If only it was that easy when you stand with your ball on a tee peg and with your playing partners and others watching as you try to get the ball airborne. Why is a practice swing so easy? Why does it often differ so much from your real swing? The answer is it is tension-free. When you swing a golf club with no intention of hitting the golf ball, your focal point changes. You are now concentrating on how you swing rather than how you hit. When you have a golf ball placed in front of you, this becomes your main focus and suddenly, all your good swing thoughts take second place.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PRACTICE SWING

The key to making good, crisp contact with your irons or a powerful sweeping strike with your woods is to somehow translate your practice swing into the real one. Have you ever heard professional golfers and teachers talk about "swinging through the ball"? What they are saying in effect is that you swing the golf club as you would in practice and simply allow the ball to get in the way. The problem most club golfers have is that they "hit" at the ball as opposed to swinging through it. If you can use your practice swing and connect with the ball, you will gain more distance and accuracy as a result.

The real problem with "hitting" at the ball is that it tends to destroy your swing plane. The shoulder comes in too early, the club is pushed outside the desired line and the result is that you either make bad contact by hitting the ground just before the ball, or you cut across the ball, producing a weak slice. On the other hand, if you can maintain your swing as you do in practice, the club will naturally continue on its path because you are still on plane and this will create a more powerful, accurate strike.

MAKING IT WORK ON THE GOLF COURSE

The tension-free sensation of swinging a golf club without attempting to hit the ball is one that should be practiced often, even when you are not on the golf course. Grooving a fluid, smooth golf swing is more likely to be achieved without a golf ball. If your home allows it, you could swing a golf club in your living room or garage, or if that isn't possible, out in the garden. Just finding somewhere you can swing a golf club freely can have a more positive effect on your golf game than pounding balls on the driving range.

The key of course is to take that grooved golf swing to the golf course when you play. The challenge you face is to avoid changing your setup and swing just because you now have a golf ball at your feet. Taking a few practice swings on the tee before you attempt to play the ball and simply try to repeat this when you bring your clubhead through on the strike. This can be difficult to accomplish because you somehow have the feeling you are not making a strong enough pass at the ball. The practice swing can often feel as though it lacks the power necessary to give you the distance you expect. But this is not so. The fact is that it will give you more power.

The reason for this is that your smooth swing you have practiced at home is one that will give you greater clubhead speed. Your other swing when you consciously tried to hit the ball harder has taken you off plane, brought the club outside the desired line and effectively killed the clubhead speed from the top of the swing. Maintaining your plane with a smooth swing will keep the clubhead on the correct path and deliver much more power to the back of the ball. Remember: Your practice swing is essential for developing the correct ball striking habits. Spend time in practice without hitting golf balls and if you can take that swing to the golf course with you, it will be sure to result in better ball-striking and lower scores.

8. Fast Pace

The game of Hockey is played faster than any other sport. The tide of a game can change insanely fast. It only takes seconds for a goal to be scored. Hockey has less stoppage than any other mainstream sport. Basketball stops frequently, and football players take a 40-second break after every play.

Here is a video of 3 goals being scored in just a few minutes in the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The momentum shift in these few minutes is epic.

If you're curious, the Canadians went on to win the series in game 7.

7. Team work

Hockey is a team sport. Yeah, so what? So are football, baseball, and basketball. In football, if everyone is not on the same page, a play will go bad and you lose a down. In basketball, if everyone isn't on the same page, the point guard will take it to the net himself. In baseball, you can just sit there, bored as hell, in the outfield, while your pitcher takes care of the would-be hitters.

In hockey, if your team is even the slightest bit off, a turn over can happen, and turnovers in Hockey, as in other sports, result often in goals. When you are playing a low scoring game such as hockey, a turnover goal can be a game ender.

Chief's goalie screws up the pass to his defenseman and pays the price. The amount of awareness and ability required to play a game together with your teammates should be held in higher respect in America.

6. The Hits

Yeah, there are some good football hits out there. Now just imagine if those players who were blind-sided by a linebacker were on ice! The carnage would be crazy! Too bad we don't have a sport like that.

Oh wait….

You'd think that America's thirst for violence on TV would make hockey the number one sport, eh?

5. The Fights

Are you kidding me? A brawl on the ice? I would watch that. Oh? It's called Hockey….Well, if you say so….

Although the NHL is trying to cut down on most fighting, it still happens. You can't crash into a team for 60 minutes and not evoke some anger. Here is a massive brawl between the Flyers and Senators. It lasts a few minutes and it's over….or is it?

Still not interested in hockey? Check out these clutch plays.

4. The Saves

Watching goalies stop pucks that can come at them at speeds over 100 miles per hour is impressive. Watching them go head over heels to make saves off of rebounds is flat out incredible. I'm not sure that there is any other sport out there that so much responsibility lies with one player, who gives so much to keep the rubber out of the net.

Could you do that?

3. The Goals

Ice skating is one thing, using a stick to rocket a hunk of rubber as hard as you can at a goal that is hardly larger than the goaltender is another thing altogether. Hockey players have to learn how to shoot both left and right handed, and behind the back (both ways again). Shooting left gives most players an advantage of shooting away from the goalies glove, but shot opportunities are not always available from the position you want them.

2. The History

Hockey has a rich, deep history, with great players such as Wayne Gretzky featured in this clip. NHL started in 1917 with just 4 teams, and now it has grown to 30 franchises.

The Improbable

Every sport has its insane moments. If the fights and hits weren't crazy enough for you, check out this. If this isn't the Hail Mary of Hockey, I'm not sure what is.

Hockey requires agility, strength, endurance, awareness, speed, reflexes, and years of training, just as any other sport does. People say hockey is boring, but how can they say that? Certainly, they haven't watched these clips.

I don't know you, or how much you enjoy your hockey, but I hope this article might change your mind about one of the greatest sports of all time.

None of your golf equipment, ie golf clubs, golf shoes, gloves,etc. are to blame for this peculiar trait that most golfers exhibit, nor is your stance, grip, or swing, you can't even blame the course or lie of the ball. It turns out that it's all your fault, you bring this about yourself, you do it by concentrating on your fault, the slice.

Just to prove to yourself that the fault isn't in your stance, try taking a really gentle swing at a golf ball by first lining up square to the target, then, the same gentle swing but this time, instead of lining up square to the target, open your stance and take a shot at the same target, lastly try the same thing with a closed stance. Chances are good that the three golf balls will not be too far apart, and they will probably have been pretty straight as well.

The biggest cause of a slice by far, is over hitting the ball. The harder we try to hit the golf ball, the less control we have of any part of our swing, and, as we all know, every swing we take should be controlled.

That's not the only reason though, there are quite a few others that can cause a slice, getting into the impact zone with the face of the club in an open position is the real fault for producing a slice and this can happen for a myriad of reasons. One of them is your body leading your hands in the downswing, a too upright back swing can do this as well, so also can breaking your wrists incorrectly (your wrists should hinge at the thumb NOT at the back of your hand, shake hands with someone, that's the way your wrists should hinge.)

However, our minds are very good at taking all our faults and automatically adjusting to give us our desired outcome. Take balance as an example, we all manage to walk, run and jump differently from each other, but we still manage to remain balanced because our subconscious evens out all our different faults and succeeds in giving us what we intend, even if we are all doing it in a different way.

Well... the same is just as true in all areas of our life, including golf. What our subconscious thinks we desire is what it will try and achieve.

Our little bit of grey matter, at least the bit that controls our reactions, breathing, heart rate, etc. can't tell the difference between what we want and what we are trying to prevent, it can;t even tell the difference between reality and dreams. Whatever we concentrate on or make really important (or fear) is what our subconscious thinks we want, a self-fulfilling prophecy as it were.

By worrying about producing a slice, we are reinforcing the desire in our subconscious to produce exactly that result. So no matter what we do to solve the problem, our brains readjust us to make sure that we don;t solve it. I'm sure that you.ve tried playing to your slice and aiming far to the left and still not getting the ball where you want it, it may even end up in much the same place if you hadn't bothered playing for your slice.

The remedy...well, don't focus on having a slice, never dwell on it. Easier said than done, but that is what we have to do, try and forget about it altogether, and if you do have a slice, then just shrug your shoulders and concentrate on the next shot. A few practicalities can be undertaken to fool your mind. Put your teepeg as far right on the tee as you can (when facing the flag) and line up to place your shot on the right hand side of the fairway, play for a slight draw on the ball, by imagining the ball flight,. This will let your subconscious know that you are no longer afraid of the slice. Positive affirmations also work wonders in controlling what your subconscious does. Just before you take your back swing, try saying "everyday, in every way, I'm hitting the ball straighter and straighter!" No need to laugh... there is documentary evidence that some people have been cured of different diseases by reciting "every day, in every way, I get better and better!" The important thing here is that when you recite it to yourself, believe it, really believe what your are saying.

Don't expect instant miracles, It may happen, but more likely, it will happen gradually over a few games, however, you should see some improvemnt immediately, how much depends on you. At least, your slice should be nowhere near as bad as it was.

Good luck with it, and remember, golf is supposed to fun!

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There are many great milestones in baseball. 3,000 strikeouts, 300 wins, 550 home runs, 400 stolen bases, 400 saved games, 2000 RBI's and of course, 3000 hits. Reaching any of these milestones will generally get you a first place ticket into the Hall, mainly because by reaching them, you had to be one of the best.

Craig Biggio was not one of the best. He was just a good player, a hard worker who rarely missed a game, never complained about his contract and was a leader on his team by setting the example. Biggio's statistics have dropped considerably in the last few years, but he has still been a big contributor. His team made it to the World Series a few years ago and with the exception of this season, has been very competitive in the National League.

The night he hit 3,000, it was perhaps one the most inspirational of any feat of this capacity. As Biggio reached first base, he could have stopped and enjoyed reaching the mark. But that is not who Craig Biggio is, so he ran as hard as he could and tried to stretch that single into a double. He didn't do it for the spotlight, nor did he do it for the stat, he did it because that is how he plays. He treats every at bat just like that. So when he was thrown out at second he was rewarded by a large roar of the crowd.

Biggio's standing ovation was memorable. His old teammate, Jeff Bagwell, was brought out by Biggio to share in the moment. The two had been teammates for 14 years and Bagwell was extremely honored to be apart of the memorable event. The fans enjoyed it too.

Biggio could have relaxed for the rest of the game, for it was already his night. But in extra innings, he again made a play that we all will remember. Hitting the ball in the infield toward third, he sprinted as hard as he possibly could to reach first before the ball got there. The fielder had done a good job of fielding, made a good strong throw, but Biggio would not be denied, keeping the inning alive and sparking yet another memorable moment. Carlos Lee ended up hitting a walk off home run that drove Biggio around the bases and on Biggio's biggest night, he had been the official game winning run. It was a 5 hit night for him, only the second time in his career to do so.

As for the future, we don't know how long he will play. He may play until the Astros force him to retire, like they did with Bagwell or he may decide soon that it is time to hang up his cleats. One thing is for sure though, Biggio will be a Hall of Famer 5 years after he retires.