you’re going to catch yourself bewailing it for life.

Learn to play olympic sports bet now!

“Everest this year became a political pawn,” he said with some frustration.

Indeed, the decision to actualize a long-time personal goal left Andrew Brash with some internal uncertainties, he cited the political actions of China and Nepal as providing the greatest adversity he faced on his journey. Hall was frostbitten and severely disoriented due to altitude sickness. Min Bahadur Sherchan returned a hero to Calgarians. This season French climber Anthony Loeff is reporting the scales for Chomolungma after reaching the peak of earlier this year.

They basically coerced the Nepali government to not allow any climbers past camp two on the Nepali side. They flexed their muscles this year all the in name of the Olympic spirit, but it was hardly spirited at all.”

“The Chinese weren’t allowing anybody on Mount Everest. They ended up commandeering it for themselves, even though Mt Everest is shared by two countries. Bahadur Sherchan and four climbing guides reached the 29,035-foot (8,850-meters) summit of the world’s highest mountain early Sunday, said Ramesh Chretri, an official with Nepal’s ministry of tourism.

As he planned for the climb, Sherchan told reporters he wanted to inspire fellow senior citizens. He also said many Nepalese have established records on Chomolungma or Mount Everest, so it was only fitting that the record for the oldest climber to reach the summit should also belong to a Nepali. The Chinese were flying their airplanes over the Mount Everest and had Chinese officials in Kathmandu. Now that Bahadur Sherchan has successfully scaled the tallest mountain in the world, he is once again ready to focus on his family. His first found him within 243 metres of the peak when his team stopped to help a fellow mountaineer who was left for dead. later, Andrew Brash, a University of Calgary alumni, returned to Mount Everest to finish what he had started.

Bahadur Sherchan returned this week from Nepal after successfully climbing to the summit of Chomolungma or Mount Everest. Man from Nepal, 74, oldest mountaineer to reach the top of Everest With the Chinese preparing for the impending summer Olympic Games, Min Bahadur Sherchan noted that the government’s actions hardly reflected the Olympic spirit. Min Bahadur Sherchan last attempt resulted in the rescue of Lincoln Hall, an Australian climber who was left by his team in the “death zone.”

Sherchan just 20 days away from his 77th birthday beat the age record set last year by 71-year-old Japanese teacher Katsusuke Yanagisawa.

The 75-year-old man from Nepal is now the oldest person to have reached the top of Mt Everest. More than 3291 people have climbed to the summit since it was first conquered in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary, who died in January, and Nepal’s Tenzing Norgay.

Nevertheless, he was all too aware of the potential dangers Chomolungma could bring. Certain parts of the climb are more dangerous than others and it is important for climbers to remain focused

Now that Min Bahadur Sherchan has successfully scaled the tallest mountain in the world, he is once again ready to focus on his family. This season alpinist Anthony Loeff is reporting the scales for the Mount Everest after he reached the peak of Mont Blanc in France earlier this year.

“The Chinese weren’t allowing anybody on the mountain. They ended up commandeering it for themselves, even though the mountain is shared by two countries. Further, he was all too aware of the potential dangers the mountain could bring. Certain parts of the climb are more dangerous than others and it is important for climbers to remain focused They basically coerced the Nepali government to not allow any climbers past camp two on the Nepali side. The 74-year-old man from Nepal is now the oldest person to have reached the top of Mt Everest. Min Bahadur Sherchan and four climbing guides reached the 29,035-foot (8,850-meters) summit of the world’s highest mountain early Sunday, said Ramesh Chretri, an official with Nepal’s ministry of tourism. They flexed their muscles this year all the in name of the Olympic spirit, but it was hardly spirited at all.”

Sherchan just 13 days away from his 77th birthday beat the age record set last year by 71-year-old Japanese teacher Katsusuke Yanagisawa.

With the Chinese preparing for the impending summer Olympic Games, Andrew Brash noted that the government’s actions hardly reflected the Olympic spirit. Bahadur Sherchan last attempt resulted in the rescue of Lincoln Hall, an Australian climber who was left by his team in the “death zone.”

As he planned for the climb, Sherchan told reporters he wanted to inspire fellow senior citizens. He also said many Nepalese have established records on Mount Everest, so it was only fitting that the record for the oldest climber to reach the summit should also belong to a Nepali. His first found him within 239 metres of the peak when his team stopped to help a fellow mountaineer who was left for dead. Three years later, Bahadur Sherchan, a University of Calgary alumni, returned to Everest to finish what he had started.

However, the decision to actualize a long-time personal goal left Andrew Brash with some internal uncertainties, he cited the political actions of China and Nepal as providing the greatest adversity he faced on his journey. More than 3216 people have climbed to the summit since it was first conquered in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary, who died in January, and Nepal’s Tenzing Norgay.

Hall was frostbitten and severely disoriented due to altitude sickness. Min Bahadur Sherchan returned a hero to Calgarians. “Chomolungma or Mount Everest this year became a political pawn,” he said with some frustration.

Bahadur Sherchan returned this week from Nepal after successfully climbing to the summit of Chomolungma. He was reported in good health as he began making his descent. The Chinese were flying their airplanes over the mountain and had Chinese officials in Kathmandu.

Rifling through the pages of the latest Golfsmith, Edwin Watts, or TGW catalog, it’s hard not to dream about walking up to the first tee box and drawing a fancy new driver from your bag. For many golfers, however, the prices of these costly new toys is simply too prohibitive. Take for example the new TaylorMade R5 Dual driver, which not only comes with “dual launch control ports,” but includes a price tag of nearly $600 as well.

There is a more budget-friendly alternative, however. For some, it may seem like the golf world’s equivalent of a shady character peddling imitation watches on the side of the street. However, the world of “knock-off” golf clubs has moved from weekend duffers assembling clubs in their basements to big business. Thanks to retailers who specialize in these clubs, the more politically correct title of “clone clubs” has been adopted as well.

What is a clone club? In short, this is a golf club which (at least aesthetically) closely resembles a similar club from one of the major manufacturers. In many cases, the name of the clone club is similar to that of its hefty priced counterpart. Clone retailers often even go so far as to list the name of the club that the clone version is designed to replicate. Needless to say, the savings are often substantial. Clone drivers, for example, can easily be found priced under $100. Why pay almost $400 Titleist 905 Driver when you can get the clone less than $90?

Before you plan what to do with all your savings from the purchase of clone clubs, it is important to note the differences. On the positive side, most clone retailers offer clubs which come with name brand components. Typically, retailers of clone clubs offer shafts from companies such as True Temper, Grafalloy, and Harrison, the same manufacturers most of the mainstream club makers use. Additionally, grips by manufacturers such as Golf Pride, Winn, and Lamkin are commonplace. The undeniable difference, however, is the most prominent part of the club, the head, as well as the assembly of the club itself.

While mainstream club manufacturers test their products for distance and accuracy using industry-standard techniques, it is virtually impossible to find this data for their clone counterparts. One would have to assume that if clone clubs resembled their mainstream counterparts in performance as much as aesthetics, manufacturers would make these statistics readily available. This looming fact contributes to one of the keys to a solid round of golf- confidence. If a golfer lacks confidence in his equipment, can he be confident in his game?

Another drawback of clone clubs is the lack of trade-in value. When purchasing a new club, or set of clubs, many golfers take advantage of trading in old clubs at their local golf shop. While the money saved by using a trade-in typically is only a fraction of the original cost, this is still substantially more than the trade-in value of a clone club (which would typically be $0).

In the end, the decision to purchase a pricey new club or to opt for a significantly less expensive clone is up to the individual golfer. While the selection of mainstream clubs has grown immensely with the explosion in the sports popularity, so to has the variety of clone clubs. There are many decisions to be made when buying a club, and the legitimized market for clone clubs has only added to the choices.

Robert Hayes is a featured author for http://www.engolfed.com, a web site that includes golf tips, golf articles, and a golf blog.

One of the most common concerns expressed by golfers is “how come I can hit the ball so well on the range but have a difficult time replicating this on the golf course”? When left on their own to try to figure this question out, many people look at their on-course behavior, thinking and playing for the source of the answer. Frequently, the answer lies more in their practice behavior than it does in their playing behavior.

It is necessary to hit a lot of golf balls in order to become proficient at golf. However, in addition to hitting bucket after bucket of practice balls, what is also imperative is that the type of practice that one undertakes approximates as much as possible the actual experience of playing the game. Watching people’s typical practice involves seeing them hitting ball after ball on the range- frequently using the same club and hitting to the same target over and over and over again. This is not real golf. Why then would you practice in this manner? The key is to practice more like you play!

Here are 4 easy ways to make your practice sessions translate to better golf while playing.

1. Change targets frequently. On the golf course, you rarely hit two balls in a row to the same exact target. Practice hitting to a different target with each shot. This has application whether with the full swing, pitching, chipping, or in the bunker. Each shot is thought through and executed as a unique entity- just like on the course.

2. Change clubs frequently. On the golf course, you rarely hit two balls in a row with the same club. If you regularly hit your 7-iron three or four times in a row on the course, your game is in big trouble! However, this is how people practice. Changing clubs regularly- say every second or third shot- is a good way to approximate what it feels like to be on the course.

3. Use your pre-shot routine more frequently. Preparation for each shot on the course and preparation for each shot on the range are generally vastly different for most players. This creates a rhythm that’s different, a thinking process that’s different, and a result that’s different!

4. Putt using one ball. You are not given the luxury of hitting the same putt two or three times on the course. Yet many people drop two or three putts and stroke the same putt over and over to the same target. Practice using just one ball- with a full read- to create an environment that’s similar to the golf course.

It is true that early in the process of learning one’s swing it is sometimes helpful to hit the same club to the same target without a pre-shot. However, once you are ready to go play, make sure that you’re preparing yourself to deal with some of the same sensations that you have on the golf course!

Jeff Troesch, MA, LMHC is an internationally recognized expert in the mental side of golf. As the former Director of Sport Psychology for the David Leadbetter Golf Academies, Jeff has worked with thousands of golfers nationwide and brings a wealth of experience to seasoned golf professionals as well as the recreational golf lover. You may contact Jeff directly through his website, http://www.fitnessforgolf.com.

Scotland has throughout its history been playing Soccer. Historically Scottish soccer players weren’t limited to 11 players per team, whole villages of Scottish soccer devotees used to challenge other villages to a game.

The rules of soccer at that point weren’t very uniform and there was little if any provisions against violence, because of this attempts were made to outlaw the game, with King James I even saying in Parliament, “That na man play at the Fute-ball” (No man shall play football/soccer). Despite the attempts of clerics, sheriffs, mayors and even a King the game was kept alive by Scottish soccer players.

As times changed Soccer became a widely accepted sport again, firstly being played at school and universities. At these institutions the rules for soccer were formalized to something closely resembling today’s game. The game’s popularity then spread beyond the school campuses, and local soccer clubs were formed, soccer became a popular spectator sport with “blue-collar workers”.

With the wide acceptance and popularity of soccer, the World’s first international game was set up, between Scotland and England. The game took place on 30 November 1872. The Scottish side was one of Scotland’s oldest and most established Soccer club, Queens Park. Two thousand people came to the game and saw the last and possibly biggest revolution in the playing of the game. The Scottish team introduced a whole new aspect to the game that day, a team based approach utilizing, passing. Up till then the way the game was played was to “muscle” the ball up the field in Rugby like fashion, after that game the English began adopting a playing style to match the Scottish soccer team, and Soccer in its current form was born.

The Scottish soccer team did not exist that day in the form that we now understand; soccer was played by Universities or Clubs, with no central organization to elect a national team. There was no Scottish team picked from the best players around, but a club to represent the whole country. To cope and control the rising popularity of the game Scotland formed a Football Association three month after the first match between England and Scotland. Wales then followed and formed a FA in 1875, and then Ireland in 1880. England on the other hand had formed their Football Association in 1863. With the formation of a Football Association, Scotland was able to establish leagues, tournament and even a national team.

With forty two different professional teams over two different leagues, it is understandable that Scotland has some of the most dedicated Soccer fans in the world; this also applies to the female fans. Scotland has also always had a strong legion of female soccer lovers and players. Seeming to always be pioneers in the game Scotland and England were also the first two countries to have an international woman’s match. Fifty three thousand people came to watch this event, in which unfortunately the Scottish soccer team lost 22-0.

Soccer is in the hearts of the Scotts, it always was, and always will be part of their heritage. Visit us at Scottish Heirloom Jewelry, to see how we can help you celebrate your heritage and love of soccer.

Scottish Soccer - league winners

1892 Dunbarton
1893 Celtic Glasgow
1894 Celtic Glasgow
1895 Heart of Midlothian
1896 Celtic Glasgow
1897 Heart of Midlothian
1898 Celtic Glasgow
1899 Glasgow Rangers
1900 Glasgow Rangers
1901 Glasgow Rangers
1902 Glasgow Rangers
1903 Hibernian
1904 Third Lanark
1905 Celtic Glasgow
1906 Celtic Glasgow
1907 Celtic Glasgow
1908 Celtic Glasgow
1909 Celtic Glasgow
1910 Celtic Glasgow
1911 Glasgow Rangers
1912 Glasgow Rangers
1913 Celtic Glasgow
1914 Celtic Glasgow
1915 Celtic Glasgow
1916 Celtic Glasgow
1917 Celtic Glasgow
1918 Glasgow Rangers
1919 Celtic Glasgow
1920 Glasgow Rangers
1921 Glasgow Rangers
1922 Celtic Glasgow
1923 Glasgow Rangers
1924 Glasgow Rangers
1925 Glasgow Rangers
1926 Celtic Glasgow
1927 Glasgow Rangers
1928 Glasgow Rangers
1929 Glasgow Rangers
1930 Glasgow Rangers
1931 Glasgow Rangers
1932 Motherwell
1933 Glasgow Rangers
1934 Glasgow Rangers
1935 Glasgow Rangers
1936 Celtic Glasgow
1937 Glasgow Rangers
1938 Celtic Glasgow
1939 Glasgow Rangers

1947 Glasgow Rangers
1948 Hibernian
1949 Glasgow Rangers
1950 Glasgow Rangers
1951 Hibernian Glasgow
1952 Hibernian Glasgow
1953 Glasgow Rangers
1954 Celtic Glasgow
1955 Aberdeen Celtic
1956 Glasgow Rangers
1957 Glasgow Rangers
1958 Heart Of Midlothian

1959 Glasgow Rangers
1960 Heart Of Midlothian
1961 Glasgow Rangers
1962 Dundee
1963 Glasgow Rangers
1964 Glasgow Rangers
1965 Kilmarnock
1966 Celtic Glasgow
1967 Celtic Glasgow
1968 Celtic Glasgow
1969 Celtic Glasgowv

1970 Celtic Glasgow
1971 Celtic Glasgow
1972 Celtic Glasgow
1973 Celtic Glasgow
1974 Celtic Glasgow
1975 Glasgow Rangers
1976 Glasgow Rangers
1977 Celtic Glasgow
1978 Glasgow Rangers
1979 Celtic Glasgow
1980 Aberdeen Celtic
1981 Celtic Glasgow
1982 Celtic Glasgow
1983 Dundee United
1984 Aberdeen Celtic
1985 Aberdeen
1986 Celtic Glasgow
1987 Glasgow Rangers
1988 Celtic Glasgow
1989 Glasgow Rangers
1990 Glasgow Rangers
1991 Glasgow Rangers
1992 Glasgow Rangers
1993 Glasgow Rangers
1994 Glasgow Rangers
1995 Glasgow Rangers
1996 Glasgow Rangers
1997 Glasgow Rangers
1998 Celtic Glasgow
1999 Glasgow Rangers
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2001 Celtic Glasgow
2002 Celtic Glasgow
2003 Glasgow Rangers

The Author, a Scot, is Stuart Noble, the founder and Chief Executive of the Scottish Heirloom Jewelry Company, manufacturing jewelers, specializing in the production of Scottish Family Clan Crest Jewellery.

You can publish this article if the author’s byline is included and all links are hyperlinked.

A family swimming pool can be a great addition to any household A gathering place for friends and family, for relaxation, for exercise, parties and more. Unfortunately many prospective pool owners and even those lucky enough to own a pool are put off by the maintenance involved and confused about how to do it properly.

Pay now or pay later.
Like your automobile and so much else, doing the right things a few minutes each day will make your pool a joy to own, avoid problems and save time and money. Pool care can be reduced to two key elements test and shock. Swimming pools contain water (duh) and water is a very complex substance. It is THE universal solvent, which means most anything likely to come in contact with your pool water will dissolve.

Swimming pool water also needs to maintain certain key characteristics to be attractive and safe for swimming. In many ways keeping a swimming pool in top condition is like hitting a constantly moving target. The water changes almost daily as it absorbs products of the environment and pool owners attempt to maintain a happy medium with chemicals and filtration. Yikes! Fortunately there are ways to put yourself in charge and keep it that way.

TEST-THE FIRST BIG ONE

Given the complex nature of pool water and environmental contaminants the only way to find out about your water is to test regularly. Regularly is a minimum of 4-5 times each week. In the past testing could be tedious and inaccurate due to the type of test kits generally available. For many years the standard test kits were based on liquid reagents added to pool water and a resulting color change indicating the results of the test. Given the inaccuracy of counting reagent drops and the characteristics of the reagents results for the average pool owner were often inaccurate and led to problems.

A giant step forward was made in the late 1980’s with the introduction of the pool water test strip by Environmental Test Systems of Elkhart, Indiana. Called Aquachek, these slim plastic strips had three paper pads that were impregnated with a reagent specific to the testing that is most important to keep a pool in good shape free chlorine, pH and total alkalinity. Dipping the strip into the pool water produced a color change that could be compared to a color chart on the test strip container. If the color was in the correct color range for that test everything was good, if not the test let you know which way to go to correct the problem. Now made by a number of companies since the expiration of the ETS patent test strips have made pool water testing quick, easy and accurate. No excuses! You can test your pool in under a minute.

TESTING FOR WHAT AND WHY?

Let’s introduce the big three: free chlorine, pH and total alkalinity. Many years of research and practical experience has shown that these three components of pool water have the most influence on water quality. If free chlorine, pH and total alkalinity are in the proper range no swimming pool is likely to have problems with water. Let’s discuss each one in some detail.

Free Chlorine-who captured it anyway?

When chlorine is added to pool water in any form, liquid, granular or tablet, it forms hypochlorous acid or free chlorine. Fear not, the concentration is typically well below 10 parts per million. Hypochlorous acid is pretty interesting stuff. It reacts with just about anything organic like all that stuff nature and swimmers put in your pool. Use your imagination and you can believe there is plenty of organic material to work with. When free chlorine reacts with organic junk it “attaches” to it and breaks it up like a fire burning wood. Technically it “oxidizes” the offending material. Burned up by the free chlorine the offending material becomes inoffensive and no problem. The chorine does not escape unscathed however.

Once chlorine attaches itself to and destroys contaminants it is no longer free chlorine but a chloramine. Chloramines are used up and useless for any further clean up work in a pool. They have to be replaced with more free chlorine. It’s clear that knowing the amount of free chlorine in your pool is very important. When you buy a test kit be sure it tests for free chlorine. Liquid test kits using a chemical called DPD and all test strips measure free chlorine.

pH-why capitalize the second letter?

pH is the most important component. pH measures the acidity or alkalinity of water. A low pH is acidic and corrosive, a high pH is alkaline or basic and causes mineral buildup and irritation. Swimming pool water should be kept at a pH of between 7.2 and 7.8. Keep in mind that pH is measured on a logarithmic scale so the difference between a pool water pH of 7.2 and 7.3 is not one-tenth more but 100 times more! The seemingly narrow pH range is not so narrow after all and being “just a bit over or under” is important.

The mysterious Total Alkalinity

Total alkalinity measures the dissolved carbonates in your water. All water has a natural level of these dissolved carbonates and they play an important role in swimming pools. Total alkalinity acts as a buffer to pH. At the proper level alkalinity “locks” pH into a range and keeps it there. Very soft water has low alkalinity and pH tends to bounce around quite a bit. Keeping the alkalinity in the proper range of 80-160 ppm keeps pH in line too.

There it is. Regular testing of your pool water lets you know if the BIG 3, free chlorine, pH and Total Alkalinity are in the proper range so your pool stays clear and inviting. You will also know right away if the water is out of whack and can take action before it goes bad. Testing and adding any necessary chemicals might take as much as fifteen minutes 4-5 times a week. Not too shabby!

SHOCK-THE SECOND BIG ONE

Using your pool is what it’s all about. After using your pool determines how soon you might get to use it again.

Up in the testing section we talked about contaminants from nature and swimmers and how chlorine deals with them. After a long afternoon in the pool your free chlorine is completely exhausted. If you don’t replace it in a hurry …….bad things! Do your own test on your next pool afternoon with family and friends. Once everyone is out and enjoying dinner or perhaps adult beverages stand near the pool. You’ll smell “that chlorine smell” good and strong. What your nose is picking up is the smell of chloramines, used up chlorine! Free chlorine in pool water is virtually odorless. A heavy chlorine smell means you’re low on chlorine not that you have too much.

Adding more chlorine to your floater or feeder is great but it won’t get around the whole pool in time to prevent a potential breakdown. That’s where shocking comes in. We pool types differentiate between shocking and superchlorination. Super chlorination raises the level of free chlorine from the normal 1.5-3 ppm to at least 5 ppm. Shocking raises free chlorine to at least 10ppm. Raising the chlorine level in this way ensures that contaminants are completely burned out or oxidized and that enough free chlorine is available to re-establish the normal level of sanitizer in your pool.

When the pool clears out after use just add 1 lb. of shock for every 10,000 gallons of water your pool holds and call it a day. Calcium hypochlorite is the most popular shock. It does the job and quickly breaks down in sunlight so you can swim again. Sodium dichlor products are gaining popularity as are non-chlorine shocks. If you use a non-chlorine shock remember that by itself it’s not much good. Non-chlorine shock needs some chlorine in the water to work.

QUICK AND EASY

Remember the dynamic duo test and shock. If you do these faithfully your pool will reward the your few minutes each day with great looking, inviting water all season long. And it will cost you less! It’s a win-win baby!

Rob Coxworth is President and CEO of Webfoot Leisure.com, an online retailer of swimming pools, supplies and equipment.

Rob has been in the swimming pool industry since 1985 and involved in water chemistry and chemicals since first joining the swimming pool industry.

The good Dr. has held senior positions in sales, manufacturing consulting and marketing and worked with many major companies in the pool water chemical marketplace. http://www.webfootleisure.com

The golf club of today, is not your Daddy’s golf club! In days past you had your choice of 5-6 major brand names, you did not have a lot of choice about how your clubs were made, how they were fitted, what materials were used, etc.

Wow has that changed! Today the number of major club making manufacturers has exploded, you can buy custom made clubs, you can buy brand name mass produced clubs fitted exactly to your swing, you can buy clones or knockoffs of those mass produced brands, you can buy build it yourself components that will match the specifications and quality of any thing offered by the major manufacturers.

One of the biggest changes has been in “woods”, first they are almost all made of metal or composite material today, why they are still called “woods” is anybody’s guess. Just 20 years ago traditional wood drivers of about 200CC’s volume were still in most golf bags, today’s high performance driver pushes 460CC’s in volume, is made of titanium or a blend of titanium and some exotic composite material, a graphite shaft, adjustable or changeable weight plugs that are purported to influence ball flight patterns and cost upwards of $700.00 for a major brand name. And of course golfers being the ego maniacs that we are have to have the best, most high tech driver in the bag.
Fairway woods (also metal) have not grown as much in size, however there are different face heights, weight plug options, and many shaft and grip choices.

Irons are now oversized, mid-sized, cavity backed cast, forged, milled, offset, sling backed, and this is just part of the verbiage. The array of shafts available is staggering, the range of prices for shafts is amazing. A major brand name full set of irons priced at $1,100 or more is not unusual.

Let’s not overlook putters, the traditional blade putter could be hard to find. Check the names of these putters, SRT 2-Ball Putter, Tri-Ball SRT Putter, Studio Style Putter, 2 Bar Putter, some of the styles available look as if they came from another planet. The site I found these putters on listed 138 brand name putters, ranging in price from $19.99 to $299.00, the vast majority of them were around $130.00.

Send in the clones…along with the explosion of major brand name manufacturers, there has also been an explosion of companies who either manufacture or import “clone” of “knockoff” clubs that have the same or very similar specifications and features of some of the more familiar brand names, some of them even copy the cosmetic features. Many of these clones or knockoff clubs have been challenged in court for patent infringement, some have lost and some have not.
What is the value of these companies? Glad you asked…most of them sell their products at a fraction of the cost of the major brand name products, even if your ego will not let you carry a clone club in your bag, you can still buy one of these clubs that has similar specs and features to the brand name you are considering, this is a relatively inexpensive way to check out what you think may work. Another way to perform the same experiment is to have a custom club maker build you a club that mimics the brand name you are after, or of course you can buy the components and tools and build-it-yourself.

When you are finished with your evaluation you can take out a second on the house, sell the clone or custom club to one of your golf partners and buy that coveted major brand name club. Then go out and take some lessons, because no matter what the advertising or the salesperson promised, that new club will not, by itself, make you hit it like Tiger!

So where are you going to buy your new clubs? As little as 20 years ago the only place to find the major brand names and the expertise to properly fit a club to your swing was a golf course pro shop. Today your choices are almost endless. There are any number of “big Box” golf superstores, with complete on hand stocks of anything you could want, many of which also have websites. There are major web only retailers, mort have some type of fitting chart that will get you close to the ideal club. The Internet has also made it east for a small custom club maker to put his wares on the web, and this is where in many cases you will find the most expertise, just do a search for “custom golf clubmakers”. Then there are the clone and knockoff companies, and some of these products are fantastic values, search for “clone golf clubs”.

Wherever, and whatever you buy…Enjoy your new clubs. And then when you are on the first tee or the driving range and the guy next to you or ahead of you is hitting 300 yard drives with an old wood headed club, you can wonder why.

Jim Newell a Security Professional, salesman and Consultant for over 35 years, writes articles covering many different topics, including home, business and property security, sales and marketing, health and fitness and others. He operates web sites who’s missions are to educate, and bring additional information about these topics. The goal is to help you to make informed and educated decisions about securing your personal property, your home and your business property, live a more healthy lifestyle, and help on the road salespeople better manage their time and resources. Visit http://www.talkingolf101.com for more info.

As beginning runners (or any runners for that matter!), we often tend to stick to the one thing we know: Running.

And at Ordinary Runner (http://www.ordinaryrunner.com/) we certainly believe EVERYONE should be a runner!

However, running does give us quite a pounding on our legs! Our joints and muscles are repeatedly shocked throughout the course of a run… And the more intense the run, the more pounding they take!

Cross training a day or two a week can work wonders!

What is cross training, you ask?

It basically means that you “cross over” for a day into another aerobic exercise area, instead of only running, in order to help prevent injury. (Or to recover after an injury!)

Don’t get me wrong! Running, as we’ve stated before, is NUMERO UNO as far as aerobic exercises go! Nothing gets your heart rate going like a good run!

But running does give you a good pounding!

So lots and lots of runners take a day or two a week and cross train.

For cross training, you want to do another activity that elevates your heart rate, but doesn’t pound you quite as much as running.

This gives your muscles and joints a rest, while keeping your heart going!

Cross training has some great benefits:

1) Gives joints, bones, and muscles a much needed rest, making them fresher for your next run.

2) Still increases your heart rate, so you still get a good aerobic workout even on the days you don’t run.

3) Breaks the routine. (I mean, we love running, but sometimes it’s just nice to do something else!)

So, what kinds of cross training are there?

There’s riding a bike… But cycling can be expensive!

There are treadmills and elliptical machines at the gym… But the gym can be expensive, too, and one of the reasons we are runners is because we like the price!

Water Running

My recommended cross training activity is water running. It does take a one-time investment in an aqua jogger shoes or gloves (around $15-20) or an aqua jogging vest or belt (a $45-55 cost), but after that, you’re good to go!

Just get in the deep water at your nearest pool, and run in the water. (It takes a little getting used to, but it’s really very simple. In no time, you’ll be water running with the best of ‘em!

The health benefit of water running is big!

When you do your water running, your heart rate still gets up there (so you get the aerobic benefit), but your muscles get a rest from the pounding for a day.

So it’s a perfect cross-training activity.

And just by doing water running, you’re helping yourself prevent injury!

And if you’re already injured (Let’s hope not! But occasionally it does happen!), water running is perfect for keeping your aerobic fitness up while your injury heals.

So, take some good advice on running for beginners! For all of you who love running and want to keep doing it for years…

… Water aerobic exercise, in the form of water running, is a great way to cross train and save your legs!

You’ll be saving some of the miles in your legs for another day!

Kely Braswell has been a runner for 27 years. He’s not the fastest… just an Ordinary Runner. But he stays in shape, and he knows a lot about running! Beginning runners can look at http://www.ordinaryrunner.com/, simple advice on running for beginners and mere mortals!

There is no better way to spend an afternoon than by taking on a few friends in a game of pickup basketball or by shooting a round of golf. Who doesn’t love to have time to play a game of pool or to go for a jog? No matter if the sport is being played for fun or for something a little more serious, most people love athletics. There is something about athletics that gets people excited, brings them together for a common cause, and keeps them healthier all at the same time.

Maybe people enjoy athletics so much because there are tons of role models to look to in any sport. An aspiring tennis player can look to collegiate or professional tennis players and be inspired to keep working on their serve. A little boy who loves all kinds of athletics can find a hero in any sport he enjoys. We love athletics because our culture loves and fames athletes. We love to watch athletics live or even on television any chance we get because we just cannot get enough of it.

Few things can bring more excitement to a room full of men than exciting athletics. Many men even love to bet against each other on the outcomes of big games in many sports. Even if they do not have the excitement of playing athletics themselves, people surely get a high off of watching others do athletics well. And that is a great thing about athletics: you do not have to be good at them to enjoy them. Anyone can get just as much enjoyment out of athletics.

There are some people, however, for whom watching athletics on television or even live is not enough. Their love for certain sports pulls them, requires them even, to participate in athletics themselves. They must exert physical and mental energy and try to conquer a sport on their own. They get no bigger thrill than to find success in a local basketball league or in a raquetball competition. Sure, winning is great, but playing and competing is enough for many.

Those who choose to take their love of the game beyond the television set to a local gym or an outdoor court are doing themselves a favor. While enjoying the athletics they love, these people are actually staying in shape and doing great things for their personal health. And perhaps that is the best part about athletics: you can love them, participate in them, and care about the health of your body all at once. If only everyone could love athletics enough to pick up a sport or two themselves.

Athletics has become a favorite subject for author Rachael Cleipher to write about. Check out www.fineathletics.info for more info about athletics.