8 Simple and Effective Cooking Tips for a Healthy, Happy Body

Are you looking for ways to have a healthier body? Some say that eating healthy starts by prepping and cooking meals using the freshest ingredients you can get your hands on. There are simply a lot of ways for you to cook healthier meals and this starts from choosing the freshest ingredients to use, spending …

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(4) TESTERS WANTED: Odysseu EXO Putters

So how has your putting been this season?

That good, huh?

Not for nothing, but if you’re so inclined, you could find up to 100 different putter options from Callaway and Toulon via the Callaway website. I don’t care who you are, that’s a lot of putters.

There’s something for almost everyone.

Testers Wanted:

Putting is eminently personal, yet highly technical. We like to believe we have to like the look and feel of a putter to have success with it, but the data says it’s technology that helps you sink more putts.

Earlier this year Odyssey released the EXO putter line, with technology promising up to a 50% increase in MOI for greater stability and forgiveness,  and a new White Hot Microhinge face insert to promote better roll and the kind of sound and feel that will make you want to cuddle with a puppy.

Will this help you sink more putts? That’s where you come in.

MyGolfSpy is looking for four avid golfers to test, review and keep an Odyssey EXO putter, and let your golfing brethren know if this is, indeed, the flatstick you’ve been waiting for.

This review opportunity is open to any avid golfer in the US or Canada.

How To Apply:

All of MyGolfSpy’s Community reviews require a serious commitment on the part of the reviewer. You will need to be motivated, detail oriented and savvy with online forums, so please make sure you read the following instructions carefully and apply in the proper place.

Our member reviews are published in our Community Forum (click here to check them out). Writing a thorough, detailed and honest review is a lot of work – you’ll be writing detailed reviews of your two-month-plus journey, as well as participating in the MyGolfSpy Community Forum itself to answer questions and discuss product performance with other golfers.

That means to be a potential reviewer you must be a registered member of the MyGolfSpy Community Forum, where you’ll find nearly 70,000 like-minded golfers from all over the world anxious to talk about golf equipment.

To apply to test and review (and keep) an Odyssey EXO putter, here’s what you have to do:

– First, please sign up for the MyGolfSpy Community Forum (click here to register).

– Second, apply ONLY in the Official Odyssey EXO Putter Review Application thread in the MyGolfSpy Forum (click here).

We’ll be announcing our testers in the MyGolfSpy Community Forum next week, so make sure to check back there to see if you’ve been selected.

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Golf Patent: Srixon’s Internally Weighted Adjustable Driver Head

We haven’t covered golf patents in a while, but yesterday we found something cool that I thought was worth sharing.

The idea, which comes from Srixon, is for a Golf Club Head with Interior Weight Adjustable in Multiple Directions. It’s the latest patent application for an idea that dates back to at least 2014. There’s no guarantee Srixon plans to bring the design to market, or that the design itself is even feasible. But, given that it’s been quite some time since we’ve seen anything unique from an adjustability standpoint, we thought it was worth a closer look.

As the images suggest, one embodiment of the design includes an internal primary weight affixed to a series of struts. The position of the weight can be manipulated using a ball-in-socket joint connected to the weight. Adjustments would be made by way of an external mechanism or mechanisms that would almost certainly look like small screw ports.

The crux of the idea is that the adjustment mechanisms would allow for the weight to be moved in any direction; front to back, left to right, up and down, and theoretically, in any combination. Consider it the ultimate in three-dimensional adjustability.

If you’re wondering how the user would know the precise position of an internal weight he can’t see, Srixon has an answer for that.

The golf club head may further include a sensor coupled to or disposed within the weight and configured to generate and emit an electronic signal associated with the position of the weight within the interior chamber.

There’s been talk of putting sensors in clubheads for years, but to date, nothing viable has come of it. This isn’t exactly an onboard club head monitor, but it does give us a sense of where the technology might be headed.

Possible Challenges

It should go without saying that there are some obvious challenges with the design. The images suggest plenty of moving parts and given what golf club heads go through, durability is absolutely a concern.

While the choice of materials could potentially reduce the burden, there appears to be a significant amount of structure required to make it work. Structure comes with a mass cost, and that could limit the effectiveness of the design.

Along the same lines, the images suggest a significant portion of the mass would be allocated in the center of the clubhead, which is exactly where designers don’t want it. That could limit the ability to push weight to the perimeter, and there’s not much value in moving weight around the center of a club head. The effectiveness of any movable weight design ultimately boils down the amount of mass and the distance over which it’s being moved. To be effective, you need to move a meaningful amount of weight over a large area.

Finally, internal structures bring with them acoustic challenges. It’s not easy to make a driver sound good when you’ve got a whole lot of stuff on the inside. I suspect that would prove to be an even bigger issue when those structures are designed to move.

And all off that’s before we talk about consumer comprehension concerns.

Will this come to market?

There are dozens if not hundreds of applications like this one floating around the golf industry. Many are several years away from being used in viable products, and others are just cool ideas that may ultimately go nowhere. We certainly can’t say where this one is headed; it’s only a matter of time before someone brings an internally adjustable driver to market.

Stay tuned…

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Having hysterics at the Olympic Bob Run in St Moritz

For those of a certain age, St Moritz is synonymous with the uber-cool jet-setters of the Swinging Sixties. Renowned playboy Gunter Sachs epitomised this hedonistic era when he married French pin-up movie star Brigitte Bardot. and made Switzerland their winter playground. The Gunter Sachs Lodge and The Dracula Club, overlooking the Olympic Bob Run course, are where people...

The post Having hysterics at the Olympic Bob Run in St Moritz appeared first on The Quirky Traveller Blog.

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How to Find Time to Write When You’re a Parent

You want to write. Your newest idea or draft has been sitting there for days, accumulating dust and regret. You’re wondering how to find time to write.

You have to write.

But you also have a family. The kids need picked up, dinner needs cooking, and that living room isn’t cleaning itself. Your spouse has an event tonight (that you forgot you agreed to go to), and don’t forget the children need help with their ever-increasing load of homework.

How can you ever hope to write a book and be a parent at the same time?

Is it hopeless? Or is there a way to pull it off?

The Real Meaning of “Busy”

The problem, of course, is that being a parent means you’re busier than you’ve ever been.

Before I became a parent, I had no idea what “busy” truly meant. Now that I’m daddy to a four year-old girl and a newborn boy, things are much, much different. There’s busy, and then there’s Parent Busy.

Parent Busy means time is your most precious resource. If you waste time, it’s like a domino knocking over every part of your life.

Parent Busy means you’re under constant pressure. Failure seems like it will surely result in a maimed child or an angry creditor cutting the power lines.

And Parent Busy means you’re exhausted in a way that no two-week vacation could ever heal. You are so sleep-deprived that the universe should give you a medal for remembering to wash your hair.

All this being said, you’re still a writer, driven to the page by purpose and passion. Somehow, you’ve got to find the time and the energy to get the words out.

Here’s something that might help.

How to Find Time to When You’re a Parent: 4 Strategies

I can’t promise that all of these ideas will work for you in your specific situation. Every family, and family member, is different. You’ll have to try things and see what sticks.

But hopefully one or more of these four suggestions will give you the time, space, and energy to confront the blank page and write something awesome. Wondering how to find time to write when your family needs you in so many other ways? Try these.

1. Communicate Your Need to Write

Your love of writing can’t be an embarrassing secret. It needs to be public knowledge and family priority.

In the same way that your partner and children have needs, you have them too, and deserve to have them respected. Parents often get swallowed up in the societal expectation to sacrifice unceasingly for their children.

Yet this is a damaging decision, and will train your loved ones to depend on you, rather than growing in healthy independence.

Without being selfish, but with gentle confidence, assert that writing is a necessary part of your life and that you need some time to do it. Start a conversation in which your needs, and theirs, are equal parts of the family schedule and set of priorities.

“

Your family has needs, and so do you. Start a conversation to include your writing time on the family schedule and set of priorities.

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2. Make Small Sacrifices to Create Time

When my first child was born, I was shocked by how much time was no longer mine to waste. With this in mind, it may seem ridiculous to suggest that a parent needs to sacrifice even more in order to find writing time.

Yet much of my day is still wasted, even now that I have an additional child. During lulls in my workday, I browse the internet and check social media. I could easily be outlining or even drafting small bits of writing during this time. Of course this varies from job to job, but I challenge you to consider what moments in your daily routine are wasted on a smartphone, tablet, or computer, that could be invested in your writing.

Much of my evening is wasted, too, because I have a foolish vision of “relaxation.” As a 34-year-old man, I’ve come to believe that video games, football, and YouTube lead to relaxation. Yet during these activities I find myself restless, frustrated that I’m not doing what I truly love.

It’s only once I’ve brewed a fresh pot of coffee, forced myself to sit at my workstation, and begun to tackle a specific goal that I not only feel relaxed, but reinvigorated.

And that’s what we need more than anything: Restoration. Your writing can, and should, be a part of what fills you back up after doing so much for everyone else.

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You have more time than you think, tucked away in nooks and crannies. Where can you carve out even a few minutes to write?

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3. Bring Zero Rules to Your Writing

Your life is filled with “rules.”

Show up on time for car line. Make sure the car seat is on the passenger side. Bring a dish to share to the social. Wear red for that charity thing. 

The last thing you should bring into your sacred writing time is another rule.

Yet that’s exactly what we do. Since our writing time is so rare and special, we want it to be perfect.

But perfection is a lie and the rules we attempt to follow to reach it are nothing but shackles.

Write 1,000 words. Don’t use adverbs. Get the scene right the first time. Stop using “said” all the time. 

These rules may seem important, but the only thing they’re going to do is stop you from writing. It is infinitely better to write a ton of crap than to write nothing at all. You can work with crap. You can edit crap, rewrite crap, and daydream all day long about how to turn crap into gold.

You can’t do anything with nothing.

So don’t bring any rules. They’ll only enslave you and poison your already endangered writing time.

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Step Away

This may seem strange or counterintuitive, but I’m trusting my gut on this one: Don’t be afraid to step away from your writing when your family needs you.

Yes, they need to respect your writing time. Yes, their problems can and should usually wait. Yes, this time is sacred.

But there will be moments when not stepping away will feel like betrayal. There will be times when ignoring your family for the sake of writing becomes immoral, or even sinful. In the moment you’ll know it, and then you’ll be faced with a crisis.

I can’t stop writing. This is the only time I’ll get. 

I know that feeling. That’s why I’m writing about this right now. I’m constantly interrupted, constantly threatened with the thought that I won’t make a deadline or I won’t achieve one of my writing goals.

And sometimes, I have to ask my wife for a few more minutes, or remind my daughter that Daddy is working, but he’d love to play soon.

But I also am growing in my trust. I don’t know how things will go in the future. I don’t know that I’ll “never” get to write again, or that I’ll absolutely miss a deadline. It’s impossible to see the future.

Sometimes I have to trust that I’ll get that time back and step away.

And I’ve never regretted it.

Let Your Family Fuel Your Writing

The other day my daughter had been home all day while my heroic wife took care of our newborn boy, who is struggling with all the things common to fussy, uncomfortable three-week-old babies. I was busy working on something important, and my daughter repeatedly approached me and said, “Daddy, will you play with me?”

Two times I sadly told her “No, I can’t right now,” and she walked away and continued to play by herself.

But she’s persistent. Persistent in believing her daddy loves her, and persistent in believing that playing with me is better than playing without me.

“Daddy, will you play with me now?” 

At that moment I took a deep breath, looked down at my work, and said something to myself.

You’ll be fine. 

I turned to my little girl, smiled, and said, “Of course I’ll play with you now.”

I’m blessed to have a family that understands my need to write (Except the newborn . . . he’s pretty disagreeable about it, actually . . .). And I’ve taken steps to earn their understanding by making some sacrifices and avoiding anxiety-inducing rules that make my writing time a burden for me and for them.

Your story, I’m sure, has some similarities and a lot of differences. What I’ve written may work for you, and it may not. You no doubt have strategies that have worked for you and your family that I could never think of. And you certainly face challenges that I don’t, and probably never will.

I want to leave you with both an optimistic and realistic taste in your mouth. No situation is perfect. But no situation is hopeless. There has to be a healthy blend of faith and strategy to make the writing life work as a busy parent.

Strategies like these are a great place to start, and it is my sincerest hope that they work for you as well as they’ve worked for me.

Your writing is important. It is a huge part of your life, and your family’s life. Let your family fuel you. Let them be the reason your writing soars. Let them in, even as cheerleaders.

Yes, you’re Parent Busy.

But you’re a parent with stories to tell. And this world needs them more than ever.

Do you have tips for how to find time to write? How do you create productive writing time in the midst of your life’s hectic bustle? Let us know in the comments.

PRACTICE

Take fifteen minutes to write a story about a parent. Focus especially on the third tip: bring no rules to your writing. Just write, and don’t worry about whether you’re getting it “right” or not.

When you’re done, share your writing in the comments section, and be sure to leave feedback for your fellow writers!

The post How to Find Time to Write When You’re a Parent appeared first on The Write Practice.

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Be Heard for Real: Take the MyGolfSpy Distance Survey

Last week, as part of their Distance Insights Project – a joint effort to study the past, present and future impacts of distance in golf – the USGA and R&A asked golfers to participate in a distance survey.

Many of you felt (and I agree) the survey was too long and polluted with questions designed to elicit the answers necessary to justify a foregone conclusion. Namely, distance is a problem that impacts all golfers and threatens the future of the game. The USGA and R&A are poised to take your feedback and do something to address the problem, even if it means you and the other 99.99% of golfers who don’t play at a professional or elite level will lose yardage because of it. Sometimes we all have to take one for the team.

For us, there were two issues with the survey. Firstly, many of the questions were, for lack of a more elegant term, garbage. Phrasing, in many cases, was suspect. It’s the sort of thing to which TV lawyers object on the grounds of leading the witness.

The second issue is that we’re fairly certain the USGA and R&A have no plans to publish the full, unfiltered results for all golfers to see. If you’re going to ask for the opinions of your constituency as part of the basis for a significant rule change, we think it’s reasonable to put those results out there for everyone. That’s exactly what we’re going to do.

We Fixed It

Before anyone tackles the distance problem, we wanted to solve the survey problem, so we fixed the USGA and R&A Survey.

We’ve eliminated some questions, left some alone, cleaned up others, added ones we think need to be asked, and just for good measure; we threw in a leading question of our own to get you to think about how a rollback might impact the courses you play.

We know its a big ask, but we hope that you’ll take 10 minutes out of your day to take the survey (again). We’re going to leave it open for two weeks. Once it’s closed, we’ll publish the results for everyone to see.

This really is your chance to be heard (and seen) on golf’s distance problem.

As an incentive, anyone who inputs their email address at the end of a completed survey will be entered to win a dozen 2018 Callaway ChromeSoft Golf balls.

Click here to take the MyGolfSpy Distance Survey.

 

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Eat Omega 3 Fatty Acids to be more Awesome in Life

Omega 3 fatty acids are very good fats, these are the kind of fats that you should be considering for your diet. But not many people know what Omega 3 fatty acids are, and yet they play such a vital role in our bodies. We can’t produce it in our bodies so we need to …

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How to Handle Rejection: 4 Things NOT to Do and 3 Things to Do After You’re Rejected by a Publisher

Rejection may be one of the hardest parts of writing. After pouring our lives into our manuscripts, it feels personal when someone tells our work isn’t good enough. Even if we know in our minds how to handle rejection, our hurt and disappointment can make us want to lash out.

Additionally, when we are submitting something the size of a novel, we are offering up something that represents years of our lives. To have it dismissed with a form email may make you question if you’ve been wasting your time.

When we are feeling rejected, we may be tempted to lash out, but we must make sure we do it in an appropriate way.

I’ve Been There

Confession: I have been routinely rejected by publishers.

Just last month I submitted a manuscript of a novel I’m excited about to a publisher I respect. I wanted two months to hear back from them.

Because of the way their submission process was designed, I could see where I was in the submission “to be read” pile. I checked each day as the queue number counted down to my work, my excitement building.

But when I got to number seventy in line, I received the rejection notice.

I was left with a thousand questions. Was this countdown some elaborate ruse? Did they even read it? Did they look at the title and pass immediately (because the working title was terrible)?

More than questions, I was left with anger and feelings of rejection.

How to Handle Rejection Poorly: 4 Things NOT to Do

The list that follows were my instinctual responses to being rejected. When I first started writing, I may have done some of these. Thankfully, now, after years of being rejected, I’ve learned to catch myself before I actually did any of these.

Here are five things not to do when you are rejected:

1. DON’T Email the Publisher a Nasty Letter or Talk Trash About Them on Social Media

Being a writer, letter writing is always my first go-to. I want to fire off a devastating email about how wrong they were, and how they are going to regret it someday, and how I didn’t want to publish with their stupid company anyway.

While an angry letter might feel good at the moment, it will only hurt us down the road. You may not work with that company now, but the future is wide open. Don’t burn bridges you might want to march across later.

2. DON’T Trash Traditional Publishing

When we are rejected, it is easy to lash out at the system itself, and it feels good to talk about how we are victims to a powerful sinister system that is prohibiting our work from being seen.

At the same time, let’s be honest. You knew what traditional publishing was and what the odds were before you submitted your work. You just thought you’d be the exception to the rule. Don’t blame the mountain for being difficult (sometimes impossible) to climb.

3. DON’T Quit Writing

This is where I typically wallow. When I get rejected, all it becomes difficult for me to sit down at my laptop and write the next thing.

But writing the next thing is exactly what we need to do. Whenever my kids get in fights at school, I tell them, “Part of the problem is, you let the other person have power over you and your emotions.” This is the same thing I’m doing when I quit writing because I’ve been rejected. Instead, what I should do is shake it off and write the next thing.

4. DON’T Take it Personally

This one is the most difficult because writing is personal. Often, it is the most personal thing we do. When our work is rejected, it feels like we are being rejected.

But, to quote the Godfather, “It’s not personal. It’s strictly business.” There are a thousand reasons our work may have been rejected. When a company publishes a book, they are making a financial investment in a product they intend to sell and make money on.

They aren’t rejecting you. They are choosing not to invest in your start-up (your book). If we can keep in mind that this is a business, we can spare ourselves a lot of hurt feelings.

How to Handle Rejection Well: 3 Things to Do

If we’re not allowed to send the publisher angry letters and we shouldn’t throw in the towel and give up on our writing completely, what should we do when we face rejection? Here are three strategies to process rejection in a way that actually gives your writing a boost.

1. DO Feel Your Emotions

Should we trash talk the publisher on social media because we feel hurt? No. But those feelings of hurt, of disappointment, of anger, of loss that make us want to trash talk are real and valid.

It’s okay to feel bad when we receive rejection letters. Don’t stuff those feelings away or ignore them. Instead, acknowledge them and allow yourself to feel them so you can move forward.

Just remember, those feelings aren’t the end of your story. They’re simply a natural, normal bump along the way.

2. DO Reimagine Success

Every writer who has ever published any writing at all has faced rejection.

Stephen King famously collected all his rejection letters and hung them on his wall with a nail — until he received too many to hold.

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By the time I was fourteen the nail in my wall would no longer support the weight of the rejection slips impaled upon it. I replaced the nail with a spike and went on writing. —Stephen King

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Write Practice contributor Sarah Gribble measures her annual writing goals by the number of rejections she receives. The more rejections, the better: it means she’s writing more stories and submitting them boldly.

Treat rejection as a badge of honor. It means you’re taking your writing seriously, you believe in your stories, and you won’t give up.

3. DO Keep Writing

The most important thing you can do is this: keep writing.

Publishing is amazing. But writing is its own reward. Pick up your pen or sit down at your keyboard, imagine a new story, and keep writing.

This is the mark of a writer: that no matter how your writing is received, you keep writing.

Your Writing Is Worth It

It’s hard being rejected and when we do, we want to lash out; but if we are going to make it as authors longterm, we can’t give into our raw emotional responses. We must have self-control and avoid doing things that may have long-term consequences on our work.

Our task as writers is to keep writing, submitting, writing, submitting, and writing again. We’re following a long tradition of great authors and developing the resilience it takes to pursue this craft.

And one day, as you keep practicing, writing, and submitting, you might just receive that coveted “Yes, we’d love to publish this.”

Do you have any tips for how to handle rejection? Let us know in the comments.

PRACTICE

Today, spend fifteen minutes writing about someone who is responding poorly to being rejected. You can use one of the four responses above, or create your own.

When you are finished, share your work in the comments below. Be sure to leave feedback for your fellow writers, too. Let’s encourage one another and support each other as we write and submit tenaciously, even in the face of rejection.

The post How to Handle Rejection: 4 Things NOT to Do and 3 Things to Do After You’re Rejected by a Publisher appeared first on The Write Practice.

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First Look: Tour Edge EXS Fairways and Hybrids

Pound for pound, nothing else comes close. That’s the tagline for the Tour Edge EXS series of clubs. Chiefly, it’s a line tasked with bringing golfers the technology and performance expected of flagship models from major OEMs at a more budget-friendly price point.

Golfers bemoan increases in equipment costs and largely cite niche brands and special releases as the primary culprits – though the established norm of $500 drivers is a worthy talking point as well. However, more expensive options do not preclude the existence of less expensive ones. In fact, equipment narrowly targeted at the economic fringes of the market creates the need for lines like the EXS to serve the budgetary and performance needs of most golfers.

TECH PACKAGE

The foundation of both the EXS fairway and hybrid is quench-hardened, hyper-strength steel construction. High-density Carpenter steel in used in the fairway while the hybrid has a Japanese HT980 steel cup face. The heating technique requires 750° to produce a thinner, stronger face for greater energy transfer (think ball speed) and forgiveness while the hexagonal Variable Face Thickness (VFT) apportions different levels of thickness across the face to improve forgiveness on both heel and toe strikes. Additionally, in the fairway brings a bit of carbon fiber to the toe. By replacing the heavier steel, extra mass can be placed in the heel to create a native draw bias.

The Flight Tuning System (FTS) allows for players to move around interchangeable weights (two in the fairway and one in the hybrid) to modify ball flight. An 11-gram and 3-gram are standard in the fairway, with a separate kit including 6-gram, 9-gram and 14-gram weights available for purchase. The hybrid comes stock with a 4-gram weight and 7-gram, and 10-gram weights can be purchased separately.

The premise of moveable weights is elementary. Pushing more weight toward the heel further increases draw bias and placing heavier weights rearward increases launch and promotes a straighter ball flight. With the hybrid, it’s not a matter of changing right-left flight bias, but swingweight and CG location.  Replacing the 4-gram weight in the hybrid with either a 7-gram or 10-gram weight increases swingweight and all things being equal, decreases spin for a more penetrating flight.

The improved aerodynamics are the result of wider speed channels in the patented SlipStream Sole, which make far more sense in the hybrid and fairway offerings than the driver, though I suppose it gives the line some aesthetic continuity. In this context, aerodynamic improvement is less about how efficiently the club moves through the air and all about how it glides through the turf.

The stock shaft offering for the EXS fairway is the Mitsubishi CK Blue 2g. A 50-gram weight will be available in Ladies, A-flex and Regular, a 60-gram shaft available in Regular, Stiff and X-flex and a 70-gram shaft available in Stiff and X-flex. The 3-wood is offered in 13°, 15°(RH and LH) and 17°. A 5-wood (18°) and 7-wood (21°) round out the lineup.

Like the EXS fairway, the stock shaft offering for the EXS hybrid is the Mitsubishi CK Blue 2G. A 60g weight is available in Ladies, and A-flex ladies flex, 70g in regular and 80g in stiff and x-stiff. The hybrid is available for right-handed players in lofts of 17°, 19°, 22°, 25°, and 28°.

WIN! – The #1 Overspeed Training Kit

SUPERSPEED GOLF

Enter MyGolfSpy’s Giveaway!

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MOVING ON

The EXS line is built around curing what ails the greatest percentage of golfers – the choppy, weak slice – while providing a boost in distance. That alone doesn’t make Tour Edge stand out, but at prices which are roughly 20% less than competitors who offer similar technology, it’s sure to garner some degree of attention.

Tour Edge is a savvy brand. It hasn’t turned a profit every year of its existence by making bad bets or taking fliers on equipment releases. At face value, the EXS line sits comfortably between the previous Exotics and aggressively priced Hot Launch lines. It allows Tour Edge some room to make an argument that its performance per dollar spent ratio is as good, if not better than any OEM, especially for golfers with sub-105 MPH swing speeds.

That’s the overwhelming majority of the market.

Retail availability for the EXS fairway ($229.99 MSRP) and hybrid ($199.99 MSRP) begins 11/1/2018.

For more information visit TourEdge.com or call (800) 515-3343

 

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7 Great Reasons All Couples Should Learn How to Social Dance Together

Between juggling full-time jobs, hobbies, kids, and other commitments, how often do you spend quality time with your significant other? According to a study from the University of Lincoln who studied a group of almost 10,000 couples, 36% of married couples hardly ever go out on a date night together. The reality is that most …

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BEST BALL RETRIEVERS OF 2018

Vote for the Winner of the Fall Writing Contest

Last week, hundreds of writers submitted their stories to the Fall Writing Contest.

I’ve so enjoyed seeing how these stories have developed. Our contest Facebook group was full of lively conversations, writers collaborating to help each other find the best ideas and tell unique, creative stories. They’ve workshopped their stories and given each other great feedback in Becoming Writer.

These writers worked hard to craft their very best stories, and last week, they took that final, scary step: submitting their writing to the judges.

The Judges Are Reading . . . And So Can You

Right now, our panel of judges is reading through each story, looking for the ones that will make it to the winners’ circle. And while they’re hard at work, I have an invitation for you, too.

I’m inviting you to step over to the judges’ side of the submission table. I’m inviting you to try reading like an editor and decide which story you would choose as the winner of the Fall Writing Contest.

And then, I’m inviting you to vote on your favorite to win the Readers’ Choice Award.

“

The Fall Writing Contest stories are in! Vote on your favorite for the Readers’ Choice Award.

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Our entrants have put their all into writing stories they love, and we want to help them get their writing into the hands of excited readers.

Not only that, but as you read through the entries and pick your favorite, you’ll get a taste of the editor’s life. Judging this contest yourself will give you perspective on the mindsets of the people who will read your work.

Plus, I think you’ll find more than a few stories you love in this bunch.

How Does It Work?

Here’s how you can step into the judges’ shoes and help select the winner of the Readers’ Choice Award:

All the published stories from the contest can be found here at Short Fiction Break. You don’t have to read all of them; just pick three or five. (You can always read more if you want!)

When you decide on your favorite, let us know using the poll at the bottom of the page.

Then, support your chosen story by sharing it on social media. Let your friends and family know you’ve found a story you think they’d enjoy, and ask them to vote for it, too.

You can even leave a comment on your favorite story to let the author know you enjoyed it. Our entrants are nervously awaiting to hear the results of all their hard work, and I know they’d appreciate your encouragement.

Pick Your Favorite

I’m so proud of everyone who joined us in this contest. All our writers invested time and care into crafting something great, and I’m excited to share their stories with you now.

Come check out their stories, vote for your favorite, and help some amazing writers get the celebration they deserve!

What will you look for in a winning story? Let us know in the comments.

PRACTICE

Today, I’m challenging you to think like an editor.

1. Read three or more stories from the contest.
2. Vote for your favorite by filling out the poll.
3. Share your favorite on social media and invite your friends to vote, too.
4. Comment on your favorite to let the author know you enjoyed it!

I hope you find some stories you love!

The post Vote for the Winner of the Fall Writing Contest appeared first on The Write Practice.

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The Editor: The Invisible Hero You Need in the Publishing World

A few months ago, I posted an article about avoiding clichés here on The Write Practice. The (bland) title I proposed was “How to Avoid Clichés.” The published title read: “How to Avoid Clichés (Like the Plague).” I grinned when I read it and said another thank you to a quiet hero of the publishing world: our editor.

She amped up the title with a clever twist that sounded just like me with my penchant for parentheses. Editors are invisible heroes in the publishing world, and knowing what they do can help you through every stage of your journey.

What the Best Editors Do

Renowned editor Robert Gottlieb (who edited for an astonishing list of clients, including everyone from Toni Morrison to Joseph Heller) once derided what he called the “glorification” of editors, stating, “The editor’s relationship to a book should be an invisible one.” (Paris Review, Issue 132, Fall 1994)

He believed the reader experience didn’t need to be interrupted by knowing the specifics about what an editor had suggested in any given work.

Gottlieb defines the role of an editor as a quiet ally of the author and ultimately of story itself. Editors are typically exceptional readers, and their vast experience can help you view your writing through a much broader lens.

Editors aren’t out to tell you if something is good. Instead, they work from questions like, “Is this clear? Does it reflect the author’s intention, voice, and genre?”

In short, an editor is an early, invested reader who wants the story to work and satisfy the audience.

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Your editor is your ally and your story’s ally, invested in making your story work in the best way possible.

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3 Types of Editing (Or, What Does an Editor Actually Do?)

You might be surprised to learn all the different types of editing that are available, and services can vary by the form and audience. For fiction, you’ll likely see services offered on at least three levels.

The descriptions below are general guidelines. Make sure you check specifically with any editor you hire for their breakdown of what is included with each edit.

1. The Developmental Editor

Developmental editors will help you refine your story. They excel at seeing large, big picture story structure issues. They will help you examine the story arcs, plot points, characterization, and scene level problems. When I had a developmental edit done on a book a couple years ago, the editor helped me identify and fix plot holes, weak scenes, and unconvincing character motivation.

The first time you have a developmental edit done, it can be a little overwhelming. So many notes!

If you find yourself in despair, remember that a developmental edit is a learning process. Read the notes. See the perspective the editor is offering. Address one issue at a time and repeat until you have the clearest, strongest draft you can produce.

2. The Copy Editor

Copy editors will help you refine your language, both grammar and mechanics. They make your sentences clear and your paragraphs shine.

Copy editors want to make your voice as consistent as possible in every line of the manuscript. Some edits will be quick grammar fixes, while others might require some choices about the voice and style you are presenting.

3. The Proofreader

Proofreaders will help you polish that final draft and free it of any pesky typos. This is the very last step of editing, and you can’t do it alone.

The good news is that typos are quick to fix once you find them. If you can find them. (How do they always manage sneak past my beady English teacher eyes?)

Is Editing Expensive?

With editing, like most things in life, you get what you pay for. The best editors are well-trained, well-read, and well-reputed.

Thoroughly vet any editor before you hire them. Ask to see references or samples. Many will do a short sample reading to see if they are a good fit for you and your work.

If you plan to indie publish, be professional and hire a good editor to make your work the best it can be. If you plan to query agents to go the traditional route, an editor can help you keep your manuscript out of the slush pile when you submit.

A word of warning: Don’t ask editors to work for free. (Did you ask your dentist to do your dental work for free? No, you didn’t. Or if you did, I hope he answered no.)

If you cannot afford an editor, join a critique group and be a great writing group member. I’ve heard of writers who barter their professional experience with web or graphic design for editing. Find a way to scrimp, save, read, practice, and swap to get the editing you need.

But What if I’m Not Ready for an Editor Yet?

So many writers agonize over every word in their early drafts. Of course you want to make it the best you can, but no one, even someone with years in the business, writes a publishable first draft.

If you are in the drafting stage, take comfort in knowing you can revise once you have a draft down. You will have numerous opportunities to revise and edit, and your process will hopefully include editors who will make your voice shine.

When you think you are just about ready to send it to an editor, make sure you check out Pamela Hodges’s great step-by-step self-editing checklist here.

Editing is an essential part of every writer’s process, and it’s freeing to know you don’t have to go it alone. Here’s to all the invisible editing heroes who’ve helped bring all our favorite books to life!

Have you ever worked with an editor? What was that experience like? Let us know in the comments.

PRACTICE

Today, let’s practice being editors ourselves. Find a piece of writing you’ve already written: maybe an excerpt from your work in progress, or a practice you’ve shared on another article on The Write Practice.

Take fifteen minutes to read and edit your piece. First, think like a developmental editor and ask yourself whether the story makes sense. Next, think like a copy editor and look for ways to strengthen each sentence. Finally, put on your proofreading hat and look for any typos.

Once you’ve edited your piece, share it in the comments below. You’re not done yet! Read at least three other writers’ stories. What editorial suggestions do you have for them?

The post The Editor: The Invisible Hero You Need in the Publishing World appeared first on The Write Practice.

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Be Heard: Take the USGA and R&A Distance Survey

The USGA wants to know what you think.

You’ve heard the rumblings. The ruling bodies are concerned golf has a distance problem. Tour Pros are hitting it too far. You might be hitting it too far. Classic courses are being rendered obsolete (even if the ones you play aren’t).

Is it the ball? Is it the equipment? Is there even a distance problem to begin with?

Those are the meaty questions in a longer-than-it-needs-to-be survey recently published by the USGA (and R&A). Surviving several pages worth of demographic questions earns you the privilege of telling the USGA what you really think about the current state of the game.

What makes golf worth watching? What aspects of the game are most important? And of course, is distance is an issue and if it is, what’s the cause?

The subtext of the questions focuses on whether or not new rules need to be put in place to roll it back – whatever the particular it or its prove to be.

We’re inviting perspectives and opinions from the global golf community because we recognize the topic of distance is one that potentially impacts us all in some capacity,” said Mike Davis, CEO of the USGA. “This is the best opportunity for people to share their thoughts and data with us. We know a final Distance Insights report that reflects a breadth of perspectives will be critical to deepening an understanding of the complex nature, and far-reaching implications, of this subject matter.”

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The USGA and The R&A will also accept relevant original or commissioned data and research directly related to distance via email until Dec. 20, 2018. Individuals or organizations may also request to present their data in person. The Distance Insights email address, as well as terms and conditions regarding the submission of research and data, can be found here.

There’s no guarantee that this is a majority rules situation and the USGA isn’t under any obligation to actually take the feelings of the average/recreational golfers that make up the overwhelming majority of the golfing population to heart. That said, if you don’t speak up, there’s zero chance you’ll be heard.

The survey is open to anyone until October 31, 2018.

Click here to take the survey.

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Flash Fiction: Mastering the Art of the Shortest Short Stories

In the writing world, flash fiction is like an appetizer. These “short short” stories may be small and end quickly, but they can be so satisfying.

The trick isn’t to treat them like a short version of a longer work, but rather as an art form all its own. That’s not to say it isn’t challenging to write, because it is, but there are several strategies you can use to help you perfect your work.

5 Tips to Master Flash Fiction

Flash fiction is a relatively broad term, because while the story is always short, there are various levels to how short they actually are. Flash fiction can be as long as 1,000 words or as short as six. The strategies for concise storytelling can be applied to all versions, but it’s important to know that challenges might be different depending on how short your story will be.

These five tips are a great place to start:

1. Say a lot in a little

Like in life, sometimes what’s not said is as telling and powerful as what is said. That doesn’t mean you should be vague in your writing, but don’t worry about making the readers understand what’s going on.

It is impossible to thoroughly explain everything in short fiction, so you shouldn’t try to do it in the first place. Your readers are smart enough to figure it out for themselves.

Let’s take Ernest Hemingway’s famous six-word story for an example:

For sale: baby shoes, never worn.

So much is said in just six words. He doesn’t have to explain why the baby shoes have never been worn, because we, the readers, can draw our own conclusions about what happened.

Allow yourself to leave some spaces blank. Readers will fill in the gaps on their own.

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It’s impossible to explain everything in a flash fiction story, so don’t try. Trust your readers to figure it out for themselves. What’s not said is as powerful as what is said.

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2. Start “in medias res”

Or “into the middle of things.” Writers don’t have the luxury of including exposition, back story, or preamble when you might have a 750-word limit.

Throw your protagonist directly into the conflict. Start at the climax whenever possible.

Flash fiction is fast-paced simply by its brief nature, so don’t slow it down with unnecessary details.

3. Limit your cast of characters

It’s a lot harder to juggle your characters when you only have a few hundred words to do so. Focus on one or two people and really flesh them out instead of spreading yourself thin with five or more.

It’ll be much easier to handle and a lot more fun.

4. Use your title to your advantage

In a flash fiction class I took last year, my teacher introduced me to the beauty of the 25-word story. The idea was that a talented writer should be able to tell a compelling story in twenty-five words or less. Most of the stories he told included a title that set up a cleverly misleading context for the reader, while the story itself dashed those expectations in a unique and surprising way. Here is one example.

Blind Date by Max Barry

She walks in and heads turn. I’m stunned. This is my setup? She looks sixteen. Course, it’s hard to tell, through the scope.

See how that worked? By using the title Blind Date, we instantly imagine a familiar scenario: two people nervously preparing for a date, maybe a dinner. But because the writer knew that’s where our minds would go, he used that to his advantage to set us up for a brilliant twist.

Not only did the last line pack a killer punch (pun intended), but he included a clue even before that. By using the term “setup,” he used his word choice wisely for double meaning. Some people might think that “setup” is a strange way to describe your date, which leads us to the clever reveal at the end that our narrator is actually a sniper.

Here is another example, this one from myself.

Thanksgiving

‘Bon appétit!’ The family resumes their lighthearted conversation, rubbing their protesting stomachs as he plucks a knife from the table and begins to carve you.

The title Thanksgiving gives us another familiar image: a family gathering for a cozy holiday with delicious food and a warm atmosphere. But with one twist of a word at the end, the story takes on a whole new meaning, and a dark one at that. “You” shifts the gaze from the happy family to the victim who is about to be the family’s meal.

Use relatable events or situations to your advantage to set the reader up for one thing, then deny the usual emotion associated with the context to create a successful plot twist.

5. Word choice is key

If you can say something in a paragraph, chances are you can say it in a single sentence. Look at the words you choose. Do you rely on adverbs or vague adjectives? Are there stronger options?

Much like in poetry, where it is essential to be descriptive and specific, flash fiction requires the writer to do the same. You have to be conservative with your words, so each one has to matter.

The Art of the Short Short Story

Flash fiction is a challenge for many (myself included!), but with the right preparation and enough practice, you can create stories that will leave readers breathless, in stitches, or in tears.

Remember the phrase “brevity is the soul of wit.” Just because your story is short doesn’t mean that it can’t be full of life.

What tactics do you use when writing flash fiction? Let us know in the comments.

PRACTICE

Try your hand at a twenty-five word story. Come up with a title that sets the stage for a certain scene, then, using the tips listed above, turn the story completely on its head.

Write for fifteen minutes and see how many you can come up with. When you’re finished, share your story in the comments. Be sure to give your fellow writers some love, too. Have fun!

The post Flash Fiction: Mastering the Art of the Shortest Short Stories appeared first on The Write Practice.

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LA Golf Shafts: Same Strategy New Arena

In March of this year, LA Golf Shafts officially acquired the inventory, assets, and patents from the now-defunct Matrix Shafts. Once upon a time, Matrix was a purveyor of high quality and high dollar shafts, but in recent years it suffered a variety of financial wounds, many of which were self-inflicted. Perhaps the most egregious misstep was selling shafts in the aftermarket for nearly the same price as a complete club with the same shaft. Not many consumers are going to pay $199 for a shaft when they can spend a couple of pennies more and get the entire club.

The pieces Matrix left behind (OZIK line in particular) provided a perfect opportunity for Reed Dickens. He promises that LA Golf Shafts isn’t going to be just another run of the mill blasé shaft company.

Given this context, LA Golf Shafts’ aim is to be exactly what most existing shaft companies are not, and that starts with the business model. Dickens started Marucci Bat Company out of a shed. Under his stewardship, it evolved the number one bat brand in Major League baseball, not by paying players to rep the product but by offering something more organic – equity positions. Now, Dicken’s latest endeavor (LA Golf Brands) is looking to replicate his uber-successful model in the golf space.

Companies often talk about finding athletes who fit the brand. This isn’t a simple matter of shuffling around puzzle pieces to get optimal brand exposure. LA Golf Shafts, via equity partnerships, places a premium on finding players who both fit the brand and want to engage in a different style of marketing platform. We’re talking about guys who will invest in both the “control and passive” elements of the game. Suffice it to say, how Reed decides to promote and market the brand will fit the premium nature of the product, but he won’t be afraid to push some boundaries either.

The theory is players who receive fractional ownership of the company in lieu of a paycheck will have a more vested interest in how the company performs. As such, LA Golf Shafts hopes to create a more organic experience by requiring its Tour staffers to have some proverbial skin in the game.

WHO?

Unlike stock endorsement arrangements, the players don’t represent the company – for all intents and purposes, they are the company. As such, LA Shafts isn’t going to recruit every Tom, Dick, and Harry, but it would do well to have a major name or two to put in front of consumers to create some positive momentum and brand credibility before it makes product available to retail consumers – which should happen sometime in early 2019.

The 7th ranked player in the world, Bryson DeChambeau, is already on board, bagging an LA Golf putter shaft en route to winning back-to-back FedEx Cup events and being named to the United States Ryder Cup team over the last few weeks. That said, Bryson is a different cat. He’s an outlier of outliers in terms of his equipment, demeanor, and approach to the game. So, while his bent toward quantitative analysis and mad scientist persona sounds like a match made in super geek heaven, LA Golf Shafts will likely be looking to acquire a balanced stable of players, including several others currently ranked in the OWGR’s Top 10.

LA Golf wasn’t willing to name names, and while Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson have been tossed around the rumor mill, at this point, it’s all conjecture. However, what we do know is the OEM wants visible players who are active on social media and willing to embrace the R&D side of shaft creation. It’s hard not to think of names like Rickie Fowler, Brooks Koepka, and Justin Rose. Rickie would make sense because he’s a media darling and Brooks is the poster man-child for free-agent golfers having won three majors in 15 months playing a set of Mizuno irons designed specifically for him – all without compensation. He hits the ball a country mile, and as one of golf’s young guns, everything seems to suggest he’ll be a constant presence on the professional stage. New World #1, Justin Rose, is a known serial shaft-swapper. The upside and downside are he’s shown a willingness to play whatever gives him the best performance – even if the relationship might be a little short-lived. Rose won three times in 2017, including the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, using a TPT 15 series driver then curiously switched to MRC’s Tensei Pro Orange for 2018. LA Golf Shafts could be a good fit for a player like Rose as it would be able to quickly modify designs to fit specific player needs – particularly if and when those needs change.

Additionally, LA Golf Shafts plans to be a global company, so it will work to find player/owners to fit each of the intended worldwide markets. It’s reasonable to expect the company to target international players with some pull in Europe and Asia and select players on the PGA Tour Champions. The concept is to cast a wide net and maximize exposure rather than trying to load up on a single marquee player or two.

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PRODUCT

The world of golf shafts – particularly those of the OEM variety – can be a shady one. On the shaft production side, working with major OEMs is often “a pain in the ass” according to industry veteran and noted shaft guru, John Oldenburg, who brings two decades of experience as the lead engineer at Aldila to his new role of Chief Product Officer at LA Golf Shafts.

Accomplished shaft designers are asked to take their best thinking, materials, and technology and cut it down to fit within the strict cost parameters set by the purchasing OEM. You might as well be asking Bobby Flay to make mac ‘n cheese out of a box. Because it’s a large volume conversation and a major profit center for the shaft company, it’s a necessarily evil companies have historically been forced to negotiate to remain relevant and move the requisite volume of product.

That said, LA Golf Shafts will not be in the OEM/inline business – at all. Every shaft will be exclusively available in the aftermarket and will be designed by Oldenburg. Moreover, all shafts will be 100% made in the good ol’ United States of America, in an environment where Oldenburg will be able to oversee the entirety of the process.

“It is a huge competitive advantage for us that all of the material sourcing, prototyping, manufacturing and testing is happening here in the US with a dedicated and talented workforce that has decades of experience creating prototypes.” – John Oldenburg

In a word, Oldenburg and his team are about authenticity– against the backdrop of an industry which has long struggled with transparency. “Whatever the shaft says it is, it is,” asserts Oldenburg. Consumers will know exactly what is under the paint and it won’t use names or clever paint schemes in an effort to dupe golfers into thinking they’re playing the same shaft as a tour pro. At the same time, if a shaft is sold as the same as one being used by an LA Golf Shafts player, it will be identical.

The truth is, even some very expensive aftermarket shafts work off blueprints which might be a decade old. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it is misleading when the only new or improved element of the new and improved shaft is the paint job.

Unless someone is willing to put a signature on the design, consumers don’t know if the vendor simply chose a profile from a catalog or sourced the design work to a third-party. When production happens offshore, there can be little to no oversight by the shaft company which eventually slaps its name on the product. If it can’t speak firsthand to how the shaft is made, there might be a significant difference between what it knows and what it believes to be true.

LA Golf wants to remove all doubt and in doing so attract clients who are willing to pay a bit more ($400-$600 is the likely starting range for premium shafts) for a shaft designed by Oldenburg, crafted from the highest quality materials available, and built to the level of quality required by the world’s best golfers.

Regarding materials, Oldenburg told MyGolfSpy, “There are only a handful (of companies) that make really good composite materials, some of which aren’t golf specific companies.” Consider Mitsubishi Chemical. It’s primarily a carbon fiber company, and a very good one, but even at that, Oldenburg wants to push limits and explore other materials, which previously might have been off the table due to cost. It’s a liberating and motivating proposition for Oldenburg who will have a deeper well of tools at his disposal than at any time in his career.

Over the last couple of years, we’ve started to hear more about shaft manufacturing processes. It used to be that table rolling/wrapping was the only method employed, and while Oldenburg estimates at least 90% of shafts are still produced this way, companies are experimenting with other methods. Seven Dreamers cures shafts in an autoclave, and TPT says its thin-ply winding method eliminates human error by using advanced machinery and robotics. Oldenburg is quick to remind consumers that while it’s easy for companies to sell consumers on a revolutionary process, “The process doesn’t matter if the design and materials aren’t correct. You have to get all of the pieces right.”

Reed Dickens and company are intending on doing just that and giving the industry a taste of something different along the way.

Does it pique your interest? Which players do you think LA Golf Shafts should go after?

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