Grooved Golf Swing Series - How To Play In The Wind And About Doglegs

When you are walking past greens on holes that are yet to be played, make it a habit to look at the pin position. Is the pin on the left or right? Is it in the centre of the green? Such knowledge can be very helpful when you come to play this hole.

Why?

Well if the pin is situated on the right of the green, you will want to place your ball on the left side of the fairway and if the pin is situated on the left, you will want to place your drive or shot before your approach shot on the right of the fairway, wont you?

What if the hole is a dogleg? You certainly cant see the green from the tee and will probably just blaze away, trying to get your ball on the short grass of the fairway. Anywhere will do, you think. Right?

Well, as stated in a previous article, it is a good idea to place your ball on a particular part of he fairway, or at least try to. Therefore, knowing on which side of the green the pin is situated, you will at least know where your drive should finish allowing you the best approach to the green possible. This means that if the pin is on the left of the green, and the dogleg is to the left, you will not try to get around the dogleg, but will try to get your ball to finish short of it, on the right side of the fairway.

Sure, it is a bit further to the flag, but the angle will be far superior. On the other hand, if the pin is situated on the right side of the green, then you will try to get around the dogleg with a draw, if you can do this, or cut the corner a bit to finish on the left if you can.

All this thinking and action is possible because you had a look at the pin position as you were passing a while ago.

Think like this all the time in other situations, and watch your score tumble.

Now a thought about windy conditions.

How do you feel when the wind is blowing hard? Pretty dreadful isnt it? You feel you will not play well today, and most likely, you will hurry a bit to get it over.

You will hurry your shots and try to fight the wind. Then you may become angry which upsets your equilibrium, results in more adrenaline and your score goes up and up. Not really the way to go. Right?

Well, how else can you play under these conditions?

What the pros do is to become even more careful and pain staking than normal. They recognise wind as a very major challenge with huge difficulty. So they become even more patient than usual and do not let their emotions get the better of them. They do not become angry and the adrenaline does not flow. The better the player, the nearer the top he finishes.

Here by hangs a lesson we can all learn. In the wind, do no hurry, do not become angry or upset, and have great patience. Remember that on the day it is the same for all players. So if you can adapt to the difficult conditions as well as you can, you may be surprised to see how near the front of he field you finish.

Bill Maitland is a thinking, inventive golf guru. He thought out and developed simple techniques and tips which enabled him to lower his handicap from 25 to 18, then from 18 to 15, and finally from 15 to 12. He is a passionate golfer, and delights in helping others with their game should they want his help. To receive a valuable weekly golf tip go to his web site http://www.onlinegolfershandbook.com and subscribe to his free hole In One news Letter. You will be so glad that you did.

Author of On Line Golfers' hand book. An e-book that takes you step by step to being the best golfer that you can possibly be. The basics in great detail. To learn about his tips and simple techniques and order his book, visit his web site

www.onlinegolfershandbook.com

sign up for his free news letter and receive a wealth of great tips every time. He really tries to tell you everything and leaves nothing out as so often happens. When you sign up, receive his free chapter from his book on bunker play.

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9 Easy Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally

So your blood pressure is high, but you dont want to take prescription drugs? Can't say I blame you, with what we've learned about some very popular pharmaceuticals over the last year or so. Well, you're in luck. There are some simple modifications you can incorporate into your lifestyle that can make a big difference when it comes to hypertension, and here are the top 9:

1. Eliminate salt from your diet. This is probably the most important change you can make. The main reason why you will hear people say "I tried cutting back on salt and it didn't do anything for my high blood pressure" is because they forgot about prepared convenience foods. If you start reading labels, you'll find that just about all these items (not just salty foods like chips and crackers) have added sodium. Really, if you want to cut way back on salt, the best way is just to eliminate anything that comes in a box or bag from your diet. Eat natural foods, which will help your health in many ways in addition to lowering your blood pressure.

2. Cut out white sugar. While scientists arent yet sure exactly why, many studies have shown that eating processed sugars elevates blood pressure. Also eliminate high fructose corn syrup, an ubiquitous sweetener that has even more detrimental effects on health than white sugar. If you need a sweet taste, try adding some stevia, an herbal sweetener that comes in powder and liquid form, or xylitol, a low-carb sugar alcohol, to your foods.

3. Get regular aerobic exercise. Anything that gets you moving and your heart rate comfortably elevated has a beneficial effect on hypertension. Your physician may be able to give you an exercise plan that suits your condition and current fitness levels. It's important not to do too much too soon. There are some Eastern forms of exercise, such as yoga and Tai Chi, that seem to have good effects on blood pressure. The emphasis on full, rhymthic breathing integral to these disciplines may be as important as the actual physical movement.

4. Increase the amount of fiber in your diet. This has been shown to have many benefits other than its effects on blood pressure. You can add fiber supplements to your diet, or eat more foods such as whole grains and vegetables, which brings me to the next tip....

5. Eat those veggies. There are myriad other benefits besides the increase in fiber associated with an increased intake of vegetables. These provide important vitamins and minerals, and other more recently discovered substances such as phytonutrients and antioxidants, which all help to keep your body functioning at an optimal level. One valuable nutrient contained in vegetables is potassium, and so our next tip is to....

6. Eat lots of bananas. Everyone knows that bananas are high in potassium, and it turns out that increasing the amount of potassium in our diet is almost as important as reducing one's salt intake with respect to normalizing blood pressure. As a matter of fact, some authorities think it's actually less about the amount of salt and more about increasing the ratio of potassium to sodium. We've mentioned bananas because they're the most popular fruit in the usa and are widely available, but if you want some high potassium alternatives, try dried apricots, figs, avocados, cantaloupe, raisins, carrot juice, prune juice, peanuts, and almonds.

7. Get that folic acid. This nutrient's been found to have a number of health benefits for women, and protecting against high blood pressure now seems to be another one. Harvard Medical School did a study which indicated that women could lower their risk of hypertension anywhere from 18% to 46%, depending on their age, by taking 1 mg (milligram) of folic acid per day.

8. Eat chocolate, but not too much. Some recent studies have indicated that 100 grams per day of dark chocolate can have blood pressure lowering effects. The researchers postulate that a component of dark chocolate known as flavinols is responsible. But remember, only 100 grams (around three or four ounces), and it needs to be dark chocolate. You'll need to read labels, because most chocolate candy these days uses light chocolate. And of course, chocolate always contains sugar. So if you can't stop at 100 grams, or you need to lose weight (100 grams of chocolate is usually around 500 calories) you'd probably be better off not to take that first bite.

9. And finally, dump those diet pills. You know they're no good for you. While losing weight is usually beneficial for blood pressure levels, doing it by speeding up your heartrate is not. Do it by eating the healthy foods mentioned above and you'll have lower blood pressure and a nutritious diet you can continue with for life.

Of course, if you're already taking any medications, do NOT stop them without consulting with your doctor first. He should be willing to work with you as you try natural options. If not, you may need a new doctor. Give these tips a try one at a time. keep the ones that help, and when you're done, you'll have a healthier lifestyle for sure!

Joe Serpico is not a doctor, nor does he play one on TV, but he's been interested in health and fitness for over twenty-five years. Click on over to http://www.thehealthandfitnessguide.com for lots more great info.

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