February 3, 2010, 8:22 AM CT

Play yourself healthy

A just published research experiment on inactive men with hypertension shows that just 3 months of soccer practise twice a week causes a significant fall in blood pressure, resting pulse rate, and percentage of body fat, and is more effective than the doctor's usual advice on healthy diet and exercise. Other parallel experiments on both women and men further demonstrates that a regular game of soccer affects numerous cardiovascular risk factors such as maximal oxygen uptake, heart function, elasticity of the vascular system, blood pressure, cholesterol and fat mass far more than e.g. strength training and just as much if not more than running.

Each of the experiments was controlled randomized studies where the soccer groups were in comparison to other exercise groups and inactive controls. The soccer experiments are part of a large-scale research project on soccer and health carried out at the University of Copenhagen, four Danish University Hospitals, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and the Schulthess Clinic in Zurich.

Project Leader and Associate Professor at the University of Copenhagen Peter Krustrup recaps the results: "Our research shows that soccer is a versatile and intense form of exercise that provides a positive effect on cardiovascular risk factors in a large group of untrained adult men and women," and continues: "Based on the results, soccer can be recommended as part of the therapy for hypertension and as broad-spectred prevention of cardiovascular diseases."........ Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

January 25, 2010, 8:17 AM CT

Luck Has Nothing to Do with

Faced with a fly ball soaring deep into center field during the 1954 World Series, New York Giants center fielder Willie Mays turned his back on the ball, ran straight to the center field fence and caught the ball over his shoulder.

"The Catch" is among the best-known images in all of sports.

How did Mays do it? Did he predict where and when the ball was going to land just from seeing it hit? How does any outfielder actually catch a fly ball?

Brown University scientists have concluded that prediction has little to do with catching a fly ball. By using a virtual environment in which volunteers ran after computer-generated fly balls, scientists were able to confirm one of three major theories about how baseball players catch fly balls: It's a matter of optical acceleration cancellation.

Instead of predicting the ball's likely landing point, the outfielder's eyes continuously track the ball as its visual velocity increases or decreases, and the outfielder runs backward or forward to compensate. "The Catch" is famous precisely because fielders rarely turn their back on the ball. Mays may have added luck to the equation. Details are online at the Journal of Vision.

"All the fielders need to do is track this optical variable and it will lead them to a successful catch," said William H. Warren, professor of cognitive and linguistic sciences at Brown and the paper's senior author. "They don't have to do a lot of heavy computation in their heads to predict the landing point"......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 04:28:10 GMT

Russian ice dancers

World champion ice dancers Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin of Russia are definitely ones to watch at the Vancouver Olympics. They have outraged some people in Australia for donning brown face and pretending to be Aboriginal. Are you offended? (via Salon) Posted by: Frank      Read more     Source

November 9, 2009, 8:12 AM CT

Young tennis players who play only one sport

Gifted young athletes are under increasing pressure to play only one sport year round.

But a new Loyola University Health System study of 519 junior tennis players has observed that such specialization increases the risk of injury. Scientists who analyzed 3,366 matches in United States Tennis Association junior competition observed that players who specialized in only tennis were more likely to withdraw from tournaments for medical reasons, typically injuries.

Also, players who had experienced an injury or tennis-related illness during the past year were 5.4 times more likely to withdraw from a tournament for medical reasons.

"Parents, coaches and players should exercise caution if there is a history of previous injury," said Dr. Neeru Jayanthi, main author of the study. "And parents should consider enrolling their children in multiple sports".

Jayanthi reported results at the international Society for Tennis Medicine and Science World Congress in Valencia, Spain.

Jayanthi is medical director of primary care sports medicine and an assistant professor in the departments of Family Medicine and Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

Players in the study began playing tennis at an average age of 6, began competing at age 9 and began to specialize at age 10. Players practiced a median of 16 to 20 hours per week, and 93 percent said they competed at least ten months per year......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:05:42 GMT

Woods No Longer Invincible

Courtesy: The Guardian

Well, well, well. History has been made; Tiger Woods has been defeated while leading on Sunday, while leading after 54 holes and while leading on Sunday in a major - where he WAS 11-0.

That's all over now. The streak is done. Turn the page.

Is a new era in golf about to begin? An era in which Tiger is no longer feared or revered when walking the same fairways as his fellow competitors?

Hard to say. What we can say - with certainty - is that Tiger's record in the majors this year - : T-6 at The Masters, T-6 at the US Open, missed cut at The British Open and now a blown lead on Sunday at the PGA Championship - is miserable by his standards.

Either his standards are slipping or the standards of other golfers are rising.

I believe it's the latter. How else could a South Korean golfer, Y.E. Yang, in his first full exempt season on the PGA Tour and with only one win at the Honda Classic, take on Woods and beat him straight up in the season's final major to become the first from his country to win a major title in the game?

Talent is one thing and Yang has it in spades. But that mental toughness needed to go head-to-head with the Master of Mental Toughness means there are more golfers than just Eldridge capable of controlling mind and body in clutch moments.

Padraig Harrington showed that last weekend in his exciting finish with Woods at the Bridgestone WGC.

Ironically, it was the same skulled pitch from greenside rough into water that sunk Harrington's chance of defending his PGA crown at Hazeltine that also tanked his chances at the WGC.

A crack in Harrington's armor, perhaps. But the point is Tiger is no longer in a class by himself.

Which should make for very exciting golf in the seasons to come. Posted by: Jack      Read more     Source

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:19:54 GMT

Find your Golf Stuff at the Right Price

It's that time of year.... You gather up your golf equipment and throw it all in your trunk. Then you head for the links.

Golf is about sun and fresh air, about relaxing with friends. But half golf is the stuff - the golf bags and golf balls, the shoes and golf shirt and sunglasses and etc.

So where do you go to find the right golf club iron at the right price?

How about Twenga? It is a new-generation search engine and use its home-grown technology that gathers offerings from online retailers and displays them in one searchable site.

So whatever you need for your next trip to the course, look for it on Twenga today....


© merfam
Posted by: Jack      Read more     Source

August 13, 2009, 7:09 AM CT

Football injuries in US high school athletes

Injuries can occur during a sporting competition at any time. However, new research finds that during football, injuries sustained at the beginning or middle of a game are more severe in comparison to injuries sustained during the end or in overtime. This finding suggests that the changes of intensity throughout competition influence risk of severe injury.

The beginning of a football game accounted for 16 percent of injuries, with 54 percent occurring during the middle of the game. The end of the game or during overtime accounted for 30 percent of injuries, as per the study published in Research in Sports Medicine and conducted by scientists in the Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP) in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital. This is the first study to assess the effects of competition intensity on injury severity in high school football.

"Not only does the time in competition affect injuries but also the phase of play," explained one of the study's authors, Dawn Comstock, PhD, principal investigator in CIRP at Nationwide Children's Hospital. "During kickoff and punting, a greater proportion of severe injuries occurred in comparison to all other phases of play. Thirty-three percent of injuries occurring during kickoff and punt were severe and 20 percent were concussions"......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

August 5, 2009, 10:49 PM CT

Sports Apparel for the Youth of Today

The youth apparel market is one of the most lucrative in the clothing industry. The fashion and styles worn by today's youth are strongly influenced by icons and role models. Presently there are no greater icons than sports figures. Sports have become such an integral part of life that young people choose to wear sports apparel even while not playing any sport.

Generally speaking, young individuals have very few expenses, leaving them with plenty of disposable income to spend on clothing and recreational merchandise. As a result, the sales for sports equipment and sports apparel, at companies such as Nike, Reebok, Adidas, Puma, Champion, and Wilson, among others, have surged beyond all expectations over the past decade. Market research surveys have found that the majority of consumers for sports apparel are between the ages of 12 and 34.

Although the US and UK remain the largest markets for sports apparel, the lure of sports has infiltrated almost every country across the globe and the demand is still growing. From hats, jerseys and shoes to sports memorabilia, there is a huge demand for anything related to sports, particularly youth apparel.

Of course, the success of the sports apparel business can be largely attributed to the growing popularity of the Internet and the rapid expansion of online stores. The convenience of online shopping plays a huge role in capturing buyers, which provides a huge boost to total sales......... Posted by: Joe      Read more         Source

July 12, 2009, 8:56 AM CT

Easy strength training exercise may help treat tennis elbow

People with pain in the elbow or forearm from playing sports or just from common everyday activities, might be able to use a simple bar and strengthening exercise to alleviate pain, say scientists who are presenting their study results at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Annual Meeting in Keystone, Colorado, July 9th-12th.

Tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis is a common condition effecting nearly three percent of the general population, not just those who play tennis. "Our study illustrated that a novel exercise, using an inexpensive rubber bar, may provide a practical and effective means of adding isolated wrist strengthening exercises to a therapy plan," said main author Timothy F. Tyler, PT, ATC, Clinical Research Associate, of the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma in New York City.

The study randomized 21 patients with tennis elbow into two groups. Both received the wrist extensor stretching, ultrasound, cross-friction massage, heat and ice for therapy. The eccentric training group performed isolated eccentric wrist extensor strengthening using the rubber bar (Flexbar, Akron OH) while the standard therapy group performed isotonic wrist strengthening exercises. Three sets of 15 repetitions were performed daily as part of a home program with intensity increased progressively during the therapy period. A variety of pain and movement scales were utilized to determine progress. Patients using the rubber bar had vastly better results on all scales, particularly correlation to strength. In fact, given the consistently poor outcomes for patients in the standard therapy group, it was deemed appropriate to terminate the randomization with 21 of the intended 30 patients having already completed the study......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

July 12, 2009, 8:54 AM CT

ACL reconstruction doesn't harm NFL career length

Knee injuries are a common problem in collegiate and professional football, often hindering an individual's career length and future. A study presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Annual Meeting in Keystone, Colorado suggests that anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction versus a simple meniscus repair may predict a longer professional career in those that have suffered knee injuries.

"ACL reconstruction is a reliable surgical technique that enables professional football players to have similar length careers as their counterparts without ACL injuries. Eventhough meniscectomy has a shorter recovery time than ACL reconstruction, these surgeries appear to lead to a significantly shorter career with fewer games played in the long term," said main author Robert H. Brophy, MD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Washington University School of Medicine and Assistant Team Clinician for the St. Louis Rams.

The study utilized a database containing the injury history and career NFL statistics of athletes from 1987-2000. Athletes who had a history of meniscectomy and/or ACL surgery and no other surgery or major injury were matched to a control group of athletes without prior surgeries. Athletes were also matched by position, year drafted, round drafted and additional history. Fifty-four athletes with a history of meniscectomies, 29 with a history of ACL reconstruction and 11 with a history of both were identified and matched to controls......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:44:13 GMT

A First Taste of PowerPlay Golf

Courtesy: Copetown Woods Golf Club

I've been a proponent of PowerPlay Golf for quite some time now. And I've been a supporter based on the theory of this first new twist to the game in decades.

But I hadn't actually played the format until this week.

Canadian PPG representative, Barry Forth, general manager of Copetown Woods Golf Club outside Toronto, hosted a media day to formally introduce the concept to about 25 members of the Canadian golf media on Tuesday.

Copetown is the first club in Canada to introduce the format to recreational players.

On hand was Peter McEvoy, the creator of the format and a man whose amateur career was so stellar that it earned him an OBE from the Queen. McEvoy had flown over from the UK to explain the concept and the plans for making PowerPlay Golf a truly global game.

That is already a reality in many ways. There are now 21 countries involved, or more specifically, at least one golf club in each of those countries has become the first venue for the concept.

I won't rehash the idea here. Visit the PowerPlay Golf website for more details if you haven't read my previous posts.

During the press conference, there were several points that became clear. Made-for-television tournaments involving professional tour players are essential to the success of PPG and are indeed in the works with IMG, the global sports marketing company. And PPG is working with the national golf body in each country to help firmly plant the seeds at the recreational level.

So the strategy - or is it a hope? - then is this: the pros embrace the idea, play for money in made-for-TV tournaments organized by IMG and recreational golfers then buy into the concept as well.

In the end, any success will ultimately depend on how golfers like playing this unique version of the venerable game which uses the Stableford scoring system.

And that brings us back to our first taste of it on Tuesday at Copetown Woods west of Toronto.

We played the back nine in threesomes, starting on the par 5 tenth hole, 471 yards from the blue tees. I forgot to declare on the tee that I would go for the black (PowerPlay) flag on that hole and smoked my tee shot. My second rolled off the back of the green only about 25 feet from the black flag. Except I was going for the easier white flag pin placement.

First lesson: remember to declare on the tee!

What felt odd was how our threesome broke apart on the green to putt out. One or two of us might be putting to the white pin position while, elsewhere on the green, another would be putting out at the PowerPlay pin location.

A small observation perhaps but it felt unusual.

I will say this in hindsight: for two or more casual golfers playing this format, try the match play format first. I have a feeling that PowerPlay Golf would be a ton of fun using match play rather than stroke play, Stableford point scoring and factoring handicaps.

You and your partners will know where you stand on each tee because the player who scores best at the PowerPlay pin position will win the hole. In the case of a tie such as when two players par or birdie the black flag, then you could use the closest-to-the-hole method to decide the winner.

Otherwise, the format becomes tricky. You need to know the Stableford scoring system, you need to know your handicap (what a chance for serious sandbagging) and then you must add up your net points at the end of the round to settle up.

At any rate, the PowerPlay golf version of the game has serious merit. It's new and I think that given time, some of the tricky bits in the rules will be ironed out.

The best part is that you won't - or shouldn't - pay any more to play 9 holes of PowerPlay golf than a straightforward 9 and it will be a lot more fun.
Posted by: Jack      Read more     Source

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 04:29:13 GMT

PowerPlay Golf Cracks U.S. Market

Courtesy: PowerPlay Golf UK

PowerPlay Golf is turning into a real juggernaut.

You'll recall, if you read this space with some frequency, that PowerPlay Golf is a unique and novel approach to the game that combines a much shortened timeline for play and a format designed to encourage excitement and fun.

This simple formula is rapidly becoming a magic formula.

Yesterday, the World Golf Foundation announced that it was partnering with PowerPlay Golf to roll out the concept in the United States.

This is a huge nut cracked. Entry into what is without question the largest market (and marketplace) for golf in the world is no small success.

PowerPlay Golf now has profile in 16 countries around the world.

But there is one over-arching reason why the World Golf Foundation saw fit to "quarterback" PowerPlay Golf in the U.S.

The WGF is mandated to introduce and spread the sport across a wide spectrum of the population, bringing new golfers into the game.

This has been a difficult task in the past, what with shifting demographics, a belief that golf is a tough game to learn, the costs of equipment and greens fees and of course, that time element again: at least 4 hours to play 18 holes - and that's if you are a regular player.

Clearly, the WGF sees PowerPlay Golf with its risk-reward scenario as having the strong appeal needed to grow the game in the United States.

And I believe that the WGF also sees PowerPlay Golf as a financially viable option for new golfers. After all, 9 holes are cheaper than 18 and everyone needs a price break right now. Boy, do we.

Great ideas that become reality always have common elements. They are timely, unique and broad-based in their appeal.

PowerPlay Golf has all those and much more since it can piggy-back on the enormous number of golf courses around the world and specifically in America.

This is one great idea that is set to soar. Posted by: Chris Henry      Read more     Source

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 01:13:16 GMT

The Game That Heals

Courtesy: Viet Nam Tourism

Golf is a healing game, it turns out.

That truth surprises me a bit because I know golf to be a game that also tears wounds deep into the psyche.

But it heals, as well. Or perhaps I can best express it by saying that golf aids healing.

Here's the story of a former American Marine who fought in Vietnam and who returns to face down his ghosts.

He takes a set of golf clubs with him and finds a far different country than the one that was torn apart by war.

I hope you take the time to read the whole story. It's well worth it. Posted by: Chris Henry      Read more     Source

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 00:08:36 GMT

Tour To Lose More Tournaments?

Kapalua's Plantation Course, Hawaii

Everything is related. Make no mistake about it. Yet, when I peruse the stories the golf media is writing these days, it's as if everything is fine.

But it isn't. I have been harping on about the global economic situation for some weeks now. And for good reason.

Our current situation is unlike anything we have witnessed before. Economists refer to the Great Depression, citing the years between 1929 and 1932 to draw parallels with what is happening today.

What is happening today is far worse than 29-32.

And the cracks are showing up everywhere, growing wider by the day.

But back to golf. There are reports that the PGA Tour is planning to move away from Kapalua. Read more of "Tour To Lose More Tournaments?" Posted by: Chris Henry      Read more     Source

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 20:01:08 GMT

Morning Brew

Photo: "Blue Screen, Orange Shark, Black Ball" by tonalmotion, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

What"s happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):

Does Peel have a doda problem? No, not that Doda. This one"s straight from Afghanistan and is created by grinding dried poppy husks into a fine powder. Apparently, Brampton city councillor Vicky Dhillon said he first noticed the problem when he spotted people lined up outside of neighbourhood meat shops.

Meanwhile, a Newmarket man was busted for importing 37 kilograms of raw opium in cans of expired tomato paste.

Speaking of Brampton, Post gossip columnist Shinan Govani says former 905er Michael Cera is at the top of the list to star as Gilligan in a big-screen revival of Gilligan"s Island.

What was that about lost at sea? Oh, yeah, that would be the ongoing strike at York University, now looking as bleak as ever and threatening to derail the entire academic year. Some are now calling for the government or a binding arbitrator to intervene. Posted by: Tim      Read more     Source

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 00:20:05 GMT

How To Get A Great Golf Deal

It's time to play with currencies! This winter is going to provide some of the best golf travel deals in many a year, if not decades, particularly if you're an American golfer.

As deflation continues to tear through the global economy, prices continue to drop. The longer you wait, the better the deals will be.

There is another way to profit than by simply waiting for another "seat sale", although the airlines will probably be offering plenty of those again, too (don't forget, many of them have already abandoned their fuel surcharges imposed last Spring as oil was making its Everest-like climb to $140 a barrel).

The big savings come in monitoring the price swings in the Canadian-US dollar ratio. Right now, the US dollar is very strong against a majority of the world's major currencies as cash looks for a safe haven in US Treasuries.

That includes strength against the Canadian dollar and if you happen to have a CDN dollar account outside Canada, then try to take advantage of some great deals at Ultimate Golf. But if you don't have such an account, no problem!

Ultimate Golf is a Canadian-based golf travel company with links to Canada's big box-store golf retailers, Golf Town. It prices golf packages in Canadian dollars and offers trips all over the world.

Right now, there are some dandy deals to be had. To make those deals even sweeter, the Canadian dollar is well off its par value with the Greenback last summer.

Now, the currency discount is about 20% or so. When you combine that with the cheap deals to be had, you're getting some real value for your money! Posted by: Chris Henry      Read more     Source