Thursday, September 9th, 2010

another Open Access Blog

The Top 4 Tips to Fly Power Kites

Those who have had the opportunity to fly power kites already know they are designed a specific way. These are geared to actually pull the person flying it. There are 3 prime power kites you will see today; the supported leading edge, leading edge inflatables and foils. Individuals who enjoy these are usually just having a good time and adding doing so on ground boards or from vehicles. If you want to try this with a vehicle there should be everything from a kiteboard, buggy and landboard to all-terrain skates, skis, and various other options. They also come with anywhere from 2-5 line and some sort of bar to grip on to while enjoying them.

Variety is a word that is definitely used when talking about power kites. They come in all different shapes and sizes that can be anywhere from 1.5 square meters to 50. The thing you have to remember is that they are various ones because of the different ways to fly them. For instance; one trainer kite tip would be that using a boat will mean you purchase certain power kites that are geared for that type of speed and velocity. Take a boat called Jacob’s Ladder back in 1982 that used a power kite to hit 25 knots in sailing speed. Twenty-six years later a kiteboard exceeded 50 knots.

If this sounds like something you would like to try, here are four tips for successfully flying a power kite.

1) Always start out with a two-line trainer kite. Remember these pull you around, so if this is for a child or even a small adult, the kite should be somewhere around 1.2 to 1.4 meters. These are easier to control, but it you do want a little more power then you might reach as high as 1.8 meters. These need minuscule amounts of wind to fly, but it’s important to understand that even the same power kites in size will lift and handle differently. So stick with a predictable steady kite in the beginning. This way you can master the basics and start out flying in a forward direction.

2. Familiarize yourself with the “wind window.” This is the region above ground in which power kites can fly. If you fly your power kite in different parts of the wind window, you will get different levels of pull and different directions. At the edges of the wind window, power goes down drastically. If you’re not sure how much power you’ll be getting, you should launch from the edge of the wind window and test the kite by dipping it to the power zone. If the conditions in the power part of the wind window are beyond your skill level, use your safety system to abort the ride safely.

3. At minimum, wear a helmet when power kiting. There are helmets specifically for land uses and helmets specifically for water use. Knee pads and wrist guards are also a good idea for land use. For using power kites over water, impact vests, gloves, and goggles are recommended to maximize safety. But whether you’re power kiting on land or water, a helmet is a necessity.

4) Beginners should focus on trying power kites on land first. The biggest reason for this is because the water resistance requires more power, which means it will be more difficult to control. Even when it is time to work on your water power kiting we recommend taking water lessons before you start.

Once you’re able to get out there and enjoy everything this sport has to offer, it’s quite addicting. Why? The progression is really what catches everyone’s attention. If you start out with a trainer kite (the two-line), eventually you want to move up to kite sailing, kiteboarding, and every other option out there. Just remember that it can be dangerous, so it’s extremely important to wear that safety gear.

The more you try, the more fun you will have with power kites. Plus, you may end up liking one style more than another. Whether its with buggies, boards, skates or skis, there are plenty of options available. Heck, you might even check out snowboarding power kiting and experience the crazy adrenaline rush levels there. What it comes down to though is everyone has to start out at the beginning. The more knowledge you have around the sport, the easier it will be to fly power kites.

Looking to find the best deal on trainer kite, then visit www.powerkitesdirect.com to find the best advice on power kites.

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How to Fine Tune Your Golf Swing: Must Know Information You Can’t Go Without

Golf is a game that can be a great joy or it can drive you stark raving mad. It can take years of your life or make you feel like you’re on cloud nine. Golf takes patience and armed with a good swing, it can take you a long way. While the objective of the game is easy, hit a ball really hard into a hole on the other side of the fairway, it’s easier said than done. Innumerable duffers have become overwhelmed by utter frustration because of golf. In reality, it really isn’t all that bad.

Keep it Simple… Practice, Practice, Practice

Golf is a game of consistency. Hitting the ball the same way, given a specific situation, is key to achieving good scores. Problems such as short drive distance, slicing, hooking and other golfing ailments are caused by a lack of consistency. Learning how to properly swing a golf club ought to be simple enough as long as you learn how to do it right from the start and practice.

Each golfer develops their own distinctive style when swinging a golf club, however all golfers use the same set of rudimentary rules that make up their swing. The golfer’s spine acts as a rotating axis while the golfer keeps a proper grip on the golf club accelerating through the impact of the ball to full follow through.

Conserving Energy

Eliminating unnecessary movements incorporated in your golf swing is by far one of the best things you can do. Consider it conserving energy. Your energy should be focused on striking the ball and any added awkward motions can cause hooking, slicing or other problems.

Concentrate on the fundamentals keeping only the motions needed to hit the ball dead on center. Focusing on the fundamentals of the swing will lead you to a lower handicap in short order. With added practice, achieving par golf will become a matter of routine. Keep in mind this will only happen if you consistently practice.

Getting Formal Instruction

Learning how to properly swing a golf club may be accomplished by signing up for golf lessons administered by a local golf pro. Typical classes offered by local golf courses also provide clubs and trained teachers that are equipped to help you develop a proper swing. You need to show up with your determination and discipline coupled with lots of practice.

Signing up for lessons typically requires a fee, however many golfing organizations want to encourage the development of new golfers into the sport and they may offer money saving promotions to entice people to try it. Also consider taking group golf lessons rather than private lessons if you’re budget conscious.

Golfing Books and the Internet

Golf aids such as books or articles found in magazines or the internet provide a wealth of information on the proper golf swing. There are people who can apply what they’ve read translating it into motion on a golf course successfully. People who are more visual learners have a difficult time making much headway with this this type of instruction.

Be wary of random free articles you find on the internet since you get what you pay for and much of it can be quite conflicting. Your primary job is to determine which golf aids are best for you, ones that help you establish and improve your golf swing.

Once you’ve properly tuned your golf swing and gotten beyond the frustration, golf can be a fun and rewarding hobby.

Paul Iconia is a lover of golf and he’s been a player of the game for his entire life. In Paul’s quest to better his golf swing he’s discovered a little known secret on how to swing golf clubs for significant yardage. Learn what Paul discovered at his site http://www.golfswingtrainingonline.com.

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Deer Hunting Tips – What Conditions Affect Antler Size?

Sometimes, the most useful deer hunting tips have to do with herd management. To prize hunters, the goal is to harvest a deer with big antlers. We aspire to one day get that huge rack. All of us hear about and tell each other tales of huge antlers; points, spread, diameter, length of tine… However, do you know what really makes a difference in regards to antler size?

There are three main things that can influence buck antler size:

1. Genetics

2. Nutrition

3. Age

Genetics determine how big the antlers might become. All experienced game managers or deer hunters know what is scientific truth: maximum antler size is largely determined by genetics. Sometimes, the best managed leases impose limits on how big an antler can be if it’s to be harvested. A limit is put each season on genetically desirable prey and killing of genetically inferior antlered deer lets the gene pool move towards more favorable traits. Although there is some doubt regarding the benefit of these practices (effective killing of inferior antlered deer is sometimes impossible given the harvest rates to population in general), it has a genuinely good motive.

Nutrition or what a deer has to eat is another factor affecting the size of a deers antlers. Even if a deer has superior genetics, when there are not enough nutrients available for the deer to eat, the antlers will never reach their full size. Experienced hunters will tell you about seasons when drought caused foliage and food sources to be scarce. They will also attest how these conditions made it impossible to find any deer with huge racks. In order for deer to reach their full antler producing potential, they need adequate nutrition throughout the entire year. Due to the fact that most of the antler growth occurs during the spring and summer time, nutrition through this period is the most important. This means that when foraging conditions are poor during the spring and summer months, antler growth will be limited. However, if time and energy are put into habitat management, adequate nutrition and foraging will be made more likely. There are many times that supplemental feeding is needed.

The final factor is age, however research suggests that once a buck has reached 3+ years of age genetics and nutrition play a larger part in antler growth. The size of the antler tends to increase greatly during the first few years of age and then to level off sometime between the fourth to sixth year depending on the breed and its genetics. For this reason, the harvesting of bucks younger than 4 years is not encouraged. The practice by insensitive hunters of culling bucks that are too young can lead to such colorful expressions from more experienced hunters as, “That deer still had milk on its breath.” It is best overall to harvest only the mature bucks. If you are in need of venison and a mature buck is not in evidence then harvest a doe. The hunt next season will reap the benefit.

We are hoping that you use these deer hunting tips during the upcoming deer hunting season. Please visit www.Deer-HuntingTips.com for more advanced deer hunting tips you can use this year.

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Melee Weapons Of The Past

Today, weapons that fire hot lead across thousands of yards, destroy cities in a single blast of insane fury, or disable a man without harming him at all are the bread of butter of conflicts the world over. But even though they no longer have a place on the battlefield, there is something noble about the melee weapons that once ruled the battlefield.

It is the weapon of duelists, the sword, that has maintained the greatest popularity in the public eye. Every fantasy hero, every cartoon warrior, has a sword. Using a sword against gun-wielding opponents is particularly popular.

Be it gracefully curved katana from Japan, or brutally efficient zweihander’s from Germany, their is no denying that the sword is the single most dominant melee weapon in popular culture. Even in movies filled with firearms, it is never a surprise to see a suitably epic sword duel between the hero and the villain.

The sword isn’t the only melee weapon to talk about though. The spear in particular needs special mention; a weapon regarded by many to be superior to the sword in every way except for being easy to carry. There is an old saying: To defeat a spear user takes three times the skill it would take to defeat a similarly talented sword wielder.

It is for this reason that polearms, from lances to pikes to glaives, have almost always served as the primary weapon of armies everywhere. Add in the relative ease of producing a spear, and it is no wonder they were so popular with the armies of days past.

The last of the popular melee weapon types is bludgeoning and bashing weapons. Maces, morningstars, flails, even some bladed weapons such as axes fall into this territory. While these weapons have their own flaws, their simple efficiency means they cannot be ignored.

In particular, a bludgeoning weapon can have devastating effect when employed against armored foes. It is for this reason that at several points in history, western knights preferred maces and flails over swords as their sidearms.

Though not really a weapon, I feel this article would be incomplete without a mention of shields. Despite being even less popular in popular culture than other melee fighting weapons, the fact remains that the man with a shield is often the last man standing.

A skilled fighter can defeat almost any attack with a good shield in his hands, and the best can use them as a brutally effective bludgeon. Dual-wielding may be popular in movies and games, but I’ll take a shield for my off hand any day in real life.

I hope you’ve learned a little about melee weapons. While they are hardly practical in a world where gunpowder and more rule an ever more technological battlefield, we can’t forget the weapons that defined the world for centuries.

If you are still curious about ancient arms, you should to check out my article about Roman Swords and other arms of the Roman Legions.

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Steelers Continue Dominance Of Browns

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been playing the Cleveland Browns for longer than any other team in the National Football League, dating back to’50. And while it hasn’t been quite that long since the Cleveland Browns won a game against the Steelers it may be starting to feel like it. On Sunday, Pittsburgh won for the twelfth straight time dating back to 2003 as they topped Cleveland by a final score of 27-13.

The good news for NFL betting enthusiasts who took the +13′ with the Browns as a road underdog is that they managed to cover the pointspread by the slimmest of possible margins. Betting against the defending Superbowl champion is a long standing handicapping concept, and this season at least its worked like a charm-the Steelers have only covered one of their first six games. Cleveland, meanwhile, evened their NFL pointspread record at 3-3 on the season. The Browns have covered three straight after dropping their first three both straight up and against the spread.

Pittsburgh dominated the game in virtually every statistical category. They amassed 28 first downs to 12 for Cleveland, held a 543 to’7 total yardage advantage and a 36:46 to 23:14 time of possession advantage. Both teams turned the ball over four times, and the Steelers led only 17-14 in the third quarter. Most of the post game talk from both sides was about a controversial spot in the first half where the Steelers were given a first down on a short yardage play when it appeared that they didn’t make the required yardage.

After the contest, Derek Anderson spoke of the frustration of continually coming up short against the Steelers. The Browns have only one once in ten games since Pittsburgh moved into their new home at Heinz Field:

“We’re not trying to lose every time we go out here. We put tons of hours in and … it’s frustrating. Every single week, it’s frustrating.”

Steelers’ tight end Heath Miller said the team is happy to be where they are at this point despite not playing up to their standards:

“I think we haven’t played our best ball yet and that’s pretty comforting. We’ve gotten a few wins here without playing our best.”

The Steelers will host Brett Favre and the 6-0 Minnesota Vikings next Sunday. The Steelers are a -4 home favorite with the total set at 45. After a bye week, the Steelers will hit the road to play another undefeated team as they take on the Denver Broncos on Monday, November 9. Cleveland will host the Green Bay Packers this Sunday, with the Browns a +7 home underdog and the total set at 42′.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer specializing in casino gambling, fine dining and sports betting. He has appeared on a number of TV and radio programs offering strategies for successful NFL football betting. He lives in Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a pet llama. He is currently writing a biography of former NFL quarterback Jim McMahon.

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