Performance is defined as the behavoir and result of a person's effort; whereas Fullfilment is usualy defined as a person's feeling of satisfaction or ahievement. Fullfilment includes people's feeling about their job, the organization. their coworkers, and their manager. It does not include monetary rewards or formal recognition.
Managing performance and fullfilment is a key function for all managers.
Managers have a tendency to be preoccupied with performance at the expense of fullfilment.
Managers who pay little attention to performance and fullfilment may endure increased turnover, loss of talent and decreased business results.
Remember that even high performers have a need for fullfilment.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Are you a leader or are a manager? Parts 2
Leaders who lead by example are those exceptional leaders who, more often than not, do the right things. They demonstrate the right behaviors and follow through on promises and commitments. In addition, they act as role models and mentors, are great listeners, and do not live by the adage, “Do as I say, not as I do.”
It has been said that leaders who lead by example walk the talk. But what does this mean? Paul Fireman, past chairman of Reebok International, made a promise that Reebok would overtake its main competitor, Nike, in two years. To fulfill this promise, he did not threaten or bribe the people who worked for him. He motivated his employees by showing them that he was willing to take risks, encouraging them to take risks as well.
He told them that he would do whatever it took to reach this goal. He then followed through on that promise by spending the money to build an innovative product development program and hiring the world’s top sports figures as spokespeople. Fireman talked and walked the new Reebok vision 24 hours a day.
Fireman said this: “You need to build an enrollment. I don’t think you can dictate that to people. I don’t think you can tell people to go, march, do this. You’ve got to make them want to ride along. It’s a leader’s job to foster those feelings. We are in this together. We are part of a team.”
Leaders who lead by example are courageous. You can recognize courageous leaders by looking for these characteristics and behaviors:
* They provide information and encourage their employees to make decisions that they support and they do not take credit for the employees’ successful ideas.
* They are continually coaching, providing honest, direct feedback, and supporting their employees. Under these circumstances, employees will build skills and, therefore, rely less on the leader.
* They empower employees and provide opportunities for greater responsibility.
* They recognize employees’ problem-solving actions and encourage risk-taking, rewarding the employee for the effort as well as the results.
* They face conflict and confrontation on tough issues and fight the right battles for employees, customers and the organization.
* They do what they say they will do.
Great listening skills characterize leaders who lead by example. This is different than saying these leaders have an open-door policy. What it means is that these leaders are willing to listen to employees’ concerns and ideas and seriously consider implementing their ideas whenever possible. They also take complaints seriously and take the time to investigate claims of ill treatment or inappropriate behaviors on the part of other leaders.
In today’s business world, there are many distractions. Consider this example: An employee comes into your office and states that they need to speak to you. Immediately, you know it’s serious. You try to do all of the right things. You put down your pen, put your phone on forward and give the employee your attention. Yet, it is hard to ignore the ding of e-mail that just arrived. The phone rings three times before switching to voice mail. Others pop their heads in periodically to ask a quick question. You hear an argument in the hall. How do you turn all of it off? It is not easy, but David DeNotaris, a blind motivational speaker, has some advice.
Since he does not have the advantage of observing body language and facial expressions while listening, he has learned to listen, as he says, “like a blind man.” In other words, he believes that everyone can learn to listen with the heart rather than the head.
“When you are listening with your head,” says DeNotaris, “you’re collecting facts and thinking, ‘I’d better prepare something to say when this person is done speaking.’ But when you listen with the heart, you show interest in the other person’s feelings – not your own reputation. You find out what the other person wants and needs and then you can speak in a way that meets those needs.”
Learning to be a leader who leads by example is not an easy task, especially with the distractions and stress of the business environment today. Many times in coaching sessions, leaders have told us they do not have any idea where to start. Try these quick activities to identify the characteristics of a person who leads by example.
Leaders who lead by example are mentors, willing to give of themselves to promote the growth and development of others. These leaders get to know their employees and build relationships that last a lifetime. They learn employees’ names, know about their families, and take the time to understand what motivates and inspires them. Most importantly, they practice the behaviors that motivate and inspire others. These leaders demonstrate strong ethics and moral behavior in their business and personal life.
In short, leaders who lead by example are the leaders who are competent and drive business results for the organization while building relationships with employees, customers and vendors. These are the most effective people in an organization. Unfortunately, these are also the most difficult people to find. When you find one, you must do whatever it takes to keep them in the organization, for they will take your business to the new heights.
It has been said that leaders who lead by example walk the talk. But what does this mean? Paul Fireman, past chairman of Reebok International, made a promise that Reebok would overtake its main competitor, Nike, in two years. To fulfill this promise, he did not threaten or bribe the people who worked for him. He motivated his employees by showing them that he was willing to take risks, encouraging them to take risks as well.
He told them that he would do whatever it took to reach this goal. He then followed through on that promise by spending the money to build an innovative product development program and hiring the world’s top sports figures as spokespeople. Fireman talked and walked the new Reebok vision 24 hours a day.
Fireman said this: “You need to build an enrollment. I don’t think you can dictate that to people. I don’t think you can tell people to go, march, do this. You’ve got to make them want to ride along. It’s a leader’s job to foster those feelings. We are in this together. We are part of a team.”
Leaders who lead by example are courageous. You can recognize courageous leaders by looking for these characteristics and behaviors:
* They provide information and encourage their employees to make decisions that they support and they do not take credit for the employees’ successful ideas.
* They are continually coaching, providing honest, direct feedback, and supporting their employees. Under these circumstances, employees will build skills and, therefore, rely less on the leader.
* They empower employees and provide opportunities for greater responsibility.
* They recognize employees’ problem-solving actions and encourage risk-taking, rewarding the employee for the effort as well as the results.
* They face conflict and confrontation on tough issues and fight the right battles for employees, customers and the organization.
* They do what they say they will do.
Great listening skills characterize leaders who lead by example. This is different than saying these leaders have an open-door policy. What it means is that these leaders are willing to listen to employees’ concerns and ideas and seriously consider implementing their ideas whenever possible. They also take complaints seriously and take the time to investigate claims of ill treatment or inappropriate behaviors on the part of other leaders.
In today’s business world, there are many distractions. Consider this example: An employee comes into your office and states that they need to speak to you. Immediately, you know it’s serious. You try to do all of the right things. You put down your pen, put your phone on forward and give the employee your attention. Yet, it is hard to ignore the ding of e-mail that just arrived. The phone rings three times before switching to voice mail. Others pop their heads in periodically to ask a quick question. You hear an argument in the hall. How do you turn all of it off? It is not easy, but David DeNotaris, a blind motivational speaker, has some advice.
Since he does not have the advantage of observing body language and facial expressions while listening, he has learned to listen, as he says, “like a blind man.” In other words, he believes that everyone can learn to listen with the heart rather than the head.
“When you are listening with your head,” says DeNotaris, “you’re collecting facts and thinking, ‘I’d better prepare something to say when this person is done speaking.’ But when you listen with the heart, you show interest in the other person’s feelings – not your own reputation. You find out what the other person wants and needs and then you can speak in a way that meets those needs.”
Learning to be a leader who leads by example is not an easy task, especially with the distractions and stress of the business environment today. Many times in coaching sessions, leaders have told us they do not have any idea where to start. Try these quick activities to identify the characteristics of a person who leads by example.
Leaders who lead by example are mentors, willing to give of themselves to promote the growth and development of others. These leaders get to know their employees and build relationships that last a lifetime. They learn employees’ names, know about their families, and take the time to understand what motivates and inspires them. Most importantly, they practice the behaviors that motivate and inspire others. These leaders demonstrate strong ethics and moral behavior in their business and personal life.
In short, leaders who lead by example are the leaders who are competent and drive business results for the organization while building relationships with employees, customers and vendors. These are the most effective people in an organization. Unfortunately, these are also the most difficult people to find. When you find one, you must do whatever it takes to keep them in the organization, for they will take your business to the new heights.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Are you a leader or are a manager? Part 1
Before delving into the topic of Leadership Example, it is helpful to define leaders and leadership. Beginning with the root word of lead, Webster’s Dictionary defines lead as “to guide and conduct; to govern; to precede.” Also from Webster’s, a leader is defined as “one who leads; a guide; a captain; a head of party.” In contrast, the definition of manage is “to wield; to direct; to conduct or minister; to have under command; to treat with judgment.” Simply put: Managers manage processes, and leaders inspire and motivate others to accomplish goals.
Ask yourself, which definition applies to you?
Are you a leader or a manager?
Which would you rather be?
Great leaders lead by example, demonstrating their values through their actions. These leaders build relationships by mentoring and providing guidance, creating cohesive teams and earning the loyalty of their employees.
There are many mangers in organizations across the country, yet very few leaders. How does this happen? It happens because most organizations still use an old, outdated method for hiring into and promoting people from within the organization. That method is to choose people who are very good at what they do, without consideration as to whether or not they can motivate and inspire people.
Managers are tactical, hands-on personalities. There is no argument that managers can achieve results. However, the results are almost always short-term results. People will do what they are told for many reasons; some of those reasons are fear of losing one’s job, lack of education or experience making him or her unwilling to argue (even if they feel the manager is wrong), or apathy toward the company and its goals.
Leaders provide guidance. They motivate and inspire people to take action. In this way, leaders achieve long-term results through a productive, happy workforce. There are many strategies used by leaders to achieve these results. The behavior that has the most powerful impact on employees, customers and vendors is leading by example. ----- to be continue
Ask yourself, which definition applies to you?
Are you a leader or a manager?
Which would you rather be?
Great leaders lead by example, demonstrating their values through their actions. These leaders build relationships by mentoring and providing guidance, creating cohesive teams and earning the loyalty of their employees.
There are many mangers in organizations across the country, yet very few leaders. How does this happen? It happens because most organizations still use an old, outdated method for hiring into and promoting people from within the organization. That method is to choose people who are very good at what they do, without consideration as to whether or not they can motivate and inspire people.
Managers are tactical, hands-on personalities. There is no argument that managers can achieve results. However, the results are almost always short-term results. People will do what they are told for many reasons; some of those reasons are fear of losing one’s job, lack of education or experience making him or her unwilling to argue (even if they feel the manager is wrong), or apathy toward the company and its goals.
Leaders provide guidance. They motivate and inspire people to take action. In this way, leaders achieve long-term results through a productive, happy workforce. There are many strategies used by leaders to achieve these results. The behavior that has the most powerful impact on employees, customers and vendors is leading by example. ----- to be continue
The value of mentoring in enhancing work
Mentorship refers to a personal developmental relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps a less experienced or less knowledgeable person. The receiver of mentorship was traditionally referred to as a protégé, or apprentice. Today, the term mentee is gaining acceptance and is becoming widely used.
There are several definitions of mentoring. Foremost, mentoring involves communication and is relationship based. In the organizational setting, mentoring can take many forms. The formal definition that best describes mentoring is as follows:
“Mentoring is a process for the informal transmission of knowledge, social capital and the psychosocial support perceived by the recipient as relevant to work, career or professional development; mentoring entails informal communication, usually face-to-face and during a sustained period of time, between a person who is perceived to have greater relevant knowledge, wisdom or experience (the mentor) and a person who is perceived to have less (the protégé or mentee).” (Bozeman, Feeney, 2007)
Organizations have started to see the value of mentoring for enhancing work life, performance, commitment and job satisfaction. When mentoring is implemented successfully, there are measurable improvements in employee performance, retention, employee commitment to the organization, knowledge sharing, leadership growth and succession planning.
A mentor is a person who gives another person the benefit of his or her years of experience and/or education. This is experience that is shared in such a way that the mentor helps to develop a mentee’s skills and abilities, benefiting the mentee and the organization.
A good mentoring relationship is identified by the willingness and capability of both parties to ask questions, challenge assumptions and disagree. It’s important to note that there’s no one way to mentor. Every mentoring relationship is as unique as the individuals involved.
The mentor is far less likely to have a direct-line relationship with the mentee, and in a mentoring relationship this distance is desirable. Mentoring is rarely a critical part of an individual’s job role, but rather an extra element that rewards the mentor with fresh thinking as well as the opportunity to transfer knowledge and experience to a less experienced colleague, peer or employee.
There are several definitions of mentoring. Foremost, mentoring involves communication and is relationship based. In the organizational setting, mentoring can take many forms. The formal definition that best describes mentoring is as follows:
“Mentoring is a process for the informal transmission of knowledge, social capital and the psychosocial support perceived by the recipient as relevant to work, career or professional development; mentoring entails informal communication, usually face-to-face and during a sustained period of time, between a person who is perceived to have greater relevant knowledge, wisdom or experience (the mentor) and a person who is perceived to have less (the protégé or mentee).” (Bozeman, Feeney, 2007)
Organizations have started to see the value of mentoring for enhancing work life, performance, commitment and job satisfaction. When mentoring is implemented successfully, there are measurable improvements in employee performance, retention, employee commitment to the organization, knowledge sharing, leadership growth and succession planning.
A mentor is a person who gives another person the benefit of his or her years of experience and/or education. This is experience that is shared in such a way that the mentor helps to develop a mentee’s skills and abilities, benefiting the mentee and the organization.
A good mentoring relationship is identified by the willingness and capability of both parties to ask questions, challenge assumptions and disagree. It’s important to note that there’s no one way to mentor. Every mentoring relationship is as unique as the individuals involved.
The mentor is far less likely to have a direct-line relationship with the mentee, and in a mentoring relationship this distance is desirable. Mentoring is rarely a critical part of an individual’s job role, but rather an extra element that rewards the mentor with fresh thinking as well as the opportunity to transfer knowledge and experience to a less experienced colleague, peer or employee.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Reviewing Performance
Finally, Reviewing Performance is last step of Performance Management Process to learn. It builds from the previous steps of setting goals for success and coaching for performance. Generally, the manager needs to summarize observations for each goal and explain ratings. Reviews can occur at scheduled intervals in the appraisal or development cycle and / or in response to changes to the business or member’s performance. The moral behind this understanding is that if the manager has provided feedback and coaching regularly, there should be no surprises at reviews.
The characteristic of good reviews should be consistent with the goals and measurements agreed on in the goal-setting discussion. Good reviews can motivate future performance and increase of satisfaction.
In the reviewing discussion section, the SMART and COACH process still can apply here. I learned that manager shall provide positive and constructive examples and connect comments to the member’s fulfillment. Two way communication skills should use to reach mutual agreement. The managers should handle challenge, in the case of disagree with members, by supporting ratings with documented examples and explaining evaluation criteria. Vice versa members should play his or her role before, during, and after the review discussions to have a fruitful Performance Process.
The characteristic of good reviews should be consistent with the goals and measurements agreed on in the goal-setting discussion. Good reviews can motivate future performance and increase of satisfaction.
In the reviewing discussion section, the SMART and COACH process still can apply here. I learned that manager shall provide positive and constructive examples and connect comments to the member’s fulfillment. Two way communication skills should use to reach mutual agreement. The managers should handle challenge, in the case of disagree with members, by supporting ratings with documented examples and explaining evaluation criteria. Vice versa members should play his or her role before, during, and after the review discussions to have a fruitful Performance Process.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Roles of a manager
Here I would like to show how the managers demonstrate the role in order to effectively achieve goals, develop people, and evaluate members in a fair manner.
There are 4 important roles that a manager shall be played in effectively carry out his/her duty:
As a leader, is concern about both productivity and fulfillment of those who work for his or her members.
As a supervisor, the manager is responsible for seeing that the business of the work unit runs smoothly, the managers provide resources, remove obstacles and generally make it as easy as possible for members to complete their tasks.
As a developer, to provide for members growth-both professionally and personally in a way that meets the needs of the organization and the member.
And lastly as an expert, to demonstrate his or her expertise in order to model the way to others.
Beside knowing the role of manager, manager shall identify these roles in his or her members so that the work flow and information will be cascade down to all members smoothly. With the identifying of position, also we would know how to properly identify the lacking area and inject the correct solutions.
In the later part ,i would like to show how essential that the line management to be identified as either Leader, Developer, Expert or Supervisor as in the company, department or individual level.
There are 4 important roles that a manager shall be played in effectively carry out his/her duty:
As a leader, is concern about both productivity and fulfillment of those who work for his or her members.
As a supervisor, the manager is responsible for seeing that the business of the work unit runs smoothly, the managers provide resources, remove obstacles and generally make it as easy as possible for members to complete their tasks.
As a developer, to provide for members growth-both professionally and personally in a way that meets the needs of the organization and the member.
And lastly as an expert, to demonstrate his or her expertise in order to model the way to others.
Beside knowing the role of manager, manager shall identify these roles in his or her members so that the work flow and information will be cascade down to all members smoothly. With the identifying of position, also we would know how to properly identify the lacking area and inject the correct solutions.
In the later part ,i would like to show how essential that the line management to be identified as either Leader, Developer, Expert or Supervisor as in the company, department or individual level.
Coaching for performance
Coaching is the process of working with a member to reinforce or change behavior.
A coach is what you are - it's not something you do
Coach like a lighthouse, be reliable and consistent and encourage open dialogue with the members.
Here is the approch that i think is effective to practise
Lighthouse coaching approach
C - Clarify expectations
O - Observe behaviors and results
A - Ask members for their perpective
C - Create an action plan
H - Help with support
Interesting statement that one should think deeply
Ligthoueses don't move - ships do
Ships are safest in the harbor, but that's not why ships were built
A coach is what you are - it's not something you do
Coach like a lighthouse, be reliable and consistent and encourage open dialogue with the members.
Here is the approch that i think is effective to practise
Lighthouse coaching approach
C - Clarify expectations
O - Observe behaviors and results
A - Ask members for their perpective
C - Create an action plan
H - Help with support
Interesting statement that one should think deeply
Ligthoueses don't move - ships do
Ships are safest in the harbor, but that's not why ships were built
Monday, August 16, 2010
Setting Goal for Success
What makes a good goal?
"Good goals provide SMART information"
S = Specific What is the concrete output or criteria?
M = Measurearable Which measurement define success?
A = Achieveable What is the challenge on the full stretch, but with the possibility to achieve by improvement and deligence?
R = Relevant How does the goal contribute to organizational performance and individual fulfillment?
T = Time-based When is it achieved in a certain period of time?
SMART goals help managers coach and review.
"Good goals provide SMART information"
S = Specific What is the concrete output or criteria?
M = Measurearable Which measurement define success?
A = Achieveable What is the challenge on the full stretch, but with the possibility to achieve by improvement and deligence?
R = Relevant How does the goal contribute to organizational performance and individual fulfillment?
T = Time-based When is it achieved in a certain period of time?
SMART goals help managers coach and review.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Leadership Don'ts |Leila's House of Corrections
With so much focus on how business leaders are hurting the economy, all leaders need to know which missteps to avoid. Leila starts you off with three suggestions—never raise your voice, don't ignore complaints, and never openly criticize people. Leila also suggests sitting down to talk honestly with your team about how you will help them accomplish their goals.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Versace - The Vibe for Fall 2011
Welcome back to the '80s. If you dig that whole rockabilly/Billy Idol/Stray Cats thing (which was already a re-introduction of the '60s), you'll be all over Donatella's latest. Single- and double-breasted suits cut thin and made of sharkskin. Jackets cropped high and short. Chains worn outside of shirts. Pointy, two-tone shoes. These are clothes made for a man who is ready to rock.
Read More http://www.gq.com/fashion-shows/brief/S2011MEN-VERSACEMEN#ixzz0wRwS4G8T
Interviewing Don'ts |Leila's House of Corrections
A high rate of unemployment means recruiters are in the driver's seat. Don't take advantage of your position and skip the basics—your hiring process will suffer for it. Remember to establish rapport by making eye contact and shaking hands at the beginning and at the end of the interview. Listen more than you talk and be sure to ask questions about soft skills, not just technical ability.
Top 10 Beauty Tips
Okay, so you may not admit it openly, but how many times have you stared at those drop-dead Models in the "Top 10 Beauty Tips" or "Top Ten Fashion Tips" sections of Beauty Magazines, without thinking, "I wish I had that pout!" or "I wish I had a cleavage like hers", or perhaps "I wish my hair looked as stunning as hers!" or "I'd kill for that eye make-up!" Don't worry, you're not the only one. Truth is, all of us have done it at some point or the other.
But guess what? It isn't wishful thinking any more! Welcome to the age of Makeovers, Style Gurus and Fitness Fads, with a few easy-to-do routine tips on Skin Care, Hair Care, Make-up, and Styling, now we all can flaunt a sexy, cool and elegant look at all times. Here are our Top 10 Beauty Tips to get you started:
1. Skin Care Tips
Beauty may not be skin-deep, but it does play a significant role in your overall personality. Talk to a skin expert and they'll tell you how your skin reflects your inner health and wellness, and therefore it is important for all of us to have a clean, clear skin free of Acnes, Pimples, blackheads and other skin-related disorders. Check out these quick skin care tips:
Dry Brush Your Skin Before Shower
We're not kidding! Using a Dry Brush on your skin everyday before bath actually helps stimulate the oil glands in our skin. Remember not to use a harsh brush though. There are soft bristled body brushes available in the market these days. Begin brushing gently from your feet upwards in circular motion. Finish with a warm shower and massage your body with a moisturizer that suits your skin type.
Exfoliate! Exfoliate! Exfoliate!
Yes, that's our mantra for a clean, clear skin. Exfoliating your skin regularly helps cleanse your skin of all the dirt, pollution and other chemicals it is exposed to everyday. Browse through the "Homemade beauty tips" and "Natural Beauty Treatments" sections of our website and you'll find hundreds of easy-to use, homemade recip for skin care, homemade face packs, natural scrubs and other organic treatments which are not only cost-effective but will also keep your skin away from the expensive inorganic crèmes and lotions available in the markets.
Avoid using Astringents unless your skin is very oily, and restrict their use on the oily zone, if necessary. For a quick homemade exfoliating scrub, add white granulated sugar to your body wash. Sugar is one of the most effective and will make your skin clean and smooth. Remember to wash your tub or shower thoroughly after applying this to avoid any stickiness.
2. Hair Care Tips
Don't underestimate the power of your tresses! According to Style and Makeover experts, Hair constitutes nearly 50% of your personality. Take care of your hair and they'll take care of you. Ignore them and they'll ruin your evening! Fact is, no amount of dressing up or make up can substitute for a healthy, shiny hair. Here are some quick hair care tips to help your hair look more stunning than ever:
Keep your tresses clean
Whether you live in dry weather conditions or in a hot and humid climate, you need to take care of your hair regularly to keep your scalp free of dandruff and other fungal infections. A perfectly natural way to get rid off toxins and shampoo build-up from your hair is by rinsing it once a week with Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse.
Avoid using hair products, which have excess oil, because they may cause blackheads over and around the forehead. When applying Hair Dyes, Hair Colors, Hairsprays and hair gels, remember to keep them away from your face, especially the eyes.
Flaunt Sexy, Stylish Hair in minutes
Do you need to look your best tonight but have no time to rush to the Hair Stylist or a Beauty Salon? Don't worry. You can fix your hair at home in minutes with some of the Hair-Styling products that are available in the markets today. For example, you can add volume and bounce to your hair, make your hair look wavy, curl the ends under or straighten it with a Texturizing Cream. All you need to do is dry your hair with a towel after shower and rub the texturizing cream through your hair.
If you have wavy or flyaway hair, rub a small amount of hand lotion in your hair then straighten them by combing them downwards with your fingers.
Having a Flat Hair Day?
Blow-drying your hair upside down for about 10 minutes could help add more volume and make your hair look bouncy.
Let your hair smell good
Spray your Comb or Hair Brush with your favorite perfume and then brush your hair. It'll add a subtle fragrance in your hair and make you feel good!
Thin down Your Hair Conditioner And Shampoo
Most hair shampoos and conditioners are very thick so you can save some bucks by thinning them down with water and increasing the quantity.
Maximize your Hair Style
Most people think they can set their Hair well by constant blow-drying, but this is far from true. Truth is, your hair will set best when it is cooling off after the blow-drying. To maximize your hair-style, apply a hair spray to your hair while using blow dryer and hot rollers.
If you're tempted to get that "Salon style blowout hair affect" at home, towel dry your wet hair and segregate it into many sections. Pick each section at a time and blow dry using a round brush.
3. Make-up Tips
Except for the celebs and models that are bound by their profession, most of us are always racing against our tight schedules and have neither the time nor the energy to spend hours in a beauty salon every day. What we do need is a few quick and simple makeup tips that would come handy in our day-to-day life and are easy to follow. Here are a few makeup tips that will make you look good everyday and you can easily follow these without spending too much time or effort:
the right make-up
Don't get swept off by all those beauty products in the market-they may not be right for you and can have adverse effect on your skin. If you're dealing with skin problems like pimples, Acne, Blackheads or have oily skin, you need to be careful while buying makeup and should use moisturizers, foundations, eye shadows and blushes that are oil free. Always pick skin care products that are labeled "noncomedogenic" (do not encourage the formation of closed pores) or "non-acnegenesis" (do not cause acne).
Foundation Tips
Before picking a foundation or concealer, always test if it matches your skin tone by rubbing a few drops on the inside of your wrist. The skin around your wrist is smooth and flawless and gives a clear idea of how the foundation would look when you apply it on your face.
To increase the life of your foundation or concealer and cut down on the heaviness, mix them with a light moisturizer to give your skin a glowing look.
Apply the foundation only after you are done with your eye make-up. This will help you take care of any last minute eyeliner or mascara smudging under the eyes.
To keep the makeup for long, spray a fully made up face with light mist- this works well for brides, night outs or during those extra hours at work!
Blush Tips
To add a natural glow to your face, use a blush cream or gel instead of powder in the shades of pink or peach. The advantage of using a Gel or Cream instead of powder is that they are more smooth and transparent and tend to blend evenly. Rub the blush on your cheekbones, blending up towards the eye for a flawless complexion.
Eye Makeup Tips
Sharpen your eyeliners frequently to keep them clean. Keep your eyeliner or lip liner in the freezer for about 10 minutes before sharpening them. This will make them a bit hard and they won't break while sharpening.
If you have deep-set eyes, use liquid eyeliner instead of a regular eye pencil to avoid smudging.
To make sure your eyes stay free of infection from make up, discard your powder eye shadows every 9 to 18 months, mascara after 3 months and cream eye shadows every 6 to 12 months.
To avoid the mascara from spreading or flaking-off, first apply a thin coat of mascara on your top lashes and then brush them with an eyelash brush to prevent clumps.
Heat the eyelash curler by holding it infront of a hair dryer for a few seconds before curling your eyelashes. Check the temperature, then use on your eyelashes. The heat helps the extra long eyelashes get better curls.
Unlike those sparse and skinny eyebrows, the eyebrows trend for this season is to flaunt thick, natural-looking eyebrows. If you have scanty brows, you can use eye shadow or a brow definer to fill in.
To settle untamed eyebrows, dampen them with hairspray and comb them gently with an old toothbrush.
Applying eyeshadow on top of the eyeliner with damp cotton will make the eyeliner stay for longer.
Lip Makeup tips
Do you love matte lipstick but dread applying them on your dry lips? If you suffer from dry lips, apply a coat of lip balm on your lips before you start applying make-up. By the time you're through with your eyes and face, your lips would have been moisturized and ready to show-off your favorite matte lipstick!
To avoid the lipstick from staining your teeth, stick your finger in your mouth and suck in as you pull it out. The finger will scoop out the lipstick that is left inside your mouth.
Nail polish Tips
Has your nail polish become thick and chunky because it has been lying for too long? Most of the times, old Nail polishes begin to thicken around the bottom of the bottle. To make them thin, add a few drops of nail polish thinner or nail polish remover.
Before applying a new coat of nail polish, soak your nails in luke warm water for 5 minutes and rub off the leftovers of the previous nail polish gently with a finger.
4. Nail Care Tips
Nails can either enhance your beautiful looks or can make you look really untidy and messy infront of your friends and colleagues. To avoid embarrassment and to make sure you have beautiful, shining nails, here are a few nail care tips:
Cut your nails regularly as long, unkept nails can accumulate dirt and germs and can cause infection.
If you suffer from weak, brittle nails, often it could be because you have not been drinking enough water of due to calcium deficiency. So drink lots of water every day and increase the intake of calcium in your diet!
Put on rubber gloves before you clean your dishes or do laundry because harsh detergents and dishwashers can wreck nails and stress nail fibers.
5. Get Rid of Unwanted Facial hair
Unwanted facial hair had always been the cause of embarrassment to the women suffering from it, but not any longer! Today, all you need to do is walk into a good beauty parlor or skin clinic and get rid of the unwanted facial hair with the help of the experts. Some of the popular hair removal techniques are:
6. Pamper your Feet
Don't forget to include your feet in your daily beauty regimen-they're one of your biggest assets!
Getting regular foot massage and pedicure helps stimulate the circulation of blood.
After a long walk, pamper your tired feet by indulging in a luxurious footbath.
Try this relaxation technique: Add a few drops of essential oils in a basin filled with warm water. Place small pebbles in the basin. Run your toes and soles over the pebbles and relax for 15 minutes.
7. Exercise Regularly
As mentioned in Top 10 Health Tips
8. Eat Healthy
As Mentioned in Top 10 Health Tips
9. Quit smoking
But guess what? It isn't wishful thinking any more! Welcome to the age of Makeovers, Style Gurus and Fitness Fads, with a few easy-to-do routine tips on Skin Care, Hair Care, Make-up, and Styling, now we all can flaunt a sexy, cool and elegant look at all times. Here are our Top 10 Beauty Tips to get you started:
1. Skin Care Tips
Beauty may not be skin-deep, but it does play a significant role in your overall personality. Talk to a skin expert and they'll tell you how your skin reflects your inner health and wellness, and therefore it is important for all of us to have a clean, clear skin free of Acnes, Pimples, blackheads and other skin-related disorders. Check out these quick skin care tips:
Dry Brush Your Skin Before Shower
We're not kidding! Using a Dry Brush on your skin everyday before bath actually helps stimulate the oil glands in our skin. Remember not to use a harsh brush though. There are soft bristled body brushes available in the market these days. Begin brushing gently from your feet upwards in circular motion. Finish with a warm shower and massage your body with a moisturizer that suits your skin type.
Exfoliate! Exfoliate! Exfoliate!
Yes, that's our mantra for a clean, clear skin. Exfoliating your skin regularly helps cleanse your skin of all the dirt, pollution and other chemicals it is exposed to everyday. Browse through the "Homemade beauty tips" and "Natural Beauty Treatments" sections of our website and you'll find hundreds of easy-to use, homemade recip for skin care, homemade face packs, natural scrubs and other organic treatments which are not only cost-effective but will also keep your skin away from the expensive inorganic crèmes and lotions available in the markets.
Avoid using Astringents unless your skin is very oily, and restrict their use on the oily zone, if necessary. For a quick homemade exfoliating scrub, add white granulated sugar to your body wash. Sugar is one of the most effective and will make your skin clean and smooth. Remember to wash your tub or shower thoroughly after applying this to avoid any stickiness.
2. Hair Care Tips
Don't underestimate the power of your tresses! According to Style and Makeover experts, Hair constitutes nearly 50% of your personality. Take care of your hair and they'll take care of you. Ignore them and they'll ruin your evening! Fact is, no amount of dressing up or make up can substitute for a healthy, shiny hair. Here are some quick hair care tips to help your hair look more stunning than ever:
Keep your tresses clean
Whether you live in dry weather conditions or in a hot and humid climate, you need to take care of your hair regularly to keep your scalp free of dandruff and other fungal infections. A perfectly natural way to get rid off toxins and shampoo build-up from your hair is by rinsing it once a week with Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse.
Avoid using hair products, which have excess oil, because they may cause blackheads over and around the forehead. When applying Hair Dyes, Hair Colors, Hairsprays and hair gels, remember to keep them away from your face, especially the eyes.
Flaunt Sexy, Stylish Hair in minutes
Do you need to look your best tonight but have no time to rush to the Hair Stylist or a Beauty Salon? Don't worry. You can fix your hair at home in minutes with some of the Hair-Styling products that are available in the markets today. For example, you can add volume and bounce to your hair, make your hair look wavy, curl the ends under or straighten it with a Texturizing Cream. All you need to do is dry your hair with a towel after shower and rub the texturizing cream through your hair.
If you have wavy or flyaway hair, rub a small amount of hand lotion in your hair then straighten them by combing them downwards with your fingers.
Having a Flat Hair Day?
Blow-drying your hair upside down for about 10 minutes could help add more volume and make your hair look bouncy.
Let your hair smell good
Spray your Comb or Hair Brush with your favorite perfume and then brush your hair. It'll add a subtle fragrance in your hair and make you feel good!
Thin down Your Hair Conditioner And Shampoo
Most hair shampoos and conditioners are very thick so you can save some bucks by thinning them down with water and increasing the quantity.
Maximize your Hair Style
Most people think they can set their Hair well by constant blow-drying, but this is far from true. Truth is, your hair will set best when it is cooling off after the blow-drying. To maximize your hair-style, apply a hair spray to your hair while using blow dryer and hot rollers.
If you're tempted to get that "Salon style blowout hair affect" at home, towel dry your wet hair and segregate it into many sections. Pick each section at a time and blow dry using a round brush.
3. Make-up Tips
Except for the celebs and models that are bound by their profession, most of us are always racing against our tight schedules and have neither the time nor the energy to spend hours in a beauty salon every day. What we do need is a few quick and simple makeup tips that would come handy in our day-to-day life and are easy to follow. Here are a few makeup tips that will make you look good everyday and you can easily follow these without spending too much time or effort:
the right make-up
Don't get swept off by all those beauty products in the market-they may not be right for you and can have adverse effect on your skin. If you're dealing with skin problems like pimples, Acne, Blackheads or have oily skin, you need to be careful while buying makeup and should use moisturizers, foundations, eye shadows and blushes that are oil free. Always pick skin care products that are labeled "noncomedogenic" (do not encourage the formation of closed pores) or "non-acnegenesis" (do not cause acne).
Foundation Tips
Before picking a foundation or concealer, always test if it matches your skin tone by rubbing a few drops on the inside of your wrist. The skin around your wrist is smooth and flawless and gives a clear idea of how the foundation would look when you apply it on your face.
To increase the life of your foundation or concealer and cut down on the heaviness, mix them with a light moisturizer to give your skin a glowing look.
Apply the foundation only after you are done with your eye make-up. This will help you take care of any last minute eyeliner or mascara smudging under the eyes.
To keep the makeup for long, spray a fully made up face with light mist- this works well for brides, night outs or during those extra hours at work!
Blush Tips
To add a natural glow to your face, use a blush cream or gel instead of powder in the shades of pink or peach. The advantage of using a Gel or Cream instead of powder is that they are more smooth and transparent and tend to blend evenly. Rub the blush on your cheekbones, blending up towards the eye for a flawless complexion.
Eye Makeup Tips
Sharpen your eyeliners frequently to keep them clean. Keep your eyeliner or lip liner in the freezer for about 10 minutes before sharpening them. This will make them a bit hard and they won't break while sharpening.
If you have deep-set eyes, use liquid eyeliner instead of a regular eye pencil to avoid smudging.
To make sure your eyes stay free of infection from make up, discard your powder eye shadows every 9 to 18 months, mascara after 3 months and cream eye shadows every 6 to 12 months.
To avoid the mascara from spreading or flaking-off, first apply a thin coat of mascara on your top lashes and then brush them with an eyelash brush to prevent clumps.
Heat the eyelash curler by holding it infront of a hair dryer for a few seconds before curling your eyelashes. Check the temperature, then use on your eyelashes. The heat helps the extra long eyelashes get better curls.
Unlike those sparse and skinny eyebrows, the eyebrows trend for this season is to flaunt thick, natural-looking eyebrows. If you have scanty brows, you can use eye shadow or a brow definer to fill in.
To settle untamed eyebrows, dampen them with hairspray and comb them gently with an old toothbrush.
Applying eyeshadow on top of the eyeliner with damp cotton will make the eyeliner stay for longer.
Lip Makeup tips
Do you love matte lipstick but dread applying them on your dry lips? If you suffer from dry lips, apply a coat of lip balm on your lips before you start applying make-up. By the time you're through with your eyes and face, your lips would have been moisturized and ready to show-off your favorite matte lipstick!
To avoid the lipstick from staining your teeth, stick your finger in your mouth and suck in as you pull it out. The finger will scoop out the lipstick that is left inside your mouth.
Nail polish Tips
Has your nail polish become thick and chunky because it has been lying for too long? Most of the times, old Nail polishes begin to thicken around the bottom of the bottle. To make them thin, add a few drops of nail polish thinner or nail polish remover.
Before applying a new coat of nail polish, soak your nails in luke warm water for 5 minutes and rub off the leftovers of the previous nail polish gently with a finger.
4. Nail Care Tips
Nails can either enhance your beautiful looks or can make you look really untidy and messy infront of your friends and colleagues. To avoid embarrassment and to make sure you have beautiful, shining nails, here are a few nail care tips:
Cut your nails regularly as long, unkept nails can accumulate dirt and germs and can cause infection.
If you suffer from weak, brittle nails, often it could be because you have not been drinking enough water of due to calcium deficiency. So drink lots of water every day and increase the intake of calcium in your diet!
Put on rubber gloves before you clean your dishes or do laundry because harsh detergents and dishwashers can wreck nails and stress nail fibers.
5. Get Rid of Unwanted Facial hair
Unwanted facial hair had always been the cause of embarrassment to the women suffering from it, but not any longer! Today, all you need to do is walk into a good beauty parlor or skin clinic and get rid of the unwanted facial hair with the help of the experts. Some of the popular hair removal techniques are:
6. Pamper your Feet
Don't forget to include your feet in your daily beauty regimen-they're one of your biggest assets!
Getting regular foot massage and pedicure helps stimulate the circulation of blood.
After a long walk, pamper your tired feet by indulging in a luxurious footbath.
Try this relaxation technique: Add a few drops of essential oils in a basin filled with warm water. Place small pebbles in the basin. Run your toes and soles over the pebbles and relax for 15 minutes.
7. Exercise Regularly
As mentioned in Top 10 Health Tips
8. Eat Healthy
As Mentioned in Top 10 Health Tips
9. Quit smoking
As mentioned in Top 10 Health Tips
So quit smoking and stay young and healthy!
10. Choose a good perfume
Remember Al Paccino's memorable lines in the "Scent of a Woman?" Who does not like to hang out with someone smelling good?
A good fragrance works like a magic spell and makes you stand out in a gathering. The coolest thing about applying a perfume is-it can be your signature scent, drawing everyone's attention wherever you go!
Each perfume has a unique fragrance and is meant to strike chemistry with the person wearing it. Pick a fragrance that complements your personality and gels with the mood of the occasion. For ex-while at work, you can use deodorants and body sprays with natural flavors whereas bold or strong scents can be used during parties or at more informal occasions.
While testing a perfume, always apply the scents to your pulse points first since this is where the blood vessels are closest to the skin and tend to give off more warmth and spread the scent around.
Watch out for any allergies and irritant reactions in case you're allergic to a fragrance.
How to Handle a Bad Performance Review | Dodging Landmines
It's not easy to receive criticism from your manager, even if it's constructive. But Roberta "Bobbie" LaPorte, a career and leadership coach, says you can turn a negative performance review into an opportunity to enhance your skills and reflect on your career.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Golf Lesson #3: Custom Fitting Golf Clubs
Custom fitting golf clubs involves several easy measurements and a quick self-assessment of your game. You will see many fitting methods out there in the golf universe, but most of them center around the same pieces of information. This method is simple, accurate, and effective. To custom fit your golf clubs, you need to know:
Your gender (male or female)
Your height in your stockings or socks
The distance from your wrist (where it bends) to the floor (without shoes)
Your age
Your handicap or skill level
How fast you swing a golf club
What club you use at the 150 yard marker
Gender is used to put you into the correct fitting scale. The golf industry uses different definitions of "standard length" for men and women.
Your height and the distance in inches from your wrist to the floor are used together to determine the length of golf club that is appropriate for you. The starting point for club length can vary up to 3 1/2" ranging from ladies to mens plus 1 1/2". A tall person with long arms can very easily require shorter clubs than an average height person with short arms. About 80% of golfers are Standard length.
Your age, handicap (if you happen to have one), self-assessed skill level, estimated golf swing speed and club you use at the 150 yard marker are all combined to determined the shaft flex that is appropriate for you.
Club Length & Flex
What should I know about golf club length? Length is simply how long the golf club is as measured from the butt end of the grip down the back side of the club down to where the club meets the ground. A longer golf club will hit further given the same swing speed — so length can be a good thing. However, since the swing arc is longer, it often is also harder to keep under control — so length can be a bad thing. All things being equal, most golfers will opt for longer length to the sacrifice of greater control.
The standard length of a steel shafted Driver for a man is 43 inches. Graphite shafted drivers are manufactured 1 inch longer than steel shafted clubs because graphite shafts weigh less than steel shafts allowing us to produce a longer club with the same swing weight (a fulcrum measurement of the proper balance and feel of a golf club). See Shafts (in Lesson #2) for a more complete discussion of the types of shafts we use and the length chart below for the different golf clubs that make up a set.
The proper length of a golf club is a function of your height and the length of your arms. We provide a Custom Fitting Wizard that determines the correct length for you with just two simple measurements.
How long is a golf club? There is no exact industry standard for golf club length. To make everything clear, we are letting you know our standard club lengths for men and women using both graphite and steel shafts. The measurement is made with the golf club in "address position" — club head resting on the floor, grip end in your hands. The measurement is made from the floor up the back side of the golf club to the butt end of the grip.
What should I know about golf club flex? Flex is the torsional stiffness of the golf club, which is provided by the type of golf club shaft that is used. Generally, stiffer shafts are better for stronger hitting golfers. Common shaft flexes are Men's Regular, Stiff, Extra Stiff, Senior, and Ladies. Interestingly, graphite shaft flex terminology uses Firm and Extra Firm instead of Stiff — we don't know why, they are just the words the golf industry uses.
The proper flex of a golf club is a function of your strength and golfing skills. We provide a Custom Fitting Wizard that determines the correct flex for you in just two simple steps. Determining the correct flex is most important for your Woods and longer Irons. Short irons, wedges and putters are not impacted very much by the different flexes as the differences between flexes becomes very small in the shorter clubs.
Often associated with flex, is "kick-point" — especially with graphite shafts. Less experienced golfers generally benefit from lower kick-point shafts, which help get the ball up in the air. Better golfers tend to favor higher kick points.
Loft & Lie Adjustments
A word about loft and lie adjustments. Pinemeadow can adjust the lie on irons and wedges. The request needs to be emailed to us with your order number or noted in the special comments box in step #3 of the shopping cart.
A lie adjustment requires bending the hardened metal in which an iron is cast. We strongly advise getting your lie fitting done in person. Online fittings while accurate do not take into account your natural ball address. Some players are more naturally upright and some like to “lean into” the ball. Once you have lie adjusted a club it is usually not a good idea to re-adjust if you later find it was the wrong adjustment.
From years of building experience we find it rare to need more than a 2 degree adjustment upright or flat, therefore we only perform lie adjustments to either extreme.
Woods, hybrid clubs and putters can not be adjusted. The reason these clubs can not be adjusted is because the hosel of each is cast in a way where physically bending the head at all will cause damage. In woods and hybrids it will crack or bend the crown of the club, and putter hosels are not made with the strength required for adjustment after the casting process.
Loft adjustments require a different type of bend than a lie adjustment. Some people receive advice in which they require a certain loft adjustment. We have never understood loft adjustments since it merely changes the loft of the club. We recommend buying golf clubs matching loft you seek and avoid custom loft adjustments. Bending the loft of an iron weakens the hardened metal and can lead to future metal fatigue, since the actual bend twists the metal to an extent. If the loft of your 5 iron is too strong, use a 6 iron. If it is too weak, use a 4 iron.
Your gender (male or female)
Your height in your stockings or socks
The distance from your wrist (where it bends) to the floor (without shoes)
Your age
Your handicap or skill level
How fast you swing a golf club
What club you use at the 150 yard marker
Gender is used to put you into the correct fitting scale. The golf industry uses different definitions of "standard length" for men and women.
Your height and the distance in inches from your wrist to the floor are used together to determine the length of golf club that is appropriate for you. The starting point for club length can vary up to 3 1/2" ranging from ladies to mens plus 1 1/2". A tall person with long arms can very easily require shorter clubs than an average height person with short arms. About 80% of golfers are Standard length.
Your age, handicap (if you happen to have one), self-assessed skill level, estimated golf swing speed and club you use at the 150 yard marker are all combined to determined the shaft flex that is appropriate for you.
Club Length & Flex
What should I know about golf club length? Length is simply how long the golf club is as measured from the butt end of the grip down the back side of the club down to where the club meets the ground. A longer golf club will hit further given the same swing speed — so length can be a good thing. However, since the swing arc is longer, it often is also harder to keep under control — so length can be a bad thing. All things being equal, most golfers will opt for longer length to the sacrifice of greater control.
The standard length of a steel shafted Driver for a man is 43 inches. Graphite shafted drivers are manufactured 1 inch longer than steel shafted clubs because graphite shafts weigh less than steel shafts allowing us to produce a longer club with the same swing weight (a fulcrum measurement of the proper balance and feel of a golf club). See Shafts (in Lesson #2) for a more complete discussion of the types of shafts we use and the length chart below for the different golf clubs that make up a set.
The proper length of a golf club is a function of your height and the length of your arms. We provide a Custom Fitting Wizard that determines the correct length for you with just two simple measurements.
How long is a golf club? There is no exact industry standard for golf club length. To make everything clear, we are letting you know our standard club lengths for men and women using both graphite and steel shafts. The measurement is made with the golf club in "address position" — club head resting on the floor, grip end in your hands. The measurement is made from the floor up the back side of the golf club to the butt end of the grip.
What should I know about golf club flex? Flex is the torsional stiffness of the golf club, which is provided by the type of golf club shaft that is used. Generally, stiffer shafts are better for stronger hitting golfers. Common shaft flexes are Men's Regular, Stiff, Extra Stiff, Senior, and Ladies. Interestingly, graphite shaft flex terminology uses Firm and Extra Firm instead of Stiff — we don't know why, they are just the words the golf industry uses.
The proper flex of a golf club is a function of your strength and golfing skills. We provide a Custom Fitting Wizard that determines the correct flex for you in just two simple steps. Determining the correct flex is most important for your Woods and longer Irons. Short irons, wedges and putters are not impacted very much by the different flexes as the differences between flexes becomes very small in the shorter clubs.
Often associated with flex, is "kick-point" — especially with graphite shafts. Less experienced golfers generally benefit from lower kick-point shafts, which help get the ball up in the air. Better golfers tend to favor higher kick points.
Loft & Lie Adjustments
A word about loft and lie adjustments. Pinemeadow can adjust the lie on irons and wedges. The request needs to be emailed to us with your order number or noted in the special comments box in step #3 of the shopping cart.
A lie adjustment requires bending the hardened metal in which an iron is cast. We strongly advise getting your lie fitting done in person. Online fittings while accurate do not take into account your natural ball address. Some players are more naturally upright and some like to “lean into” the ball. Once you have lie adjusted a club it is usually not a good idea to re-adjust if you later find it was the wrong adjustment.
From years of building experience we find it rare to need more than a 2 degree adjustment upright or flat, therefore we only perform lie adjustments to either extreme.
Woods, hybrid clubs and putters can not be adjusted. The reason these clubs can not be adjusted is because the hosel of each is cast in a way where physically bending the head at all will cause damage. In woods and hybrids it will crack or bend the crown of the club, and putter hosels are not made with the strength required for adjustment after the casting process.
Loft adjustments require a different type of bend than a lie adjustment. Some people receive advice in which they require a certain loft adjustment. We have never understood loft adjustments since it merely changes the loft of the club. We recommend buying golf clubs matching loft you seek and avoid custom loft adjustments. Bending the loft of an iron weakens the hardened metal and can lead to future metal fatigue, since the actual bend twists the metal to an extent. If the loft of your 5 iron is too strong, use a 6 iron. If it is too weak, use a 4 iron.
Golf Lesson #2: Technical Specs of Golf Club Heads, Shafts & Grips
What Should I Know About Golf Club Heads?
Golf club heads can be made from many materials. Zinc and Aluminum alloys are primarily used in beginner’s sets and putters. HST Aluminum is a much harder aluminum and is popular in very large drivers. 431 and 17-4ph stainless steel is commonly used in professional quality iron heads. You will also find 17-4 stainless steel in some wood heads. Maraging metal is a stainless steel put through a very special hardening process that makes it very, very, hard and is a popular material for faceplates in the highest performing woods. Titanium is the most expensive material used in building golf clubs heads and combines light weight and excellent strength. Titanium is used today in the highest end woods manufactured. Pinemeadow Golf carries a wide assortment of titanium woods.
Do not confuse Ti-Alloy with Titanium. Ti-Alloy products are Aluminum products with trace elements of Titanium that attempt to take advantage of the Titanium name. Ti-Alloy products are among the least expensive and are meant for beginners and junior golfers. Other materials include ceramics, graphite and plastics. We don’t see those much anymore, but they should begin to make a return in the next few years as manufacturing technologies improve.
To conclude our section on materials, we rank golf head materials as follows:
Beginner woods:
Aluminum, Titanium alloys
Good woods:
HST Aluminum
Better woods:
17-4ph stainless steel, 431 stainless steel
Best woods:
Titanium (usually in drivers only), maraging metal, bi-metal,tungsten insert
Beginner irons:
Zinc
Best irons:
431 stainless steel, 17-4ph stainless steel, bi-metal, tungsten insert
Putters:
Material choices are immaterial. The shape, weighting and type of inserts generally override materials in your decision.
Golf heads are made in a variety of shapes. Key design principles are weight distribution (perimeter, low center of gravity, etc.), size (traditional, oversize, super-oversize) and styling (keel sole, deep face, wide body, etc.). There are not very many utility patents in this area, so most club makers can use most shapes that they desire without violating another company’s rights.
Golf heads come in a variety of weights. Here there are some important factors. To achieve the desired swing weight there is an important dynamic between the weight of a golf head, the length of the club and the weight of the grip and shaft. Don’t worry too much about it because every decent club maker uses golf club casting foundries that cast golf heads with the correct weights. It would be pretty rare to find a golf head maker that messes up in this area.
Generally, if a club is made from the same materials, using the same shapes, with the same weight distributions and overall weight, it should perform the same as another club similarly constructed. This is a key concept to understanding why golf club clones perform as well as the name brands—it is just molten metal shaped into a form. If the metal is the same and the shape similar, the result should compare very well.
The trick is that many companies and retail stores do not explain or know what their clubs are made from. For example, an Aluminum driver that looks just like a club made from stainless steel will be inferior to that club and vice versa. We will do our best to tell you the straight truth about products and what they are made from so you will be educated to judge quality for yourself. Look at a product on our web site and you will see specifications for materials, size and weight.
Golf Club Shafts
We have been in the golf business for many years and have bought shafts from every significant steel and graphite shaft maker. We find much greater quality differences in graphite shafts versus steel shafts, but the good news is that the quality of graphite has improved significantly over the past ten years. In fact the quality of graphite shafts and their affordability is much better than just two or three years ago. So, here are our short thoughts on shafts and why we use whom we do as suppliers.
In our opinion, the shaft is as important as the head of a golf club. In fact, we often find greater performance differences in using different graphite shafts with the same head than we do using different heads (provided the heads are made from the same materials) with the same shaft. Did that make any sense to you? Well, it’s the truth. So, the bottom line: shafts are very important.
For information on golf club lengths, see the next lesson, Custom Fitting Golf Clubs.
Should I Use Graphite or Steel Shafts?
Strongly consider using graphite shafts in your woods if:
You are a woman
You are a senior
You are a baby boomer
You have joint problems
You want to play a longer driver
You have pretty good swing speed tempo and are younger
You are an average player who wants to play better
Strongly consider using graphite shafts in your irons if:
You are a woman
You are a senior
You are a baby boomer
You have joint problems
You love having graphite shafts in your woods?
You have a slower swing and want to add distance
So, what is the logic of our advice? Well, graphite shafts reduce the weight of your club (it is actually quite remarkable to feel the weight difference in an entire set of clubs made with steel versus graphite shafts)—this is good for all players, but especially women and seniors. Graphite shafts weigh from 50 grams to 85 grams, while steel shafts generally start at 120 grams. Graphite shafts reduce the shock at impact—this is good for women, seniors, aging baby boomers and those of us with joint problems. Graphite shafts allow for longer clubs—this is good for distance (but maybe not quite so good for control). Graphite shafts have greater construction alternatives so that they can be designed to affect the flight of the ball to a greater degree than steel shafts.
Who Makes Pinemeadow’s Graphite Shafts?
There is a much greater quality difference between graphite shaft makers than steel shaft makers. Aldila has been the #1 graphite shaft maker for as long as we have been in business. Why take any risk here? We know that with an Aldila graphite shaft we won’t have any breakage problems, whipping torques or other quality issues. And, their performance is superb. Enough said. We use Aldila graphite shafts for all our graphite shaft needs. However, for those of you who like to experiment and have your own favorites, we offer a variety of custom shaft upgrades.
What About Stainless Steel Shafts?
We use FM Precision, True Temper and Apollo for our steel shafts. The reasons are simple. They all make superior shafts, are long recognized as industry leaders, have very compatible steel shafts with each other and are extremely reliable. These shafts manufacturers are used by virtually every golf club manufacturer in the world today.
Golf Club Grips
Grips are the least expensive yet one of the most important parts of a golf club. Our most important advice is—change your golf grips often. Grips tend to oxidize, harden, get slick, and lose their grip over time. It is a two-edged sword—the grippier they are, the faster they lose that grip.
So, we have taken a position that attempts to cut it both ways. We buy the highest quality grips that have a greater than normal longevity, but not the absolute highest grip factor. This way, if you don’t re-grip when you are supposed to at least you will have good grips. But, we do recommend re-gripping often—it will have a positive effect on your game. It’s just like changing the oil in your car. Only every six months or 3,000 rounds. We also allow you to select from an excellent variety of custom upgrades for your grips.
Golf club heads can be made from many materials. Zinc and Aluminum alloys are primarily used in beginner’s sets and putters. HST Aluminum is a much harder aluminum and is popular in very large drivers. 431 and 17-4ph stainless steel is commonly used in professional quality iron heads. You will also find 17-4 stainless steel in some wood heads. Maraging metal is a stainless steel put through a very special hardening process that makes it very, very, hard and is a popular material for faceplates in the highest performing woods. Titanium is the most expensive material used in building golf clubs heads and combines light weight and excellent strength. Titanium is used today in the highest end woods manufactured. Pinemeadow Golf carries a wide assortment of titanium woods.
Do not confuse Ti-Alloy with Titanium. Ti-Alloy products are Aluminum products with trace elements of Titanium that attempt to take advantage of the Titanium name. Ti-Alloy products are among the least expensive and are meant for beginners and junior golfers. Other materials include ceramics, graphite and plastics. We don’t see those much anymore, but they should begin to make a return in the next few years as manufacturing technologies improve.
To conclude our section on materials, we rank golf head materials as follows:
Beginner woods:
Aluminum, Titanium alloys
Good woods:
HST Aluminum
Better woods:
17-4ph stainless steel, 431 stainless steel
Best woods:
Titanium (usually in drivers only), maraging metal, bi-metal,tungsten insert
Beginner irons:
Zinc
Best irons:
431 stainless steel, 17-4ph stainless steel, bi-metal, tungsten insert
Putters:
Material choices are immaterial. The shape, weighting and type of inserts generally override materials in your decision.
Golf heads are made in a variety of shapes. Key design principles are weight distribution (perimeter, low center of gravity, etc.), size (traditional, oversize, super-oversize) and styling (keel sole, deep face, wide body, etc.). There are not very many utility patents in this area, so most club makers can use most shapes that they desire without violating another company’s rights.
Golf heads come in a variety of weights. Here there are some important factors. To achieve the desired swing weight there is an important dynamic between the weight of a golf head, the length of the club and the weight of the grip and shaft. Don’t worry too much about it because every decent club maker uses golf club casting foundries that cast golf heads with the correct weights. It would be pretty rare to find a golf head maker that messes up in this area.
Generally, if a club is made from the same materials, using the same shapes, with the same weight distributions and overall weight, it should perform the same as another club similarly constructed. This is a key concept to understanding why golf club clones perform as well as the name brands—it is just molten metal shaped into a form. If the metal is the same and the shape similar, the result should compare very well.
The trick is that many companies and retail stores do not explain or know what their clubs are made from. For example, an Aluminum driver that looks just like a club made from stainless steel will be inferior to that club and vice versa. We will do our best to tell you the straight truth about products and what they are made from so you will be educated to judge quality for yourself. Look at a product on our web site and you will see specifications for materials, size and weight.
Golf Club Shafts
We have been in the golf business for many years and have bought shafts from every significant steel and graphite shaft maker. We find much greater quality differences in graphite shafts versus steel shafts, but the good news is that the quality of graphite has improved significantly over the past ten years. In fact the quality of graphite shafts and their affordability is much better than just two or three years ago. So, here are our short thoughts on shafts and why we use whom we do as suppliers.
In our opinion, the shaft is as important as the head of a golf club. In fact, we often find greater performance differences in using different graphite shafts with the same head than we do using different heads (provided the heads are made from the same materials) with the same shaft. Did that make any sense to you? Well, it’s the truth. So, the bottom line: shafts are very important.
For information on golf club lengths, see the next lesson, Custom Fitting Golf Clubs.
Should I Use Graphite or Steel Shafts?
Strongly consider using graphite shafts in your woods if:
You are a woman
You are a senior
You are a baby boomer
You have joint problems
You want to play a longer driver
You have pretty good swing speed tempo and are younger
You are an average player who wants to play better
Strongly consider using graphite shafts in your irons if:
You are a woman
You are a senior
You are a baby boomer
You have joint problems
You love having graphite shafts in your woods?
You have a slower swing and want to add distance
So, what is the logic of our advice? Well, graphite shafts reduce the weight of your club (it is actually quite remarkable to feel the weight difference in an entire set of clubs made with steel versus graphite shafts)—this is good for all players, but especially women and seniors. Graphite shafts weigh from 50 grams to 85 grams, while steel shafts generally start at 120 grams. Graphite shafts reduce the shock at impact—this is good for women, seniors, aging baby boomers and those of us with joint problems. Graphite shafts allow for longer clubs—this is good for distance (but maybe not quite so good for control). Graphite shafts have greater construction alternatives so that they can be designed to affect the flight of the ball to a greater degree than steel shafts.
Who Makes Pinemeadow’s Graphite Shafts?
There is a much greater quality difference between graphite shaft makers than steel shaft makers. Aldila has been the #1 graphite shaft maker for as long as we have been in business. Why take any risk here? We know that with an Aldila graphite shaft we won’t have any breakage problems, whipping torques or other quality issues. And, their performance is superb. Enough said. We use Aldila graphite shafts for all our graphite shaft needs. However, for those of you who like to experiment and have your own favorites, we offer a variety of custom shaft upgrades.
What About Stainless Steel Shafts?
We use FM Precision, True Temper and Apollo for our steel shafts. The reasons are simple. They all make superior shafts, are long recognized as industry leaders, have very compatible steel shafts with each other and are extremely reliable. These shafts manufacturers are used by virtually every golf club manufacturer in the world today.
Golf Club Grips
Grips are the least expensive yet one of the most important parts of a golf club. Our most important advice is—change your golf grips often. Grips tend to oxidize, harden, get slick, and lose their grip over time. It is a two-edged sword—the grippier they are, the faster they lose that grip.
So, we have taken a position that attempts to cut it both ways. We buy the highest quality grips that have a greater than normal longevity, but not the absolute highest grip factor. This way, if you don’t re-grip when you are supposed to at least you will have good grips. But, we do recommend re-gripping often—it will have a positive effect on your game. It’s just like changing the oil in your car. Only every six months or 3,000 rounds. We also allow you to select from an excellent variety of custom upgrades for your grips.
The Eos -Volkswagen
The Eos,with 2.0 litre turbo TSI engine, offers the best of both worlds: authentic cabriolet fun and the dynamic performance of an innovative coupé, really nice in outlook and performance.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Wonderfully described definitions.......
CIGARETTE:
A pinch of tobacco
rolled in paper
with fire at one end
and a fool at the other!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Golf Lesson #1: The Basics of Golf Clubs
Golf clubs are the tools we use to strike the golf ball. A golf club has three components — the Head, the Shaft and the Grip. The rules of golf constrain golf club designs, but the goal of clubmakers is to create golf clubs, within those rules of golf, that maximize the physics of the golfer's swing while allowing for a range of swing error to provide an accurate, long, yet forgiving shot. The better your swing, the less forgiving club you require.
A standard set of golf clubs consists of three woods (the 1-driver, 3, and 5), eight irons (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and PW), and a putter — twelve clubs. The rules of golf allow you to carry fourteen clubs in your bag, so many golfers add another iron or a specialty wood. After all, the more tools we have in our toolbox, the easier it is to do our job!
Woods
Woods are used to hit long shots. If a golf hole is 450 yards from tee to green, most golfers use a wood to hit off the tee. A wood is a hollow-bodied large headed golf club. Use your woods when you are 175 yards or more away from the green.
The Driver (also called the 1 wood) has the lowest loft of any golf club. Loft is the angle of the club face that controls trajectory and affects distance. A driver has a loft between 7 and 12 degrees. Experienced golfers have traditionally favored lower lofted drivers (less than 10 degrees of loft), which require much more skill to hit than higher lofted drivers.
A dramatic development has occurred over the past several years - professional golfers are throwing out their low lofted drivers and opting for large-headed, higher-lofted 10 and 11 degree drivers. Their argument is that the longest drives are achieved by combining a high launch angle with lower spin. The newer, higher-lofted designs for large-headed drivers provide the higher launch angle; the new solid core golf balls provide less spin on the golf ball. This results in the longest drives. So the professionals are increasingly moving to larger headed higher lofted drivers. They get more carry with less shot error. Just like you should do!
This change is a huge reversal from prior years. During the mid to late 1990's, the average loft on the PGA Tour was around 7 degrees. However, those were difficult shots for the pros to make and the ball flight from such a low loft created lots of spin. The experts in ball flight analysis showed that the longest golf drives are achieved with a high launch angle combined with low spin. The new solid core golf balls provide that low spin which was not available in the golf balls of yesterday. A higher lofted club gives the golfer the higher launch angle.
Most PGA pros now carry drivers with lofts of 8.5 to 10 degrees or more. Non-pros should probably play drivers with lifts 10 degrees or higher. So our recommendation is follow the advice of the PGA pros and increase the loft of your driver.
Most golfers also carry 3 and 5 woods in their bag. A 3 wood has a loft between 15 and 18 degrees, and a 5 wood has a loft between 20 and 22 degrees. The higher the golf club number, the higher the loft. In addition, the higher the golf club number, the shorter the club. A 3 wood is generally 1/2" shorter than a Driver and so on with each successive club. However, we build all our woods higher than a 5 wood the same length as the 5 wood. This is because the shorter the club, the smaller the arc of the swing. The smaller the arc of the swing, the less speed the golf club will have when it strikes the ball — ergo the less distance the ball will travel. We believe that a 5 wood is short enough and while the 7 and 9 woods provide more forgiveness, we also want longer distance in our shots. Arghh, the physics of golf!
Why aren't woods made of wood? They used to be, but since the 1980's woods have been made of metal. Metal has many advantages over wood — the most important to the beginning golfer being the ability to precisely mold metal to create a golf club that has perimeter weighting and low center of gravity (LCG). Both of these design technologies result in golf clubs that are much more forgiving than wooden woods. Perimeter weighting helps create a larger sweet spot — a larger area on the face of the club that will result in a good hit. Low center of gravity creates mass at the right place — increasing the height that the ball will launch off the club and reducing the likelihood of miss-hits into the ground.
What about 2 and 4 woods? These woods actually exist and were popular 20 or more years ago, but they have fallen out of favor as newer technologies have improved the performance of woods. Today, most golfers prefer 7 and 9 woods in their bag (which can only have fourteen clubs) than a 2 or 4 wood. In fact, there is now a trend to include higher numbered woods and eliminate the traditional low numbered irons in your set of golf clubs. That will be discussed in greater detail when we talk about irons. The 3 wood and 5 wood are commonly referred to as Fairway Woods, because they are most often used during the second shot of play, when you are supposed to be in the fairway of the golf hole (as opposed to in the woods!). All higher lofted woods (7, 9, 11, and so on) are commonly referred to as utility woods.
Irons
Irons are generally used when you are less than 200 yards away from the green. The closer you are to the green, the higher the iron you will use. A standard set of irons consists of 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 irons and the Pitching Wedge (PW). The 3 and 4 irons are harder to hit than the higher number irons. Many golfers, especially ladies, seniors and higher handicap golfers, are changing to a modified standard golf set that replaces the 3 and 4 iron with higher lofted woods like the 7 and 9 woods. We think this is a sensible trend and one that a beginning golfer should consider. Higher lofted woods, like the 7 and 9 wood are easier to hit than a 3 or 4 iron and result in comparable distances.
Wedges
Wedges are really just specialty irons. The first wedge is the Pitching Wedge (PW), which is usually about 48 degrees in loft. Wedges generally increase in 4 degree loft amounts. So wedges commonly come in 48, 52, 56, 60 and 64 degree lofts. We manufacture a very special wedge called the Last Wedge — which has a 68 degree loft. The PW is the highest lofted iron in a standard set and lowest loft of the wedges. Following the PW with higher lofts are the Approach Wedge (AW), Sand Wedge (SW), the Lob Wedge (LW), the High-Lob Wedge and, finally, our Pinemeadow Last Wedge at 68 degrees.
Wedges are extremely useful to your game and most golfers have a few of them. Wedges are generally designed as "blade clubs" because you are close enough to the green that the game improvement design elements (discussed below) are less important. The need for increased shot control and shot shaping, which blade design encourages, becomes the more important technology for a good wedge design.
Putters
A putter is a golf club with a special purpose: getting the ball into the hole. After you have slammed your drive 250 yards right into the middle of the fairway, hit your second shot 175 yards into the sand trap, and then wedged out onto the green, it is time to "putt for dough." The putter is used on the green and there are many style of putters: short, belly, long, bent, center-hosel, heel-toe, mallet, and so on. At Pinemeadow Golf, we provide you a huge selection of putters and we have a good reason for it, which we explain next.
The Psychology of What You Carry in Your Golf Bag
After decades of experience in the golf club manufacturing business, building millions of clubs for huge numbers of happy customers, we have noticed one thing. Most golfers have as their minimum arsenal one set of irons, multiple wedges, several drivers and a variety of putters. This is because your foursome all gets together at the tee where you use your driver. The pressure is high to perform well. Hopefully you end up in the fairway, spread out all over the golf course. As you work your way through the hole using your fairway woods and irons — eventually, you all come back together again on the green.
So, where do you need the most weapons at your disposal? It is where the stakes are highest and the pressure to perform reaches its zenith. That is at the tee and the green — they don't say "drive for show, putt for dough" casually. And that is why most golfers we know have multiple drivers and putters and one set of irons.
A standard set of golf clubs consists of three woods (the 1-driver, 3, and 5), eight irons (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and PW), and a putter — twelve clubs. The rules of golf allow you to carry fourteen clubs in your bag, so many golfers add another iron or a specialty wood. After all, the more tools we have in our toolbox, the easier it is to do our job!
Woods
Woods are used to hit long shots. If a golf hole is 450 yards from tee to green, most golfers use a wood to hit off the tee. A wood is a hollow-bodied large headed golf club. Use your woods when you are 175 yards or more away from the green.
The Driver (also called the 1 wood) has the lowest loft of any golf club. Loft is the angle of the club face that controls trajectory and affects distance. A driver has a loft between 7 and 12 degrees. Experienced golfers have traditionally favored lower lofted drivers (less than 10 degrees of loft), which require much more skill to hit than higher lofted drivers.
A dramatic development has occurred over the past several years - professional golfers are throwing out their low lofted drivers and opting for large-headed, higher-lofted 10 and 11 degree drivers. Their argument is that the longest drives are achieved by combining a high launch angle with lower spin. The newer, higher-lofted designs for large-headed drivers provide the higher launch angle; the new solid core golf balls provide less spin on the golf ball. This results in the longest drives. So the professionals are increasingly moving to larger headed higher lofted drivers. They get more carry with less shot error. Just like you should do!
This change is a huge reversal from prior years. During the mid to late 1990's, the average loft on the PGA Tour was around 7 degrees. However, those were difficult shots for the pros to make and the ball flight from such a low loft created lots of spin. The experts in ball flight analysis showed that the longest golf drives are achieved with a high launch angle combined with low spin. The new solid core golf balls provide that low spin which was not available in the golf balls of yesterday. A higher lofted club gives the golfer the higher launch angle.
Most PGA pros now carry drivers with lofts of 8.5 to 10 degrees or more. Non-pros should probably play drivers with lifts 10 degrees or higher. So our recommendation is follow the advice of the PGA pros and increase the loft of your driver.
Most golfers also carry 3 and 5 woods in their bag. A 3 wood has a loft between 15 and 18 degrees, and a 5 wood has a loft between 20 and 22 degrees. The higher the golf club number, the higher the loft. In addition, the higher the golf club number, the shorter the club. A 3 wood is generally 1/2" shorter than a Driver and so on with each successive club. However, we build all our woods higher than a 5 wood the same length as the 5 wood. This is because the shorter the club, the smaller the arc of the swing. The smaller the arc of the swing, the less speed the golf club will have when it strikes the ball — ergo the less distance the ball will travel. We believe that a 5 wood is short enough and while the 7 and 9 woods provide more forgiveness, we also want longer distance in our shots. Arghh, the physics of golf!
Why aren't woods made of wood? They used to be, but since the 1980's woods have been made of metal. Metal has many advantages over wood — the most important to the beginning golfer being the ability to precisely mold metal to create a golf club that has perimeter weighting and low center of gravity (LCG). Both of these design technologies result in golf clubs that are much more forgiving than wooden woods. Perimeter weighting helps create a larger sweet spot — a larger area on the face of the club that will result in a good hit. Low center of gravity creates mass at the right place — increasing the height that the ball will launch off the club and reducing the likelihood of miss-hits into the ground.
What about 2 and 4 woods? These woods actually exist and were popular 20 or more years ago, but they have fallen out of favor as newer technologies have improved the performance of woods. Today, most golfers prefer 7 and 9 woods in their bag (which can only have fourteen clubs) than a 2 or 4 wood. In fact, there is now a trend to include higher numbered woods and eliminate the traditional low numbered irons in your set of golf clubs. That will be discussed in greater detail when we talk about irons. The 3 wood and 5 wood are commonly referred to as Fairway Woods, because they are most often used during the second shot of play, when you are supposed to be in the fairway of the golf hole (as opposed to in the woods!). All higher lofted woods (7, 9, 11, and so on) are commonly referred to as utility woods.
Irons
Irons are generally used when you are less than 200 yards away from the green. The closer you are to the green, the higher the iron you will use. A standard set of irons consists of 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 irons and the Pitching Wedge (PW). The 3 and 4 irons are harder to hit than the higher number irons. Many golfers, especially ladies, seniors and higher handicap golfers, are changing to a modified standard golf set that replaces the 3 and 4 iron with higher lofted woods like the 7 and 9 woods. We think this is a sensible trend and one that a beginning golfer should consider. Higher lofted woods, like the 7 and 9 wood are easier to hit than a 3 or 4 iron and result in comparable distances.
Wedges
Wedges are really just specialty irons. The first wedge is the Pitching Wedge (PW), which is usually about 48 degrees in loft. Wedges generally increase in 4 degree loft amounts. So wedges commonly come in 48, 52, 56, 60 and 64 degree lofts. We manufacture a very special wedge called the Last Wedge — which has a 68 degree loft. The PW is the highest lofted iron in a standard set and lowest loft of the wedges. Following the PW with higher lofts are the Approach Wedge (AW), Sand Wedge (SW), the Lob Wedge (LW), the High-Lob Wedge and, finally, our Pinemeadow Last Wedge at 68 degrees.
Wedges are extremely useful to your game and most golfers have a few of them. Wedges are generally designed as "blade clubs" because you are close enough to the green that the game improvement design elements (discussed below) are less important. The need for increased shot control and shot shaping, which blade design encourages, becomes the more important technology for a good wedge design.
Putters
A putter is a golf club with a special purpose: getting the ball into the hole. After you have slammed your drive 250 yards right into the middle of the fairway, hit your second shot 175 yards into the sand trap, and then wedged out onto the green, it is time to "putt for dough." The putter is used on the green and there are many style of putters: short, belly, long, bent, center-hosel, heel-toe, mallet, and so on. At Pinemeadow Golf, we provide you a huge selection of putters and we have a good reason for it, which we explain next.
The Psychology of What You Carry in Your Golf Bag
After decades of experience in the golf club manufacturing business, building millions of clubs for huge numbers of happy customers, we have noticed one thing. Most golfers have as their minimum arsenal one set of irons, multiple wedges, several drivers and a variety of putters. This is because your foursome all gets together at the tee where you use your driver. The pressure is high to perform well. Hopefully you end up in the fairway, spread out all over the golf course. As you work your way through the hole using your fairway woods and irons — eventually, you all come back together again on the green.
So, where do you need the most weapons at your disposal? It is where the stakes are highest and the pressure to perform reaches its zenith. That is at the tee and the green — they don't say "drive for show, putt for dough" casually. And that is why most golfers we know have multiple drivers and putters and one set of irons.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Top 10 Health Tips
Have you been wondering what an article on "Top 10 Health Tips" doing on a website dedicated to Beauty?
Are you one of those individuals who think "Top 10 Health Tips" and "Top 10 beauty Tips" are two separate concepts and need to be dealt individually? Have you been splurging
an aweful lot of money trying to look "good" by getting Spa treatments, visiting Beauty Salons, Buying Designer Labels, Eating Health Foods, and yet every time you look into the mirror, you feel there's something "lacking?"
If you think that way, you're not the only one. Whereas most of us spend a whole lot of time, money and effort to make our skin, hair, face, hands and feet look beautiful, we often miss out on the critical role our health and wellness plays in making us look physically and mentally beautiful.
Follow these Top 10 Health Tips in your daily life to stay beautiful on the inside and outside:
1.Follow A Healthy, Balanced Diet: A balanced diet is the first step towards a beautiful, healthy body. Follow a healthy balanced diet that complements your lifestyle. An ideal diet should be high on fiber, low on fat, and must be supplemented with adequate amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables. Besides knowing what to eat, it is equally important to know the right proportions, meaning how much or how little to eat. Talk to a fitness expert and find out what's your daily calorie intake. Make food choices that have high nutritional value but are low in calories.
2.Eat Different Types Of Foods: According to Ayurveda, the Ancient Indian science of healing, rotating your food habits not only strengthens your immune system, it can also protect you from most illnesses. Try to eat vegetables and fruits of different colors each day. Try eating a different food at least thrice a month. Begin your day with an apple a day as the apple pectin cleanses the body's digestive system by removing toxins and therefore preventing degenerative health problems such as cancer.
3.Don't Skip Your Breakfast: Are you surprised to see how some people manage to stay so fit, energetic and active the whole time and are able to stabilize their weight while you continue to put on weight and feel exhausted most of the time? Well, chances are, they eat a good breakfast and you don't! According to nutritionists and health experts, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and skipping your breakfast can lead to serious health problems besides adding those extra pounds as a result of binging on unhealthy snacks later in the day. Besides re-charging your energy levels, eating regular breakfast has several long-term benefits like:
It results in faster weight loss
Your body get more nutrients everyday
Breakfast rich in fiber foods and wholegrain helps keep the heart healthy especially if you suffer from metabolic disorders like fluctuating blood pressure, obesity and cholesterol. It also helps stabilize blood sugar levels
A good breakfast early in the morning sets your mood right and enables you to handle stress better
You stay overall healthy! So begin your day with fresh fruits, fruit juices, hard-boiled eggs, wholegrain cereals and breads and stay healthy all day!
4. Drink Lots Of Water: Drinking a minimum of 7 to 8 glasses of water everyday cleanses all the impurities and toxins from your body and helps to get healthy, flawless skin. In addition, the fluid in your body is responsible for the functioning of your internal organs including the metabolic processes. So if you're dehydrated, this whole process gets affected and your body tends to slow down leaving you feeling low and lethargic.
5. Exercise Regularly: Who does not dream of getting those six-pack abs? Besides making you look sexy and popular, regular exercising is also the best natural "anti-aging" recipe because it helps you stay and feel young by raising your energy levels, stabilizing your body weight, and enhancing flexibility, which reduces the wear and tear in your body.
You don't need to exercise for hours everyday, just take 15-20 minutes off your busy schedule everyday to sweat out that pot-belly or burn those extra-pounds that have been making it difficult for you to get into your favorite outfit! If you can't, make one of these a part of your routine: take the stairs instead of elevators and escalators to climb; Make it a habit to walk about 15 minutes everyday. If holistic healing is your thing, enroll yourself for yoga classes. If not, go swimming, take aerobics lessons or start shaking a leg or two at the local dance academy-whatever keeps you going, juts do it! If you're into sports, you can make it part of your fitness routine.
Remember, your external fitness is only a reflection of your inner fitness and a beautiful, healthy body reflects a fit, healthy mind.
6. Quit Smoking: Okay, so you've heard this countless times from your doctor, but here it comes again as one of our most important health tip-Quit Smoking! If you're one of those people who smoke to lose or gain weight, we'd stay think again! While smoking may have been related to an increase in metabolism, it is certainly not a good enough reason to substitute it with the huge risk of dying from lung cancer!
If that doesn't make you change your mind, this will. Recent studies have proved that smoking is also one of the leading factors that stimulate the process of aging in both men and women. So say no to cigarettes and stay young and healthy for the rest of your life!
7. Say No To Stress: We know what you're thinking-easier said than done! Agreed, but leading a stressful life can only make matters worse. On the other hand, leading a relaxed, stress-free life will not only reduce the risks of health related disorders, it will also calm you down and let you enjoy your life better.
While planning your day, strike a balance between home and work. If you have trouble remembering things-make a list of all the "things-to-do" before going to bed each night or simply set a "reminder" in your cell phone so you don't have to run around at the last minute. Staying positive and thinking happy thoughts is one of the most effective stress buster technique you can easily follow in your daily life.
Spend atleast 15 minutes doing something you love and enjoy each day. It could be a simple activity, like cuddling up in bed by yourself and watching a funny movie, enjoying a glass of your favorite wine, socializing with friends, reading, sweating it out at the gym, pampering yourself with a stress-releasing body massage, soaking in a hot tub, taking a stroll on the beach, playing with your dog, listening to your favorite music or simply lazing around and doing nothing!
8. Take Care Of Your Teeth: Remember the phrase "million dollar smile?" Well, your teeth have a lot to do with your smile and they can make or break your looks depending on how much or how little you've cared for them over the years! Dental health is an important aspect of your overall heath. One of the best ways to have healthy teeth, prevent gum-related infections and protect your heart is by flossing your teeth every day. Few of us know that gum infections if left untreated can cause inflammatory reactions in the body, which can lead to stroke and heart ailments.
9. Sleep Well: A good 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep is a must for our body to reboot itself and feel energetic next day. Lack of sleep affects our hormone levels and slows down metabolism often resulting in weight gain. Studies have shown that deep, uninterrupted sleep helps cell growth and cell repair, which can increase the metabolism and help in burning calories. If you suffer from sleeplessness, try some of these simple remedies:
Avoid alcohol before going to bed
Stay away from stimulants like coffee, tea and chocolates before going to sleep
Regularize your sleeping habit
Keep your bedroom clean and uncluttered; Use decors and furnishing with peaceful and soothing colors
Avoid taking longer daytime naps
Follow relaxation techniques (for ex-meditation) to reduce stress
Keep Your Brain Active: Keeping your mind in "good shape" is just as vital as taking care of your physical health, so be sure to indulge your brain on a daily basis. An idle mind is not only the devil's workshop, often the feeling of "aimlessness" or "nothingness" can cause boredom and can lead to depression and anxiety-related disorders.
One way to keep your brain engaged and busy is to constantly challenge yourself with new ideas and by learning new skills. Studies have shown than an active brain makes new connections between nerve cells that help cells communicate with one another. This allows our brain to store and access information easily, regardless of our age. Try some of these activities to keep your mind active and free from boredom:
Learn to play a new musical instrument
Learn a new language
Indulge in crossword puzzles
Play scrabble with a friend
Participate in discussions and forums
Maintain a blog and update it daily
Switch careers or make a new beginning
Read books on unfamiliar topics
Pursue a new hobby
Stay aware about what's going on in the world
Follow these "Top 10 Health Tips" to stay physically and mentally beautiful for the rest of your life. Remember-"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away!"
Are you one of those individuals who think "Top 10 Health Tips" and "Top 10 beauty Tips" are two separate concepts and need to be dealt individually? Have you been splurging
an aweful lot of money trying to look "good" by getting Spa treatments, visiting Beauty Salons, Buying Designer Labels, Eating Health Foods, and yet every time you look into the mirror, you feel there's something "lacking?"
If you think that way, you're not the only one. Whereas most of us spend a whole lot of time, money and effort to make our skin, hair, face, hands and feet look beautiful, we often miss out on the critical role our health and wellness plays in making us look physically and mentally beautiful.
Follow these Top 10 Health Tips in your daily life to stay beautiful on the inside and outside:
1.Follow A Healthy, Balanced Diet: A balanced diet is the first step towards a beautiful, healthy body. Follow a healthy balanced diet that complements your lifestyle. An ideal diet should be high on fiber, low on fat, and must be supplemented with adequate amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables. Besides knowing what to eat, it is equally important to know the right proportions, meaning how much or how little to eat. Talk to a fitness expert and find out what's your daily calorie intake. Make food choices that have high nutritional value but are low in calories.
2.Eat Different Types Of Foods: According to Ayurveda, the Ancient Indian science of healing, rotating your food habits not only strengthens your immune system, it can also protect you from most illnesses. Try to eat vegetables and fruits of different colors each day. Try eating a different food at least thrice a month. Begin your day with an apple a day as the apple pectin cleanses the body's digestive system by removing toxins and therefore preventing degenerative health problems such as cancer.
3.Don't Skip Your Breakfast: Are you surprised to see how some people manage to stay so fit, energetic and active the whole time and are able to stabilize their weight while you continue to put on weight and feel exhausted most of the time? Well, chances are, they eat a good breakfast and you don't! According to nutritionists and health experts, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and skipping your breakfast can lead to serious health problems besides adding those extra pounds as a result of binging on unhealthy snacks later in the day. Besides re-charging your energy levels, eating regular breakfast has several long-term benefits like:
It results in faster weight loss
Your body get more nutrients everyday
Breakfast rich in fiber foods and wholegrain helps keep the heart healthy especially if you suffer from metabolic disorders like fluctuating blood pressure, obesity and cholesterol. It also helps stabilize blood sugar levels
A good breakfast early in the morning sets your mood right and enables you to handle stress better
You stay overall healthy! So begin your day with fresh fruits, fruit juices, hard-boiled eggs, wholegrain cereals and breads and stay healthy all day!
4. Drink Lots Of Water: Drinking a minimum of 7 to 8 glasses of water everyday cleanses all the impurities and toxins from your body and helps to get healthy, flawless skin. In addition, the fluid in your body is responsible for the functioning of your internal organs including the metabolic processes. So if you're dehydrated, this whole process gets affected and your body tends to slow down leaving you feeling low and lethargic.
5. Exercise Regularly: Who does not dream of getting those six-pack abs? Besides making you look sexy and popular, regular exercising is also the best natural "anti-aging" recipe because it helps you stay and feel young by raising your energy levels, stabilizing your body weight, and enhancing flexibility, which reduces the wear and tear in your body.
You don't need to exercise for hours everyday, just take 15-20 minutes off your busy schedule everyday to sweat out that pot-belly or burn those extra-pounds that have been making it difficult for you to get into your favorite outfit! If you can't, make one of these a part of your routine: take the stairs instead of elevators and escalators to climb; Make it a habit to walk about 15 minutes everyday. If holistic healing is your thing, enroll yourself for yoga classes. If not, go swimming, take aerobics lessons or start shaking a leg or two at the local dance academy-whatever keeps you going, juts do it! If you're into sports, you can make it part of your fitness routine.
Remember, your external fitness is only a reflection of your inner fitness and a beautiful, healthy body reflects a fit, healthy mind.
6. Quit Smoking: Okay, so you've heard this countless times from your doctor, but here it comes again as one of our most important health tip-Quit Smoking! If you're one of those people who smoke to lose or gain weight, we'd stay think again! While smoking may have been related to an increase in metabolism, it is certainly not a good enough reason to substitute it with the huge risk of dying from lung cancer!
If that doesn't make you change your mind, this will. Recent studies have proved that smoking is also one of the leading factors that stimulate the process of aging in both men and women. So say no to cigarettes and stay young and healthy for the rest of your life!
7. Say No To Stress: We know what you're thinking-easier said than done! Agreed, but leading a stressful life can only make matters worse. On the other hand, leading a relaxed, stress-free life will not only reduce the risks of health related disorders, it will also calm you down and let you enjoy your life better.
While planning your day, strike a balance between home and work. If you have trouble remembering things-make a list of all the "things-to-do" before going to bed each night or simply set a "reminder" in your cell phone so you don't have to run around at the last minute. Staying positive and thinking happy thoughts is one of the most effective stress buster technique you can easily follow in your daily life.
Spend atleast 15 minutes doing something you love and enjoy each day. It could be a simple activity, like cuddling up in bed by yourself and watching a funny movie, enjoying a glass of your favorite wine, socializing with friends, reading, sweating it out at the gym, pampering yourself with a stress-releasing body massage, soaking in a hot tub, taking a stroll on the beach, playing with your dog, listening to your favorite music or simply lazing around and doing nothing!
8. Take Care Of Your Teeth: Remember the phrase "million dollar smile?" Well, your teeth have a lot to do with your smile and they can make or break your looks depending on how much or how little you've cared for them over the years! Dental health is an important aspect of your overall heath. One of the best ways to have healthy teeth, prevent gum-related infections and protect your heart is by flossing your teeth every day. Few of us know that gum infections if left untreated can cause inflammatory reactions in the body, which can lead to stroke and heart ailments.
9. Sleep Well: A good 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep is a must for our body to reboot itself and feel energetic next day. Lack of sleep affects our hormone levels and slows down metabolism often resulting in weight gain. Studies have shown that deep, uninterrupted sleep helps cell growth and cell repair, which can increase the metabolism and help in burning calories. If you suffer from sleeplessness, try some of these simple remedies:
Avoid alcohol before going to bed
Stay away from stimulants like coffee, tea and chocolates before going to sleep
Regularize your sleeping habit
Keep your bedroom clean and uncluttered; Use decors and furnishing with peaceful and soothing colors
Avoid taking longer daytime naps
Follow relaxation techniques (for ex-meditation) to reduce stress
Keep Your Brain Active: Keeping your mind in "good shape" is just as vital as taking care of your physical health, so be sure to indulge your brain on a daily basis. An idle mind is not only the devil's workshop, often the feeling of "aimlessness" or "nothingness" can cause boredom and can lead to depression and anxiety-related disorders.
One way to keep your brain engaged and busy is to constantly challenge yourself with new ideas and by learning new skills. Studies have shown than an active brain makes new connections between nerve cells that help cells communicate with one another. This allows our brain to store and access information easily, regardless of our age. Try some of these activities to keep your mind active and free from boredom:
Learn to play a new musical instrument
Learn a new language
Indulge in crossword puzzles
Play scrabble with a friend
Participate in discussions and forums
Maintain a blog and update it daily
Switch careers or make a new beginning
Read books on unfamiliar topics
Pursue a new hobby
Stay aware about what's going on in the world
Follow these "Top 10 Health Tips" to stay physically and mentally beautiful for the rest of your life. Remember-"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away!"
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Kek Lok Si temple -Penang
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Last weekend, i was travel to Kek Lok Si with friends. It is one of the finest Buddhist temples in South-east Asia . The Kek Lok Si temple stands majestically on a hill in Air Itam. This temple built in tiers culminates the beautifully crafted ''Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas''. It took more than 20 years to build which features gardens, a turtle pond, shrines and beautiful sculptures. There are many souvenir shops leading up to the temple which offers good buys. And as for food lovers, famous hawker food are lined up near the Air Itam market.
Without doubt the largest and best known temple in Penang, the Temple of Supreme Bliss , better known as Kek Lok Si, staggered on the hillside overlooking the town of Ayer Itam . Since the olden days, the hills of Ayer Itam are regarded as important geomantically. Known as He San, or Crane Hill, they are recommended as a retreat for Taoist practitioners striving for immortality.
Golf Swing Basics
If you want to produce better golf shots, you must first understand the concept of the basic swing. Watch this detailed overview of golf swing posture, positioning, and aim.
Golf Swing Basics
If you want to produce better golf shots, you must first understand the concept of the basic swing. First, let's discuss terminology. According to the rules of golf, the ball must be played as it lies on the ground-except for tee shots at the beginning of each hole. The ball rests on the target line-this is an imaginary line from the ball to the target-and the golfer must stand on one side of the line when hitting.
Golf Swing Shape
Since the ball is at your side, the swing will be circular in shape. Imagine your swing as a wheel. The spine or torso is the hub of the wheel, and your lead arm and the shaft of the club form the spokes. Since the ball is on the ground your swing path will follow an inclined plane as it tracks through the ball. This angle is not horizontal-like a merry-go-round-and not vertical-like a Ferris wheel. It is inclined, tilted somewhere in between.
Golf Swing Posture and Position
To send the ball to your target, you first aim the face of the club at the target. You then position your body parallel to the target line and bow at the hips so your torso tilts and faces the ball. This bending at the hips will help you direct the motion of the swing around and down at the correct angle through the impact zone.
Once you set up correctly, you simply make two turns. During the back swing, you turn your shoulders at a right angle to your spine until your back faces the target. To swing through and hit the ball you shift weight forward and turn you trunk until your belt buckle faces the target. This turning back and through is called the pivot and it serves as the motor for the golf swing.
Your arms and hands play the most important roll in hitting a golf ball. As you swing back, you hinge your wrists and form an L shaped lever between the lead arm and the club's shaft. On the down swing, once you have shifted toward the target and you have begun the second turn, this powerful L is released toward the target, accelerating club through impact.
To produce consistent, solid shots, you must stay in your posture while swinging and you must finish in balance. Remember, the key to success in golf is to focus on fundamentals. Understanding fundamental nature of the swing will help you become consistent.
Golf Swing Basics
If you want to produce better golf shots, you must first understand the concept of the basic swing. First, let's discuss terminology. According to the rules of golf, the ball must be played as it lies on the ground-except for tee shots at the beginning of each hole. The ball rests on the target line-this is an imaginary line from the ball to the target-and the golfer must stand on one side of the line when hitting.
Golf Swing Shape
Since the ball is at your side, the swing will be circular in shape. Imagine your swing as a wheel. The spine or torso is the hub of the wheel, and your lead arm and the shaft of the club form the spokes. Since the ball is on the ground your swing path will follow an inclined plane as it tracks through the ball. This angle is not horizontal-like a merry-go-round-and not vertical-like a Ferris wheel. It is inclined, tilted somewhere in between.
Golf Swing Posture and Position
To send the ball to your target, you first aim the face of the club at the target. You then position your body parallel to the target line and bow at the hips so your torso tilts and faces the ball. This bending at the hips will help you direct the motion of the swing around and down at the correct angle through the impact zone.
Once you set up correctly, you simply make two turns. During the back swing, you turn your shoulders at a right angle to your spine until your back faces the target. To swing through and hit the ball you shift weight forward and turn you trunk until your belt buckle faces the target. This turning back and through is called the pivot and it serves as the motor for the golf swing.
Your arms and hands play the most important roll in hitting a golf ball. As you swing back, you hinge your wrists and form an L shaped lever between the lead arm and the club's shaft. On the down swing, once you have shifted toward the target and you have begun the second turn, this powerful L is released toward the target, accelerating club through impact.
To produce consistent, solid shots, you must stay in your posture while swinging and you must finish in balance. Remember, the key to success in golf is to focus on fundamentals. Understanding fundamental nature of the swing will help you become consistent.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Wonderfully described definitions....
POLITICIAN:
One who
shakes your hand
before elections
and your Confidence
Later
Coping with an Aggressive Employee |Dodging Landmines
Fear and anxiety can make an otherwise rational employee overreact. Ed Muzio, CEO of Group Harmonics, says to stay issue focused when talking to them--avoid being emotional. Move the discussion to a productive environment so you can offer the employee information, help, and support.
Versace 2011 men fashion show
Models with slicked back hairstyle were looking stylish. There were also stylish mens accessories like superb chain jewelery pieces shown on shirts and attached to some of the bottoms.
Variety was the key of this show as different variations in classic trouser, was shown. Versace menswear spring 2011 included everything one can ask for like formal suits, single and double breasted suits made of sharkskin, pointy two-tone shoes and much more.
Versace Spring 2011 menswear collection included faux-bib-fronted shirts, a drape jacket with a shawl collar in black leather, jackets and trousers in sheeny tonic fabric, donkey jacket in red leather, low-slung leather pants with fringes trailing from the side seams, and a big cream overcoat.
Variety was the key of this show as different variations in classic trouser, was shown. Versace menswear spring 2011 included everything one can ask for like formal suits, single and double breasted suits made of sharkskin, pointy two-tone shoes and much more.
Versace Spring 2011 menswear collection included faux-bib-fronted shirts, a drape jacket with a shawl collar in black leather, jackets and trousers in sheeny tonic fabric, donkey jacket in red leather, low-slung leather pants with fringes trailing from the side seams, and a big cream overcoat.
Correct Golf Posture
Correct posture plays a vital roll in golf. It puts you in position for balanced, powerful and consistent ball striking. With the correct posture, you can swing the club through impact with the little or no manipulation for consistent results.
The correct posture in golf puts you in an athletic setup which helps you create effortless power. It also creates the angle for you swing.
Correct Golf Posture
1. The right hand golfer should use the following setup:
Set your feet shoulder-width apart. The outside of your shoulders should fit inside your insteps.
2. Flex your knees only slightly for good balance. Your knees should be over the balls of your feet and your quads should be tension free.
3. Bend at the hips. Never allow your spine to slouch.
4. Your spine should be angled forward toward the ball, enough to create a right angle with the shaft of the club. Your spine will become the hub of your swing.
5. Make sure that your weight is centered on the balls of the feet. Never position too much weight on your heels or toes.
6. Tilt your spine slightly to the right. This side tilt keeps your head behind the ball, which is critical for power.
7. For driving, set 60% of your weight on the right foot and tilt behind the ball slightly more than irons.
Remember, the setup writes the script for the swing. Your posture forms the foundation for your swing and good posture will make the swing simple and easy to repeat.
The correct posture in golf puts you in an athletic setup which helps you create effortless power. It also creates the angle for you swing.
Correct Golf Posture
1. The right hand golfer should use the following setup:
Set your feet shoulder-width apart. The outside of your shoulders should fit inside your insteps.
2. Flex your knees only slightly for good balance. Your knees should be over the balls of your feet and your quads should be tension free.
3. Bend at the hips. Never allow your spine to slouch.
4. Your spine should be angled forward toward the ball, enough to create a right angle with the shaft of the club. Your spine will become the hub of your swing.
5. Make sure that your weight is centered on the balls of the feet. Never position too much weight on your heels or toes.
6. Tilt your spine slightly to the right. This side tilt keeps your head behind the ball, which is critical for power.
7. For driving, set 60% of your weight on the right foot and tilt behind the ball slightly more than irons.
Remember, the setup writes the script for the swing. Your posture forms the foundation for your swing and good posture will make the swing simple and easy to repeat.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Reduce your carbon footprint
Global warming occurs because carbon dioxide (CO2) and other gasses released by the combustion of fossil fuels are building up in the atmosphere and preventing the sun's heat from escaping back into space.Many scientists, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, are concerned that global warming could lead to serious changes in our climate, causing more dangerous storms and hurricanes, rising sea levels, and the spread of tropical diseases.
Here are some tips that you can do your part at home:
Drive a fuel-efficient car. If your new car gets 10 mpg more than your old one, you can reduce CO2 emissions by 2,500 pounds a year.
Walk, bike, car pool or use mass transit. If you leave your car at home two days a week, you'll reduce CO2 emissions by 1,590 pounds a year.
Weatherize your home. Insulate walls and ceilings, caulk and weatherstrip around doors and windows, and wrap your water heater in an insulating jacket to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 4,000 pounds a year.
Use energy-efficient appliances. If you replaced your existing refrigerator with a high-efficiency model, you'd reduce your CO2 emissions by 220 pounds a year. Energy-efficient appliances are now available for microwave ovens, stoves, dishwashers and computers, as well.
Reduce, reuse and...Recycle? You guessed it. Buying food and other products in reusable or recyclable packaging can reduce CO2 emissions by 230 pounds a year, while recycling all of your home's waste newsprint, cardboard, glass and metal can reduce emissions an additional 850 pounds a year.
What do the Numbers on the "Handicap" Row of the Scorecard Represent?
Most golf scorecards contain several rows of information. For example, a scorecard will always have the "Hole" row, the numbers 1 through 18 corresponding to the holes being played.
Beneath that will likely be at least three more rows (let's say, for example, "Red," "White," and "Blue;" or "Forward," "Middle," and "Back") that identify the tees being played and the yardages for each hole on the course.
There is usually also a line identified as "Handicap," a row of numbers that appear to be in random order. What do those numbers mean? How are they used by the golfer?
The "Handicap" line of the scorecard rates the holes for use by golfers who carry a handicap index. The handicap index is used to produce a course handicap, and the course handicap tells golfers how many strokes they get to take off their gross scores to produce a net score.
Remember, the purpose of the handicap system is to allow golfers of different playing abilities to play fair matches against one another. If I have a handicap of 27 and you have a handicap of 4, you'll beat me every time if we are using our gross (actual) scores.
The handicap system produces a net score by allowing the weaker player to reduce his score - to "take a stroke" as it's called - on designated holes.
The "Handicap" line of the scorecard is how those holes are designated.
The hole identified as "1" on the handicap line has been rated the hole where a golfer is most likely to need a stroke in competition against a better golfer. The hole identified as "2" on the handicap line is the second-most likely hole where a stroke will be needed, and so on.
The number of strokes you are getting is compared to the handicap line. If you get 4 strokes, then you find the four highest-rated (1 being highest, 18 being lowest) holes on the handicap line, and take one stroke on each of those four holes. (Remember, by "taking a stroke" we mean that you get to reduce your score on that hole by one stroke.)
If you get to take 11 strokes, then you find the 11 highest-rated holes on the handicap line, and take one stroke on each of those holes. If you get to take 18 strokes, then you get one stroke on every hole.
What if you are taking more than 18 strokes? Then you get to take two strokes on some (possibly all, depending on your course handicap) holes, one on other holes.
Let's say you get to take 22 strokes. Obviously, you'll get at least one stroke on each of the 18 holes on the course; but you'll also get a second stroke on the four highest-rated holes on the handicap line of the scorecard. So on the holes designated 1, 2, 3 and 4 on the handicap line, you'll take 2 strokes each; on the other holes, you'll take 1 stroke each.
And if you get to take 36 strokes, you'll take 2 strokes per hole.
And that's how the "Handicap" line of the scorecard is used.
Now, how do you know how many total strokes you get to take in order to make use of the handicap line? That's simply a function of course handicap. If your course handicap is 18 and you're playing just to post a score for handicap purposes (you're not playing against someone in a match, in other words), then 18 is how many strokes you get to take.
If you are playing against someone in a match, then the golfers play off the low handicap of the group. For example, let's say there are three golfers in the group; one is a 10 handicapper, one is a 15, one is a 20. The 10-handicapper will play at scratch (no strokes), the 15-handicapper will get 5 strokes (15 minus 10) and the 20 handicapper will get 10 strokes (20 minus 10).
Beneath that will likely be at least three more rows (let's say, for example, "Red," "White," and "Blue;" or "Forward," "Middle," and "Back") that identify the tees being played and the yardages for each hole on the course.
There is usually also a line identified as "Handicap," a row of numbers that appear to be in random order. What do those numbers mean? How are they used by the golfer?
The "Handicap" line of the scorecard rates the holes for use by golfers who carry a handicap index. The handicap index is used to produce a course handicap, and the course handicap tells golfers how many strokes they get to take off their gross scores to produce a net score.
Remember, the purpose of the handicap system is to allow golfers of different playing abilities to play fair matches against one another. If I have a handicap of 27 and you have a handicap of 4, you'll beat me every time if we are using our gross (actual) scores.
The handicap system produces a net score by allowing the weaker player to reduce his score - to "take a stroke" as it's called - on designated holes.
The "Handicap" line of the scorecard is how those holes are designated.
The hole identified as "1" on the handicap line has been rated the hole where a golfer is most likely to need a stroke in competition against a better golfer. The hole identified as "2" on the handicap line is the second-most likely hole where a stroke will be needed, and so on.
The number of strokes you are getting is compared to the handicap line. If you get 4 strokes, then you find the four highest-rated (1 being highest, 18 being lowest) holes on the handicap line, and take one stroke on each of those four holes. (Remember, by "taking a stroke" we mean that you get to reduce your score on that hole by one stroke.)
If you get to take 11 strokes, then you find the 11 highest-rated holes on the handicap line, and take one stroke on each of those holes. If you get to take 18 strokes, then you get one stroke on every hole.
What if you are taking more than 18 strokes? Then you get to take two strokes on some (possibly all, depending on your course handicap) holes, one on other holes.
Let's say you get to take 22 strokes. Obviously, you'll get at least one stroke on each of the 18 holes on the course; but you'll also get a second stroke on the four highest-rated holes on the handicap line of the scorecard. So on the holes designated 1, 2, 3 and 4 on the handicap line, you'll take 2 strokes each; on the other holes, you'll take 1 stroke each.
And if you get to take 36 strokes, you'll take 2 strokes per hole.
And that's how the "Handicap" line of the scorecard is used.
Now, how do you know how many total strokes you get to take in order to make use of the handicap line? That's simply a function of course handicap. If your course handicap is 18 and you're playing just to post a score for handicap purposes (you're not playing against someone in a match, in other words), then 18 is how many strokes you get to take.
If you are playing against someone in a match, then the golfers play off the low handicap of the group. For example, let's say there are three golfers in the group; one is a 10 handicapper, one is a 15, one is a 20. The 10-handicapper will play at scratch (no strokes), the 15-handicapper will get 5 strokes (15 minus 10) and the 20 handicapper will get 10 strokes (20 minus 10).
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