Ebook Sample Content Preview:

Chapter 3 Tips for Beginners

Understanding Clubs

As we have discussed throughout prior sections, with proper practice and understanding of key elements, golf is an easy game to play. This is true because the club actually does the work. When golf clubs were first introduced there were only four clubs. They were:

1. The driver-used for the long distance shots from the tee

2. The brassie-a protective brass plate covered the bottom of the club to use for distance shots from the fairway

3. The baffie-a club with quite a bit of loft on the face so that it would raise the ball high into the air. This club was used for approach shots to the green

4. The putter-a club designed to roll the ball on the ground and into the cup

Interestingly, these first golf clubs were all made of wood and looked somewhat like a hockey stick. As the game of golf developed and evolved over the years, the idea of a splice model club with a head and shaft glued together at an angle and joined together with a strong waxed cord was conceived of.

Further innovations resulted in a myriad of developments of the golf club. Over the years three different types of clubs have developed; drivers, putters and irons. These three types of clubs actually represent the three different areas of golf. Nevertheless, for quite some time golfers went to extreme lengths in preparing for their games. In some instances, it was noted that golfers were bringing as many as two dozen different golf clubs with them out onto the course. The United States Golf Association, which felt that this wide array of equipment could possibly discourage those who were interested in taking up the game, passed a rule that a player could not have more than 14 clubs in his golf bag. That remains the rule today.

Modern Clubs

Today, a standard set of clubs consists of four drivers, which are numbered 1-4; eight irons numbered 2-9; a heavy weight club known as the sand wedge and a putter. Basically the only difference between the four woods is the degree of loft on the face of the club; which will tend to elevate the ball on a higher angle of trajectory.

This is also true of the irons. Each iron will introduce a somewhat different angle of trajectory.

As a result each driver in a set of woods and a set of irons are designed to produce a certain angle of flight. This serves to emphasize the important fact that clubs do not actually produce the effect for which they were designed unless they are all swung and applied to the ball in the same manner.

When a golfer uses the same swing on all of his clubs the game can be quite easy.

Clubs for Beginners

If you are a beginner to the game of golf you can obtain golf clubs which are uniform in terms of grip, weight, balance and shaft tension. These clubs are made available in various price ranges and are also available in sets consisting of number which are less than the maximum of 14 permitted by the rules.

Ideally, it is best to avoid clubs which are too heavy. Likewise, it is important to avoid clubs with shafts which seem to be too stiff. The ideal balanced club is a D2 swing shaft with a shaft of medium tension.

The same is not true for women golfers; however. The average woman golfer would do far better with a C7 with the shaft having a flex tension.

An abbreviated set will allow even beginners to operate quite capably. This set would consist of two drivers; usually a #2 and #4 wood. Four irons would also be included; typically #3, 5, 7, 9, a sand wedge and a putter. This half set of clubs will provide a nice complete range of shots. If one wishes, one can add the clubs which have been omitted from the set at a later time.

Tips and Techniques for Approaching, Driving and Putting

As you may have noted, the ideas behind the tips presented thus far have been to establish that the swing is the element which will produce consistent results in every shot. The technique and the procedure should remain the same in every shot with the goal established as propelling the ball to a certain spot.

The golfer must be able to control two things in order to accomplish this goal:

1. He must be able to control the direction of the shot

2. He must be able to control the distance it travels

As we have previously discussed, the only way to accomplish this is through practice. It is imperative that the form be practiced until the swing can be expanded to provide the power along with the drive necessary to achieve the goal. Once this has been accomplished, it is necessary to continue practicing until the form has been finely honed to the delicate touch which is required to achieve the desired outcome while actually on the green.

While nothing can be substituted for practice; a few suggestion and tips can assist in the development of various shots.

Driving

Distance may always be required on tee shots; however, it is necessary to train yourself not to press. Keep in mind that the additional length of the shaft will automatically develop additional power through the increased leverage provided by the extra length. You will need additional time for the extra length of the driver to reach the top of the swing as well as to get back to the ball.

To compensate for this, you will need to develop a somewhat languid sort of rhythm when using your driver.

Using the #2 driver for your tee shots can help you gain the practice you need for this rhythm. The added loft on the #2 will help to absorb any slight errors that can occur from mistiming that might occur if you are using your #1 driver.

The more lofted drivers should ideally be used first by beginners. You can move on to using the less lofted clubs as your swing improves.

It is also important to take care not to grip the club too tightly when you are striving for distance. This will only serve to destroy the required hand action. In addition, avoid spreading your feet and staking too wide a stance. Doing so will obliterate your footwork and as we now know, without footwork there can be no balance and consequently no power.

Ebook Sample Content Preview:

Food Budget

Of course every party needs food! Once you know what your budget is for food you can go about selecting what food you want to serve. While a catered affair would certainly be nice, it most likely won't be possible on a tight budget as catering does not come cheap. So let's look at some less expensive options. You could provide appetizers, finger foods and snack foods such as chips and dips, pretzels or popcorn. You could even opt for Pizza!

When choosing your appetizers for the New Years Eve party, you need to take into account the number of guests you'll be expecting. For instance if your party doesn't include dinner then you should allow for approx 12-15 appetizers per person. You also should plan on providing at least 5-7 different appetizers so they have some variety of to choose from.

Potluck Food Party

Another option would be to make the party a potluck party and that way your guests would actually be providing most of the food. You could provide the main course and then let the guest bring the side dishes, salads, desserts, appetizers, finger foods or chips.

Affordable Entertainment

Next you're going to need to some affordable entertainment. Since you're on a tight budget hiring outside entertainment is likely to be an option unless you know someone who will perform for free. So your most likely choice is going to be to provide your own music with a CD player. You could even ask the guests to bring some of their own music to add a bit more variety. You can manage the music yourself or ask the guests if they'd like to take turns playing DJ, which can liven things up even more.

Economical Beverages Options

Beverages will also need to be taken into consideration. The least expensive way to provide beverages is to make the party a B.Y.O.B (bring your own booze) then you could provide some liter bottles of a variety of sodas and if possible some bottles of champagne so that everyone could have some to toast the new year in. If Champagne doesn't fit the budget don't worry about it you can toast with any drink.

Affordable Decorations

Decorations don't have to be a big expense especially if you're doing this in a house, which still has Christmas decorations up. Just buy a few New Years related items such as some streamers, banners, paper cups, plates, napkins and of course some noise makers. Add the New Years decorations to the already festive Christmas decorations and you should be good to go.

Ebook Sample Content Preview:

Learning is a slow process that is something that we have worked for years to understand. Many people have a gifted mind and are able to understand a plethora of subject areas, while others are able to specialize in certain subjects while others struggle with several different topics. Some people might be great in English, but fail in math, while others are the complete opposite.

For example, a woman who dropped out of school earlier in life than most and began having children early may not have the best formal education, but she has observed life and learned how to get by on her level of education. In other words, she has learned by observation and experience. This woman could be smart as a whip and even manage her mon e y well.

As you can see, all people learn differently. Education is wonderful, but sometimes education lacks in reality. Teachers are great, but sometimes they are not able to always help. It is often difficult for teachers to help people get up to their level of understanding and sometimes it is difficult for a teacher to drop down to the child’s level of understanding. Some teachers are often hard to understand as well. There are several instructors that make no sense at all.

This should you lead to encourage others with a learning disability to not give up. They should consider all possibilities. It is important that you do not set yourself up for failure. If you are struggling to learn or if your child is struggling to learn then it is smart to get a physical and mental evaluation completed. Once you understand the issue at hand you will be better able to move ahead.

If you are suffering from something like ADHD, make sure you grasp the deeper meaning of the condition. It is important to know what is going on in your body and what you reactions are to it. When you are prescribed medication, be ready to argue if you do not feel that you need it. Tell them you want to explore other options.

Health and Wellness Help for Learning Disabilities For individuals who are suffering from learning disabilities it is important that you take care of your body and mind. Research shows that exercise and nutrition are vital in maintaining skills that are needed to learn.

When you try to better yourself you realize how much control you have over your own mind and body. You have control over what you eat, think, feel and do. You are in control of you. If you do not use the list of requirements then most likely you are going to have difficulty learning. Exercise and nutrition also decreases our risk of disease and aging.

Healthy living also enhances your energy level in addition to maintain your metabolism, awareness and helps you to live longer. Everybody wants to avoid disease as well as mental and physical illness. Diabetes, high blood pressure and similar conditions can also cause mind problems which can keep you from learning effectively.

Your body requires a healthy level of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and other nutrients to properly produce insulin and to keep the proper blood flow. Metabolism plays a large part in development as it promotes our energy. This is where you want to consider ADHD as the degree of energy produced in these minds might be linked to over exaggerated metabolism levels. To maintain a level of metabolism that is healthy you must eat healthy foods and get the proper amount of energy on a regular basis. The right type of exercise will also assist you in burning up negative energy.

Cardio exercise is great for burning fat and increasing your metabolism. You often seen ADHD patients benefit more from stretching and mass exercises. Exercising and eating healthy foods is also beneficial to promote purified oxygen in the body. When your oxygen level is low, it is usually because there are impurities in your system. You need cellular oxygen to cleanse the body and mind to promote learning.

ADHD is the number one learning disability in the country. The diagnosis for this condition has been around for centuries and has been a popular diagnosis as well. In the early 1900’s attention deficit disorders were actually known as “Defects of Morality.” They were seen as being impulsive behaviors in children that affected their ability to learn. However, these individuals diagnosed were not stupid and they did have a high degree of learning, they just learned more quickly and better on their terms instead of the terms of others.

In other words, a person with ADD did not have to repeat as often or focus for hours on one subject. Because people with ADD have shorter tension spans, it makes sense that they would require less time to learn versus the ordinary minds length of learning time. It is important to reduce tasks for children suffering from ADHD. Society tries to require that these children measure up to normality, but pushing them can only push them over the edge. On the other side of this disorder, it appears that the child that is below the learning level fails to use common sense.

This is where something as simple as exercise and nutrition can help a child. Healthy patterns help to develop healthy minds. When a child is lacking in the ability to use common sense then they will need a structural activity to help them focus on controlling their lives.

Ebook Sample Content Preview:

Job grading is something you should become familiar with in your search for government employment. A job grade dictates superiority and compensation level. OPM sets the compensation levels. These are based on a number of parameters such as past job experience, technical knowledge, your education, job performance accountability and any specialized assignment out of the ordinary requiring specific qualifications.

The OPM or Federal Job Centers can give you the various ratings and the applicable compensation ranges within the classification. Whether you go to the bottom or the top of the classification will depend on the above measurements.

Advancement is not uncommon in the federal job market. As you become more proficient, you will likely be promoted up the ranks.

A general schedule of compensation grades applies to the white collar worker and ranges from grades GS–1 to GS–18. College educated white collar positions will qualify as a GS–5 to start, while secretarial positions begin in the GS–1 to GS–3 range.

The blue collar worker will be categorized on a wage grade basis. Here, the compensation received varies with the locality of the work.

You can advance, salary–wise, from within a specific GS rating, based on the lower to upper ranges of compensation within that grade. To go further, once you’ve reached the upper limit of pay within a grade, would require reclassification. The more proficient your work record, the greater likelihood of grade advancement.

You might even be able to obtain some training for higher level grades while working in your current position. Done after hours, this can put you in line for that promotion to place you in a higher grade rating and, thus, in a higher pay range.

The usual number of hours worked in a week is 40. Monday through Friday. Some jobs, like a physician on call, is an exception to this rule. If the agency authorizes overtime, you may be eligible to work it. You can receive either pay or comparable time off as compensation. Bonuses may also be possible depending on the way the agency is funded.

Transfers are also acceptable ways to move around within the system. Your own agency’s personnel office can assist you with the necessary paperwork. You must first apply for a position in the other department and be accepted, but at least you know this is a possibility and is not discouraged among agencies.

You will be eligible for sick leave (13 days annually) and vacation (beginning at 13 days and increasing based on years of service). Health insurance is available through the Federal Employees Health Insurance Program, with a wide array of benefit plans to choose from. There is also a Federal Government retirement program that is one of the best around.

After the application, you will be advised about additional tests and information you should know about once they review your application packet. OPM will advise what examinations need to be taken for the position you’re applying for, and when and where these exams should be taken. While many positions need no additional testing, be prepared!

When the OPM has filled their lists, they will stop taking applications for a time. In general, they should be able to predict when they will next be accepting new applications.