You are here: Home / Archives for General

Tiger Woods specialty ? The Swing

Tiger Woods

Image by Richard Carter via Flickr

There is definitely something special about Tiger Woods. As much as the person is talked about, so is his technique Tiger’s prowess on the golf course are much revered. He has won every possible golfing tournament. Has been a revelation of a sport that was running into oblivion. Tiger Woods has changed the way people perceive golf. No more is it a game for the retired person who can no longer run and only swing. If you look at Tiger, he is built like an athlete, and plays golf.

So what’s the special thing about Tiger’s game that sets him apart from the rest? Many people have contended that it is Tiger’s swing. Tiger’s swing has become so much of a talking point, that even an advertisement used his swinging slow motion.

The thing that aids Tiger’s swing is his body. Blessed with an athletic and flexible body, the way Tiger arches like a bow when he delivers a swing is unique. Tiger’s super-fitness level enables him to make the most of the swing. He generates tremendous speed and precision by bending his body. Because he is flexible he is able to do it.

As Tiger delivers his shot, you can see how he bends his trunk fast. It is almost like a string action. His right leg is pressed firmly as he delivers the swing. By doing this, all throughout the swing, he has total energy control over the golf ball. This is vital to deliver long distance accurate shots.

Another interesting thing is that Tiger uses his wrists. This is unique in golf. Indeed, the swing has been redefined, thanks to Tiger.

Filed Under: Events, General, Sports Tagged With: , ,

The Shape of the Football

By definition balls are round or more precisely spherical. Yet American footballs are an elongated oval.  Without a doubt the football’s shape allows for the long pass and easy ball handling. But exactly how did the football get its shape?  The answer is far for from clear.  Here is what we know.

Most experts agree that today’s American football is a derivative of the rugby ball.  Originally these balls were made from an inflated pig’s bladder covered by leather.  Early balls were not uniformly shaped due to two variables.  First pig’s bladders vary in size and shape and second the degree of inflation differed.  Early balls were inflated by inserting a clay pipe into a very smelly pig bladder and blowing.  Needless to say, this was an unpleasant task that produced inconsistent results.

Today, the pig’s bladder has been replaced with a butyl rubber bladder that is inflated  by machine to a pressure of not less than 12.5 lbs and no more than 13.5 lbs.  Between the rubber bladder and the leather exterior is a synthetic lining that prevents the leather from stretching during play.

Balls used in professional play must meet strict size criteria.  For instance, balls must:

  • Weigh between 14 and 15 ounces
  • Measure between 20.75 inches and 21.25 inches around the middle
  • Measure between 11 inches and 11.25 inches from tip to tip.

In professional football the balls have little chance of losing their shape or sustaining damage. While the manufacturing of these balls insures their consistency, professional football leagues take no chances.  Twenty-four balls are used in every professional football game—twelve in each half.  Thankfully, no one is standing on the sidelines blowing up pig bladders!

Filed Under: General, Sports Tagged With: , ,

Concussion Rule Changes Are Designed to Prevent Brain Damage

In 2009, the NFL was forced to make concussion rule changes that were designed to prevent brain damage.  After several players were put on the injured reserve list due to serious or multiple concussions, two NFL concussion commissioners resigned and rule changes took place.

It is estimated that as many as 20 players at a time are on the injured list for concussions or other brain injuries.  The nature of football make head injuries hard to completely avoid, so the rule changes are really designed more to prevent long term damage to the player after a concussion rather than to eliminate concussions from the game.

The new rules require that a player not finish a game if he receives a possible concussion and shows certain symptoms.  Those include memory loss, dizziness, nausea, persistent headaches or loss of consciousness.  The rule used to instruct that the only reason a player with a concussion couldn’t return to the game was because he lost consciousness.  Now all symptoms are applied to the rule.

Furthermore, the player has to be cleared by the team physician and an independent neurologist before returning to play.  The new concussion rule to prevent brain damage requires that the team hire an independent neurologist to examine all players who suffer a brain injury.  All involved in the player’s well being have to report that he is fully asymptomatic before returning to the game.

Players are also being encouraged to be honest about their symptoms instead of trying to cover them up.  If persistent headaches continue, the player must report it to prevent lasting injury to the brain.  The NFL must also continue to look into concussion prevention in order to insure the safety and well being of the players.  Certainly the desire to win and make money for the team owners is very strong, but Congress and the football governing body are starting to show concern about the win at all cost attitude.

Filed Under: General Tagged With:

Where to Find the Best-Selling Canadian Sports Books

If you’re looking for great sports books from Canada, there were plenty in 2010. You can find a lot of them quite easily, too, if you want to read them and see what sports excitement you might have missed out on – or relive some of the great sports moments that you witnesses or were a part of. There are memoirs, compilations, and histories to enjoy, so whatever you like you’ll have some good choices in your reading material. Here are three of the best options:

  1. Canucks at Forty, by Greg Douglas & Grant Kerr. This book was about the Canucks and how they’ve evolved for four decades. While a lot of people don’t see them as anything special, they’re treasured by their fans and they’ve had a rich and interesting history.
  2. Tough Guy: My Life on the Edge, by Bob Probert and Kirstie McLellan Day. As a hockey enforcer, Probert fills two entire pages with his stats and another 11 with fight information. The memoir is engaging, though, and it’s funny, witty, and enjoyable to read for anyone who’s a fan of hockey.
  3. Sports Illustrated the Hockey Book. If you like hockey – and who doesn’t – you’ll love this particular book. Sports Illustrated is always carefully dedicated to producing good things when it comes to any kind of sport, and this book is no exception. It’s an important book to own for the diehard hockey fan or anyone who’s interested in the game overall.

When you want to read these great options, you can use Canada 411 to find your local bookstores. There’s probably at least one store close to you where you can find these books, and that’s great news to anyone who’s interested in checking them out and exploring the rest of the Canadian book scene.

Filed Under: General, Sports Tagged With: ,

Finding the Best Sports Picks

Gambling odds reflect the average bettor's 'de...
Image via Wikipedia

Picking the best sports, and in turn the most likely athletes and ponies to win in those particular sports, is an art form in and of itself. On the one hand, you have the folks who will do the proverbial “dart board” approach, where they will just pick something at random and hope that it will work (and win) for them. This approach, while certainly exciting, is not even close to the most effective. After all, this approach tends to be favored by people who are more than a little silly.

Other folks tend toward a slightly more pragmatic approach in which they go with the biggest underdog out there. If the odds are about 12 to one, then that’s the athlete, horse, or team that this particular gambler is going to be out to bet on. But just so you know, sports picks like that have a tendency not to do so well, either. After all, there is usually a good reason why the odds are assigned such low marks when compared to all of the other options out there. The third approach is by far the best when you really want to win.

You need to follow the news and gambling-specific news websites for any new developments in your particular sport of choice. While this may not be as exciting as simply “letting it ride,” you also have a substantially higher likelihood of making successful (as in winning) bets through actually knowing as much as you can about the people, the animals, and the situations which are involved in your preferred betting scenario. Seriously, this is your money we are talking about. You do not want to just throw it down on whoever; you need to figure out, based on observation and a little bit of thinking, who is likely to deserve your bet.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: General Tagged With: , , ,