You mentioned Ray Rhodes and the impact he had on you. What did you take away from Ray that helped you get here?

After your first interview on Jan. 8, did you start to assemble a potential staff in your mind? (HARBAUGH) "I think that's something you do all the time as a coach. You probably do it as a [general manager], too. You're always putting guys together, and you're always talking to guys: ‘Boy, he would be good in this spot, and he would be good in that spot.' But it wasn't until Ozzie had called Sunday morning – we were coming back from my brother's wedding out in California – that I had to put a list together. So, I put it together on Monday and came back down on Tuesday."

Does John have the autonomy to hire whomever he wants staffing-wise? Is this his staff to put together? (BISCIOTTI) "Coaching staff? Sure. Absolutely."

You mentioned Ray Rhodes and the impact he had on you. What did you take away from Ray that helped you get here? (HARBAUGH) "Ray is a solid, fundamental football coach. He's kind of an old school guy. He cares about toughness. He cares about his players tremendously, has great relationships with his players. I think if there's one thing I'd like to say, I probably would take this from Ray Rhodes: Those guys I've had a chance to coach over the years, in Philadelphia right now, the [Brian] Dawkins, the Quentin Mikells, the Ike Reeses, the Mike Caldwells over the years and so many more – that's what makes you as a coach. That's why you coach. You can't wait to get to work every day and be with those guys and be about football. And that's what Ray Rhodes is all about."

How would you characterize your playing career? (HARBAUGH) "My dad always says, ‘the twilight of a mediocre career.' That probably about sums it up. I was a good, tough, hard-nosed defensive back at Miami of Ohio, worked really hard. I got one letter my senior year. [I'm] proud of that, too, I guarantee you. I'm going to wear that jacket in tomorrow for you (laughing)."

A lot has been made over the last few weeks about an erosion in team discipline. Did you feel that perception was valid? (BISCIOTTI) "I didn't get that overall sense that we lacked discipline. I think that you have a tendency to lose focus when you're losing. It tends to perpetuate bad habits, so, no. I watched these guys come out here everyday and do their work, interact with them on the field and in the cafeteria. No, I don't think that's that big of an issue, and I hope John doesn't come and say that he thinks it is come September. I think that these guys are ready for a change, and I think they're going to be enthusiastic about it. I think that they're going to be dedicated to John's vision. I think John's a good communicator of his vision, and that's why he's here.

"Everybody knows that Ray Lewis is the player and the leader that he is. Everything you know about Ray is true. He's truly one of the greatest leaders that I've ever been around in my life. It's genuine, it's constant, it's so deep-rooted, that he can't possibly be anything but a great influence for the other players. People say, ‘This is Ray's team. It should be, it shouldn't be, whatever.' Leaders rise to the top, and Ray has since the time he was a young man. When you look at people thinking [John] may be too young, he's 45, and Ray's 32, and we've been giving [Lewis] his due as a leader. I think that when John gets the opportunity to sit down with Ray, he's going to thank his lucky stars that he has him. I don't think that anybody that works with Ray is going to give any less of their commitment and attention to John than Ray is. I don't know where Ray is right now. He may be in Jamaica, but I guarantee you that the minute he hears this, he's going to start thinking, ‘How can I help this coach be a great coach?' And that's a nice place to start out on this team."

With all the contacts you have around the League, what did you hear about John that intrigued you? (CASS) "Actually, most of the calls made around the league were made by our football guys because they wanted to talk to coaches, scouts, players and former players. So I really made very few calls. What we heard about John was what you've heard here today and what you can see today, that he has great passion for the game, he's a very effective communicator, a great coach and the players like to play for him. All the great things you've heard about him today, we heard in the phone calls."

4連覇狙うS・ストリッカーはK・スタンレーらと同組に

2012年07月11日12時17分




＜ジョン・ディア・クラシック　事前情報◇10日◇TPCディアラン(7,257ヤード・パー71＞

　イリノイ州にあるTPCディアランを舞台に米国男子ツアー「ジョン・ディア・クラシック」が12日(木)より4日間の日程で開催される。

　この大会はスティーブ・ストリッカーが目下3連覇中。2010年の大会ではトータル26アンダーの大会レコードをたたき出すなど、圧倒的な強さを誇っている。今年一番の注目はもちろんストリッカーがこの大会を4連覇できるか。開幕戦で優勝するなど、今季も強さをみせているだけに可能性は十分だ。

　ストリッカーは予選ラウンドを今季ブレイクした新鋭カイル・スタンリー(米国)、カミロ・ビジェガス(コロンビア)と同組でプレーする。なお、日本勢では今田竜二が出場。今季ここまで不振にあえいでいるが、ここ2試合では予選を通過。復調の兆しをみせているが、今大会では結果を残すことができるか。

笠りつ子、古閑先輩に続いた！目標の大会でツアー2勝目

2012年04月01日17時16分




リーダーズボード
順位 選手名 スコア優勝 笠　りつ子 -3
2 イエ・リーイン -1
一ノ瀬　優希 -1
服部　真夕 -1
茂木　宏美 -1
6 ジョン・ミジョン 0
ヤング・キム 0
8 キム・ソヒ +1
N・キャンベル +1
10 井芹　美保子 +2


順位の続きを見る





元気一杯に勝利のV！（撮影：ＡＬＢＡ）









　静岡県にある葛城ゴルフ倶楽部で開催された「ヤマハレディースオープン葛城」の最終日。強風が吹き荒れる難しいコンディションの中、笠りつ子がこの日4つスコアを伸ばしトータル3アンダーでホールアウト。首位スタートの服部真夕との4打差を逆転し、ツアー2勝目を挙げた。

笠りつ子の今季成績

　どこよりも勝ちたかった大会だ。3月の開幕前にはこの「ヤマハレディースオープン葛城」での優勝に目標を定めコンディションを整えてきた。「古閑先輩が最後に勝った大会だったので、絶対勝ちたいと思っていた」。姉のように慕う古閑美保が、引退前最後の勝利を挙げたこの大会。次のタイトルは誰にも譲りたくなかった。

　その強い気持ちを持って臨んだ最終日は、スタートの1番こそボギーとするもその後は安定したゴルフを展開。6番、9番、10番とバーディを奪い優勝戦線に浮上すると、14番のボギーをものともせず、15番、16番とバーディを獲り返す。そして首位に並んで迎えた、最終ホール。「ボードは見てませんでした」。極限まで集中して打った、3メートルのフックラインがカップに沈んだ瞬間、力強く何度も拳を握り締めた。

　最終組がホールアウトして優勝が決定した後、さっそく「クラフトナビスコ選手権」でリポーターを務めるために渡米している古閑にグリーンサイドから電話で優勝報告。「知ってる知ってる！ あのブレザー着るの美保の次だね！」と祝福を受けた。古閑がいないトーナメントにまだ慣れたわけではないが、1人でも強く成長できていることを報告できたことが何よりも嬉しかった。

　1勝目よりも高い壁があると言われるツアー2勝目。それを成し遂げたことでトッププロへの道を歩き出した笠。「またイチからやるのみです。謙虚な気持ちを忘れず少しでも上を目指していきたい」。着実に進化を続けるツアーの元気娘が頂点を獲る日も近いか。

【最終結果】
優勝：笠りつ子(-3)
2位T：葉莉英（イエ・リーイン）(-1)
2位T：一ノ瀬優希(-1)
2位T：茂木宏美(-1)
2位T：服部真夕(-1)
6位T：ヤング・キム(E)
6位T：全美貞(ジョン・ミジョン)(E)
8位T：キム・ソヒ(+1)
8位T：ニッキー・キャンベル(+1)
10位T：原江里菜(+2)他6名

21位T：横峯さくら(+5)他7名
65位T：斉藤愛璃(+13)他3名

細川和彦は3位でフィニッシュ！「半泣きしました」

2012年08月26日17時12分




リーダーズボード
順位 選手名 スコア優勝 キム・ヒョンソン -18
2 貞方　章男 -17
3 細川　和彦 -15
4 永野　竜太郎 -14
K・バーンズ -14
6 I・J・ジャン -13
7 横尾　要 -12
Ｄ・スメイル -12
J・チョイ -12
キム・ドフン -12


順位の続きを見る





18番でバーディを奪い3位でフィニッシュ（撮影：上山敬太）








【もっと写真を見る（9）】




＜VanaH杯KBCオーガスタ　最終日◇25日◇芥屋ゴルフ倶楽部(7,146ヤード・パー72)＞

　国内男子ツアー「VanaH杯KBCオーガスタ」は4日間の競技を終了。金亨成(キム・ヒョンソン)(韓国)がトータル18アンダーでツアー初優勝、1打差の2位には貞方章男、3打差3位には細川和彦、4打差の4位タイにはカート・バーンズ(オーストラリア)と永野竜太郎が入った。藤田寛之はトータル12アンダー7位タイ、藤本佳則は2つスコアを落としトータル9アンダー22位タイに終わった。

細川和彦の今季成績

　細川はこの日6バーディ・2ボギーの68をマーク。スコアを4つ伸ばしトータル15アンダー3位でフィニッシュ。今季はシード権がなく、昨年のファイナルQTでは37位タイと出場試合が限られている。来週の「フジサンケイクラシック」にはマンデーから臨む予定だったが、5位以内に入ったことで出場権を獲得。「ボードを見ながらのゴルフでしたけど、5位以内に入れてよかった」と胸を撫で下ろした。

　この大会は1995年に初優勝を挙げた思い出深い大会。優勝はならなかったが、目標達成に「いや～半泣きしました(笑)」と笑顔。「この勢いでシード権を取りたいですね」、思い出の地で復活の狼煙を上げた細川。今後の活躍に要注目だ。

貞方章男、1打及ばず2位に「残念です」

2012年08月26日17時16分




リーダーズボード
順位 選手名 スコア優勝 キム・ヒョンソン -18
2 貞方　章男 -17
3 細川　和彦 -15
4 永野　竜太郎 -14
K・バーンズ -14
6 I・J・ジャン -13
7 横尾　要 -12
Ｄ・スメイル -12
J・チョイ -12
キム・ドフン -12


順位の続きを見る





9番、イーグルはならなかったがバーディを奪取（撮影：上山敬太）








＜VanaH杯KBCオーガスタ　最終日◇25日◇芥屋ゴルフ倶楽部(7,146ヤード・パー72)＞

　国内男子ツアー「VanaH杯KBCオーガスタ」の最終日。初優勝をかけ1打差2位からスタートした貞方章男は前半で2つスコアを伸ばすも、首位の金亨成(キム・ヒョンソン)(韓国)が3連続バーディなどで3つスコアを伸ばし2打差でサンデーバックナインへ。

貞方章男の今季成績

　10番でバーディを奪い1打差に迫ると、13番パー5でようやくヒョンソンを捉える。しかし、15番でセカンドショットを奥のカラーとラフの境目にこぼしてしまうと、ここからパーを拾えず一歩後退。そのまま1打差で迎えた最終ホール、「バーディを獲りにいくしかない」と勝負をかけた残り275ヤードのセカンドは力が入り右の林の中へ。3打目のアプローチも枝にあたりグリーンを捉えられず、勝負あり。金に軍配が上がった。

　「目の前に優勝の2文字があったのに残念です」とこの結果に唇を噛んだ貞方。しかし、単独2位に入り賞金ランクは41位に浮上。昨年喪失した賞金シードをぐっと引き寄せた。悲願の初優勝はおあずけとなったが、大きな収穫も得た貞方。「これを機にまた頑張っていこうと思います」この悔しい経験をバネに次のチャンスは必ずその手につかんでみせる。

【最終結果】
優勝：金亨成(キム・ヒョンソン)(-18)
2位：貞方章男(-17)
3位：細川和彦(-15)
4位T：永野竜太郎(-14)
4位T：カート・バーンズ(-14)
6位：I・J・ジャン(-13)
7位T：藤田寛之(-12)他4名

藤本佳則は22位タイで終戦「気持ちよくゴルフができていない状態」

2012年08月26日17時23分




リーダーズボード
順位 選手名 スコア優勝 キム・ヒョンソン -18
2 貞方　章男 -17
3 細川　和彦 -15
4 永野　竜太郎 -14
K・バーンズ -14
6 I・J・ジャン -13
7 横尾　要 -12
Ｄ・スメイル -12
J・チョイ -12
キム・ドフン -12


順位の続きを見る





22位タイに終わった藤本佳則（撮影：上山敬太）







＜VanaH杯KBCオーガスタ　最終日◇25日◇芥屋ゴルフ倶楽部(7,146ヤード・パー72)＞

　国内男子ツアー「VanaH杯KBCオーガスタ」の最終日。4打差5位タイから逆転優勝を狙った藤本佳則は3番パー3、6番パー5のダブルボギーなどでスコアを崩し74と崩れ、トータル9アンダー22位タイで競技を終えた。

藤本佳則の今季成績

　初日からのショットに不安を抱えていた藤本だがこの日も、それは解消されず「風も強かったしグリーンも硬くてコースが違っていました。なかなか打てていなかったので、こういうスコアでもしょうがないですよね」とコメント。「気持ちよくゴルフが出来ていない状態なので、いい感覚を掴めるように調整したいです」、自分のショットを取り戻し来週の「フジサンケイクラシック」では思うようなプレーをすることができるか。

【最終結果】
優勝：金亨成(キム・ヒョンソン)(-18)
2位：貞方章男(-17)
3位：細川和彦(-15)
4位T：永野竜太郎(-14)
4位T：カート・バーンズ(-14)
6位：I・J・ジャン(-13)
7位T：藤田寛之(-12)他4名

22位T：藤本佳則(-9)他8名

賞金ランキング、キム・ヒョンソンが6位に浮上！首位はB・ジョーンズ

2012年08月27日11時51分






賞金ランク6位の金亨成(キム・ヒョンソン)（撮影：上山敬太）






＜国内男子賞金ランキング＞

　国内男子ツアー「VanaH杯KBCオーガスタ」終了時の賞金ランキングが発表され、ツアー初優勝を挙げた金亨成(キム・ヒョンソン)(韓国)が6位に浮上した。

金亨成が嬉しいツアー初優勝「超気持ちいいです」

　首位はブレンダン・ジョーンズ(オーストラリア)がキープ。2位は藤田寛之、石川遼は28位となっている。

【国内男子賞金ランキング】
1位：ブレンダン・ジョーンズ　(73,062,788円)
2位：藤田寛之　(64,626,922円)
3位：イ・キョンフン　(57,455,894円)
4位：藤本佳則　(55,748,514円)
5位：谷口徹　(50,619,391円)
6位：金亨成(キム・ヒョンソン)　(47,549,833円)
7位：武藤俊憲　(36,981,108円)
8位：I・J・ジャン　(35,369,827円)
9位：J・チョイ　(32,247,857円)
10位：谷原秀人　(30,554,761円)
11位：池田勇太　(27,215,590円)

28位：石川遼　(15,289,544円)

5 Great Bits Of Advice For People That Own Swimming Pools

Having your own above ground swimming pool has many benefits for fun and for your health. Getting in the swimming pool on a hot day is a great way to enjoy yourself with your friends or family. Having your own swimming pool also gives you the opportunity to teach your children how to swim. When you have your own swimming pool it requires regular maintenance to ensure its upkeep and pools can also pose a number of safety risks. So here are 5 helpful tips to help anyone who owns a swimming pool.

1. Buy A Solar Cover For Your Pool - Solar swimming pool covers are a great idea as they are designed to heat the pool using heat from the sun. A solar cover will reduce the amount of heat that is lost when the water on the surface evaporates. As ninety percent of the water's heat is lost through the evaporation of surface water a solar cover stops this process and keeps the water warm. One of the great advantages of this is that it also helps to reduce the amount of money you will spend on heating the pool.

2. Put In Some Elbow Grease - Keeping the water topped up with swimming pool chemicals is only part of the cleaning job. It is a good idea to use a brush to sweep any algae or dirt off of the swimming pool liner. You should also get a good vacuum to clean the bottom of the pool. Automatic robot vacuums are perfect for this as you can just leave them to clean the bottom of the pool when you aren't using it. However you will still need to regularly skim any leaves or other debris that have fallen in the water.

3. Rain Or Shine Will Effect Your Pool - Weather conditions can have a dramatic effect on your pool. If you have a lot of rain and wind it will cause the swimming pool chemicals to be used up more quickly. Sunny weather conditions will have similar effects as the heating up of the water will cause the chemicals to react more quickly. One of the best ways of dealing with this problem is to regularly give your pool shock treatments.

4. Get The Right Chemicals For The Job - If you have a pool then you have to have swimming pool chemicals and a home testing kit to make sure you're putting in the right amount of chemicals. Using a testing kit will help to make sure that the swimming pool chemicals like chlorine are strong enough to kill germs with out irritating your eyes and skin.

5. Replace Your Filters - A swimming pool filter is one of the most important pieces of equipment in your swimming pool. The main function is to remove any dirt from the water and this means that they need to be cleaned a lot. If you have a sand filter then you will need to backwash the filter. For those of you with paper filters it is simply a case of washing them with a hose but you will find that you will still need to replace them on a regular basis.

Baseball Tips On Hitting: This Probably Gets My Vote For Number One!

Personally, this makes my top three list of the hundreds of baseball tips on hitting and it's probably number one. That's saying a lot but read exactly why I think it's top three material and I'm quite sure you will agree with me!

The directness of the baseball swing should be right near the top of your list of baseball tips on hitting if you are seriously trying to be a very successful baseball hitter or if you are coaching baseball hitters.

You must swing directly to the baseball and the front elbow should be pointed downward when you start the swing and not toward the pitcher. Many young baseball players were brought up constantly hearing to keep their swing level. This is only partially true. Too many players have heard this too many times and they erroneously level out their swing at the very beginning. This is not the proper baseball hitting concept. Yes, you should strive to have a level swing. But one of the best baseball tips on hitting you will ever hear is that it should level out only at the point of contact!

Not being direct to the ball is a very common problem for the majority of the weak hitters. If the front elbow is pointing toward the pitcher when you start your swing, it will create a slight loop making you a fraction of a second later to the ball. If a fast ball takes about a half second to get to the plate, you simply cannot afford to lose a valuable fraction of a second. A fraction of a second is an eternity when it comes to successful baseball hitting. This fraction of a second can very well be the difference between hitting a "seed" or being late and missing the pitch entirely.

The distance between two points is a straight line and this applies perfectly to the baseball swing. Let's call these two points A and B. When it comes to baseball hitting, you cannot go from to go from point A, where you are "loaded up," to point B, the point where you make contact, unless you do it in a straight line. The only way this is possible is if you have the front elbow pointing downward at the start of the baseball swing. If the front elbow is pointing toward the pitcher at the start of the swing, you are not going from A to B in a straight line and this will present problems.

The palms of the hands should be one up and one down only at the point of contact and not sooner! If you are not being direct to the ball, start now as it is one of the best baseball hitting tips you will ever receive. You will be "short to the ball" and your baseball hitting will improve immediately. Not being short and direct to the baseball is a very common hitting problem, especially with younger players. They feel that a very long swing will encourage hitting the ball harder. Nothing could be further from the truth. As you advance to higher levels of play, the pitchers get smarter and smarter. They will notice immediately if you are not short to the ball and they will exploit this weakness in a heartbeat. You will have a very difficult time, especially with pitchers who have a good, live fast ball. Once again, a fraction of a second is an eternity in baseball.

If you are not doing it already, keep the front elbow pointing downward at the very beginning of your baseball swing and your hitting will improve immediately!

Fantasy Golf For The Off-Season and More

Unless you live in Southern California or elsewhere along America's Sunbelt, there's going to be at least a few months out of the year during which the opportunity to spend a day on the back nine will not be possible. One option while you practice putting indoors as you patiently await the arrival of spring is fantasy golf.

Here at GolfZing however, fantasy golf is more than just an off-season pastime – it's a great way to interact with your fellow golfers online and qualify for great prizes as well! It's not hard to get started – just pick seven players from the PGA lineup and you win money for every player that makes the cut – and the top ten finishers in each event win a day on the green with three friends on us. Our online tools make it easy for you to pick your own fantasy golf league and you won't have to wait until the end of the season to find out of you've won anything.

How GolfZing's Fantasy Golf Works

In order to get started in fantasy golf at GolfZing.com, you'll first have to sign up for membership, if you haven't done so already. Membership at GolfZing.com is free and we do not share your personal information without your permission. After that however, there is no need to sign up for a tournament since our PGA fantasy golf uses your membership info.

Once you've joined our online community, simply use the tools posted on the right side of the page to research players and find out when the tournaments take place (if you've ever played the ponies, you know how this works). Players form their fantasy golf leagues by choosing seven players for the week's tournament and come up with a low score and a low total (in case of a tie).

Once you've picked your fantasy golf league, make sure you're entered by the morning of the event (you can also sign up for a specific fantasy golf game up to 72 hours in advance). You won't have to wait long to find out if you've won since we post results as soon as the scores are tallied.

Planning Ahead

You can plan your PGA fantasy golf schedule a year in advance starting in January and pick your fantasy golf leagues for every event. Since there is at least one tournament in every month (and most of the time there are multiple opportunities to place fantasy golf), you'll have many chances to win – and it costs nothing to enter a fantasy golf league.

So, whether you're doing it to pass the time until the greens dry out or you're looking for a pleasant diversion and the chance to win some great golfing prizes, sign up for a fantasy golf game here on GolfZing's fantasy golf page.

Mental Tips For Winning Golf Tournaments

Winning a golf tournament which matters to you isn't an easy task to set yourself. The very fact that it matters to you means that you become emotionally involved, and so you have to find a way in which to ensure that your emotions are controlled; you need to use your emotions to help you to win instead of allowing them to get in the way of your game.

The fact that you are even anticipating the possibility or potential of winning your tournament indicates that you know that you are good enough to do so. You have probably had pars or birdies on every single hole on the course, if not eagles or a delightful and slightly lucky hole in one. You know that you can play good enough golf to win. You also know that this is equally true of your competitors.

I was chatting to a male golfer the other day about a certain ladies tournament. He passed the comment that "those ladies get anxious" and so "you probably only need a couple of 85's to win". It was a fair observation. Upon closer examination, scores in that region had been enough to win that tournament in previous years. The inference was clearly that the ladies did not and would not play their best golf under the pressures of such an important tournament.

Another different conversation with one previous club champion revealed that she never, ever, competed against the other players; instead she always played the course. I heartily agree with her strategy, although this would not work for everyone. We each have our own individual temperament and emotional motivational strategies. The key is to discover the truth about what works for you. What is sauce for the goose is not always the best sauce for the gander.

When I want to win, I focus upon the things which I can control. I like to know where I stand and not to allow my emotions to be blown about like a leaf in the breeze. If I was competing against others my emotions would be subject to such fluctuations. If I felt I was going head to head against others, as one golfer got a par or a birdie it would affect me. If that person got a double bogie it would affect me.

Instead, by playing the course, I am purely dependent upon me. It is down to me to focus on each and every shot I take, to make wise shot choices and to commit to their execution. In this way I will play my best golf, irrespective of what is happening in everyone else's game. This is my strategy and it works for my temperament and emotional style.

You may be very different to me. You may love competition and thrive when challenged by your opponent's birdies. They may lift your mood and bring out your very best golf. Or, when another golfer hits a bad shot or misses a putt it may trigger off the killer instinct in you and fire you up to win.

Other people don't like to play with opponents who are having a bad day and find that this destroys their rhythm; if this is the case you have to learn to step back and not become emotionally involved or you will not be able to win. We each have our own unique temperament and emotional style; it's up to you to work out what works for you.

The Memoirs of Snooker

Snooker history goes back a long way, in reality to the late 19th century. Among the many British military officers stationed in India, billiards was one of the common night games. It was around 1874 or 1875 in an officers’ mess in Jabalpur that one of many officers decided to add a variation to the traditional billiards game by including coloured balls to the present red and black balls. Thus the game of snooker originated.

Snooker history says that even the name of the game originated from the defence forces. There's a model of this historical past that says that when Sir Neville Chamberlain was playing this new game in the Devonshire regiment he known as his opponent a "snooker" when he failed to pot a ball. The word snooker is definitely used to denote inexperienced army personnel or first 12 months cadets of the army.

The game of snooker grew to become so fashionable that it rapidly grew from its time of inception to the early twentieth century. The first World Snooker Championship was held in 1927. Joe Davis, an expert billiards player, organized the event in a bid to convert snooker from a sport for amateurs to one performed by professionals.

Joe Davis was not solely the primary organizer of the world championship however he additionally received each championship until his retirement in 1946. Through the Nineteen Fifties and the Nineteen Sixties the game grew to become stagnant and generated little interest among the many outside public. Joe Davis tried to reinvent the sport by introducing Snooker Plus in 1969 nevertheless it didn’t have any impact.

1969 additionally noticed a breakthrough for the game when Pot Black, a snooker championship was launched by David Attenborough, one of many top BBC officials. His goal was to advertise color tv and present the world how enticing the game seems when shown on colour. This tournament was a powerful success on BBC2 and in 1978 the world championship was absolutely broadcast on TV.

By this time, the game had really caught on among the many Commonwealth countries. The success path that was established in 1969 continued on and snooker is now ranked among the top watched games on TV throughout the world. The Snooker World Championship is televised throughout the world and there's no dearth of spectators.

Snooker history is fascinating indeed. The extra you examine the finest way the sport has developed by means of the years the more you get into it. Initially a British recreation snooker now enchants players from all round the world. Go through snooker history on-line and you will generate so much interest concerning the sport in you that you'll itch to try your hand at the game. And very quickly you will begin taking part in like a professional and wow others.

Summer And Swimming Go Hand-In-Hand

Swimming is one of the most popular sports after all the sports of the centuries. Regardless of religion, nationality, or demographic location, everyone loves to swim. Swimming is not only fun, but it can also help get our bodies into great shape or help us relax at the end of a hot work day. Some people are lucky to have a private swimming pool in their yard where they can drink a glass of lemonade and read a book with all the privacy in the world. As convenient as it would be to have your own swimming pool, like most people you have to use public swimming pools, but there is a big upside to public pools.

With a private pool you are limited to the amount of people you can meet since you have to invite them over for a swim. At a public pool you have the opportunity to meet new people and have a great time in the sun, which is the best part about the summer months. This summer before you hit the pool make sure you hit a swim shop up for the most important items to make the most of your summer swim time.

Although you can get many of the items you will need at a local drug store, the quality is not worth the price. Sometimes you just buy the equipment and it breaks soon. Sometimes you don't even get to use it that much. Swim shops are stores which specialize in the right swimming tools which are made from top quality and are desirable to be worn during swimming. You wouldn't take your vehicle to a veterinarian would you? Then why would you buy swimming equipment from a store that does not specialize in it?

Many people have been swimming for years without the proper equipment and wonder why they are not having as much fun as other people. The reason is they are missing critical items to make the most of their summer. You should exactly know what gears to choose from the swim shops so that you can enjoy the activity and have merry. For example, if you are into swimming outdoors as exercise, a swim shop representative will know exactly which type of suit will help you accelerate your swimming and give you more of a cardio workout.

Women also like to protect their hair from the chlorine in the water. So swim caps can protect their hair from the water. If a swim cap is not bought at a swim shop, it is almost guaranteed it will tear. If it tears while in the swimming pool, the chlorine will begin to do its damage. Ear plugs are an important swimming gear which is also recommended by medical professionals too. Although it would seem an earplug is just an earplug, swim shops carry earplugs especially designed to keep water out of the ears. Even though summer is meant to be relaxing and an "anything goes" kind of attitude, you want to make sure you hit a swim shop up for all the necessities you will need to make it an easy-going summer.

Bicycle Lights, A Historical View

The earliest bicycle lights were actually the lamps which were run by the fuel called acetylene gas. The same lamps were used in motor cars as well. These lamps were run by the medium calcium of carbide, which is no more in use nowadays, but the cavers do make use of it even now. The light provided by these car lamps, run by acetylene gas, was very bright and thus these lamps proved to be effective bicycle lights. Although these lamps were good at providing a bright bicycle light but they needed continuous maintenance, which made these lamps far from being hassle free. Due to the hassle of these acetylene gas lamps, the battery powered lights were welcomed in 1890’s and were adopted readily by the people, as these new battery powered bicycle lights did not need continuous maintenance and thus helped people in saving their time and effort.

The early battery lamps which were used as bicycle lights were actually run by the led acid battery. Later these lamps used as bicycle lights were replaced by an improved version of the battery. This improved version of battery was the self contained dry cells. These self contained dry cells were more beneficial than the led acid batteries, because they were smaller and were much more reliable. During the same period, a new kind of bicycle lights was developed. These bicycle lights were named as the dynamos. Dynamos are the bicycle lights that make use of the energy, which is created by the movement of the bicycle. Dynamos became popular and much more practical at that period of time, because the storage density of batteries was not too much. Dynamos proved to be much more practicable during that period of time. Not every part of the world had laws regarding the compulsion of having bicycle lights. In UK the cyclists group actually went against the law of bicycles having the rear lights. This was because; they thought that this law will reduce the significance of the motorist’s obligation to stop when they would see a bicycle within a clear distance.

Replaceable cell batteries did not stay much in demand, after the invention of the alkaline batteries which were then used to power the bicycle lights. These alkaline batteries had this great advantage of having much more storage density. At the same time, the molding techniques also started improving and the plastic molding also got refined. This resulted in a better lens optics, which made the use of light output much more efficient than it was before that time. The 1980’s was the period when the lighting market moved towards globalization. Many brands present in different parts of the world gradually disappeared from the scene, and the American, Japanese and German products became popular all over the world.

Many advances have been made in the bicycle light industry recently. The dynamos have become extremely efficient. High output Halogen lamps have also gotten improved storage density, in rechargeable batteries. In addition, more efficient bicycle lights have also emerged through the high output light emitting diodes and high intensity discharge lights.

Boxing martial arts includes Traditional Boxing

A good boxer can blend in speed, endurance, strength, and defense tactics to outfight his opponent. Here's a fast summary of the basics of boxing as a sport.

Boxing is one of the boxing martial arts, where two people fight each other primarily with their fists. English-style boxing is a sport where the combatants are supervised by a referee, and the fight takes place over a series of rounds, with each round lasting for 3 minutes unless there is a knock out. Both boxers wear heavy gloves to protect their hands and also their opponent from getting cuts.

There are two categories of boxing: amateur and professional boxing. The best know amateur boxing takes place as part of the Olympic games and Commonwealth games. Amateur boxers wear head protection gear and the bouts are usually short usually comprising 3 rounds, with each round lasting for 3 minutes for men, while for women there are 4 rounds each lasting for 2 minutes. On the other hand, professional martial-arts boxers don't wear head protection and bouts can be up to 12 rounds.

Rules
There are several rules in boxing. First, if a boxer is knocked down at any round and touches the canvas floor with any part of his or her body apart from the feet, as a result of opponent's punch and not by slipping or pushing; the referee starts to count till the boxer stands up again. If the referee counts to ten then the knocked-down boxer is ruled as knocked out whether still conscious or not, and the other boxer is declared the winner. This win is called a knockout win (KO). A technical knockout win is when the referee or a fight doctor rules that an injured boxer is unable to continue fighting due to injury or is unable to defend him or herself well.

Also boxers aren't supposed to hit below the belt, hold, trip, spit or bite their opponents. Boxers are also not allowed to kick, head butt or hit each other with other parts of the arm other than the knuckles of a closed fist. Holding the ropes for support when punching or holding an opponent while punching is also prohibited. If a boxer violates these rules, he or she may be ruled to have fouled. The referee can issue warnings, deduct points, or even disqualify the offending boxer.

Approach Strategies
Boxers use different strategies when approaching their opponents.

1) As an out-fighter: In this style the boxers master their defense and offense by maintaining a distance between him and his opponent, comes in to hit and backs off again. Most out-fighters tend to win by point decisions and they fight with rapid, long range punches.

2) The swarmer: The fighter tries to stay close to an opponent, unleashing a fury of punishment. Generally, swarmers are very aggressive and ruthless delivering good punches and taking good hits. Most swarmers are have flexible footwork and have a phenomenal speed.

3) Boxer punch: Used by sturdier boxers, they fight at close range combining technique and power, often with ability to knock out their opponents with a single strike. They employ speed and mobility tactics against their opponents wearing out the opponents and then striking a knockout punch.

4) The slugger: A slugger depends on power punches to knock the opponents out. Most sluggers are generally bigger and slower and have good chins. They are not afraid to take in a few hits, but when they throw a punch, it usually leaves overwhelming damage.

Defense Strategies
1) Slip defense is when a boxer slightly rotates his or her body so that an incoming punch passes without harm, next to the head.

2) Blocking is where a boxer uses his or her shoulders, hands or arms to defend himself against opponent's attack.

3) Ducking is a style where the boxer drops down with the back straight in the intention that the thrown punch misses entirely.

4) Bob and weave is a boxing style in which a boxer moves the head sideways and beneath an incoming punch.

The Punches
Boxers also use different punches. The four basic punches include: uppercut, jab, cross, and hook. An uppercut punch is a vertical, rising punch, thrown with the rear hand. From the defending position, the elbow is drawn back with the knuckles pointing forward and the elbow bent. From this position the rear hand is thrown upwards in a rising curve towards the opponent. A jab punch is a quick punch which is thrown with the lead hand from the defense position. The punch throw is usually accompanied by clockwise rotation of the torso and hips, whereas the fist rotates at 90 degrees. A hook punch is a semi circular punch, which is thrown with the lead hand to the side of the opponents head. A cross punch on the other hand, is a powerful, straight punch thrown with the rear hand.

Techniques to Sink Putts from any Distance

How to Golf - Keep the Face of Your Putter Square

Control of the position of your putter head is vital if you want your golf putting skills to be consistently reliable. Before implementing any information regarding special grip techniques or an ability to read the green, you must first be able to control the face of your golf putter.

A golfer’s putting competence is completely
reliant on his or her ability to maintain a club face that is absolutely square with their target line. Even when a golfer has excellent green reading abilities: if the face of their putter is misaligned while taking their stroke, it won’t be of any help. Practicing your putts on a completely flat surface is the best way to determine if you are keeping your putter face square. When you get your golf ball to travel perfectly along the target line then you know that you hit it with a putter that was completely square with the target. Practicing how to golf on a bumpy or sloped surface is not advised as it will be difficult to judge whether it was your golf putting stroke or the ground contours which caused the golf ball to veer off course.

The best way to consistently keep the face of your putter square is to begin practicing your short putts and then gradually increase the distance, and work your way up to hitting the mid-range and longer putts.

How to Golf - Tips for Successful Mid Range Golf Putting

Many golfers find mid range putts the most intimidating, not because they are more difficult than the long or short putt, but because the mid-range putt is often overlooked at practice time. The most important secret behind confident golf putting is practice and preparation! A golfer grows in confidence by building on past successes. Carrying out drills on the green places demands on the player, and sinking a series of mid range putts will greatly increase success rate when playing a round of golf. For example, the compass drill is ideal for giving golf players plenty of practice at sinking mid range putts. Several golf balls are required for this drill; place four lines of balls on the green that correspond with the four points on a compass, with each golf ball lying between seven to fifteen feet from the cup. By sinking each of these balls in succession from the different positions around the cup gives players the opportunity to work on both their golf putting distance control and green reading ability for mid range putts.

How to Golf - Controlling the Distance When Golf Putting

Distance control a very difficult golf putting skill to master. Remember, the number one tip when trying to master this skill; the distance is controlled by stroke length. Don’t try to shorten the distance that your golf ball will travel by slowing down your putting motion; a shorter backswing results in a shorter shot.

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Improve Your Golf Swing

Improve Your Golf Swing - Alignment When learning how to golf many golfers have a problem with their golf swing. The best tip for improving your golf swing is to check that your body mechanics are correct; your position and posture must be properly aligned with the target line. You stance must be relaxed, your arms comfortable and not reaching down towards the ball. Your entire body must be parallel to the target line; this includes your feet, knees, and shoulders. Any slight shoulder misalignment will affect your golf swing, causing your ball to veer off course. Keep your eyes and head down throughout your golf swing and follow through.

Improve Your Golf Swing – Grip A good, solid golf swing begins with a good golf grip where the clubface is square to the ball at the point of impact. How you hold, or grip, your club influences the flight and direction of the ball. Look at the way you hold your club and experiment with each type of grip such as the overlapping grip, interlocking grip, or baseball grip, and work out what is the best one for you.

Improve Your Golf Swing - Weight Distribution Finding your balance and the correct weight distribution in your feet is other essential factors to take into consideration when discussing the need to improve golf swing. If most of your weight is on your toes you will be reaching for the ball and your stance will be too far away from the golf ball, resulting in an unstable swing. If your weight is primarily on your heels you will be too close to the golf ball and lack the flexibility and stability needed for producing a quality golf swing. You should aim for an even weight distribution on the balls of both your feet. Adjustments will need to be made, depending upon which golf club will be used; short irons require about sixty percent of your body weight be placed on your front foot, while a middle iron your requires weight be evenly distributed on the balls of your feet. When standing on a tee box about sixty percent of your weight should be on the back foot.

Improve Your Golf Swing - The Shape of a Golf Swing Perfecting your golf swing takes practice; a good golf swing is a circular motion that travels around the torso of your body. The golf swing starts with the backswing which must be slow and controlled; a fast backswing does not result in the ball going further. A good follow through, with your hips turned and facing the target, will improve the impact when you strike the ball.

Download an iPhone or iPad app for a comprehensive guide on how to golf; with step-by-step information on all aspects of the game, including golf swings, golf chipping, golf putting and golf rules. Quickly learn tips and tricks to get a single figure handicap!

How You Can Renovate Tennis Court Lighting

Tennis is a game loved by many people and public tennis courts are available for people with racquets and balls. However, a court can be added to a homeowner's backyard and this is dependent on the budget of the owner. The importance of lighting in a tennis play-area cannot be overemphasized as games can last till late in the evening. Some people also love to play some games very early in the morning before going to work and the sun may not be out at this time. Lighting a court or renovating existing lights should not be a cause for worry as the following tips will guide you.

The fixtures of your existing lighting should be examined while dark spots on the court should be checked. It is also important to check for glare and how the ball is well lit when moving from one part of the play-area to another. You should endeavor to play after the sun has gone down so that you will be able to see how the light affects your games. Special note should be taken when some lighting fixtures cause a blinding when you want to serve or return a lob.

Moreover, you should draw the existing light fixtures and circle any spots on the court where you discover that there are problems. A new lighting scheme should then be designed for the court and majority of residential courts make use of low-mast lighting which gives a steady light across the whole court, reduces glare and stops light from reaching too far beyond the court. It is important to make use of forward throw light fixtures and bulbs that will spread an even light and reduce glare. You should ensure that your new design is able to project the light about 7 feet beyond the outside lines of the court.

The new fixtures should then be installed or old fixtures updated to accept high-density bulbs. High-density bulbs give more uniform light and are more durable. Majority of tennis courts make use of forward throw lighting, which lessens glare. The new lighting scheme should be tested to discover if the problem with the old scheme has been solved. If not, you should take note of problem areas so that you will be able to proffer solution to them. Your tennis court needs proper lighting so that you will be able to enjoy your games at all times.

Cool Christmas Party Ideas For Your Business

The yuletide season is approaching really fast. Individuals can feel the cold breeze and the long nights that come with the winter season. In addition, individuals have also taken out their huge and comfy jackets and have stacked them into their cabinets to provide them warmth during the cold months. As individuals walk down the streets, they may also start to notice the dazzling lights and decorations as small businesses and establishments prepare for Christmas.

Other than establishments with beautiful decorations, business owners also plan a wonderful Christmas party for their employees to give them a chance to sit back and relax and enjoy the spirit of the holiday season. However, there are times when some employees and other colleagues do not attend Christmas parties since each year, they are stuck with the same food and event.

With this in mind, business owners look for cool Christmas party ideas in order to provide their employees and affiliates a party they will never forget. Listed below are some ideas that business owners may choose to make their parties more memorable and exciting.

Indoor games - Just like kids, adults can also have fun with indoor games that are aimed to help them improve their communication skills and camaraderie. For instance, playing a photography game where employees are grouped to captures several items listed can help them enjoy their night. Another game that employees can enjoy is a guessing game where they need to guess the name of a person written on a paper.

Team activities - To increase the camaraderie in your business, you can opt for unique activities such as a cooking contest, circus workshop or even art-making. With these activities, employees can increase their cooperation and skills which are needed in order to accomplish tasks and win the game.

Outdoor adventure - Most of the time, business owners only plan for an indoor party. To make your parties more special and more exciting, why not plan your party outdoors. Business owners can create an adventurous game like the Amazing Race where employees will travel in and around the city to find clues. This activity is also exciting since your employees can visit wonderful places. Additionally, for a more heart-pumping adventure, you can also create a mini-Olympics.

With these cool Christmas party ideas, business owners as well as employees can enjoy their parties and help them strengthen their relationship and communication with other employees which can improve the performance of your business. Click here.


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Airsoft Guns Ancestry

It is common knowledge that the Japanese antigun laws of the 1970's and the peoples urge to own and shoot guns was the beginning of the airsoft guns and games of today. I have read that the laws Japan had passed laws prohibited citizens owning any fire arms except a shotgun. The restrictions for ownership and storage of a shotgun and the storage and purchase of the ammunition prevented the vast majority of the citizens to own a shotgun. If you do not have a firearm license it was illegal to even hold a gun. Japan has some of strenuous gun laws and gun control in the World. A BB gun requires a license if it exceeds a prescribed velocity.

Most civilians in Japan have never seen a real fire arm of any kind. The true gun enthusiasts are left with only airsoft replicas for their gun collections.

These reading have also revealed that Daisy, in the United States, was selling some spring operated low pressure BB type Guns which fired soft projectiles before the Japanese manufacturers developed their first guns. The early airsoft guns used spring power to create the air pressure required to propel the plastic BB. Spring guns have been joined by gases and batteries as power for airsoft guns.

For the people in the countries were fire arms are prohibited or seriously restricted, airsoft guns provided a way to own, hold and shoot a gun. The true gun enthusiasts want firearm replicas that fire a projectile. After being used originally for target shooting these replicas were used in games that developed into a sport. In all of Asia where guns were prohibited these guns and their recreational games was a great success, it grew rapidly in popularity. The first countries to accept and enjoy this new sport were Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines. It wasn't until 1990's that the sport made its way into Europe and later to North American.

In the early years of 2000 a large increase in the number of manufacturers producing Automatic Electric Guns (AEG's) pushed this type gun to the top in sales. Manufacturers of AEG's were joined China and Taiwan. This opened a market of some very high quality replicas. The automatic feature of the AEG allowed the economical manufacture and operation of many automatic firearm replicas. The gas guns allowed for automatic replicas but not economically as AEG and cost to operate prohibited automatic gas rifles. The spring guns must be manually cocked between each shot so they cannot be automated.

We have some very realistic airsoft guns, realistic in appearance, weight, markings, logos and some have the mechanical movement (blow back) of the firearm it represents. To place the proper logo on an airsoft gun the manufacturer must obtain a license from the firearm manufacturer. This logo license adds cost to the gun. Manufacturers for the most part, will sale to various distributors, who will place their own brand names on these guns prior to distribution. This increase in sales keeps the cost of manufacturing and licensing lower and the guns more affordable.

The manufacturer of airsoft guns is almost worldwide, some are in the United States and Europe but the vast majority is made in Asia. Japan, China, Taiwan, South Korea and the Philippines are the countries that manufacturer that vast majority.

I think the mentality of "if it looks like a firearm it is a fire arm" is justified if the user presents it as such. In the United States, we have laws that require airsoft guns to have an orange tip at the end of the barrel at the time of sale. This tip is not easily removed; the states have different laws that govern their removal. At the risk of being mistaken for the real firearm it is considered dangerous to remove this tip. Police have and will continue to protect themselves and others from an airsoft gun mistaken for a firearm. It is also considered wise to be discrete in the transportation of airsoft guns as some states and cities have their own laws restricting and prohibiting airsoft guns.

War games, cops and robbers and other games have been played forever with toy weapons. Airsoft Guns have modernized these games. I wonder what toy 'weapons" of the future will be.