In Approval

If nothing else, the Kansas City Chiefs’ offseason so far has been interesting. There’s been more twists and turns than a green room game of twister at Cirque du Soleil. In an effort to fix the defense, KC Kingpin Carl Peterson has been a busy little beaver.

The Chiefs’ needs entering the offseason stood like this: number one cornerback, free safety, middle linebacker, pass rusher, outside linebacker, wide receiver, offensive line.

That’s a lot of holes to fill, and far too many to fill them just through the draft. Enter, the free agency season. When it started on March 2nd, the Chiefs’ braintrust entertained a virtual who’s who of free agents. Unfortunately, instead of a line, it was more like a turnstile, as players entered Arrowhead and promptly left.

Cue the pissed off Chiefs fans. Just when you didn’t think you could take it anymore… Just when you were ready to choke the life out of Carl Peterson… Just when everyone was ready to declare the parade of stars a charade of crap… In comes Kendrell Bell.

Kendrell Bell, the savior of the defense? Not likely. But you have to hand it to Carl, it was a masterful first step. When healthy, Bell is a monster. A fire breathing quarterback killer. When healthy, Bell is exactly the kind of guy you want Gunther Cunningham to have in his linebacking corps. When healthy, Bell is instinctive, fast, strong, diligent, hard working, and a leader on the field – maybe not the in-your-face kind of leader – but a leader by example. Of course, you may have noticed the words “when healthy” in front of the last few sentences. And of course, that’s the catch. Bell’s been hurt for about a year and a half out of his first 4 in the league. Anybody with that kind of injury history has to be a question mark, right? After all, you can be the best player in the game, but if you’re not on the field on game day, it doesn’t matter. Frankly though, I wouldn’t miss much sleep because of it. Bell missed much of his sophomore season because of an ankle injury, but will be 3 years removed from the injury by the time the season rolls around. Last year he also missed significant time because of a sports hernia. Bell has stated he injured himself in the weight room, trying to do too much too soon. Same with the ankle in 02. He tried to get on the field too soon, and reinjured himself. He says he’s learned his lesson, and is ready to play right now if the season started today. Good enough for me.

Of course, there was also the rumor, put forth in a New York newspaper, stating that Bell has arthritis in his shoulder, and failed to pass his physical with the Giants because of it. I believe the term “career threatening” was bandied about. Don’t believe the hype. My guess is that he may have some issues with his shoulder, but I doubt it will have much of an effect on his play. If you will remember, Bell visited with the Giants before the Chiefs, and probably jilted them in favor of the red and gold. Being left on the free agency alter isn’t exactly a fun place to be. With that in mind, it’s hardly surprising that the Giants and the local fish wraps in New York were trying to put the spin on. If you can’t get the guy you want, people often turn to the mentality that, “Well, we didn’t want the guy anyway. Look, he’s hurt!” Funny that he passed the same physical in Kansas City several days later.

Of course, the same could be said of the Samari Rolle situation. Samari Rolle came in to visit his good friend Gunther Cunningham, and would have been a pretty good fit as a number one corner. Evidently, a deal couldn’t be worked out, and off he went to talk with Baltimore, while his agent continued negotiating with the Chiefs. And right on cue, here comes a Kansas City Star article saying that Rolle had a narrowing of the spine, a condition he was born with, which evidently was no big secret, unless of course you work at Arrowhead. The Star article basically said the Chiefs were highly concerned about the spinal situation, and wanted to work in an injury clause to Rolle’s contract to protect themselves financially in case he’s hurt. Blah blah blah blah, Rolle says he’s pissed about the information leak, blah blah blah, Carl Peterson blames the media for the leak, blah blah, Rolle signs with Baltimore, blah.

Which leads us up to Sammy Knight. Released by the Dolphins to save some cash, Knight is simply put, a playmaker. He’s not the fastest, he’s not the strongest, but he just may be the smartest safety in the league. Knight consistently puts himself in the right situations at the right time. He’s also a fierce hitter, something that’s been sorely lacking in the secondary since Greg Wesley’s first year as a starter.

While the Chiefs biggest need in the secondary, outside of cornerback, was for a free safety to compete with Jerome Woods, the Chiefs opted to go with Knight, a strong safety. Knight was immediately named the starter at strong safety, leaving former starter Greg Wesley to compete at free safety with Jerome Woods. The feeling at Arrowhead seems to be that Wesley got complacent after cashing that big check a year ago, which may be true. Personally, I’m not sure that it is. It seems to me that Wesley has always been at his best when Jerome Woods had his best years. Whenever Woods was out with injuries, like his broken leg in 2002, and his injuries last year, Wesley under performs. Whenever Woods has a good year, like in Wesley’s rookie year, as well as Woods’ pro-bowl season last year, Wesley shines. In fact, a case could be made that Wesley deserved a Pro-Bowl invitation after the 2003 season just as much as Woods’ did. In my opinion, Wesley tried to do too much last year. Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham’s system relies heavily on safety play. First and foremost, Gun wants to stop the run. With weak tackling linebackers, the only other option is to have your strong safety help out in run support. With Wesley concentrating on stopping the run, he subsequently spent half the season biting on play fakes, and with no real help deep from the free safety, was often caught out of position. It’s kind of a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t situation.

But the bottom line is that Gun did not get the production he needed out of the safeties. In comes Knight. While some fans were tempted to “just say goodnight to Sammy Knight”, I think you’ll be amazed by the difference he makes. He’s the fiery, in-your-face kind of guy that Gun needs in the backfield. He’ll do more than light a fire under your ass, he’ll stick an apple in your mouth and roast you on a spit. Knight will not only make sure everyone understands where they need to be, but he’ll also lay the wood, keeping receivers from dancing around in the middle of the field.

Knight, 29, was originally a rookie free agent for the Saints out of USC, but has proven to be one of the top safeties in the league, and a Pro-Bowler in 2001 with New Orleans. Over his first 8 seasons, Knight has collected 767 tackles, 29 passes defensed, 5 sacks, 9 forced fumbles and 11 fumble recoveries, while playing both free and strong safety. However, considering the Chiefs’ need for a playmaker in the secondary, his INT stats are the most interesting. Since 1997, Knight has intercepted 35 passes, including 594 INT return yards and 4 touchdowns. In fact, that’s the second highest total in the NFL, second only to Packers great S Darren Sharper, who recently signed with Minnesota. Of more importance is that Knight has come up big in the biggest games. He’s only started 2 playoff games (in 2000), but came up with 2 interceptions, 9 tackles and 4 passes defensed. Knight owns 6 consecutive seasons with more than 100 tackles, and last year posted 100 tackes (67 solo), and led Miami with 4 interceptions (tied with Arturo Freeman and Patrick Surtain) and 3 forced fumbles. He’s also been remarkably durable during his career, missing only a handful of games.

As for the other safeties, word is that Woods has hired a speed coach to help him regain his speed. If Woods can get back to form, or if Wesley can successfully transition to Free Safety, Gun will have the safety support he desperately needs to turn this defense around.

More recently, the Chiefs also signed defensive end Carlos Hall from Tennessee. Hall was a 7th round pick of the Titans in 2002. As a restricted free agent, he signed an offer sheet with Kansas City, with the Titans holding the rights to match it. The Chiefs eventually reached a deal with Tennessee, giving the Titans a late round draft pick for not matching the offer. Reports have varied about which pick the Chiefs gave up, ranging from a 5th rounder to a 7th. Either way, it was a good trade. Hall is an young pass rusher, with untapped potential. During his rookie year, he successfully started 13 games in place of the injured Jevon Kearse, racking up 8 sacks, 11 QB pressures, 1 forced fumble and 6 passes defensed. During the last 2 years, his play has dropped. 4 starts in 2003 yielded 3 sacks and 13 QB pressures. 14 starts in 2004 yielded 2 1/2 sacks, 7 pressures, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. So was Hall a one year wonder? Or does he just need the right situation? One bonus is that Hall has consistently been a good tackler, racking up 70, 66, 72 tackles from 2002 to 2004, respectively. While he may be a bit undersized at 6-4 and 261 lbs, he could be a very good situational pass rusher, maybe more.

The other outside signing was WR Darell Hill, also from Tennessee. Hill is a big, rangy guy, at 6-3 and 200 lbs, and ironically enough, he was the Titans other 7th round pick in 2002. Hill has yet to catch a pass in the NFL, but is a special teams standout. Although he may just be camp fodder, this signing makes sense when you consider that Dick Vermeil insists on his backup wideouts being able to play special teams.

Ok, so there you have it. In part 2, we’ll go over the in-house signings and losses, and preview what the Chiefs might do in the upcoming draft, including any possible trades.

Till then, keep your hats on. Remember, the twists and turns are only starting. Next up, right foot green.

Written By Steve Xen
Columnist for ChiefsCoalition.com

As the real estate market cools, the profit potential of home ownership has cooled as well. Here’s a strategy called “follow the builder.”

It is relatively easy to make a profit when you sell your home if the market is rising sharply like it has been in most of the country for the last three years. It becomes more difficult when a hot market slows down. It’s very difficult to make a profit on the sale of your home when prices are falling.

Is there a way to be relatively sure you’ll make a profit when you sell your home? There is under all but the most negative market conditions. In fact, I’ve seen young, energetic couples use this maneuver multiple times when they don’t even need to move.

Follow That Builder

In many areas of the country, there are builders who build hundreds of houses each year within a fifty mile radius of each other. They build entire communities or are one of three to five builders who build entire communities around big employment centers. This present you with an important opportunity.

New Community

Builders will typically sell first phases of communities for significantly less than later phases. On one hand, they need to get the cash flow moving. On the other, it is harder to sell at high prices because the community typically consists of dirt lots and construction equipment. Put the hands together and you have a great profit opportunity.

The idea is to get in on the first phase of the build out. You will purchase the home at a discount, which gives you built in equity. As the community is built up, you sell the home for a profit at a higher price. While you’re doing this, you keep tabs on the builders projects and find another location where you can do the same thing.

You’ll end up living in each house for a year or more and picking up nice profits along the way. The only real downside is you have to move repeatedly.

Tax Consequences

I’ve seen this work well for a number of people who have done it more than once. However, you need to be aware that generating profit this way can have tax consequences. You need to discuss your plans (including projected timing and profit potential) with your tax professional so that you are prepared to deal with any tax consequences.

There is a lot of money to be made in real estate, even for people who do not own any property. This is possible if they decide to buy and sell mortgage notes. Real estate notes, commonly known as mortgage notes, are basically contracts that promise to pay the amount that is secured by any real estate property.

What are the steps involved in selling the mortgage note? First, after note sellers receive an initial quote, they advise the broker or the buyer on the cash option that they have chosen.

In note transactions, the phrase ’simultaneous closing’ is often used to describe transactions that take place when the seller is carrying back a note as payment for his property. The intention behind selling the note is to exchange it for cash. Thus, ’simultaneous closing’ means that there are two separate closing transactions taking place at the same time, during an escrow closing.

Why do people try to sell a mortgage note? Mainly because people have sudden exigencies or requirements that call for ready cash. Alternately, there are other incidents like the depreciating values of real estate, insurance liabilities, or vandalism that force people to sell mortgage notes. There are also instances where a low interest rate might mean that the mortgage is worth more today than it would be in the future. Then there is the belief that with a nationwide recession, people with ready cash who are quick to act have more prospects than the ones who like to wait and watch.

In the recent years, owner financing has emerged as an established and accepted practice in real estate. The emergence of the private mortgage industry in the US has boosted owner financing as a better and more attractive option that it ever had been in the past.

Sell Mortgage Notes provides detailed information on Sell Mortgage Notes, Buy Mortgage Notes, Mortgage Note Brokers, Mortgage Notes for Sale and more. Sell Mortgage Notes is affiliated with Atlanta Interest Only Mortgages.

A lot of us sit in the car for many hours each month. If you are sitting in a car you might as well make the most out of it, so having good car stereo system can make it a lot of fun. There are so many different types of car stereos, and if you are a true lover of music, then you might want to go ahead and get a good system for your car or truck. The basics are a stereo and speakers.

You can get by with two speakers, but with four or six you can create a surround sound effect in your car and the music will sound crisp and clear. There is also the option of getting an amplifier and this provides a whole lot of control over the bass, treble, and other aspects of sound. With the addition of an amplifier you can change things depending on what you are listening too.

If you are listening to an audio of someone speaking, then you want to lower the bass so that the voice can be a lot easier to hear. If you are listening to some jam out music and want to rock out, then you can crank up the bass and get your body and the car to vibrate to the music. Before you go to the gym to exercise you could take the Acceletrim weight loss product and crank up the tunes to get your energy levels up and your mind in a happy place. Car stereos can make the driving experience something that you look forward too.

Understanding Common Type System in .Net Framework

As .Net Framework is language independent and support over 20 different programming languages, many programmers will write data types in their own programming language.

For example, an integer variable in C# is written as int, whereas in Visual Basic it is written as integer. Therefore in .Net Framework you have single class called System.Int32 to interpret these variables. Similarly, for the ArrayList data type .Net Framework has a common type called System.Collections.ArrayList. In .Net Framework, System.Object is the common base type from where all the other types are derived.

This system is called Common Type System. The types in .NET Framework are the base on which .NET applications, components, and controls are built. Common Type System in .Net Framework defines how data types are going to be declared and managed in runtime. The Common Type System performs the following functions:

• Automatically adapts itself in a framework that enables integration of multiple languages, type safety, and high performance code execution. • Provides an object-oriented model. • Standardizes the conventions that all the languages must follow. • Invokes security checks. • Encapsulates data structures.

There are two general types of categories in .Net Framework that Common Type System support. They are value types and reference types. Value types contain data and are user-defined or built-in. they are placed in a stack or in order in a structure. Reference types store a reference of the value’s memory address. They are allocated in a heap structure. You can determine the type of a reference by the values of self-describing types. Reference types can be categorized into self-describing types, pointer types, or interface types.

There are many other types that can be defined under Value types and Reference types. In .Net Framework, the System namespace is the root for all the data types. This namespace consists of classes such as Object, Byte, String, and Int32 that represents base data types. These base data types are used by all applications. During runtime a type name can be classified into two: the assembly name and the type’s name within the assembly. The runtime in .Net Framework uses assemblies to find and load types.

To access online version of the above article, go to http://www.dotnet-guide.com/commontype.html

To assume that everybody knows and understands the game of football would be a foolish thing to do since it is such a complicated game. And while we’re not going to dive in depth into the game in this article, we are going to go over some of the basics of the game itself so that you have a pretty decent idea of how it’s played.

The game of football is played on a field marked off with hash marks. Each hash across the field represents one yard from the hash before it. There are 98 of these hash marks plus two goal line marks for a total of 100 yards. Just past the goal lines are goal posts. These actually serve a function which we’ll get to shortly.

The object of the game is for one team to move the football from one end of the field all the way down to the other and cross the opposing goal line. If they manage to do this they score six points. After they do this they then get a chance to score extra points either by kicking the ball between the goal post uprights (that’s what they are there for) or by passing the ball or running the ball over the goal line again. If they kick the ball over they get one point. If they run the ball in or pass the ball in they get two points. There is also the option of trying for a field goal if they think they can’t get the ball over the goal line. A field goal will give the team three points.

There are certain restrictions placed on the offensive team (the one trying to score) when attempting to get their points. They have to be able to move the ball at least 10 yards for every four times they attempt to move the ball, called a down. If they don’t get the 10 yards within the four downs they turn the ball over to the other team. As long as they keep getting the 10 yard minimum they hold onto the ball until they either score or fail to get their 10 yards.

The team on the other end of the ball, called the defense, has to try to keep the team with the ball from scoring. They have many options open to them in order to do this. They can tackle a runner who is carrying the ball, a pass receiver who has caught a pass or try to physically take the ball away form the other team, either by causing a fumble or intercepting a pass.

If no team has a higher score by the end of four quarters, each of which are 15 minutes long, then they have one quarter of overtime and play until one team scores. If neither team scores then the game ends in a tie. Yes, football is one of those games where you can have ties.

These are obviously just very basic rules and the game itself is a lot more complicated than what you see here. In future articles we’ll dive more deeply into the game itself, including football strategy.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Football

Countdown to Armageddon – at least you’d think so judging from some of the garish copy and blaring headlines screaming at you from so many websites.

At the opposite extreme though, you’ve some sites which don’t even have a single decent headline anywhere that captures visitors attention, let alone leads them into captivating copywriting that’ll get them a sale.

Although it’s true to say human emotion hasn’t changed in the last 10 years online, the consumer and buyer reactions have undoubtedly become far more sophisticated over the past decade. Further, with something like 43% of all web shopping carts being abandoned at the point of sale it’s crucial we understand and react proactively to this new buyer sophistication.

In short, todays online buyers are both pretty wired and wised up. Unless you understand this and adjust your offering accordingly your headlines are very likely to drive prospective clients away rather than entice them into your copy for a second look if they’ve even a sniff of hype about them or just plain bore them silly.

Either of the above extremes is obviously counter-productive but rather than opting for a bland ‘middle way’ approach to your copywriting or headlines, here’s a sure fire way to generate intensely gripping copy that rivets even ultra sophisticated buyers to every word you publish. It keeps them spellbound all the way down your pages until they’ve executed your desired marketing action – either opting in, clicking through to a new page or making a purchase without dumping the cart.

If you want these type of results then use “The Psyschology Of Scarcity” and you’ll soon have these new ’sophisticats’ under your marketing spell and more importantly, get them buying what you sell. Here’s exactly how it works…

The basic underlying principle is widely known of course, and springs from the proven psychological response people give when they’re denied or given limited access to something they intensely desire. Basically, when people are told they can’t have something they want it all the more. As a result incredibly powerful emotions are released which go on to drive actions often deemed irrational under normal circumstances. As marketers we can take advantage of this almost primitive reaction (ethically of course) to bypass even sophisticated buyers resistance and go on to make the sale.

Here’s a further demonstration to show powerful this is…

Imagine for a moment tonights TV news announces a grave national emergency and petrol (gas) is to be be strictly rationed to one just full tank for your car for an entire month… but this rationing won’t start until one weeks time. However, you are not allowed to stockpile petrol because that’s bad. Now I don’t know about you honourable folks but almost instantly a picture of my storeroom stacked to the ceiling with Jerry cans full of petrol popped into my mind!

I’m not saying I’d do that if this was a true scenario but I’d probably have a couple of cans laid aside, just for emergencies of course. At the pumps and service stations there would be a stampede, because the psychology of scarcity would release these deep emotional responses. This actually happened here in UK two years ago and there was mayhem.

Now let’s see if we can insert a mechanism deep into our headlines and online copy that’ll immediately invoke exactly the same kind of emotional responses within those who visit our sites. If we can then all the sophistication in the world won’t stop our visitors from reaching for their credit cards to buy what we sell.We’re looking for the response that comes directly from the gut – that’s not filtered out by the sophisticated mind. That’s where we aim our copy at, the heart not the head.

The type of mechanisms we’ve found work best in invoking these emotion driven responses are as follows…

1) Strictly limit the amount of product you are selling in each promotion, put it right up front in the headline or first sentence where everyone can see it and strictly adhere to your statement. If you say you’ve only got 100 widgets to sell, then pull the promo when you reach that point or people will see the whole thing as a facade. Here in the UK the richest sofa and 3 piece suite supplier uses this technique very well, although now after 2 years we’re all beginning to see through these ‘promo weekend specials’, so be wise when you use it.

Make your product scarce… because then you make it valuable and desired in others eyes.

2) Set time sensitive deadlines that really do expire – Set a deadline for the promo to finish and give a special discount on the product if purchased before that time. When you reach that day pull the promo headlines, ad, the lot. People will heed what you say and buy far quicker next time you set a deadline. I’ve done it myself, got to a site with expired deadline and missed out, next time I payed far more attention to their pitch and the website gained credibility in my eyes.

3) Use number limits for recruiting headlines – when recruiting people for sales teams, affiliates etc use figures that limit the amount of people you ‘appear’ to wish to recruit. For example use a headline portion including “We urgently require 5 key individuals for our new IT project…”. At the same time as limiting the opportunity here you also give each individual a glimmer of hope that they’ll be among the ‘chosen few’ to land the rare but rather plum project.

4) Bundle extra products, services, customer support along with your product they’d not normally get, especially from your competition. This is also a good way to get affiliate sales. Your visitors realise they can’t get the ‘extra’s from other affiliate sites so they buy from your affiliate link. Your product becomes ‘value enhanced’ and in the marketplace where there are thousands doing the same thing, yours is perceived as valuable because of the rare extras bundled with it.
Think of it – you’re giving chips (fries) along with the main event for free, your competitors aren’t, who will buyers go with?

5) Give special ‘insider access’ passes or memberships to the first 20 respondents etc or if your visitors order before a deadline. You increase value and evoke quick response by limiting the number of memberships available. Tell folks at the same time – “… in a few days our national advertising campaign will be rolled out and these 20 memberships are likely to be snapped up within minutes, order now to secure yours.” etc.

6) Give forward dated ‘Future Proofed’ Discount Vouchers for future product releases – for example, “Buy a X widget right now at £199.00 and you’ll get our brand new Y software at £99.00 when we release it next month. That’s a whole £100.00 off the Y software retail price of £199.00. Lock this discount in today by buying your X widget NOW and save yourself a whole £100.00.”

Then make this offer even more powerful by number limiting this ‘future’ offer too. Say something like “Obviously we can’t make this offer available to everyone or our profits on next months new release would be affected but we would like to say a special ‘thank you’ to you as a valued client if you’ve bought an X widget. As a result we’re willing to give you a very special £100.00 discount on the new Y software, but sadly we can only offer this to the first 50 respondents for the reason I mentioned earlier. Please act now and purchase your X widget and I’ll be happy to lock in your special £100.00 Y software discount right now.

7) Show dramatic visual countdowns to increase the sense of scarcity – when running a promo that limits purchasers to say 50 copies of a book or manual, special health clinics etc then countdown the progress of the sales before your prospects eyes. On Monday at the start of the promo you only had 47 left, a week later 24, then 12, 7, 3 etc. This is very gripping and effective in any industry.

When you make your product so scarce it literally disappears before visitors eyes they want it all the more. Nowadays you can get little javascript codes to insert into your pages, or pop ups to make this ‘live’ countdown seem very real indeed and it’s extremely effective.

Add value to your product by tying a celebrity name to it – for example “Aretha Franklin swears by our nutritional vitamin syrup because she says it makes her feel like she’s seventeen again and protects her vulnerable vocal chords so she can sing like an angel…” Other nutritional syrups are basically the same but yours would be the only one used and endorsed by a famous celebrity. It may not be possible to get Aretha Franklin but with a little imagination you’re likely to be surprised at the folks you could team up with like this. Their end of the deal is they get extra exposure, or even a share in the sales from the promo you run.

9) Tie up with other related business owners and run a dual promo offering a unique ‘Double Whammy’ product – As an example a specialist seat cover maker could do something along the lines of…

“Order One Set Of Super Soft Custom Leather Car Seat Covers and our friends at Alloy Wheel Kings will give you a full set of alloy wheels at 50% discount. Obviously this is such an incredible deal we can only afford to let the first 25 respondents participate in this promotion which we expect to be sold out by next wednesday. Please book your covers now – click here”

NB: You really need to give such a humdinger of a deal to make this kind of offer fly off the page – 15% off the alloys example above wouldn’t be enough. If the owner of ‘Alloy Wheel Kings’ feels there’s not enough profit in the deal by giving away 50% on the alloys then you’d offer to enhance his profit by building in some extra ‘fat’ in the price of your ‘Super Soft Custom Leather Car Covers’.

You get the picture, but remember the better the offer the faster it flies. The best part about this type of special ‘dual deal’ is you create a very scarce and unique product in your market which your competition don’t have. Sure there may be thousands of car seat cover manufacturers but none that also bundle in superb alloys with their deals. That’d make you stand out in a crowded marketplace wouldn’t it?

Okay that’s enough for now, I’m sure you get the idea.

Hopefully this sprinkling of ’scarcity’ mechanisms will inspire you to employ them in your own headlines and throughout your web copywriting. You don’t need to be garish or loud or use screaming titles etc to get your message across and get serious buyers reading.

If you state simply and clearly, a genuinely scarce commodity is available to a hungry targeted market who you know beforehand want what you have, and you strive as your copy reads on to make it almost literally ‘disappear before their eyes’, folks won’t stop reading, and if you’ve done it correctly they’ll order at the end… sophisticat or not.

Remember, you’ve got to get them ‘in the gut’ bypassing the intricate sales filters of your prospects minds, and this is one of the very best ways to do it – try it and enjoy watching what happens.

Dave Alston is the Author of ‘Revealed: The Hidden Truth About Web Design’ and owner of http://www.aceofwebs.co.uk – small business web success driven by crystal clear copywriting. Subscribe to his ‘Ace Tips’ SME Marketing RSS feed by copying and pasting http://www.aceofwebs.co.uk/rss/wp-rss2.php into your RSS Reader.

Disc Golf, also known as Frisbee Golf, is a simple sport that almost anyone can enjoy. Disc Golf has taken off in popularity in the last few years, since it requires relatively inexpensive equipment and most everyone has experience throwing a Frisbee. Combine that with fact that most courses are free and have beautiful surroundings, and you have an inexpensive outdoor sport that can provide hours of entertainment for the whole family.

Courses can be found just about everywhere these days and generally consist of 9, 18 or 24 holes. The “holes” are actually baskets with hanging chains to slow & secure an incoming disc. On an average course these holes can be anywhere from 150 to 500 feet apart, and have water hazards to make things interesting. A bad throw could result in a lost disc unless you are prepared to do a little swimming.

Discs can cost between $8-$20, so they are easy to replace, and come in three basic types. The driver is normally a harder disc that you can rocket off the tee. But be careful, because a misfire can result in a long walk. The putter is a softer disc made to grab the chains of the basket from a shorter distance. In between these two you have your midrange discs that can vary in weight and flight style.

At Winter Park Resort you can find an 18-hole course that is located at the top of Winter Park Mountain. At nearly 11,000 feet you have spectacular views of the surrounding mountains, and can enjoy a nice lunch on the wraparound deck of the Sunspot. Discs can be rented at the base of the mountain and you must ride the scenic chair lift to the top, unless you are up for a little hike.

Course Information:
Holes: 18
Tee Type: Dirt
Course Length: 9655
Average Length: 536.39
Holes Under 300′: 3
Holes Between 300′ to 400′: 4
Holes Over 400′: 11
Holes Over 900′: 3
Highest Point: 10,925 ft.
Lowest Point: 10.425 ft.

Stay just a five minute walk from the base of Winter Park Resort. Slope View Bed and Breakfast offers views of the Continental Divide, unique amenities and a knowledgeable staff. 970-531-2386

Written by Shane, owner and operator of Slope View Bed and Breakfast in Winter Park, Colorado.

Golf fitness training might sound grueling, sweaty and a lot of work! Doesn’t have to be that way. Now of course I’d be lying to you to say it’s easy and you won’t have to make a small commitment, and stick with it to see results.

But what I am saying is…you can easily participate in a Golf fitness training program with minimal equipment and can do it right in your home or even your office.

How ?

With only a stability ball, exercise tubing and a pair of handweights. Grand total…under $60 for your “total golf fitness gym”. That’s about one months membership to your local club that you’ll visit once or twice and never go back (but keep paying every month).

I want you to get that picture out of your head of the “muscle-bound” hulk, heaving hundreds of pounds with on arm, slamming it to the floor and letting out the infamous LOUD GRUNT for attention.

No..you’ll be doing golf-specific exercises with bands, balls and handweights that will quickly and directly benefit your golf swing. Sports conditioning or in this instance golf fitness training requires you to use your body in space incorporating balance, stabilization and sequence of timing just like your golf swing.

The direct correlation results in longer, more accurate drives, hitting a larger number of greens in regulation and walking off the course beating the pants off of your playing partners.

Now that’s “instant gratification” at its best!

And how about no more injuries! I’m dead serious! All those aches and pains finally gone. Forever! A stronger more flexible body will have a much higher level of resistance to pain and injury. And the added bonus is swinging “easier” and with much less effort, but seeing the ball go much further and straighter. It will feel like an “out-of-body” experience.

A few words of caution!

If you hear or see any programs touting they are golf fitness training and see the golfer and/or trainer using the basic machines in the gym, this is NOT golf fitness training. This is without a doubt “general fitness”. Not altogether a bad thing, but won’t directly help your golf game.

Working on a stability ball, and using tubing and handweights you can mimic many phases of the golf swing and at the same time challenge your core stabilization, balance and muscular endurance. All critical factors in achieving optimal swing mechanics for 18 holes.

And…they’re fun to use. You’ll never get board. You can always make it more challenging from a balance and/or stabilization factor.

Just try to get one of those “muscle-heads” on a stability ball lifting the same heavy weights they use. Call the medics..cause it’s going to get ugly real quick.

You see…most people who workout in the gym never challenge their proprioceptive awareness (or simply…using their body in space). This is the key to great golf.

The stronger you can get your core stabilizers, coupled with increased rotational flexibility…you’re headed to an awesome game of golf. You’ll definitely be the envy of your foursome.

So don’t hesitate to get started on your golf fitness training right away!

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is the featured expert for Golf Magazine’s GolfOnline.com site, one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds and manual at his golf swing trainer site – Perform Better Golf.

Finding the perfect putter for the way you play golf can be the most difficult club to select. This is because, unlike your woods and irons, there is no set formula for fitting most people to the correct putter. Instead, the only way to find the right putter for you is through your own search efforts.

And the frustrating part is that even if you find a putter that seems to work very well for you for quite some time, it may not always work that well, and you may have to replace it with a different style putter at some point. It’s just one of the little frustrating parts of the game of golf for some people. So what should you be looking for when shopping for a golf putter?

Perhaps the first thing to consider is the material that is used for the putter head itself. More so than any other golf club in your bag, your putter relies on feel to be used successfully. So the kind of material that is used for the putter head can be important. Unfortunately, there’s almost no end to the different kinds of material that are used for putter heads including stainless steel, brass, copper, aluminum and lots more. The only way to see how the putter head material transmits feel is to try them all out yourself. Lighter materials also tend to contribute to more hand action in the stroke, whereas heavier putter heads tend to slow down the stroke and help it remain more consistent.

The shape of your putter head can also be important. The two main shapes that are in use these days are the blade and the mallet. A blade putter looks like a miniature hockey stick, and the blade can vary from being solid to a more cavity-back design. Again, which style works best for you can only be determined by putting them both to use.

Another consideration with putters is how the shaft connects to the putter head. Some connect in the center of the putter head, whereas others connects at the heel or back of the putter instead. This is another area where there is no right or wrong choice that can be made. It simply depends on which seems to be most comfortable to you as you use it.

No discussion of putters can be complete without also mentioning the longer golf putters that have come into popular use in recent years. Generally, there are two main sizes of these longer putters. One is referred to as the belly putter, and the other is often called a broomstick putter.

Belly putters are usually around 40 in. or so in length and they are designed to be tucked into the body around the abdomen area as an anchor to help stabilize the putter throughout the stroke. This usually helps produce a more consistent putting stroke and eliminates a lot of extra hand movement.

Long putters are made to tuck into the chest area instead, allowing the golfer to take a more upright stance when putting. The hands are usually separated on the putter with one being at the top and the other about midway down the shaft. This kind of putter produces a true are in the swing and if used correctly can encourage a more consistent putting stroke.

It should be obvious that when it comes to golf putters there are plenty of choices that can be made, and the best putter for you is the one that you feel most comfortable with and gives you the best results, whichever one that may be.

Steadman Issenburg writes on many consumer related topics including golf. You can find golf club putters and the best golf putters by visiting our Golf Tips website.