Time and time again we see today’s golfers out on the driving range trying to better their game. Whether it’s working their short game or driving the long ball, hours upon hours are spent on trying to master proper technique in order to take strokes off their game. What most golfers are unaware of is that the proper technique they are striving for is often hampered by something call muscle imbalance. Muscle imbalances are postural deficiencies that will cause faulty movement patterns, discomfort or even pain during activities such as a golf swing.

Muscle imbalances can be caused by many other factors besides golf, for example sedentary lifestyle, occupation, and injury just to name a few. Repetitive movements such as a golf swing can cause muscles on one side of the body to tighten while the apposing muscles become weak and lengthened. This will often result in the loss of power and accuracy in a golfers swing. For a golfer to achieve his or her true potential, one must correct these imbalances that are hampering their ability to perform proper technique.

Muscle balance can be achieved through a method of exercise called Corrective Exercise. This type of exercise program focus’ on identifying and correcting both tight (short) muscles and lengthened (weak) muscles through a series of strengthening and flexibility exercises. Achieving muscle balance will result in a strong balanced posture and allow the body to perform at an optimal performance level (increased power and accuracy).

When hiring a fitness professional to improve your golf game ask them if they are experienced on the topic of corrective exercise. A complete evaluation should be performed to identify your areas of need.

In Part 2 of this article, I will discuss the common muscle imbalances associated with the game of golf and the exercise techniques needed to correct them.

For additional information please contact (Craig LePage) craig@ncprecisionfitness.com, or log on to http://www.lakenormanfitness.com

Craig LePage, CSCS, NASM-CPT

Craig is a well-known Fitness Professional in the Charlotte, North Carolina area and is the Director of Precision Fitness Mooresville. He has been helping people reach their fitness and wellness goals for more than 10 years. His credentials include a Bachelors of Science Degree from the University of Bridgeport Connecticut, CSCS credentials from the NSCA and a Personal Training Certification from the NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine). Craig has written for Charlotte, NC area Newspapers, authored his own fitness & nutrition program and is a frequent guest on a Charlotte area radio show that focus’ on health and wellness. He is currently co-authoring a golf specific exercise book (Play Better, Longer - Golf) and is also working on a book of his own that should be available sometime next year.

If you are a regular golfer then you know the value of a golf cart in getting around the course. Golf courses are pretty big and if you tire easily you should still be able to play golf and a golf cart is what is going to help you do this. There are some people who enjoy golfing who are simply not able to get around the course, these people have a golf cart to thank for every single game that they win.

If you own your own golf cart then you will have to deal with repairs sooner or later. Just like cars, even the best golf cart is going to need maintenance every once and a while. Where do you plan on getting your golf cart taken care of? And where are you going to get the parts for your golf cart? Your best bet is to learn how to maintain your golf cart yourself. This way you will be able to take care of the problem right away and get back out on the golf course.

If you wish to look after your own golf cart then you will want to find the best place to get your golf cart parts. These parts will have to be specialized to your type of golf cart. Not all golf carts are the same, there are different models and different brands and your parts will need to fit the golf cart that you own. The golf cart parts that you choose should be the highest quality parts. They do not necessarily have to be brand new parts but they should at least be in very good condition.

Ask those that you play golf with who takes care of their golf carts and how much they pay to have this done. Do they do it themselves or do they have a mechanic who takes care of everything concerning the golf cart when it breaks down? Ask the name of any mechanics that they use and ask if they are any good. This can help you to find the golf c art mechanic that is right for you and your golf cart. If they take care of their own golf cart then ask where it is that they get their golf cart parts. This may help you to find a good affordable source for your own. These types of things are not easy to find on your own and references can make a big difference to your search.

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

One of the most popular activities while vacationing in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is golfing. In fact that area has become very well known for it, with some people planning vacations specifically around golf. The Myrtle Beach area consists of over sixty miles of sunny beaches, and is nicknamed the Grand Strand. An easy and affordable way to book a golf trip in this area is by booking it through a package deal.

The lodging in packages covers many different options. There is everything from golf resorts to villas specifically meant for golfers, to hotel suites, to chain hotels, to beachfront condos, to luxury homes. This allows you to travel individually, as a family, with a friend, or within a group. No matter who your traveling companions will be, you will have adequate accommodations, with whichever amenities you are desiring.

Rounds of golf are included with all of the different golf packages you will find for Myrtle Beach. Different packages obviously offer different courses. Just some of the courses offered are P. B. Dyes’ Founders Club at St James, George Cobb’s Bald Head Island Course, Freddy Couples Carolina National, The Eagles Nest, The Meadowlands, Tigers Eye, Thistle, The Witch, Shaftesbury Glen, Arrowhead, Byrd, Maples, Jones, Lion’s Paw, Panther’s Eye, Heather Glen, Glen Dornoch, and The Wild Wing Courses. Given all these choices, you could come back to the area often, and enjoy different courses every time.

The prices of the golf packages in Myrtle Beach vary, with most packages including accommodations for three or four nights, with three or four days of golfing, and in most cases including three different golf courses. The time of year can also vary the price of a package, looking at off-season and in-season golfing for Myrtle Beach. The prices range anywhere from $169 to $605 depending on the package length, location and time.

Golf is just one of the things that can be done in this well-traveled vacation area. There are amusement parks, water parks, shopping, theaters, and other night life, making enough things to do to fill your time when off the green, as well as offering your other traveling companions choices in activities if they don’t choose to golf along with you.

A package deal can be the best way to go for any golfer, serious in his pursuit or just pursuing a casual hobby. With so many different choices, it can be the best option, especially considering you can have all your traveling secured with just one phone call.

For more information about Myrtle Beach Golf and what Myrtle Beach has to offer
please visit our website devoted to golfers looking for the best golf deals.
You can read more on our Myrtle Beach Golf Packages website.

Training with a heart rate monitor is one of the most important things you can do for several reasons. First and foremost, your primary goal should be to train safely. Never begin a training regimen without first getting clearance from your physician. You don’t want to put yourself in a dangerous situation and compromise your health or your life by elevating your heart rate into dangerous levels. Training with a heart rate monitor will help you stay within safe limits.

Second, most people tend to over train. They may think that they need to have the “no pain, no gain” philosophy. This actually impedes your ability to achieve greater gains in your performance. If you consistently over train, you are setting yourself up for injury or at least burnout. If you get injured, then you will have to stop training to allow yourself time to heal and you will end up at square one anyway.

Also, as your heart rate elevates, your body will transition from a primarily aerobic fat-burning mode into a cardiovascular mode and then into an anaerobic mode. Once you are into the anaerobic mode, your body will begin to draw on the energy stores in your muscles (glycogen). Not only are those energy stores limited, but you will also create lactic acid buildup in your muscles (which causes that soreness and burning after a workout).

There are a number of ways to calculate your maximum heart rate. The simplest formula is (220 - your age). For example, if you are 30 years old, your maximum heart rate would be (220 - 30) = 190. You should never exceed your maximum heart rate.

Generally speaking, if you train at a level that is between 55% to 65% of your maximum heart rate, then you will be training in a primarily fat burning aerobic mode. Between 65% and 75%, you’ll be in a primarily cardiovascular mode. Between 75% and 90%, you’ll be in a primarily high-intensity or anaerobic mode.

You’ll probably be surprised to know that you can actually train at a lot lower (easier) level and have incredible gains. It may initially feel weird to train at an easier heart rate level, but here’s what happens. First, you can go a lot longer in your training. Your body will adjust so that your metabolism increases over time. Your body will become very efficient at burning your body’s fat stores, which will enable you to feel like you can go forever. Your cardiovascular system will improve and you will probably have less joint and muscle pain.

Over time, your speed will continue to improve, but your heart rate will stay roughly the same. For example, let’s say you begin to train in a heart rate range of 127-134. When you begin training in this range, you might be just fast-walking or jogging lightly in order to stay in the range. You might be running a 12:00 mile. Over time, though, (a few months, maybe) you’ll find that you work down to a 9:00 mile and still stay within the same heart rate range. Eventually, your performance gains will level out. Once your pace levels out consistently for a month or two, it will be time to alter your workouts to intensify and do some harder intervals and anaerobic sprints for a few months. For example, you might need to train in a range of 134-152. (Again, your actual ranges will vary based on your age, your level of fitness and the advice of your physician).

You’ll find that as you work through the more intense phase of workouts for a few months, your performance will show similar improvement until it eventually flattens out. Once it does, you’ll then need to transition back to the easier aerobic phase. The difference is, you’ll be running at a much faster pace. You might be running a 7:00 mile now at the original heart rate range of 127-134.

If you keep working out using this training methodology, you can eventually run (or bike) very fast for sustained periods of time at a relatively low perceived level of difficulty. Your race times will dramatically improve.

There are a number of heart rate models and brands on the market (see our reviews of heart rate monitors). Most of them have a chest strap that is worn around the torso. The strap has electrodes that contact the skin just below the chest/breast area. The one I use has flexible electrodes and is very comfortable to wear for extended periods. Usually they transmit your heart rate to a wristwatch unit. The watch will display your heart rate and most will provide audible beeps if your heart rate falls outside of a programmed range. Some units will also transmit heart rate data to your computer to use with various software programs.

I use some training software when I train. The software allows me to enter information about myself such as age, gender, fitness level, the amount of time I have to train each week and the type of race I want to train for. It then calculates workouts in blocks of 3 weeks at a time. At the end of each 3 week period, there is a fitness test where I run a very specific distance at a very specific heart rate. This data is plotted over time so that once the software detects that the time to run the specified distance is no longer improving, it then switches the workouts into the anaerobic mode and it includes intervals and higher intensity workouts. The software lets me download the heart rate information from my heart rate monitor after each workout. Each workout is given with a specific heart rate range and a specific time frame. It doesn’t matter how far you run or bike - it only matters how long you do the workout in the heart rate range. For example, it might say to warm up for 15 minutes in a range of 108-127 BPM (beats per minute) and then do 40 minutes in a range of 127-136 BPM and then cool down for 15 minutes in a range of 137 to 80 BPM.

The bottom line is, you really can’t (and shouldn’t) train without a heart rate monitor. The benefits far outweigh the dollar cost of the monitor and you will have a much better training experience and help yourself to avoid injury and safely improve your performance.

Doug Wilson
Triathlon Gear- How to Train with a Heart Rate Monitor

Smokers know up to 10 days lower than nonsmokers and ar More
susceptible to pulmonary emphysema, bronchitis, strokes, spirit
disease and multiple cancers. Merely that’s so and this is
nowadays, and, goes the blemished thought, wherefore worry
approximately the future tense when you’re young and fit.

Because baccy whitethorn is cheating you come out of the muscle
gains you rightfully merit. “The contiguous impression smoke tin
can rich person on your exercising efforts toilet be fair as
black as its hereafter consequences for your wellness,” says
Dred Scott Swartzwelder, Ph.D., a clinical prof of medical
psychology at Duke University and co-author of Pumped: Straight
Facts for Athletes About Drugs, Supplements and Training. You
don’t wealthy person to be a die-hard smoking carriage to limit
your athletic potential.

If you puff occasionally, use chewing , experience in an urban
environment, or find yourself the victim of secondhand hummer
from meter to metre, you’re still susceptible to the following
hazards related to nicotine and cigaret bullet: Continued from
varlet 1.

THE RESULTANT ROLE: “Nicotine substitutes melt off drug
withdrawal symptoms, allowing smokers to focusing on the
psychological aspects of quitting, merely none of them is
intended to be the alone(p) method to aid give up ,” says Angela
Hans Geiger, conductor of strategical initiatives at the
American English Genus Cancer Club. This nicotine-free people
prescription drug antidepressant drug, besides known as
Wellbutrin (or by its generic name, bupropion), has been shown
to lose weight the symptoms of nicotine secession. Take it for 2
or 3 months, beginning close to a week earlier your fall by the
wayside date.

THE SOLUTION: “There is early evidence that combining a nicotine
substitute with bupropion English hawthorn be Thomas More
effective than taking either I alone,” says.

When both methods were used, 58 percentage of smokers were able
to remain grass-unblock for over a month. Any behavioural
guidance or intervention–whether it be individual therapy, a
support group, a telephone hotline, or participating in the
American language Cancer the Crab Guild’s Great Smokeout on Nov.
21–improves your ability to stay green goddess-unfreeze. For
resources in your area, call 800-227-2345.

THE ANSWER: “Medication and therapy privy each double your
chances of successfully quitting the use,” says . “Combining the
II bathroom give birth a cumulative essence, making the
likelihood of thrashing the dependence 4 multiplication greater
than nerve-racking to throw in without any assist.” THE CHOICE:
Supplements Smokers deliver decreased levels of vitamins in
their bloodshed and a higher product of release radicals. Levels
of homocysteine, the amino group back breaker coupled to mettle
disease, too higher in smokers.

THE RESOLUTION: They North Korean won’t assistance you throw in
the towel, just increasing your consumption of the antioxidant
vitamins C, E and Beta-provitamin A commode avail fix harm
through by , piece vitamins [B.U-boat.6], [B.bomber.12] and
folic battery-acid struggle homocysteine. Ashcan School to 10
day-to-day spectacles of water system volition service melt off
tars and other dust expelled from your lungs. Even out if you
weed Sir Thomas More than a ember mill on firing doesn’t mean
value it’s excessively belated to stopover. One time you do,
the:veto personal effects of Menachem Begin to melt about
instantaneously; no substance hanker you’ve been trussed to the
wont.

So any clock time anyone (WORK FORCE’S FITTINGNESS included)
reminds you of hard it crapper be to chuck up the sponge ,
freshen your resoluteness with these position-depart statistics:

* Subsequently 20 proceedings: Your gore press drops to a storey
finale to what it was ahead your shoemaker’s last coffin nail.

* Later Ashcan School hours: Carbon copy monoxide levels in your
lineage capitulation to convention.

* Afterwards 24 hours: Your luck of having a nerve
tone-beginning decreases somewhat.

* Afterward deuce weeks to III months: Your lung office
increases by as practically as 30 per centum.

* Later on ane to baseball club months: Cough, venous sinus
over-crowding, fatigue duty and abruptness of hint reduction;
cilia (bantam filaments that assistant clean and jerk the lungs)
beginning operation usually to slenderize contagion.

* class: Your peril of coronary thrombosis spunk disease is
immediately one-half that of a basketball team old age: Your
danger of shot is dramatically lower berth.

* 10 age: Your risk of exposure of lung-genus Cancer decease is
just about that of a 15 year old: Your risk of infection of pump
disease is peer to that of a life.

Fall is here and the Myrtle Beach golf industry is booming. Heat and humidity are falling as fast as the summer crowds are leaving. With its average temperatures hovering around seventy five degrees, the Grand Strand area is perfect for a golf vacation.

Even with rising golf rates and threats of hurricanes, golfers will flood the fairways and fill rooms left behind by families on summer vacation. With this impending rush of golfers to the Myrtle Beach area, you would think all is well in the local golf industry.

Think again.

The over saturation of golf courses in the Grand Strand is and has been a cause for worry with course owners. Golf courses are not seeing the same high numbers of golfers or profits they have in the past. However, it seems the growing competition amongst Myrtle Beach golf courses is not the main problem behind golf industry woes. It is only a contributing factor.

What is the new competition facing the golf industry in Myrtle Beach?

It is the real estate boom. With sagging sales of tee times, some golf course owners are finding it hard to ignore the real estate developers knocking at their front doors. Developers salivate over many golf course properties but not only because of the Myrtle Beach and nationwide housing boom. They also find the zoning of many courses a perfect fit for development plans.

For example, Belle Terre Golf Course is one of the latest to announce its imminent closure. According to Alan Boldin of the Myrtle Beach Sun News, “The property is zoned RC/HC, which is Highway Commercial and Resort Commercial, which allows resort-related commercial uses, several residential uses including multi-family condos and single-family homes, and low-scale businesses such as offices, restaurants, grocery stores, etc., that might comprise a town center.”

Not only does this zoning allow for multiple uses, it also means that a potential real estate developer possibly does not have to apply to the county for zoning changes.

Think this isn’t a trend?

At least two layouts at Bay Tree are closing. Raccoon Run just closed its doors along with Ocean Isle Beach Golf Club and Calabash Golf Links. Over all the number of Myrtle Beach golf courses has dropped from 117 public golf courses down to 110. There are rumors that up to a dozen more are considering selling to developers.

It is hard to say when this trend will end. But it seems that the Myrtle Beach golf industry has run into formidable opponent. Golfers shouldn’t get too worried. We are sure Myrtle Beach will continue to be the “Golf Mecca” for many years to come.

Copyright 2005 Evans Putman http://www.PerfectGolfVacations.com - All Rights Reserved. Reprints allowed with no changes, omissions, or additions. All links must be left live and in tact.
About the Author

Article courtesy of Evans Putman, owner of http://www.PerfectGolfVacations.com Visit http://www.PerfectGolfVacations.blogspot.com

What kind of materials should you use when constructing a reptile cage? This question was posed to me once by someone wishing to build their own reptile cage. They were particularly asking about pine and cedar as they had heard these were no good. But it did raise the question about what are the best materials.

All-glass, tubs, melamine cages, screen cages, there are many different types of housing systems for herps. Take your pick, depending on the adult size of the animal, how much room you have to spare, and how much money you are willing to spend!

Aquarium tanks: Good choice for keeping snakes under 6 feet, amphibians, turtles, and basically anything requiring a swimming pool or some humidity. If a screen top is used, there will be enough ventilation to keep a sand boa or leopard gecko or any desert animal in it. If higher humidity is needed, the screen top can be partially wrapped with Saran wrap, and the tank can be treated as a tropical garden; put soil in it and plant some plants to raise the humidity! Viewing is unrestricted, the tank can be easily cleaned, it will not get scratched, and temperatures are easier to maintain. They are very cumbersome to move around, especially big ones, or fully-loaded ones. They need to be on a solid table or stand and if you do want to move them, the stand will need solid castors. Many lizards such as water dragons should not be kept in glass tanks, as they do not understand glass and will continuously ram into it. Tanks should not be considered for chameleons; cages are better.

Plastic/Rubbermaid tubs: The feeding trough sizes are great for turtles! You can half-fill them with water, pile rocks in a corner for the basking area, put a lilypad or two in it, and have your own indoor pond complete with turtles! For the more common sizes, the sweater boxes and shoe boxes, any non-aquatic herp can be kept in them. In fact, these are used in breeding racks and in households with too many herps to be able to have the amount of tanks/cages to keep them all in. Not good for arboreals, as they cannot climb. Perfect for use during the quarantine period prior to introducing a new animal to an established collection. These restrict viewing, and are generally limited to hatchling animals. Good to use as an emergency/isolation enclosure.

Melamine cages: Melamine is the stuff many countertops are made of. They resist moisture well, so rotting is usually not a problem. They’re easily cleaned as well. Custom-made enclosures are sometimes made of melanine, and you can build furniture-quality enclosures youself. These can be made to fit a leopard gecko or a fully grown green iguana. With a glass front, these enclosures hold humidity incredibly well.

Wood [plywood] cages: Same as for melamine, except much cheaper and easier to work with. Both enclosures, if ordered from a custom builder, can cost a great deal depending on size and material.

Screen cages/Reptariums: Excellent for anoles, chameleons, light-bodied snakes, and young water dragons. The major disadvanges are that the largest size is only 29″ x 29″ x 72″, humidity is very difficult to keep up, and strong animals could knock them over or even move them. This is a great idea for an easily-transported cage for small animals.

MDF or craftwood: Same as for Melamine but also much cheaper. Good for use in combination cages ie Melamine basse with MDF sides, back etc. It can be painted, has good thermal properties and if used in conjunction with a coating material such as Contact, will hold humidity well. Excellent to work with and has a smooth finish. You can also use thinner sheets as it retains its rigidity. Some people recommend wearing a mask when cutting or routing MDF as it can be dusty.

Pine or Cedar: Niether of these timbers should be used to construct a cage. Making the whole reptile cage from the pine or cedar has potential health problems for the animals. These woods emit aromatic hydrocarbons that can damage the health of the animals and cause various symptoms. There is probably little issue using as the woods in framing, as the wood has often dried out a lot and released much of the volatile material, or at the very least, the rate at which it is released is very slow.

It also is recommended that you do not use pine or cedar as a substrate. Pine and cedar wood shavings used as substrates have a very high surface area and so the hydrocarbons are released much more readily, making them potentially toxic, especially as the animals like to burrow and immerse themselves in their substrate material.

PVC Tubing & Mesh or Plexiglass: These materials make excellent larger cages for animals such as monitors, larger snakes, chameleons and iguanas. They do tend to lose a bit of heat but any large enclosure will require some effort to maintain a higher temperature. Lighting at the top and some at the sides (if needed) will create a sufficient heat gradient. Short of building a large frame with glass and a large door, this is the most economical way to make a larger enclosure if you do not have woodworking tools.

Overall, if you want to construct your own cages for most reptiles, you are probably better off using plywoods, melamine and MDF types of materials for most of the cage. There does not at this stage seem to be any identifiable health issues caused by these materials. Another benefit with these materials is their insulating properties. Glass is not a good material for most reptile cages (except aquatic species) as it loses heat rapidly. Many glass terrariums have an open top with no seal and this also causes a high heat loss. This means the glass cages are more expensive to heat if you use certain types of heat sources.

The front of the cage can be sliding glass, Plexiglass or a constructed glass door. A pine, oak or similar timber frame at the front will give the cage a more professional and decorative appearance.

If you paint your cage, remember to let it dry out for a minimum of 2-3 days to release as much of the volatile material from the paints. 5-7 days would be even better.

It is a good idea to make the base of a wooden reptile cage from melamine and use Silicon to seal around the edges, to prevent moisture penetrating the melamine or plywood sheeting.

There are hints and tips on applying Silicone in the “How to Build Reptile Enclosures” booklet.

A base of vinyl flooring can also be used if you are concerned about water penetration into the timbers. Be sure to seal it with Silicon and seal the holes where temperature probes are passed through.

You can also coat the MDF or plywood interiors of the cage with ‘Contact’, a plastic sheeting with an adhesive backing, in any colours you like, before you assemble the cage. This will remove the need to paint the cage inside, reducing fumes, and also provide a water proof seal for the MDF or plywood.

Contact comes in a range of colours and is very easy to cut and apply.

About the author:

Mark Chapple is the Author of “How to build enclosures for reptiles.” Find out how anyone can build reptile cages. Full color pictures, detailed diagrams and easy to follow, step-by-step instructions. http://www.reptile-cage-plans.com

Shaun Alexander from the Seattle Seahawks tied a NFL single season record for touchdowns (TD) on Saturday, after scoring three times against the NFL Indianapolis Colts. Alexander scored in the first, third and fourth quarters of the game. The mark was established by Priest Holmes from Kansas City Chiefs on September 27th, 2003.

Alexander gained 139 yards on the game played with the Colts and became the 16th player to run for more than 1,800 yards in a season. He now has 1807 yards.

This increased Seattle’s winning run to 11 games and set a franchise record with their 13th win of the NFL season.

NFL Indianapolis Colts played this game without their coach Tony Dungy, who had to leave town to go to Tampa due to his son’s death. The 18 years old was found dead in his apartment in Florida from an apparent suicide.

Without Dungy, Indianapolis lacked their usual focus suffering their second straight defeat after opening the NFL season with 13 consecutive wins.

About the Author:
Julie Smith is one of the most recognized copy writers on Sports and currently writes for www.instantactionsports.com
Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your site, make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.

Race Scanning Tips & Hints

By Scott W. Lowry
Editor, Midwest Speedway Scanning Digest

I’ve been scanning at the race tracks for almost 25 years. Long
before programmable, hand-held scanners, my first scanning set
up consisted of a big old Bearcat 250 mobile scanner duct-taped
to a huge 12 volt lantern battery. The whole setup must have
weighed 10 pounds and I had to lug it around in a big camera
bag! I guarantee I was the only guy in the stands at The
Milwaukee Mile listening to those USAC stock cars go round and
round in 1980! Things have changed a bit since then.

Estimates are that there may be more than 10% of fans at a
typical NASCAR event are “scanner equipped”. Race track scanning
has become so popular, it’s expanded well beyond the NASCAR
super speedways to the dirt tracks, drag strips, and even
Saturday night at the local short tracks. I’ve compiled a
collection of tips and hints to help you gain the maximum
enjoyment from you race scanning experience. If you have any
others to add, please send them along to me so we can share them
with others. Enjoy!

Why bring a scanner to the races? What can I hear?

Once you’ve experienced a race with a scanner, you’ll be hooked
forever. Scanning at the races adds that extra “dimension” or
layer to the experience. You’ll be able to listen to
conversations between the driver, his crew, and the spotters.
You’ll hear the race officials and safety crews. You’ll even be
able to monitor the “behind-the-scenes” action of the TV and
radio broadcast crews. IMPORTANT! One thing you may want to be
aware of regarding listening in to race communications, it’s not
necessarily for children! Emotions can run high during racing
action and quite frequently, the language can get a bit
“colorful” to put it mildly. You may wish to consider this if
you are easily offended by harsh language. What kind of
equipment do I need at the races? The two major elements of a
race scanning setup are the scanner itself as well as a noise-
reducing headset.

First- The scanner. What kind of scanner will you need? It really
depends on your needs or your budget. Almost any hand-held
scanner made will work at the races. They are available with as
few as 10 or as many as 5000 channels! Price wise, expect to
spend anywhere from as little as $75 to over $400. The most
popular frequency ranges are 150 - 174 Megahertz and 450 - 470
Megahertz. There is some, but not much racing activity in the
800 Megahertz band. Popular “racing” scanners are the Uniden
Sportcat 200 and 230, Racing Electronics RE-2000, and the Radio
Shack Pro 99. A couple of features that are really nice to have
are alpha-displays, which allow you to program the driver name
instead of just the frequency, and CTCSS or tone function, which
allows you to program a certain tone code on a channel to help
cut down on interference.

The second thing you’ll need is a good quality, noise reducing
headset. Racing is LOUD! Not only will a headset help protect
your hearing, but it will help you be able to hear your scanner
more clearly. They are available in several styles to suit your
personal preference. You can also get the small, foam, in-ear
type devices similar to what the drivers wear. Some other
accessories you might consider are a “racing” or stub antenna,
which will help reduce local interference, a leg strap to help
keep your scanner secure while watching the race, and a headset
splitter or a “Boostaroo” unit so you can bring a second headset
for your friend to listen in too. Don’t forget extra batteries!
Nothing worse than running out of “juice” halfway through the
race. Where can I buy a race scanning setup? You can buy a
complete setup as close as your local Radio Shack store. Some
specialized vendors who sell race scanning equipment are;

Racing Electronics http://www.racingelectronics.com
Racing Radios http://www.racingradios.com
Race Scan http://www.racescan.com
Frequency Fan Club http://www.racescanners.com

If you’re not sure if you’re ready to buy a setup yet, most of
these vendors offer rentals too. These vendors have trailers
offering equipment at most of the larger races.

OK, I’ve got my scanner and headset, now where do I find the
frequencies?

While you can find some information for free on the Internet,
most of it is outdated, incomplete, or just plain wrong. I
highly recommend purchasing up to date information from one of
the above vendors. It is well worth the few dollars it costs.
They have information on the national series such as NASCAR,
IRL, and Champ Car. Most of the newer scanners are computer
programmable. You can even bring those to the vendor trailer at
the track and get the latest frequencies loaded right into your
radio while you wait.

The new Uniden SC230 scanner comes with the frequencies for
Nextel Cup, Busch Grand National, Craftsman Trucks, Champ Car,
and IRL already programmed into it! For regional series, your
options are more limited. For Midwest fans, we have put together
the Midwest Speedway Scanning Digest. It contains information
for local tracks as well as regional touring series such as
USAR- Hooters Pro Cup, CRA Super Series, and NASCAR Elite -
Midwest. Information on the Midwest Speedway Scanning Digest can
be found at; http://www.racescanning.info

At The Track Tips

1 - Do as much as you can before you leave the house. If you can
get a hold of frequency information before the race, you’ll save
a ton of time by pre-programming your scanner before you get to
the track. Don’t forget extra batteries, paper and pencil to
take notes, and sunscreen. Packing a plastic bag to put your
scanner into in case of a sudden rain shower is a good addition,
too.

2 - Programming tip. One popular trick is to program the
frequencies so the channel number is the same as the car number.
For example, you would program Mark Martin, Car #6 into channel
6 on your scanner. That way during the race, if you want to
quickly switch to a particular car, you can just manually switch
to that channel. With the newer scanners with alpha displays,
it’s much easier to keep track of who’s who.

3 - Don’t try to listen to everything! At a big race, there’s
just way too much stuff going on. Pick the leaders or your
favorites and lock everything else out. It helps to have race
control in your scan list too. At the big races, you can also
listen to the TV and radio broadcast feed (MRN broadcasts on
454.000 Mhz). Some tracks will rebroadcast the track PA on
either a scanner frequency or a low power FM radio station.
These broadcasts will “lock up” your scanner though, since they
broadcast continuously. You will have to lock them out and
switch to them manually if you want to listen in.

4 - Get to the track early. If there is a vendor selling race
frequencies there, this will give you a good chance to check it
out or get your scanner programmed for you. Buy a souvenir
program. They will have the line ups so you’ll know who to
listen for.

5 - Practice and qualifying are a great time to verify
frequencies. Taking notes now will help you during the race.
Listen for the spotters and crew chiefs talking to the drivers.
You may be able to tell “who’s who” when passing or coming in to
the pits.

6 - When the drivers are getting into their cars before the race
is a good time to listen in for radio checks. Pace laps and
caution periods are also the time when radio traffic increases.

7 - If you’re using the search mode on your scanner to try and
find new frequencies, narrow your search to smaller ranges at a
time. The range of 450 to 470 Mhz will cover just about all race
communications. Some racing officials will use frequencies in
the 150 - 174 Mhz range. Even if you have an accurate list
already, you can usually find some new stuff by using the search
feature.

8 - Take good notes!

Using your scanner really adds a new dimension to the ‘racing
experience” and besides that, it’s just plain FUN! As you can
tell, race scanning might seem like a bit of a challenge at
first. The more you do it, the better you’ll get at it. I have
gone to a race with almost no information and, by using these
techniques, have found more than 90% of the field by the time
the race was over.

Happy scanning and see you at the races!

Scott Lowry is editor of the Midwest Speedway Scanning Digest.
He can be reached at scott@racescanning.info or his website at
http://www.racescanning.info

General Putting Tips

Right now you’re probably thinking how you can change your
putting techniques to get ahead in your golf career. Putting is
probably one of the most important techniques, without which you
can’t really expect to march ahead in your golf career. Putting
is also a technique that sets apart a very good golfer from a
pack of ordinary golfers. There are several putting techniques
suggested by golf experts and you can learn these techniques
with a bit consistent practice.

More often the game of golf is a game of “feel”. As kids we were
so successful in throwing stones at the chosen target with such
a stupendous accuracy! Such a fine tuned target was consistently
achieved without even knowing the distance between the target
and the subject. This was probably due to that wonderful
sensation of “feel”, a foolproof event in the subconscious mind.
Golf is no different than your stone throwing experience. When
you feel that you can putt to a long distance, you can actually
do it after some consistent practice. You must also know how
hard to hit your long putts before expecting to achieve a
handful of success.

Here are some of the best known putting tips which will male you
a successful golfer:

Method No.1:

1. Set up a line of about 25 balls. 2. Fix a target distance of
about 40 feet. 3. As a precaution, try looking at your hole,
rather than looking at the ball! 4. Start practicing to hit the
ball at the hole. Keep adjusting the force and speed with which
you try your putt. 5. Develop that feel so that you know how
hard and quick you need to hit at the ball 6. Keep changing the
target and distance to hone up your skills. 7. However this
technique works well indoors only. You may need to practice in
the actual course by adjusting the course length and hole.

Method No.2:

1. Repeat you strokes consistently to achieve that extra edge.
2. Most of the professionals usually do this by a method called
“pre-shot”, allows them to get their body into the same
position, then relax and stroke the putt. 3. Never stop looking
at your hole as well as the ball. 4. To check this follow this
tip- remove your right hand from the handle of the club (left
hander remove the left), hold a golf ball to the bridge of your
nose and drop it slowly. The spot where your ball falls down is
where your eyes are in relationship to the golf ball.

Method No.3: Downhill Putt

1. Stand next to your ball and start practicing as you normally
would do. Learn to make out the perfect length and rhythm of
your stroke. 2. Once you feel the intensity of your shot, set up
over the ball and lower your hands at least three inches down
the hand grip. When the putt is shorter, the lower energy will
be transmitted to the ball. 3. Start practicing again to feel
the intensity of stroke. By now you will be really surprised to
see the softness in your strokes. 4. Short put is always better
than a toe-stroke to soften the blow. When you putt, the face
remains square and putts start on-line. 5. When you putt faster,
your grip will go farther down. 6. As you practice this
technique for many months, you will learn how to putt downhill
with expertise.

Here are some basic techniques which need to be remembered:

1. Right handed golfers must lock in their left hand when
putting. Left handed golfers may lock in their right hand. 2.
Square up your stance when putting. This will allow you to
natural pendulum stroke to parallel to the target line. 3.
Always allow a feeling of relaxation to take over your character.

Author recommendation: http://www.myzww.com for Golfing Tips