More and more people are traveling these days for different reasons. Some travel for adventure, some to be close to nature and some for just a rejuvenating weekend getaway. A definite upcoming trend is more and more people seeking untouched locales and wilderness.
Camping is a great way to enjoy amazing outdoors and be close to nature. It is not just another holiday; it’s a way of life. While camping out, one is surrounded by nature and serenity. The experience might be missing urban comforts that one is used to… but in return one gets to explore a lot that is absolutely different from the usual city life.
In the hustle bustle of the fast paced life that we live in, we tend to lose touch with our own selves. Camping is a wonderful way to get in touch with one’s inner self. I have had some amazing first-hand experiences with life whilst camping and so have my fellow travelers who have ever since been hooked to it.
Apart from being submerged in wilderness, an important component of camping is the interaction with the localities, villagers and natives. These native guides know the unexplored places, the less traveled paths, the unknown facts, myths and stories about the locations. Camping allows the travelers to understand the way of life, being with the localities and expose them to close and unique multi-cultural experiences.
Most of the camping breaks are clubbed with adventure sports such as rafting, rock climbing, trekking etc .
- Useful Camping Resources: Find below a list of useful resources to plan and prepare for your camping holidays.
India is one of the most attractive camping destinations for travelers worldwide. Thousands of tourists visit India every year to enjoy camping holidays in India. Imagine yourself in a house of wood at a snow peaked mountain surrounding a deep forest, occasionally accompanied by rains.
If you are new to camping, the first thing you should do is to become familiar with the basic idea of what camping is.
At Zice Holidays, along with providing options for exotic and untouched locales, we provide all the necessary elements of camping holidays such as the tents that you live in, sleeping bag that you get into, the food that you eat and the locals who interact with you and guide you.
Even with lessons, instructional videos and store-purchased aids, your golf game will continue the way it has been without consistent and efficient practice. Consistent because practice sessions involve exercises that are meant to develop muscle memory. Efficient because pacing your energy to the kinds of exercises you’ll do is important as well.
Simple as this point may sound, it is one that is easily overlooked. Many golfers think that for as long as they spend enough time on the practice range, their score will improve. Unfortunately, that is not necessarily so. To get a better game, it is important that your practice sessions be as regimented as the way you play the game itself, if not more.
Before you groan about how boring practices are, it might help to think that practices are what build good playing habits when you hit the greens. And if you approach your practice sessions as more than chores and see them as yet another fun aspect to your game of golf, the results can only be a game all the more fun than it already is.
First of all, think of your practice session in three parts consisting of:
- the warm-up, - the fresh stage - and the fatigued stage.
In these three stages, you will carry out different sets of exercises that when done in the right stages will make your practices more effective giving you results you can see on the greens as you play.
- Warm-up:
Many are deceived into thinking that golf requires no strenuous physical activity as it only involves swinging and walking. Nothing could be further from the truth. The very nature of swinging causes your muscle groups to work in ways not common to everyday routine.
Your upper torso, arms, as well as your lower back muscles are the groups most worked when playing golf. Which only shows then that it is important to warm up with some stretches. Start from the top of your head and work your way down to your feet. Flexibility and getting your muscles’ full range of motion is your goal. If you are unfamiliar with stretches, you may consult a trainer or the instructor in your club for some tips.
- Fresh Stage
After your warm-up, start working on exercises that build on a skill you haven’t mastered yet, or on parts of your game that’s been causing you higher strokes. This could be anything from putting, chipping or driving.
The idea is that when you work on these problem areas while you’re still fresh and limber from a stretch routine, your body responds more positively to the exercises you’re subjecting it to.
The thing about most people’s idea of golf practice is simply spending time on the driving range without even considering whether or not driving is their waterloo. But if you’re aware that your short game is what’s giving you problems, then you’d do best to hit the greens to work on your putts as soon as you finish warming up. (As an aside, it has been observed that more than 60% of a player’s strokes take place on the green. Unfortunately, this fact is overlooked by many players thus resulting in poor practice habits. )
- Fatigued stage
Once you start feeling winded from the earlier exercises, move on to work on facets of your game that simply need reinforcement. Since your body already knows this motion, this stage in your practice serves as maintenance to your form.
If any correction is necessary, your stressed out body isn’t as pressured to master a difficult form. As in the previous example, only after working on your problematic short game can you then go to the driving range to give positive reinforcement to your drives.
Finally, here are some more observations and suggestions in carrying out your practice.
- To be able to see continuous improvement, a good practice-to-play ratio is about 2: 1, which means giving twice as much time to practice as to what you would spend in playing.
- However , give yourself sufficient time to rest in between exercises and in between stages. While it is a work out, you should not be winded down by the activity. Doing so may actually do more harm than help.
Your game should see improvements as you give your sessions a more defined structure. Be consistent and note the results of your exercises to step up that game one stroke at a time.
I'll bet you're frustrated that your team's football kicking skills are leaving at least five points on the field every game you coach. Think about it, how often have you been in a fourth and three situation on the opposition's fifteen yard line with no confidence in hitting the field goal?
You go for it instead of trying the kick and don't make it. Instead of a three point lead, your opponent takes over and drives down for a touchdown. If you could improve your team's kicking skills to the point of making just one field goal and two extra points per game, what would those five points do for your football coaching record?
Let's discuss five simple tips for football kicking to help your kicker eliminate bad technique and have more success.
1) Instill in your football kicker the need to invest consistent practice time on developing his kicking skills. This may sound obvious, but too many youth football teams spend so little time working on their kicking game, it's no wonder they can't get the football through the uprights.
2) Here's another obvious one, but worth mentioning. Teach your kicker to kick with the side of the foot ("soccer style") as opposed to the "straight on" method. Your kicker will automatically become more accurate using this style of kicking.
3) The plant foot is critical. Teach your kicker to place his plant foot alongside the ball, not behind it and not ahead of it. As contact is made with the ball, the bottom of the shoe should be about parallel to the field.
4) Pay close attention to the follow-through. Your kicker's head should stay down and remain focused on seeing his foot make contact with the bottom third of the football. Help your kicker avoid a common football kicking mistake by teaching him to keep his head down as long as possible on the follow-through. Make sure the follow-through is aimed straight toward the target.
5) Lastly, many young football kickers have a tendancy to alter their approach mechanics on longer field goal tries. Help them be aware of this and teach them to keep their approach consistent no matter the length of the attempted kick.
By applying these five simple tips to your team's football kicking skills, you can add at least five points to each game's total. Many football coaches seem willing to avoid working on the kicking aspect and leave these points on the field.
If you work on this aspect of your game and invest the time to study other finer points of successful football coaching, you'll quickly and easily begin to overtake those other coaches.
Have you ever wondered, while bowhunting deer in October, what happened to all the deer that you were seeing in early October? After about the first ten days in October the deer that you were seeing have disappeared. Why you ask? There are a few reasons for this, but first I need to tell you that an average deer eats about 8 to 11 pounds of food each day and about 1 ½ to 2 tons of food each year. Most of their food comes from the natural food sources, such as; acorns, leaves, pine needles, wild berries and lichens. This is a key to pinpointing deer movements during the slow times in middle October. 60% of a deer’s diet comes from natural food, which most hunters forget about and never learn how to identify when deer crave these natural foods. In the Northern forests, lichens become a favorite food source in mid to late autumn when the white oak acorns start to fall, which deer prefer over red oak acorns until all the white oak acorns have been eaten. Then the deer move to the red oaks to feast on their acorns.
Probably, most hunters in early October are hunting areas that are hand planted by man and the deer will learn this by hunters leaving tell tale signs like their scent or sightings. Deer will then start feeding nearer their bedding grounds on natural foods. Deer need to feed about every four hours allowing their four stomachs to regurgitate and predigest their food. This time of the year (early to mid-Oct. ) is the best time to take a doe. The reason behind this is, does are not as skittish as later on when they are wise to the hunter, and if you are successful in harvesting one at this time you can check or study the contents of the food in their stomach. Studying their contents will explain what types of food they are eating and where you need to be while bowhunting deer at this time of the year.
Bucks are starting to become more competitive at this time also. I have found that calling with a grunt call or a bleater can is very effective while bowhunting now. Also, you may rattle antlers by doing so lightly. The younger bucks are trying to figure out their dominance and how well they rank in that particular part of their home front. This causes the bigger bucks to be curious and to check out who is in their neck of the woods.
Learning what deer eat when deer seem to disappear in mid-Oct. will definitely help your chances of being successful during your bowhunting deer season. Three things to investigate are; where do they bed, what are they feeding on and where are they moving to and from during daylight hours. Your sightings of deer during the lull of mid-Oct. bowhunting deer season will improve when you learn the invisible menu of the Whitetail’s diet. Enhance your chances!
These Basketball Shooting Tips are a great way for players, parents & coaches to learn and understand the proper mechanics and techniques needed to be a great shooter.
Every basketball player loves to shoot the ball! The most practiced skill in the game is shooting. Coaches spend a good deal of their practice time on shooting drills to improve their players' skill level. After all, if you can't shoot - you can't score!
Whether a player is shooting a jump shot, lay-up, or free throw - there are certain techniques they must use to be successful. The basketball shooting tips below will give players, parents and coaches a better understanding of what these techniques are!
1. Players should always use proper shooting techniques. Remembering BEEF - (Balance, Eye, Elbow, Follow-Through) will help when shooting the basketball. Players must get into the habit of always using these proper shooting techniques - whether in practices or a game. If proper techniques are not used, bad habits are formed that are often difficult to correct. If players don't have a shooting technique - they need to develop one!
2. Players should always be relaxed and concentrate on the basket. Players should focus on the part of the rim that is closest to them as they shoot the basketball. When shooting lay-ups and bank shots, players should focus on the part of the backboard where they will bank the ball.
3. Players must know when they have a good shot - and then take it. Players must find the right balance between shooting too often and not shooting enough. As players develop confidence in their shot, they will also develop the ability to know when they have a good shot to take.
4. Players should be in proper balance when shooting the basketball. Proper balance (front to back and side to side) is critical on all shots.
5. Players should follow through on every shot they take. They should also hold their follow through as this is one thing that will show them why they made or missed the shot.
6. When shooting the jump shot, players should jump naturally. They should avoid forcing their jump - it should be nice and easy. Players should jump straight up and release the shot at the top of their jump. "Up, Hang, Shoot" is an easy way to remember this.
7. Players should have an arc on every shot they take. The height of the arc will vary from player to player. Some players shoot with a high arc, while others have more of a flat shot. As long as the player is using proper shooting techniques and the shots are going in, then the arc is fine.
8. When shooting free-throws, players should be relaxed, concentrate on the basket, and have their knees bent slightly.
9. When shooting free-throws, players should keep their routine simple. This helps them concentrate more on their shot and not their routine. They should avoid excessive and unnecessary movement. They should only use the motion needed to take and make the shot.
10. Players should practice all of their shots. They should learn to shoot from any location on the court, within their range. By doing this, they become more of an all-around shooter. Players should strive for the following shooting goals: 99+% lay-ups, 70+% free-throws, 50+% field goals, 33+% 3-pointers. These goals can be modified for younger players.
Ice and snow recedes and Spring returns to the “northerner” boating areas of the U.S. If you are a Michigan or Great Lakes boater, you are anxious to get the next boating season started. As you look forward to that first fine weekend at the dock or on the lake, spend some time on pre-season preventative maintenance that can help make your entire summer more enjoyable.
A big key to your spring maintenance is determined by how the boat was stowed away for the winter. If you tucked your boat away dry, indoors or with a good cover, properly winterized, clean and uncluttered with batteries disconnected, systems drained and fluids changed, then you’ll have less to conquer in the Spring. Let’s pretend you did all the right things in the Fall and focus on some extra ideas that could help get your season off on the right foot. You may want to get together with the Service Manager at your local full service marina for his advice and to schedule needed work before the shop’s schedule fills up.
How did you cover your boat? If you are outdoors and shrink-wrapped, please be sure to work with your boat yard or local recycling center for environmentally-friendly disposal of your shrink-wrap. This plastic is indeed recyclable and you can do your part by keeping it out of the landfill – don’t throw it in the dumpster. Many boat yards and shoreline communities have recycling programs.
Now that the cover is off, perform your own inspection of deck and underwater hardware and the hull, bottom and deck conditions. Check bow rail stanchions that may have worked loose under the cover and re-bed those if needed, properly sealed to prevent moisture intrusion. Check all other deck fittings – cleats, chocks, drains and more – to make sure they are properly caulked. Spend extra time on areas at or below the waterline, such as trim tab and swim platform mounts, transducer and pump thru-hulls, raw-water pick-ups and other areas that should be inspected yearly for proper seal. Long-term weeping of moisture past those seals can soak coring materials in your transom or hull, causing larger problems later. When in doubt, caulk it.
How does your bottom look? A fresh coat of paint makes fall grime removal easier and improves running efficiency during the season. Sand flaked areas and apply a thin coat of fresh bottom paint before launch. If the bottom has excessive build-up or unmanageable flaking, you should consult your boat yard about a strip and repaint job. If you take it down to bare gelcoat, be sure to properly prepare the surface before re-applying your barrier coat and bottom paint.
Think back to last season for a mental review of some of your boat’s components.
How old are your batteries? If you can’t remember when they were last changed, check the labeled date or your receipt file. Don’t put last year’s trouble-maker back in the boat. Replace it. A dead battery at the launch ramp or pulling anchor off the beach can be a day-spoiler.
When was your last oil & filter change? Boaters are split about 50-50 on their preferences for Fall or Spring oil changes. But by all means, start the new season with “fresh” oil, whether it was poured in October or April. And don’t forget your mid-season change or at the next 50 engine hours, whichever comes first.
When did you last change impellers? Water pump impellers tend to shrink or become brittle over time and lose their effectiveness. Don’t run hot — change your impellers to prevent a problem, before launch.
If your boat is a stern drive, when was your last stern drive service? Drive service should be performed yearly prior to launch, to prevent costly failures later. If your boat is an inboard, when did you last have your shafts aligned? This can only be done after launch, but should be done yearly to help reduce coupler, shaft and cutlass bearing wear. If you noticed any vibration last season, you should be checking alignment and props before launch. For inboard boaters as well, spring launch is the right time to inspect shaft packings. If your shaft is dripping more frequently than 10 drops per minute, your shaft log needs to be tightened or repacked. Don’t let water run into your bilge from leaky shaft seals. Tighten or replace as needed.
Upon launch, immediately check for any leaks from through hulls and check all engine hoses and belts while the engine is running. Tighten clamps as needed and plan to replace any suspect hoses. Carefully monitor engine temperature during that first start up to make sure that your engine’s cooling system is functioning and check other critical gauges – oil pressure, alternator output – to ensure your engine is running properly before you get under way. Before getting away from the dock for the first time, briefly and carefully shift into forward and reverse while tied-off to make sure the engine does not stall and moves properly in and out of gear. If your boat is trailerable, you can perform many of these tasks with the aid of a garden hose and engine intake muffs. See your marine technician for advice.
Your boat is for your enjoyment and maintenance need not be expensive. In fact, proper maintenance is much less expensive than neglected maintenance. See your local full service marina or marine supply store for more helpful service suggestions. And have a great boating season!
