So your buddy in the Hartford, Connecticut area is getting married and asked you to be the best man or at least in the wedding party. You are probably flattered and angry and maybe a bit nervous. One of the understood responsibilities for a groomsman is conceiving of, organizing and planning for the bachelor party. Organizing the bachelor party is not as easy as it looks. You will have to deal with different personalities, budgets, locales and take care of any number of hard-to-anticipate details.

Bachelor parties have evolved through time. What once was commonly referred to as a ’stag party,’ has changed and is mainly referred to as the more politically just ‘bachelor party.’

But the name change is only one of the differences between this ritual now and what it was thirty or forty years ago. Today, there are all sorts of variations of bachelor parties, ranging from one vulgar of hard-core debauchery and to the other, which can really be downright PG rated.

I have had friends, some of whom I helped plan the party for, who have had more than one party. Not necessarily because they idea they simply had to have two or three because each was so much fun (although hopefully that is part of the equation as well), but more because for different groups of guys, different entertainment and activates might be appropriate. This might be due to geography, cost, and awkwardness involved with some traditional bachelor party rituals.

For example, in new years I attended a bachelor party for a friend of mine who invited his future father in law, his future grandfather in law and some bosses from work. While this group was not overly conservative or puritanical in their thinking, he really didn’t want to bring along a number of these people to a strip joint. That said, he really wanted to have the chance to bond with them and celebrate his impending nuptials.

So, he actually had two bachelor parties. One involved paintball in the morning, a baseball game in the afternoon and a steak dinner afterwards. It was an all day affair, and typical “guy fun”, but nobody was embarrassed or do in an awkward set.

And a couple of weeks later, my same friend had another bachelor party. Yes, there was some overlap in the people who attended, but this one was kept off the radar of the others and positioned much more as a group of friends going out for a night on the town. As you might expect, this one involved a good deal more of adult entertainment and fun. I went to both and really had the same amount of fun and enjoyment at each one, albeit a different type of fun.

As somebody who has been in a number of weddings and helped plan for at least six bachelor parities, I offer the following bachelor party planning guide for the Hartford area.

I have organized these Hartford bachelor party ideas and classified them as either PG rated or R rated. There is nothing that says, of course, that you can’t have a little of each; sometimes part of the crowd will go for the beginning, but not the nighttime activities. And, as you might imagine, the opposite is sometimes upright as well as some would rather skip out on the ballgame, but will be obvious to show up for the strippers.

In addition to the list of suggested Hartford bachelor party activities, I have included some helpful hints that will assist make the day and night most luscious.

PG Rated Hartford Bachelor Party Activities

1. Golf

The Hartford area has a good number of reasonably priced public golf courses.

One of the potential challenges for having golf as part of the bachelor party experience is that it is quite likely that a number of the bachelor party attendees don’t play golf and/or don’t think they like it. Now, if the groom to be doesn’t golf, then it’s not an option anyway. But if, as I accept typical, 50% to 70% of the guys, if not exactly ‘good’, can swing a club reasonably well and would love the opportunity to glean out there, it can be a bit difficult when thinking about the rest who might be apprehensive about playing.

The first and most primary step is to make the “tournament” best ball format. Best ball format is the best thing to happen to ‘party golf’ ever. To the extent possible, obnoxious each player according to his skill. If there are, for example, twenty guys playing, then rank each one A, B, C, or D and fabricate five foursomes. Put one of each letter on each team to hopefully even the teams as much as possible.

Secondly, work it out ahead of time with the pro shop and see if you can pre-arrange excellent pricing on rental clubs, or even arrange it, given the best ball format, that guys on the same team without their own clubs could share a rental set.

Golf carts are an absolute must, of course. Guys that don’t like to play, or think they don’t like to play, want to make it comfortable and relaxing. If people like to drink, then see if the course has a beer cart that will come around, or will allow for coolers. One recent bachelor party golf outing I arranged to ‘purchase’ the two foursomes behind and ahead of our group, meaning we would feel like we were by ourselves that day, taking the pressure off the non golfers and also allowing us to hoot and holler a bit more than might be appropriate on an actual golf outing.

The point of all of this is don’t try to make the bachelor party golf outing a big, competitive and intimidating event. The most serious golfer who still wants to work on his game certainly can and yet the guys that don’t play will have plenty of fun, and almost inevitably, the guys that you would never expect to play well will miraculously contribute a meaningful shot for their team. If somebody enters into a bachelor party golf game with the thought that they abominate golf, and yet pulls out a memorable couple of shots and ends up having a reliable time, they will have a substantial memory of the event.

In selecting a course in the Hartford status, try to find the most reasonably priced course that will work with you to wait on out on some of the extras needed for a tall group.

Below is a list of five Hartford area public golf courses to check out if you are planning golf as fragment of a bachelor party. These were selected based on general availability, proximity to downtown Hartford, cost and willingness to work with larger parties.

The following is a list of the ten best public golf courses in the Hartford area. To read reviews and information for each of these, click here.

Goodwin Golf Course
1130 Maple Avenue
Hartford, Connecticut

Keney Golf Course
280 Tour Avenue
Hartford, Connecticut

Long Hill Country Club
130 Long Hill Street
East Hartford, Connecticut

Buena Vista Golf Course
37 Buena Vista Road
West Hartford, Connecticut

Rockledge Golf Course
289 South Main Street
West Hartford, Connecticut

Gillette Ridge Golf Club
1360 Hall Boulevard
Bloomfield, Connecticut

Wintonbury Hills Golf Course
206 Terry Plains Road
Bloomfield, Connecticut

Blue Fox Run Golf Course
65 Nod Road
Avon, Connecticut

Manchester Country Club
305 South Main Street
Manchester, Connecticut

Connecticut Golf Land
95 Hartford Turnpike
Vernon, Connecticut

2. Paintball

I realized how pampered my life actually was when playing paintball one time at a bachelor party. The adrenaline accelerate of having paint balls fly over my head and past my leg and eventually hitting me was borderline scary. Before playing it, I had always thought paintball players looked a minute bit amusing and childish. But the game combines speed, some strategy, tactics and some athleticism. It’s a hurry to play and creates a memorable experience that will create droll stories that will be told again and again (and maybe embellished some, let’s be honest), for years to come.

The thing to withhold in mind is that Paintball requires either some ability to speed around and think fast, or a great sense of humor; preferably both. You and the others will get hit and there will be little mercy shown to one another. Do not go in thinking that you will go easy on the bride’s dad, for example. Unless he’s elderly or unwell (in which case he shouldn’t be out there anyway), he and everybody else is fair game! It will acquire a lot of laughs and fun and definite bragging rights for the winning team.

The following is a list of four large paintball facilities in the Hartford area that would make a great addition to your Hartford bachelor party. For a review of each of the Hartford paintball fields listed below, click here.

Xtreme Paintball
149 North Road
East Windsor, Connecticut

Strategy Plus Paintball
Bear Swamp Road
East Hampton, Connecticut

Hogan’s Alley Paintball Road
998 North Colony Road
Meriden, Connecticut

Matt’s Outback Paintball Field
677 Riley Mountain Road
Coventry, Connecticut

3. Sports Bar

A sports bar can be a great addition to a bachelor party. It’s a position to watch the game, drink beers and maybe play some Golden Tee golf. Hartford has a four good sports bars in its immediate area. Click here to read a review of the Hartford sports bars listed below.

Rookie’s Bar and Grille
51-14 Shunpike Road
Cromwell, Connecticut

Coach’s ‘06
Allyn Street
Hartford, Connecticut

Maguire’s
3573 Berlin Turnpike
Newington, Connecticut

The Diamond Pub and Grill
195 Hebron Avenue
Glastonbury, Connecticut

R-Rated Hartford Bachelor Party Activities

1. Strip Clubs

Strip clubs are part of the most popular images of bachelor parties. Hartford certainly doesn’t lack for quality and quantity of strip clubs. Below is a list of the four best Hartford strip clubs for bachelor parties. Reviews for each can be found by clicking here.

Centerfolds
1861 Berlin Turnpike
Berlin, Connecticut

Gold Club
145 West Service Road
Hartford, Connecticut

Gold Club Connection
145 West Service Road
Hartford, Connecticut

Kahoots
65 Windsor Avenue
Vernon, Connecticut

Electric Blue
62 Merrow Road
Tolland, Connecticut

2. Hotel Strippers

Of course, for a truly personalized Hartford bachelor party, some people will rent a hotel suite for the night, with the main event being a stripper, or strippers, to come and build. While this might conjure up images of movies from the 1980’s, and/or illegal activity, rest assured that the strippers that come will almost always be escorted by a bodyguard, or bodyguards and any sign of too much rowdiness will be cause for them to leave.

But the advantage to this type of way is that for much of the night, your party can eat, play cards, smoke cigars and maybe watch a game on TV. It can ultimately be less expensive as well as the cost of alcohol and food is far less than going to a bar or steak restaurant.

Hartford, Connecticut is a great location to host a bachelor party. Enjoy some or all of these bachelor party options and send the groom to be off in style and fun!

In a culture that idolizes and promotes food as instant gratification, it’s no surprise that obesity is out of control. We swim upstream against an overwhelming unique of continuous media messages that implore us to, “eat, eat, and eat!”—and then to eat some more. No wonder so many dieters fail, or fail to maintain their weight after losing pounds. If you’re one of those frustrated dieters, it’s time to stop “dieting” and start “diet-sizing.”

“Diet-sizing” is what I call the simple habits that enable you to lose weight gradually and keep it off. It’s about developing a routine of sensible eating and moderate exercise tailored to fit you—one you can comfortably live with for the rest of your life.

Here are ten tips for helping to build a diet-sizing plan legal for you. I implemented and refined these ideas while losing 40 pounds in five months—and most importantly, while maintaining my target weight of 155 to 160 pounds for the past five years. Not only do I gaze and feel younger, I’ve also significantly reduced my cholesterol and blood pressure to the point that I’ve been able to discontinue medications.

My tips are not scientific, do not have a doctor’s seal of approval (because I’ve never asked for one), and may not work for everyone. That’s my way of saying, “Results may vary.” However, I base my advice on common sense, some generally accepted principles for good diet and health, and experience. That said, be sure to check with your doctor before you start any diet or exercise program.

Tip #1: Derive your motivation into gear.

You will not lose weight until you have decided to change your eating and exercise habits permanently. If you have not made that decision, or if you are not convinced you can stick with it, finish reading now and only advance back when you know in your heart that you are committed and ready to pursue permanent change.

Tip #2: Determine your recommended daily calorie requirement.

You need this number, which should include carbohydrate, protein and fat calories, because your ultimate objective in losing weight is to burn more calories than you consume through either diet, exercise, or preferably, both
.
To find out your caloric targets for weight loss or maintenance according to your age, weight, height and level of physical activity, utilize a simple calculator you can readily find on-line by searching under “calorie counter” or similar terminology. A calculator will tell you the number of calories you need in order to lose a specific number of pounds per week or to maintain a particular weight.

Tip #3: Set realistic weight-loss goals.

This is critical! Nothing feeds weight loss and dietary change like success. If you are not realistic in setting your goals and you can’t fulfill your weight loss or weight control expectations, you will defeat your determine.

On the other hand, a realistic weight-loss target will generate great positive reinforcement for you. For instance, if you want to lose twenty pounds, that probably is realistic–but not if you want to do it in a week or two. Six weeks or two months, or even longer, is a much more realistic time frame. And the satisfaction and reward of losing even a pound or two a week during that time will fortify your long-term determination in improbable ways.

Tip #4: Trim dietary fat.

Mercilessly sever all “bad” fat (saturated fat and trans fat) from your diet, and manage your intake of “good” tubby. Choose fat-free or reduced-fat foods of all kinds, along with more novel vegetables and fruit. Eat less red meat and a lot more fish and chicken (with skin removed).

I know what you’re thinking: there goes flavor. Not true. The flavor of fat-free or reduced-fat products doesn’t suffer nearly as much as you might think. Most of such foods that I enjoy—everything from yogurt to milk to ice cream and much more—have vastly improved in taste over the past several years. The little flavor enjoyment you might give up is more than rewarded with a tremendous decrease in calories—especially the fat calories that quickly ring up added pounds.

When you grocery shop, read the nutrition labels on everything you steal. In addition to choosing food products that are stingy in bulky and fat calories, you can sort out foods high in excess salt and other nasty additives. Personally, I hold no processed foods of any kind, because they more often than not have more of every kind of ingredient that promotes weight gain.

There are diets that tell you to eat certain foods, when to eat them and in what quantity. Maybe that works, maybe it doesn’t. My suggestion is to find the healthy foods that you like, and then eat in moderation. It’s easier, cheaper, less hassle—and I think a lot more enjoyable. Remember, diet-sizing is forever, not just for a week or a month.

Tip #5 – Reduce your food intake.

Regardless of what you eat, whether it is more or less healthy, less food means fewer calories. Eat only until you feel paunchy, then discontinuance! Reducing food intake requires will power. But stick with it. In a relatively short time, you will actually shrink your appetite (see Tip #10 below).

Tip #6: Along with eating less each day, eat more often.

Eat a minimum of five times a day. Eating actually increases your metabolic rate—the speed at which you burn calories. You can find good information about metabolism and weight loss on-line by searching under “metabolism weight loss” or similar terminology.

And whatever you do, don’t ever skip breakfast. The first meal of the day jump-starts your metabolism. Keep it going with a healthy mid-morning snack, then a light lunch, a mid-afternoon snack, and finally a light supper. You can have a very light snack after supper. Unbiased don’t overdo it.

Tip #7: Exercise!

Get at least 30 minutes of light to moderate use at least three times a week—and more often if you have the time and opportunity. Walk, run, grasp weights, play racquetball, basketball, volleyball or tennis, golf or swim. It doesn’t matter. What counts is the calorie-burning effort of physical activity.

And don’t maintain the “no pain – no gain!” claim. It’s a myth. You don’t need to exhaust your physical or mental endurance to lose weight and improve your fitness. Just accumulate active, get your heart rate up, and the pounds will come off.

When I started diet-sizing five years ago, I chose walking. Since then, I’ve walked probably thousands of miles. These days, I walk five or six times a week for at least an hour a day. I’ve also added some light weightlifting to my exercise routine for variety.

Whatever exhaust you choose, stick with it. Make it a way of life

Tip #8: Establish the bathroom scale away.

Most people want to lose a lot of weight right away. Again, the problem is our lust for instant gratification. But that impulse is completely counterproductive to diet-sizing. Weight loss comes gradually, even very slowly at times. Hopping on the scale once a day, or even once a week, can be a self-defeating strategy if you don’t see the results you put a question to.

Don’t weigh yourself more than once every couple of weeks. Consider that losing even a pound or a half-pound in two weeks is progress. Remember, diet-sizing is for the rest of your life. Unless you are morbidly obese (in which case you probably should be following a doctor’s advice), you can probably afford to be patient about the speed at which you lose weight. And of course, there’s always a chance that you will be pleasantly surprised at a greater weight loss than you anticipated.

Tip #9: Eat in, not out.

Over the past twenty years, we’ve all become accustomed to the convenience and variety of eating out multiple times each week. But the trend also is a prime driver of our country’s burgeoning obesity pickle. Restaurant and fast-food meals have grown larger in volume and richer in fat calories and carbohydrates—to say nothing of more expensive. Save calories and money by eating at home. Yes, cooking at home takes a little more time. But that’s a worthwhile investment when the benefits are losing weight and saving money.

If you have to eat out more than once in a while, settle the healthiest, lowest-calorie-and-fat items on the menu. Some restaurants do a good job with such items. Forsake the burger and fries for a salad with reduced-fat dressing, for example.

On the other hand, man does not have to live by home-prepared meals alone. From time to time (but not too often), it’s okay to indulge yourself in your favorite restaurant or even fast-food meal. An occasional restaurant meal won’t knock you off the wagon, or cause you to gain weight. I eat out about once every ten days or two weeks. I try to eat sensibly when I do, and it hasn’t upset my dietary lifestyle balance. And because for me eating out is no longer routine, it’s now a lot more fun.

Tip #10: Read the health and wellness sections of your favorite mass media.

You will find valuable information and insight that will encourage you to fine-tune your personal dietary lifestyle to the way you want to live it, and in ways that are healthiest.

For example the “Personal Journal” share of the April 14, 2009 Wall Street Journal described research indicating that eating definite foods makes it harder to conclude eating. Bread, sweets, juice, pasta, wine or beer before dinner and artificial sweeteners have all been fingered as promoting “fullness resistance.” Eating them, even in limited quantities, can do you feel hungrier, tempting you to eat more. That’s good knowledge to take into account when you’re losing or maintaining your weight.

Start diet-sizing today!

I could easily expand to multiple pages on each of my ten tips. But I’ve given you the gist. The rest is up to you. Forget “dieting.” Think diet-sizing into a dietary lifestyle that fits you.

Then, as the saying goes, just do it. If you have pounds waiting to be shed, today is the perfect time to begin.

Sources

Anonymous
Daily Calories Requirement
Hpathy – Homeopathy for Everyone

Melinda Beck
Wall Street Journal
April 14, 2008
Page D1

Gloria Teng, RD
Good Fats and Bad Fats
Healthcastle.com

Anonymous
How to Increase your Metabolism
Wikihow

Francine Long, M.D.
Combat Obesity with Healthy Restaurant Food
USA Today

Anonymous
No Pain, No Gain … and Other Workout Myths
Today

Anonymous
Control of Food Intake
Weightlossforall.com

Lois Trader
Wholefood Nutrition
Suite101.com

Golf is a sport that is not easy to master. One can have a smooth, fluid backswing, turn back to the ball in perfect fashion and then leave clubface a degree open and the ball goes sailing behind Junior’s Pig Farm.

It’s hard to stare down at that non-moving, little, white ball and not want to crush it. A beautifully executed drive is what all of us desire, strive for and obsess over. Impartial like all sports, the sound of perfect contact is a sound and feel worth striving for. How to effect that is not easy with all the books, magazines, training devices, golf pros, clubs and balls that are out there to confuse us. To make matters worse there is this guy named Tiger that we all want to be like.

We’ve all had that round where everything is working perfect; we swing on plane, our putting stroke is aligned and our feel around the green is place on. However, we come back the following week and something changes; we feel cocky and swing harder, our putts sail way past the hole and we shank every pitch shot. The frustration keeps us up at night so much so that we spend the following days and weeks buried in all sorts of books, videos and magazines to find the perfect tip to correct our ailing golf game.

We’ve all been there and we’ve all suffered the same problems. When this happens, we turn to pros for help. There are those of us that have read Ben Hogan’s “Five Lessons” and Harvey Penick’s “Limited Red Book.” Some of us have studied the images in Jack Nicklaus’ “Golf my Way” and stored in memory the fixes found in David Leadbetter’s “Faults and Fixes.”

Dave Pelz’s is there to help us with our short game in his book “Short Game Bible”. Annika Sorenstam helps the girls in “Golf Annika’s Way.” John Daly will help you learn how not to live your life. Michael Murphy’s “Golf in the Kingdom” explores the beauty and mystery of this game called golf. (This is my personal favorite)

There are books on fixing slices, shanks, hook, chunks, chili dips and even our heads.

Now some of us are not distinguished for reading so we turn to videos and dvd’s to help us along. Some need to see how to swing, act and play the game correct. I prefer this method to get a feel for rhythm and swing path.

So we turn on the TV, watch Tiger and Phil for a bit, make our way to the driving range and swing our little hearts out. After buckets of balls and blisters on each hand, we figure out, we are not these guys. So we go home and search for more advice.

We read articles in magazines, on the internet and try our hand at more fixes. We test these out and search for more. One day we step foot in a pro shop and accelerate across an extraordinary new training aid that will cure our golf game woes forever.

Who hasn’t strapped on a “Straight Arm Sleeve” or wrestled with an “Impact Ball? ” Some of us have wiggled into the “Perfect Connextion” and stood on Hank Haney’s “Step Minder” and felt unconnected to say the least.

Nick Faldo tries to help with his “Step2 Swing”. Then there is the legendary, disjointed Medicus that “buckles” when one isn’t on the just swing path. There are training aids for putting, curing a slice, gaining more distance, balance, rhythm, stance and a whole host of other oddities.

I’ve been there, I’ve read all the books, I’ve tried all the fixes and I’ve watched so many golf videos and rounds of golf that my brain can’t comprehend anymore.

Don’t get me wrong, these items are useful and help in many ways, but they can also send one in too many directions.

That all changed for me the day I played a round with my dad and two of his friends ages, 72 and 74. I was 32 years faded, in gigantic physical shape and limber as can be. My golf game was OK, but still needed a lot of work. I knew that I could exhibit off for these older guys and show them how a longer hitter plays the game. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The best golf lesson I ever received came from that round of golf and these two older gentlemen.

The round started out the way I expected; the two older men drove the ball short and down the middle of the fairway with myself driving the ball a hundred yards past them. This was going to be a delight.

I pared the first whole and was up by two on the rest of my competitors. Cockiness settled in and on the second hole I bombed a drive into the pines. The older gentlemen poked the ball down the middle of the fairway, hit to the green and pared. I had to scramble out of the woods and took a double bogey .

This went on the whole round. I ended up off the fairway while my competitors enjoyed the luxury of the short grass with no obstacles in their way.

After nine I was ten strokes behind my nearest competitor. It was there that I realized how to play this game. The older gentleman had odd, short swings, but they took their time, stayed out of trouble and delivered a consistent blow to the ball hole after hole.

This game is not about how far you hit the ball or how smooth you search for when swinging; it’s about playing smart, swinging within your means and enjoying the time on the course.

After the front nine I shortened and slowed down my swing and played the course. It was a fabulous learning experience and one that all should experience.

The back nine was a round I will never forget as I learned more about how this game should be played. (I still lost by 8 strokes)

“Let the nothingness into your swing.” Shivas Irons in Golf in the Kingdom

“Tae enjoy yerself, tha’s the thing, and beware the quicksands o’ perfection.” Shivas Irons in Golf in the Kingdom

“There is a force in the universe that makes things happen. All you have to do is get in touch with it, discontinuance thinking, let things happen, and be the ball.”
Ty Webb from the mov ie Caddyshack

On January 17th the Golf Channel will celebrate it’s 13th birthday. (The Golf Channel’s open on January 17, 1995.) Smack dab in the middle of adolescence. We all know what that age brings. Movement toward adulthood and maturity with ties to our childhood still tugging at our behavior. So, how do you think they’re doing?

I became an avid golfer about two years after TGC began airing. I’d admit that watching the network was a factor in continuing with the game. I had played before, but that only meant whacking a ball around a couple of times a year with some rusting Wilson Staff butter knives that had been inherited from my dad. A successful day was if I could have one ball get more than three feet off the ground. My great buddy, Dean Miller, reintroduced me to golf and graciously sold me his original Cobra Oversize irons and woods. My oldest son is a decent player and quiet plays those irons. They were a real groundbreaking club whose influence is in every game improvement club on the market today.

Then I focused on the instruction available on TGC. It really appeared that someone was in my living room helping my swing. Wish I had taller ceilings. Golf Channel Academy on Monday nights was “can’t miss” viewing. My VCR got a real workout. Which brings us to now, 13 years later. Granted it’s difficult to air 24 hour programming for a network as specific as the Golf Channel. Imagine the Heed Collecting Channel. So, the infomercials don’t bother me and I realize money has to made. TGC signed a 15 year deal to broadcast certain PGA Tour events last year. The buzz on the street is that that results have been less than qualified. ( Golf Channel (up 33%))Pundits claim that swapping TGC distribution for ESPN’s has made the product less available. I’m not so sure. It’s available in 90 million homes and rabid golf fans tend to able to win golf programming. In addition, the demographic offered by golfers is a lucrative one and offsets availabilty to a measurable degree.

Signing Nick Faldo was a huge coup. He’s better than I thought he’d be and my expectations were high. Nick’s made a remarkable transition from golf legend/purported lout to a warm, informed, lively host. Whatever he did, he should bottle it. I’d feed it to a few of my playing partners that think their Sunday round is a child of the US Begin. I like Kelly Tilghman as Nick’s foil and think she’s rounding into the role nicely. Starting a PGA Tour telecast where one didn’t exist is a work in progress. The BIG NETS have a national sports foundation in station and the logistics to not have to reinvent the wheel. Tournaments aside, Sprint Post Game and Golf Central are evolving in there own spaces. I don’t relegate them to “must see” status, but enjoy them when I watch. They’re growing in “network feel”, the kind of familiarity and look that takes time to evolve.

What do you think? What’s become of your TGC at 13? Where does it rank on your “must see” list. Let me know. That’s why I’m here.

Some people consider golf a social gathering, in which the sport is secondary to the company. Others take their golf more seriously, especially when it comes to their swing. To improve your golf swing, you need to focus on your backswing in particular to keep your body in grand alignment.

First, acquire sure you have reliable clubs. You may be able to pick up a cheap set at a garage sale. But there is no substitute for having a proper set of clubs that are fitted to your body size and playing style. Visit the pro shop at your local golf course and price a decent area of clubs. You, and your game, will be glad you did.

You also need to make sure that nothing on your body hurts. If you are adjusting your golf backswing to avoid causing pain to an injured body section, you will throw off your entire swing. That in turn will cause more injure and inability to consistently hit the ball.

There are literally hundreds of books, videos, gadgets and tools available to help you improve your golf swing. But most are expensive, many don’t work, and those that do prove some success often do it at the expense of proper form and swing.

PGA experts offer these tips to improve your golf swing and make sure your backswing is up to snuff. Stand straight and hold your club at a 90 degree angle from your body with your arms extended against the sides of your chest. Bend from your hip joints until the sole of the club rests on the ground. Then bend from your knees. Don’t change your back’s angle when you bend your knees. Keep your neck and spine straight and aligned.

This will help you start your swing from a balanced area. But you won’t stay balanced if your arms pull the swing instead of your torso. The torso should start the backswing, with the neck and spine remaining in line. If this is done right, the arms will follow and the wrists will bend at the top of the swing. A proper swing with good alignment of the spine and neck will feel effortless and smooth. An improper swing with bad alignment will result in frustrating slices and hooks.

A sterling golf swing also reduces the risk of injury. If the backswing and downswing are too steep, the hands, wrists and elbows take the brunt of the force. If the swing is too parallel to the ground, the elbows can be hurt. It’s important to improve your golf swing, both for the enjoyment of the game, and to prevent injuries that can keep you off the course for weeks of recovery time.

Golf is one of the rare sports where it’s all about an individual and not a team. Players rely more on themselves than others to achieve their goals. Since people near in all different shapes and sizes this makes the map each person plays unique. You can learn the basics of golf from a professional trainer but it will be up to you to apply that knowledge to your body type and play style. Practicing over and over again will allow for your body to memorize the movements of your swing. This will allow you to perform better and enjoy the game more.

In order to perform a better golf swing, you’ll want to check and make clear that your posture is right. One of the biggest mistakes golfers make is forgetting that where the head goes the body will follow. Make sure you have your head straight and aligned over the ball. Keep your chin raised honest a bit so that when you swing your left shoulder should be able to fit fair underneath it. This action is called a shoulder to shoulder movement. In the backswing the left shoulder should touch under the chin while the downswing should carry out the right shoulder under the chin and bring your head around. If your head is too far down into your chest, you cannot develop a proper swing.

The shoulder to shoulder method will help those who have a pickle keeping their head straight. By allowing your shoulders to touch your chin, you give your body a physical landmark to remember. If your head and spine are not aligned, you will be unable to swing the club properly. When you approach the ball make sure that you keep your head and spine aligned. Then bend slightly at the raze so you’re eyes are lined up with the ball. This will wait on you to perform this draw easier.

Rhythm and routine are very significant when it comes to golf. Occupy the time to practice this position and swing method in your backyard a few times a day. This will give your mind and muscles a physical memory of what to do each time you take your golf swing. After a while it will become second nature to you and you won’t have to think about your swing anymore. Align yourself properly and practice just taking your back swing a few times. After you’re comfortable with that just practice your follow through. Once you’ve done that a few times put it all together. Breaking down the steps into individual pieces helps players to achieve a greater feel for their swing.

Golf is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical. If you can learn to master the greater part of golf you’ll be well on your way to improving your swing. One of the first things you can do to improve your mental game with golf is to learn to relax no matter what the spot. You should be able to make a downhill right to left break putt on the 18th hole of the Masters just as easily as you can build one when you’re out with your work buddies on a Saturday.

This is a true test of your nerves. Learning to master your nerves starts by relaxing. When you reach your ball you should make mental checks for yourself. Are you griping the club too hard? Is your weight too much on one side or the other? Are you tense or relaxed? These are things you should work on off of the golf course so that when you do go to play you don’t have to think about them and instead they approach natural.

These are just a few of the basic things you can work on to improve your golf swing. Time and practice will be needed to improve. The more you put into your golf swing the more you will obtain out of it. You also don’t have to be on the golf course to increase your swings effectiveness. Many of the things listed above can be done from the comfort of your own home. Follow these basic techniques and you’ll find your golf game will improve dramatically in no time.

Click here to avoid repetitive stress injuries during exercise: for fitness enthusiasts of all levels. I’m a personal trainer and bodybuilder with firsthand experience avoiding repetitive stress injuries. How do I know I’m avoiding repetitive stress injuries? I’ve gotten repetitive stress injuries before, until I implemented specific exhaust routines to prevent repetitive stress injury recurrences. Preventing repetitive stress injuries through exercise will also abet prevent repetitive stress injuries on the job.

Common causes of repetitive stress injuries: subjecting a joint through a motion, over and over, that it’s either not used to, or that nature did not intend it for. Example of repetitive stress injuries: tennis elbow, shoulder impingement syndrome and carpal tunnel syndrome. Repetitive stress of the motion causes wear and tear on the joint, namely cartilage and/or tendons, and over time inflammation results, restricting movement and causing afflict.

Consume can cause repetitive stress on joints. Examples: Practicing a tennis or golf swing; pull-ups; bench press and pushups; knee motions in step classes.

Tips for exercising to minimize risk of RSIs

1. Warm up the joint you’ll be exercising, no matter how time-constrained. Rep humble and spend a puny time lifting limited weights to prevent repetitive stress injuries.

2. Every heavy weight routine follows a warm-up: Initiate weight routine with very light weights, 20 reps. Each successive set is with slightly heavier weight until you’ve reached the weight for the actual workout. Example for decline dumbbell presses: Start with 20 pound dumbbells for 20 reps. Next set: 30 pound dumbbells, 15 reps. Next set: 35 pound dumbbells, 12 reps. Next set: 40 pound dumbbells, 10 reps. Next set: 50 pound dumbbells, 8 reps. You’re now ready to tackle 55 pound dumbbells, assuming that 55 pound dumbbells is your heavy workout weight.

3. Precede cardio routines with warm-up. Example for hard running on treadmill: Walk five minutes briskly. Jog 5 mph for five minutes. Every minute thereafter, increase by 1 mph until you approach workout running speed.

4. The rotator cuff is most prone to repetitive stress injuries caused by lifting weights. In addition to warming up with weight routines with lighter weights before heavy weights, do other weight routines, with light weights, that are different from the actual weight routine you’re intending to do. Example: To guard against rotator cuff repetitive stress injuries, that can arise from heavy bench pressing, first spend 10 minutes handling very light dumbbells doing the following exercises:

Two sets of lateral lifts (holding dumbbells at sides with straight arms, then raising arms out to sides with slightly bent elbows) for 20 reps with 8-10 pound dumbbells.

Two sets of seated rows with a straight bar, palms up. Bring bar all the way to chest so that elbows are sticking behind you. Residence weight machine at 40-50 pounds for 20 reps. Do not accelerate these weight routines.

5. Spend time just on exercises for the rotator cuff, with light dumbbells. See: www.bodyresults.com/E2RotatorCuff.asp

6. Tension tubing for very light shoulder motion drills on non-chest and non-shoulder weight days. See: www.ukhealthcare.uky.edu/cartilage/postop_care/shoulderrc_exercises.htm

7. To guard against repetitive stress injuries in wrist: wrist curls with light dumbbells for 15-20 reps. See: www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/WristFlexors/DBWristCurl.html A barbell can also be used.

8. Another wrist repetitive stress injuries protection exercise is opening and closing palm rapidly up to 100 reps. Also use handgrips. They’re sold at sporting goods stores and online and approach in varying tensions.

9. Wrist alphabets. With palm open but fingers together, “write” out all letters of alphabet with fingers as one unit. This forces wrist joint to move in every direction in different ways.

10. Avoid oddball repetitive stress motions outside the gym as well, to preserve optimal joint function at the gym. Example: For heavy keyboard use, dwelling keyboard on your lap. This places elbows in a relaxed position. Hands and wrists, too, are more relaxed because the entire forearm rests on your thighs and pelvic area. Place feet on cushion if you feel keyboard is slipping down legs.

11. If you frequently reach for things above head throughout your day or job, keep palm facing upward as much as possible, rather than facing floor. This keeps shoulder joint cavity more open.

12. Take regular breaks from repetitive motions. If you can’t (such as on the job), then squeeze in wrist exercises. Example: If you use a cash machine, between customers do wrist alphabets, weightless wrist curls or hand grips.

Justin Timberlake is at the top of his form as a singer-songwriter, producer, dancer and actor. Now he’s also been recognized for his personal style, topping GQ’s annual list of the Most Stylish Men in America. He’s approach a long way since he was the kid from Tennessee, singing with ‘N Sync and dressing in acid-washed denim to match then-girlfriend Britney Spears.

JT, who is 28, was praised by GQ for his ability to rock the leading edge of trends, including old-school hats, three-piece suits, thin ties, and even beards. Another look which Justin pioneered, the dress suit with sneakers, was brought on by necessity when he found he couldn’t comfortably dance in dress shoes. Every time he tries a modern peek, it seems to have an impact on the world of men’s fashion.

His style and versatility make him popular with guys and women alike. Who else can look so sexy in videos with stars like Scarlett Johansson and Rihanna, and then be such a goof on Saturday Night Live? And who else has advance out of a boy band and landed on top?

Another site where JT has recently branched out is golf, which he began playing seriously about 5 years ago. His coach is Butch Harmon, Tiger Wood’s former coach. Justin is above all a showman, and fashion is part of his golf game too. His style on the links is clean, polished and as effortless as his swing.

Justin credits his stepfather Paul Harless, a retired banker, for setting an example of sartorial style. Justin compares him to the character played by Richard Gere in the film American Gigolo, laying out the perfect suit and accessories each evening for the next day. He also credits his mother, Lynn Harless, for teaching him that decency shouldn’t be sacrificed for hard work and success.

Fashion merchandising seems to be another one of Justin’s many talents. With partner Juan (“Ticket”) Ayala, he launched his own clothing line in 2006. The William Rast label features jeans, jackets, sweaters, vests and graphic T-shirts. The latest collection, designed by Johan Lindeberg, was shown this week in Bryant Park at New York’s Fashion Week. Elvis Presley has been named by Justin and Trace as a style inspiration for the line. It’s not an unlikely model for JT, who is arguably the first artist since The King to make blue-eyed Memphis soul sound so good.

Source: men.style.com/gq/features/landing

If you love golf but struggle with a consistent swing, you have to try the Inside Approach Golf Training System. There have been many golf gadgets over the years, some work, most don’t. This system is endorsed by Jack Nicklaus. You can buy it at any sporting goods store for around $40.00, or you can remove a used one on Ebay like I did. With shipping costs, I got one for $15.00 on the famed auction site.

I have always had a horrible slice. With an outside-to-in swing, it was hopeless for me to ever hit a ball straight. But after using this system for just one week on the driving range, my slice is all but gone! The Inside Approach forces you to swing on the correct path. If you don’t, the foam bar pops off the bracket. The bar is lightweight and will not hurt your golf club. It is quite amazing that such a simple invention is so effective. The contraption breaks down for easy carrying. I keep it in the trunk of my car so I can always have it on hand, for the range, or to warm up before your round of golf.

By adjusting your swing to the correct swing path, you will also minimize pulling, popping up, pushing, and hooking the ball. It works for both left and moral handers. This is an excellent training device for the beginner, keeping one from developing bad swing habits.

If you buy the Inside Approach new, it will come with an instructional DVD. Or, if you’re lucky, one that you buy on Ebay will still be in the original box, containing the DVD and carrying case.

The key to a consistently effective golf swing is muscle memory. The Inside Approach does exactly that. You can even use it indoors, without the ball, of course. I employ mine in the backyard with a bag of plastic golf balls. They don’t go far, but they still give you an idea of what kind of contact you originate with the golf ball. The Inside Approach is like having your own personal golf instructor, minus the $40.00 a half hour.

Give this system a try. You will see results in the first couple of swings. The Inside Approach will correct your slice, your hook, and all those weird miss-hits that occur during a round of golf. You will also see longer drives, because you are hitting the ball straight for a change!

Golf is a sport that is not easy to master. One can have a smooth, fluid backswing, turn help to the ball in perfect fashion and then leave clubface a degree open and the ball goes sailing behind Junior’s Pig Farm.

It’s hard to stare down at that non-moving, little, white ball and not want to crush it. A beautifully executed drive is what all of us desire, strive for and obsess over. Objective like all sports, the sound of perfect contact is a sound and feel worth striving for. How to do that is not easy with all the books, magazines, training devices, golf pros, clubs and balls that are out there to confuse us. To make matters worse there is this guy named Tiger that we all want to be like.

We’ve all had that round where everything is working perfect; we swing on plane, our putting stroke is aligned and our feel around the green is spot on. However, we come support the following week and something changes; we feel cocky and swing harder, our putts sail contrivance past the hole and we shank every pitch shot. The frustration keeps us up at night so much so that we spend the following days and weeks buried in all sorts of books, videos and magazines to pick up the perfect tip to right our ailing golf game.

We’ve all been there and we’ve all suffered the same problems. When this happens, we turn to pros for help. There are those of us that have read Ben Hogan’s “Five Lessons” and Harvey Penick’s “Runt Red Book.” Some of us have studied the images in Jack Nicklaus’ “Golf my Way” and stored in memory the fixes found in David Leadbetter’s “Faults and Fixes.”

Dave Pelz’s is there to succor us with our short game in his book “Short Game Bible”. Annika Sorenstam helps the girls in “Golf Annika’s Way.” John Daly will help you learn how not to live your life. Michael Murphy’s “Golf in the Kingdom” explores the beauty and mystery of this game called golf. (This is my personal approved)

There are books on fixing slices, shanks, hook, chunks, chili dips and even our heads.

Now some of us are not great for reading so we turn to videos and dvd’s to encourage us along. Some need to see how to swing, act and play the game correct. I prefer this method to score a feel for rhythm and swing path.

So we turn on the TV, watch Tiger and Phil for a bit, make our way to the driving range and swing our little hearts out. After buckets of balls and blisters on each hand, we figure out, we are not these guys. So we go home and search for more advice.

We read articles in magazines, on the internet and try our hand at more fixes. We test these out and search for more. One day we step foot in a pro shop and hurry across an amazing new training aid that will cure our golf game woes forever.

Who hasn’t strapped on a “Straight Arm Sleeve” or wrestled with an “Impact Ball? ” Some of us have wiggled into the “Perfect Connextion” and stood on Hank Haney’s “Step Minder” and felt unconnected to say the least.

Nick Faldo tries to help with his “Step2 Swing”. Then there is the legendary, disjointed Medicus that “buckles” when one isn’t on the correct swing path. There are training aids for putting, curing a slice, gaining more distance, balance, rhythm, stance and a whole host of other oddities.

I’ve been there, I’ve read all the books, I’ve tried all the fixes and I’ve watched so many golf videos and rounds of golf that my brain can’t comprehend anymore.

Don’t regain me wrong, these items are useful and help in many ways, but they can also send one in too many directions.

That all changed for me the day I played a round with my dad and two of his friends ages, 72 and 74. I was 32 years aged, in great physical shape and limber as can be. My golf game was OK, but still needed a lot of work. I knew that I could show off for these older guys and show them how a longer hitter plays the game. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The best golf lesson I ever received came from that round of golf and these two older gentlemen.

The round started out the way I expected; the two older men drove the ball short and down the middle of the fairway with myself driving the ball a hundred yards past them. This was going to be a delight.

I pared the first whole and was up by two on the rest of my competitors. Cockiness settled in and on the second hole I bombed a drive into the pines. The older gentlemen poked the ball down the middle of the fairway, hit to the green and pared. I had to scramble out of the woods and took a double bogey .

This went on the whole round. I ended up off the fairway while my competitors enjoyed the luxury of the short grass with no obstacles in their way.

After nine I was ten strokes behind my nearest competitor. It was there that I realized how to play this game. The older gentleman had odd, short swings, but they took their time, stayed out of trouble and delivered a consistent blow to the ball hole after hole.

This game is not about how far you hit the ball or how smooth you look when swinging; it’s about playing smart, swinging within your means and enjoying the time on the course.

After the front nine I shortened and slowed down my swing and played the course. It was a wonderful learning experience and one that all should experience.

The befriend nine was a round I will never forget as I learned more about how this game should be played. (I still lost by 8 strokes)

“Let the nothingness into your swing.” Shivas Irons in Golf in the Kingdom

“Tae enjoy yerself, tha’s the thing, and beware the quicksands o’ perfection.” Shivas Irons in Golf in the Kingdom

“There is a force in the universe that makes things happen. All you have to do is get in touch with it, stop thinking, let things happen, and be the ball.”
Ty Webb from the mov ie Caddyshack