The Tax Cheapo

Some golf beginners think that all they have to do is copy Ernie Els, Tiger Woods or whoever their favorite golfer might be and bam, immediate golf success!

I am sorry to say, it is just not that easy. If it were then everybody would be a lot better. This, as we see every time out on the course is not so much the case.

In reality, no two people ever really swing the same way. Since each of us has a unique body build, some more unique than others, we need to develop our own individual set of muscles. A golf swing method used by one golfer who has a different build and has developed his or her set of golf muscles, is probably not of much value to you. Golf is an individual sport. So, find a method of playing that produces results for you, and then go with it. You will enjoy your time out on the links much more.

While it is often a waste of time to try and copy someone else, coaching by a pro can help you find your swing by getting suggestions and tips on how to improve. Just make sure you hire someone who will work with what feels comfortable for you and your natural swing.

If you hire a pro, make sure he is a superior player. You also want someone that is not going to just stand there and watch you swing. You want a pro that will actually show you how to get out of the sand and some less obvious shots you may come across in a round of golf. Make sure you are getting your money’s worth!

When you’re ready to play golf, and you’re faced with a shot, just make your decision on how you’re going to do things and stick with it. If you have a bad day of golf, don’t be inclined to change what you are doing. If you start changing things every time you have a bad game you will never get any better. But don’t be so hardheaded that you never try anything new either. We are looking for a middle ground. If after a few rounds something just isn’t working for you, then you need to change it. Just that. Keep the good and toss out the bad. Something about a baby and bathwater comes to mind. Certain techniques are fundamental to the game and you should try to follow them. But don’t get too bogged down in these. It is almost impossible to make a good shot, when the whole time you are thinking of seven or eight things you need to be doing. When you are playing just play and when you are practicing then you can think about things like your grip, where your feet are, where the ball is, to keep your eye on the ball, to follow through, keep your head straight, etc. Hopefully the things practiced will just become natural for you when you get out on the course. This is the goal anyway.

Take your time and develop your own golf swing, one that works for you. When you’re playing at the top of your game, give those trying to imitate you the advice above!

Golf flexibility is a common term among senior golfers. Most senior golfers know they have a declining level of golf flexibility and distance. But why then do most of them not participate in a golf flexibility program?

If you are in this group of golfers, do you walk off the course frustrated with your performance? Are you dissatisfied with your driving distance? Do you seem to have a hard time repeating a good swing for 18 holes?

The answer is right in front of you!

It is a known fact to hit the ball maximum yardage you need a certain level of golf flexibility that will generate clubhead speed and power at impact. This level is such that a golfer can rotate approximately 90 degrees with his upper body, and only 45 degrees with his lower body creating the “x-factor” for top level distances.

It is impossible to do this at a certain age unless you maintain a consistent golf flexibility routine in your daily activities. Muscles that are not used (and/or stretched) lose elasticity and the ability to produce power.

Along with this loss of elasticity is a rapid decline in strength. The results are subpar performances and a lower level of enjoyment of the game. This is why we see so many golfers quitting the game.

Golf flexibility doesn’t have to be a complicated issue. You don’t need fancy, expensive equipment to do an effective routine that will produce the results you want. But you do have to be aware of your specific limitations and what areas you should focus on to maximum your time investment.

Doing a golf fitness evaluation to determine your weak areas is crucial. You’ve got to have some idea of what is keeping you from a better game. Once you determine your personal limitations, you can do some simple golf flexibility exercises to greatly improve this situation.

It’s amazing to see how quickly the senior golfer can see improvement. I’ve seen some dramatic numbers with the golfers of my membership site and customers of my dvds and manual. The emails I receive are so motivating; I ask permission to insert them on my websites as success stories.

The human body is a machine! Treat it nicely and it will do what you want. Mistreat it and the result is ugly. The “use-it-or-lose-it” phrase is a good one. That is exactly how the body responds. With stimulus (exercise) the body responds positively. Without it the decline is rapid.

If you’re a senior golfer, participate regularly in a program of golf flexibility.

I have been to numerous French alpine skiing hang outs for example La Grave, Chastreix-Sancy, Tignes-les-Brevieres and Avoriaz, however all told through all our ski holidays Chamonix Mont Blanc has to be our most loved French alpine resort to go for skiing holidays France.

The provenance of European alpine history and dwelling to the moving Monte Bianco – at 4807m Europe’s highest summit – Chamonix France boasts a superior snow track record, a elongated ski season (November-May), matchless off-piste skiing, and sights to die for. So Chamonix Mont Blanc France has an global renown for some of the most outstanding, thought provoking, and exhilarating snowboarding on hand anyplace in the globe.

Chamonix Mont Blanc is extensive in addition to being befuddling, and that’s before one even count the adjacent ski towns; for example La Clusaz, Les Gets, Les Menuires, Tignes and Chamonix.

The Mont Blanc Unlimited skiing lift pass covers 8 nearby, and 14 territorial ski areas; with skiing as high as 3843m.3844m, upwards of 240 button lifts, and 770 km of skiing runs – with the bulk of the ski domains preceding 2050 metres. It provides for each level from novices right through to experts. Click on our skiing fields page for an in depth look at each of the popular mountains: Flaine, Samoens, Brevent, Grand Massif, Le Tour and Les Deux Alpes.

Let’s face it, you can pull those slot levers only too long before you start getting a sore arm. And as hypnotic as Cirque de Soleil may be, there is going to come a time when you just need to get away from the glitz and glamour and expend some sweat. So, what are the best sports spots in Vegas?

If your idea of a sport concludes with the disappearance of a dimpled spherical object into a buried canister then pack your clubs and head straight for the Angel Park Golf Club on Rampart Blvd. With not one but two 18 hole courses, a short course and a top notch putting facility, it’s no wonder that Angel Park has consistently ranked as the best place in town to pretend you’re Tiger Woods.

If you like to play with bigger balls, then try stroking them into the pockets at Pink E’s Fun Food & Spirits on Flamingo Road. Here you can play pool 24 hours a day should you please, as well as dance and dine. And if you stop by at midnight on Mondays you can even enjoy a wet T-shirt contest, too! Sure, it may not qualify as a sport yet, but it’s a bigger spectator event in America than soccer.

For those who carry around really big balls, the best place to bring them out has to be the Orleans Bowling Center on Tropicana Avenue. With 70 lanes, you shouldn’t have terribly much difficulty in getting onto the wax without a long wait. And if you do find a waiting line, then head over to the Santa Fe Station on Rancho Drive with its bargain rates. Either place is a great way to get out some frustrations.

Of course, one man’s frustration is another man’s nagging little bother. If you are genuinely interested in safely working off some tension while engaging in a little action movie fantasizing, then maybe you should take a visit to the American Gun Club. Located on Arville Street, the club has two indoor pistol shooting facilities at 25 and 50 yards and a 50 yard rifle range. It’s a great place to either relieve anxiety or make believe you are one of the gangsters who ruled Vegas.

Do you suppose Bugsy Siegel ever rode a skateboard? Nah, probably not. Okay, so you can’t really pretend to be a gangster at the Desert Breeze Park, but let your imagination soar as you pretend you are Tony Hawk taming the ramps, walls and bars. If you like your workouts minus the risk of fractured tibias and femurs, then check out one of the many gyms scattered across the town. Either 24 Hour Fitness or Las Vegas Athletic Clubs are available at multiple locations and both offer fully stocked, high-tech gym equipment along with tracks and pools.

Of course, if you’re really wanting to swim, there is only one place in all of Vegas that you must go: Mandalay Bay. This manmade beach features over ten acres of sand, three pools and a lazy river ride. It’s the next best thing to actually going to Lake Mead.

X-mas is a very special time to spend with your family and friends and each and every one of us it to end up turning out to be as grand as we can possibly make it – a portion of that is having a tastefully decked out dwelling to tip your hat to the X-mas season. Way too often individuals have shoddy trinkets and Christmas lights wrapped around a lacklustre Christmas tree. Log-on and look at the John Lewis web site and inject the sparkle back into Christmas.

At 2 time the most dominant of almost every living rooms is the Xmas tree – lovingly adorned with Xmas lights, tinsel and chocolates, hovering above the many festively coloured presents underneath; it is the main thing nearly all 2 perceive when they walk in to the home and that is the main reason you will certainly want it to turn out to be spot on. Looking at the marvellous products on display on the John Lewis website couldn’t be made any more simplistic – obvious navigation at the left hand side and at the top of each and every web page makes the whole job of getting to the specific tree you like absolutely painless. Free delivery on all Christmas tree lights at John Lewis,

Patently, once you have picked out your X-mas tree – in addition to the ideal Christmas ornaments to accompany it – you will defiantly like to select some tasteful Xmas ornaments for the rest of your dwelling. These Christmas decorations may well come in the form of X-mas lights, hanging ornaments or tinsel to name but a few. Fighting through the X-mas nightmare shopping to pick these decorations up can turn out being a real chore and the expense of delivering the goods levied by some other websites could well change that fantastic price you clap eyes on into a deal more like what you might see on your local high street.

Never fear – with John Lewis you’ll not just avoid the unnecessary hustle and bustle of the Xmas crowds by browsing from the comfort of your own residence, but you will also receive absolutely free standard home delivery on all your items – with next-day home delivery available to you if you should be in a big hurry. Not just that but absolutely free returns are also available, so you can really shop online in complete confidence. Therefore, why not let John Lewis help make this holiday season a very special one.

With conference season ready to begin its first full Saturday, Matt Fargo takes a look at three big games on tap that you cannot miss.

Cincinnati Bearcats at Marquette Golden Eagles 12:00 PM ET

Cincinnati heads to Marquette for the second C-USA game of the season for both teams. Sorry, make that the second Big East game for both teams. In what was always billed as the one of the top C-USA games of the year, the series shifts to a bigger conference but no luster is lost in this battle. It’s early and both teams are only 1-0 in conference action but this is a huge game for both sides to get an early jump in the super conference.

Marquette comes in off a huge win on Tuesday over then second ranked Connecticut so trying to match that effort for a second straight game will be difficult. The good news for the Golden Eagles is that they remain home for this one as a trip on the road would have been extremely tough. They are 7-1 at home this year with the only loss coming at home in their opener to a strong Winthrop team. This is the sixth straight home game for Marquette with the previous five all won by double digits.

Cincinnati easily handled DePaul on Wednesday in its first ever Big East game and will now be playing its first true road game since December 10th. It will only be the second road game all season for the Bearcats but they took care of Vanderbilt in the first one, handing the Commodores their only home loss of the season. The Cincinnati offense has been on a tear, scoring 75 or more points in all but one game this season as it is averaging 83.1 ppg on the season.

This has been an interesting series over the past four seasons. Marquette had three straight wins starting in 2001, followed by two straight wins by Cincinnati, two straight wins by Marquette and then two straight wins by Cincinnati. The Golden Eagles have covered seven of the last nine meetings and have won three straight on their home floor. The defenses of both teams are solid but the offenses have been scoring enough to send 16 of the 20 combined lined games over the total.

Colorado Buffaloes at Texas Longhorns 4:00 PM ET

This is a good way to kick off the Big XII season as two teams a combined 21-3 square off in Austin. This matchup usually doesn’t bring a lot of excitement to the table and could be a dud again this time around. Colorado started last year a solid 8-3 in non-conference action and then traveled to Oklahoma for its Big XII opener and was smashed by 30 points. Texas does have one loss at home this season and has yet to defeat a quality opponent on its home floor.

The Buffaloes may be the country’s most surprising team thus far as they are off to a 10-1 start with the only loss coming against state rival Colorado St. Colorado was picked to finish middle of the pack in the Big XII and that very well could happen as the hot start could be a faade due to it playing the 323rd ranked schedule in the entire nation. Wins over UNC-Wilmington and Penn look good but the Buffaloes have also played four teams ranked 285th or worse.

Texas has recovered nicely from back-to-back losses with three straight wins including a big one at Memphis last time out. As mentioned earlier, the only real test at home came against Tennessee and the Longhorns were blasted by 17 points. Texas will be facing the second highest scoring team in the country but it has the defense to combat that. The Longhorns are allowing opponents to shoot only 36.8 percent from the floor which is good for 9th in the country. It will be strength vs. strength and the defense usually wins.

Texas should be fully focused as the Buffaloes took both meetings last year but neither of those games were played in Texas. The Longhorns have won the last three games at the Frank Erwin Center and they have posted a perfect 7-0 mark in Big 12 Conference openers in the Rick Barnes era. Texas has won 51 of its last 55 home games so Colorado has its hands full.

Northern Iowa Panthers at Missouri St. Bears 8:00 PM ET

This one is certainly down on the radar screen but could be one of the best games of the day. These are two mid-major teams but both are ranked in the top 25 in my power rankings thanks to extremely difficult non-conference slates to start the season. The Missouri Valley Conference is ahead of the pack as both of these teams already have four conference games under their belts and both sit at 3-1, trailing Southern Illinois by a half game.

The Panthers were picked by most to take home the MVC title but if they do it, it won’t be a runaway. Northern Iowa has two road losses on the season, the last coming against conference foe Bradley in overtime. It has won its last three games by double digits and brings in some big momentum after a huge road win at Wichita St. on Thursday. The Panthers held their last three opponents to 61 points or less but face a tough offense as the Bears have scored 80 or more points in three straight games.

Missouri St. is also on a three-game winning streak with the last two coming on the road. The Bears are a perfect 6-0 at home this year but have not defeated anyone of real significance on their home floor. Overall, they have faced four teams ranked in the top 100, going 2-2 in those games including a 2-0 mark at home, winning those by an average of 27.5 ppg. The 10-2 start by Missouri St. is the second best start in 24 years played at the Division 1 level.

Missouri St. won the last meeting in the first round of last season’s conference tournament which snapped a four-game losing streak to the Panthers. Northern Iowa won both regular season meetings last year including a nine-point win at Hammons Student Center. The Bears started last season going 1-6 in the MVC before making a late run and almost securing the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Seven of the last 10 meetings have been decided by six points or less so expect another barnburner on Saturday.

If you are looking for consistent winning in college basketball, look no further. No one has dominated the college ranks like Matt Fargo who has posted a 223-145 ATS record (60.6 percent) over the past two seasons! No one is better and no one will be better – it’s as simple as that! Grab the full season for only $599 and start winning today!

Let me shed my veil of objectivity.

I write about college football with quasi-regularity, and am encouraged by my boss, the intrepid (and brilliant handicapper) Brian Gabrielle, not to place bets or make picks on games that involve teams I care about. This is good advice, and as I say, Brian has a rare gift for handicapping, so I try and follow his lead. So you may read my handicapping column for college football, but you’ll rarely see me weigh in on the University of Michigan, for whom I’ve had an unexplained affinity since I was six years old, and the University of Texas, where I went to graduate school. (It’s not hard to avoid writing about my undergraduate institution, Cornell, who would most assuredly lose to many high school teams in Florida, Texas and California.) However, that doesn’t mean I don’t follow these schools. In fact, I’m a rabid maniac incapable of objectivity when it comes to either maize-and-blue or burnt orange.

So let me just say that last Wednesday was one of the better nights of my life.

I’m not married (gee, wonder why), and don’t have kids, so as of right now, national championships are the only births I can celebrate. (God, did that sound as sad to read as it felt to type?) The Red Sox winning the Series, the Patriots and Cowboys winning Super Bowls, and now UT pulling off the insane, the impossible, the greatest comeback win in a big situation I’ve ever seen: down 12 with four minutes to go, Vince Young proves to be the messiah in orange, and I still have no functioning vocal chords.

To the kind souls who allowed me to watch the game at their party, I thank you from the bottom of my nacho-cheese-stained heart, and I apologize for all the yelling. When my kid asks me about the birds and the bees at some point in the future (assuming, well, you know…), and he wonders if sex feels really really good, I’ll tell him it does, it most assuredly does.

But not quite as good as Texas 41, USC 38.

Here we are on the cusp of the NFL playoffs—the most wonderful time of the year. For you, what are the leading storylines heading into the tournament?

Rob Gillespie, BoDog.com: Coaches! Playoff teams always seem to bleed off assistants and with eight head coach vacancies I can see there being lots of attention. I know teams are not allowed to approach assistants until after the season, but rumors spread pretty quick. The Colts have to be the other big story…can they get back to their winning ways? If they can, they are easily the team to beat.

You don’t have to answer, but you know I have to ask: Who’s going to be in Detroit for Super Bowl Xtra Large?

RG, BoDog.com: I can safely say there will be a team from the AFC and a team from the NFC. I still like the Colts. Yes, they won’t have played a meaningful game for a month when they first play (and that opponent could very well be the Patriots) but Indy was 0-5 in the preseason if I remember right and managed to turn it on pretty well to start the regular season! From the NFC side, it really is a crapshoot. Any of those teams are capable of a two- or three-game winning streak, but you have to like one of Seattle or Chicago just because they only need to win a pair and they are at home resting this weekend.

What do you make of all the coaching firings on the NFL? Are there really eight new guys out there who are worthy of being NFL head coaches?

RG, BoDog.com: There will be some recycling of these guys (Capers, Sherman, Mariucci could land jobs with other teams) as some just weren’t right for the dynamic they were in, so I expect there only to be around six new head coaches. And yes, there are probably at least six guys who have been coordinators that can step and do the job. The question is: why are some of the GMs still keeping their jobs? I’ve waxed rhapsodic enough about the University of Texas. What’s your take on last Wednesday night’s national championship game in college football?

RG, BoDog.com: Wow. I haven’t thought Reggie Bush was #1 pick material and he showed why last night. Playing on a field with big, fast defenders he didn’t look like Superman. Leinart looked better then I expected, although his touch passes just never seemed to work, and should be at the top of the draft. But the story of the game is easily Vince Young. I wasn’t a believer but I am now. He showed the poise that seems to escape Michael Vick; it reminded me of McNair in 1999 when the Titans went to the Super Bowl. My only disappointment is that the game lived up the hype and the BCS is off the hook for another year….

Author: Jason OConnor Copyright: 2006

Whether you want to believe it or not, we like to watch sports for very different reasons than you may think. In fact, the real things that cause us to like sports are in every person, whether we like sports or not. What things can we learn about human nature by simply looking at our fascination with competition? The answers may surprise you. Not only are the answers interesting in themselves, but they may just help you in other ways too.

There are some fairly straightforward and obvious explanations for why we like sports to be sure. Sports teach us about loyalty, perseverance and honor. It gives us a way to bond, it’s cathartic, and we identify with teams and players. We live vicariously through the players we watch. We have our favorite players, and there are teams we’ve grown up rooting for because our brother or dad used to love them, and now we still root for them today. Or we may follow a sport now that we used to play as a child.

But there are some deeper, more powerful and fascinating reasons too.

We’re all just big children:

Whether you want to believe it or not, all adults are just big children. We’re all just big kids. We just hide our true feelings and thoughts with highly developed skills (or at least most of us do). We still want to belong or be accepted by our peers, we all still want to be loved, we still feel emotional pain, and we still find ourselves giving in to immediate gratification when we know better. And yes, some of us still lie and cheat in our normal day to day lives.

We certainly hide things better and often successfully ‘act’ as if we don’t care about belonging, or love, or pain, or whatever. Deep down inside we are a little more mature and wise, but basically still just children. We may not say it out loud anymore, but we still think to ourselves sometimes, “That’s not fair!” We would rather play than work. Some may argue, depending on whether they pee standing up or sitting down, that this is especially true for men. Maybe that’s why there are more men sports fans than women.

You see, watching sports gives us a perfect, safe and secure, black and white, little microcosm of life. Following a player, team or game allows us to experience ups and downs and a whole array of emotions, just like in real life, but we aren’t actually affected.

And unlike life, sports and games are generally fair! There are rules and a crystal clear framework, or paradigm that all the participants and spectators know about. There are never any monkey wrenches thrown into a sports game, like the rules changing mid-game for instance. If rules are broken, the offender is penalized. They don’t frustratingly get away sometimes like in real life.

At the end, there is an unambiguous winner and loser. We get to pretend that the game we’re watching is life, where everything is perfectly fair, everyone plays by the rules and everything makes sense.

Children tend to think of things in much more black and white terms. It is only through living and maturing that we realize that all of life is a series of grays. But we all still long for a simpler and easier life. When things are only seen in black or white, things indeed seem simpler and easier, but life isn’t so clear-cut.

This helps explain why politicians who break their platform down into simple sound bites and into terms devoid of complexity often do better than politicians who talk about life like it really is, a complex, interrelated world of nuances.

Watching sports allows us a temporarily safe and socially acceptable way to be more like our true nature, and our true nature is frighteningly childlike. So the next time you deal with a difficult person, remember that they are just a large child, like you and everyone else, and maybe that knowledge will help you deal with them a little more easily.

What do watching a horror movie and sports have in common?

Ever wonder why so many people, including maybe you, enjoy watching horror movies so much? They provide a safe way for people to experience high levels of suspension without actually being in any real danger. Sports can be the same way. Again, watching sports allows us to enter a perfect world where the suspenseful outcome has no bearing on our real lives (unless you have a nasty sports gambling problem of course).

People love drama, suspension, and resolution, which are all elements inherent in sports. In fact, the closer the game, the more suspension there is. If we identify with a player and he wins, we are vicariously happy for the success. However, if the player’s team loses, we feel the defeat a little as well. But our lives are unaffected. And sports announcers usually only add to the drama and suspension.

A sports game is a sort of story. There is a beginning and an end. There is a protagonist (your team) and an antagonist (the other team). There is a scene and setting, the stadium at noon, and there is a plot, which is the action. Only after the games ends, and depending on if your team won or not, is it decided to be called a fairy tale ending or a tragedy.

Reptilian Brain and War

Whether you want to believe it or not, humans are a lot closer to nature and the animal world than most people like to think. We’re not just close to nature; we’re a part of it! Evolutionarily speaking, we are much closer in time to our unintelligent animal ancestors than we are to a transcended sentient species apart from nature. Our behavior is guided much more by our ‘primitive brain’ than our more recently developed neocortex, which is the seat of our intelligence. The primitive brain, or lower brain function, deals with fight or flight behavior, hunger, fear, and sex, among other things.

A common, yet erroneous concept is that the human brain is the result of billions of years of evolution. Our primitive or reptilian part of the brain is that old, but our brain’s extra large neocortex, the thing that separates us from other mammals, came about only a couple million years ago, a mere drop in the evolutionary bucket. The neocortex has not had much time to develop, and so our primitive brain plays a significant role in our lives.

Our basic flight or fight mentality is manifested in sports. We can relate, on some deeper and unconscious level, with the guy running with the football towards the end zone and being chased by a pack of angry men. We can understand what it feels like to check another player in hockey and slam him into the boards. Or we can sympathize with the NASCAR driver who gets passed by a competitor, but throws it into a higher gear and chases after him.

Our primitive desire for dominance is represented in sports. When our team wins, we experience a sort of dominance over the opposing team and their fans.

Our predatory nature is lit up when we see a linebacker following a running back through a mass of football players, waiting for the perfect moment to strike his prey with a tackle. Watching someone chase the man with the ball in basketball, soccer, or baseball affects us in similar ways.

Our tribal instincts are fulfilled by sports. We all want to belong to something; it’s a basic human need since we are such social animals. We identify with a team like our ancestors would identify with their tribe. This is especially true for the Western world’s modern man, where community has taken a back seat to independence.

Our primitive warring nature is satisfied by sports. There seems to be an innate desire for war, even in so-called ‘modern’ man. Indeed, look at the world today and how many current wars are going on, and you’ll see how far we are to real peace. Pathetically, that last statement holds true for almost any time in history, regardless of when you’re reading this. Again, this goes back to the fact that we are ruled more by our ‘primitive’, survival-driven, fight or flight brain than our reasonable and intelligent ‘modern’ brain.

Every sports game is like a tiny war between tribes, with an end and a declared victor. But there’s one important distinction; unlike war, no one has to die in sports.

One of the reasons going to a game is more exciting than watching it on TV is that there is a kind of energy created when so many people get together and root for one cause. You might even liken it to a mob mentality. We don’t have to look farther than our own stadiums where pandemonium has broken out in protest to a call or in celebration of a win. Sports strongly appeals to the gaming and struggle instincts of humans.

And since our modern lives no longer contain any real physical danger and all our basic needs are immediately taken care of, we now have a void that needs to be filled somehow, our primitive brain expects it. Sports fit the bill. It gives us the illusion of reality where there are no consequences. It gives us the illusion of battle, war, victory and defeat, without the consequences. And it gives us the illusion of being a child again, even if it’s all temporary.

You may not like sports at all, but we are all a quite childlike inside. We all yearn for some level of drama in our lives. And we are all constantly affected by our primitive brain. Watching sports is one excellent way for people to reconcile these inescapable facts.

********** Jason OConnor has a BA in Psychology and Philosophy and runs http://www.BestShowTicketsLasVegas.com NFL, MLB, NHL, & NBA Tickets **********

When we think about hand-set networks, there are consistently the usual few that pop into our minds and are the most popular; all the above are 3G, 02, Orange, T Mobile and the most famous Vodafone.

Set up in 1985 as Rascal Telecom, the company then turned independent at the beginning of 1991. Found in Berkshire England; they are the largest mobile network company in the world by mobile phone sales and has a market value of almost 77 billion. They have equity interests in 27 countries all over 5 continents, 187 m proportionate mobile phone users and more than 30 partner mobile networks. Vodafone mobile phones are available from MobileShop, visit for the latest deals.

In more than twenty years the mobile corporation have been in the front of the mobile revolution. The business is used by a lot of individuals because the mobile retailer is rather recognised for their marvellous service. Vodafone channels major investments into creating a telecommunication network that lets every one of their clients make more calls from more areas than any other cell phone company, at low rates and whilst continuing to continue providing outstanding quality and reliability to all there customers. In the last three years Vodafone has reduced there prices more than 5 times, this is the equivalent of them reducing their bills and services by fifty per cent per customer. The mobile firm has expanded its range of uncostly handsets and introduced more flexible payment schemes.

Handset technology is upgrading rapidly every week. The retailer is aware that their mobile phone customers are their main concern and therefore the mobile corporation have the responsibility to make sure that the mobile phone clients can use all the products safely and confidently. What makes the company the foremost mobile phone network to be with is that the firm actually care about their users. When you do have problems there’s no need to dread calling as their call centres are situated in the UK and are able to assist you find an answer to all your problems and queries extraordinarily quickly. The retailer ordinarily ask their clients about their problems of using the mobile business as their specific cellphone network and what they can do to make it better for them.

It happens to all of us. We loose our golf swing, make some type of unknown modification in how we swing the club, and everything falls apart. What can we do to prevent our golf swing from leaving us?

Remember this saying as you continue to read this article; “Proper Preparation Precedes Success and Confidence”. Think about this phrase for a moment and then keep reading.

I write about this subject because of an e-mail I received from a fellow golfer. The e-mail read:

“Sean, while out practicing I appear to have injured a muscle(s) in my back just below my left shoulder, and also around the outside of my left side rib cage. I have tried to continue to play golf through this injury, hoping it would get better but I had to stop. Hitting down and through the ball proved to very difficult and I seemed to be pulling out of shots early and topping the ball on my iron shots a lot.

Do you have any golf fitness exercises in your book which will heal the injury and prevent a re-occurrence?”

Absolutely! I do have golf fitness exercises to help you with the prevention of such an injury occurring.

But let’s get back onto the topic of this article and that is the loss of our golf swing.

“Loosing” your golf swing can occur for a number of reasons. Typically, they fall into one of 3 categories:

1) Mechanical

2) Physical

3) Mental

A loss of your golf swing on the mechanical side of the equation is pretty simple to understand. Essentially, you have made an adjustment in the mechanics of your golf swing causing compensations to occur. These compensations result in poor shots and possibly a great deal of frustration, if you do not know what is happening.

Often times the amateur is completely unaware of the changes they have made wreaking havoc on their golf swing.

How do you go about solving such a situation?

Through proper instruction from a qualified teacher is the first part of this equation. A qualified teaching pro will be able to diagnose the problem and provide you guidance on how to fix it.

The ball is then in your court, meaning you must use this information and go practice (remember, proper preparation precedes success or confidence).

The second reason for the “loss” of your golf swing is a publicized matter, and it is your body.

Remember it is your body that swings the golf club. If your body is unable to swing the golf club properly, the ability to swing it without compensations will occur.

The e-mail above is an example of such a problem. The amateur golfer has incurred an injury as a result of the body not being flexible, strong, or powerful enough to swing the golf club properly over a period of time.

Keep in mind the golf swing requires certain levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power to swing the golf club correctly. If any one of these facets within your body is not up to par (no pun intended, but it fits real well doesn’t it?), the swing will suffer.

Often times body impairments causing you to “loose” your swing are not as severe as an injury (they will get that way if ignored), but rather they are a slight discomfort, muscle pull, or fatigue. Which cause compensations to occur in your golf swing.

Again, we can go back to the phrase “proper preparation precedes success and confidence”. You must properly prepare your body for the golf swing. This is where golf fitness exercises are beneficial.

Golf fitness exercises develop the levels of flexibility, balance, endurance, strength, and power within the body to swing the golf club properly. Golf fitness exercises prepare the body to swing the golf club just as practice ingrains the mechanics of the golf swing.

We finally come to the third category, the mental aspect of golf and fitness. Mental blocks, certain thought processes, or a lack of confidence can directly affect your golf swing.

I have found through my work over the years with professional athletes the development of a sound mental approach to golf begins with the body and progresses from this point to swing mechanics.

If you develop a strong foundation in your body, it provides you confidence that you can perform the mechanics of the golf swing correctly.

Once the physical foundation is developed, you can create the optimal swing mechanics on top of this foundation. Once these two “building blocks” are in place. The mental approach towards the game is confident, relaxed, and focused. Again, let’s go back to the phrase; “proper preparation precedes success and confidence.” Confidence in your golf game can only occur if the physical foundation and fundamentals of the golf swing are in place.

To summarize, “loosing” your golf swing can be attributable to essentially 3 different categories. These categories are your golf swing mechanics, your body, and your mental approach to the game. To minimize the possibility of “loosing” your golf swing, develop a flexible, strong, and powerful body to support your golf swing mechanics. On top of this body, develop an efficient golf swing. This will allow your mental approach to be focused, relaxed, and confident.

If you are confident in your body’s’ ability to swing the golf club, the mechanics of your swing to execute the shot, the ability to mentally focus will be much easier. This is what separates good golf shots from bad golf shots on the golf course.

Sean Cochran