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So the week is over and you and your group are finally at the first tee. And you are so glad you have a chance to play a round with your friends and just forget about work and all that goes with it.

It's a beautiful day. Sun is shining bright and warm, the sky is so blue it can't be real.

What a day!

You are up.

And as you get ready to tee off, you remember that your ball flight is left to right and so you must aim to the left to compensate. You think that maybe this time you won't slice the ball, but that thought quickly dissipates into the world of " not true" and reality sets itself firmly back into your mind. For you know that your slice will not disappoint you.

And so you take your backswing and wallop the damn thing out over the lake to the left, is it coming back ? Oh no .. you think, it's going straight... wait, no here it comes .. back to the right. Just like it always does. Into the far right rough, just where it always goes.

If you could just hit it a little more straight you would surely hit it a lot further.

You once again promise yourself that you will take that golf lesson from the pro next week.

One golf swing instruction should take care of that slice once and for all. That's what you may think.

So the round went well, you had fun and didn't play too bad.

The week went by fast and now you are going to do what you promised and take that golf lesson.

And here is what happens.

Your golf instructor tells you the following:

Look you know that the slice occurs because of your downswing. But you have to be aware that all sorts of things have gone wrong before you even begin the backswing, let alone the downswing.

But if you want to get right to the actual movement that creates the spin on the ball that makes it go to the left and then to the right ... well it is referred to as an " over the top move"

this move happens when the clubhead comes from the top of your backswing to outside of your target line into the ball and continues on to the inside of your target line.

Now think about what I just said for a minute.

In most cases the clubface will be open and you will hit a glancing blow outside of the ball to inside of the ball. Kinda like a foul ball in baseball, where the bat only hits some of the baseball below it equator. Or on the bottom of the ball.

Sometimes the clubface is closed, in this case you hit it dead left, no slice, maybe a snap hook. Do not be encouraged by this. It is not a draw gone astray. The problems are exactly the same " hitting from the top"

Generally you will end up off balance, your weight will be more on the right side and your right shoulder will be higher than your left. this is also called hitting from the top because there normally is little if any weight shift in this move.

Have you ever seen the guy who swings and his left foot swings around on his finish, off the ground and it's a struggle for him to remain standing? All of his weight is on his right side?

The fact that the club is outside the target line and open will is unavoidable if you have an over the top swing.

The club is off plane and out of it's proper swing path. Neither is a good thing and tons of potential power is lost through this draining move.

In golf it would be a side swipe and you will bet some nasty spinning from this move. Left to right.

In this golf instruction you will learn that most folks who suffer from the over the top move have similar grips. Wrong grips I might add.

In this golf lesson you will note that this wrong grip is always a weak one. Left hand too far under the grip and the right hand too far on top of the grip. this grip tends to force an over the top move and it tends to prevent a release of the clubhead at impact or better stated it keeps the clubface open at impact.

Check you grip.. is it weak? If yes change it now to at least a neutral grip.

The clubhead must come down to your right side, not out and around the ball. Your right elbow can lead this first move to your right side. So... right elbow to your right side = first move

Use it as a mini drill .. half swing back with your new grip.. right elbow to the right side, hit the inside of the golf ball.

Roll a towel up.. lay it on the out side of the ball.. about 11/2 inches away parallel to the target line. lengthwise... now use the mini drill to hit balls .. do not hit the towel.. got it? Do not hit the towel.

Hit the inside of the golf ball and do not hit the towel and don't cheat.

this will help you get an inside swing path and prevent the over the top move.

One more time. Using your new grip, half back swing, right elbow to the right side first move, continue to push the clubhead toward the inside of the golf ball and do not hit the towel.

Gradually increase the length and speed of this move and soon you will no longer hit a slice and you will know why. Very important.

A Simple golf Swing is a thing of beauty. You could actually have one too, have a look if you want more information about how to develop a consistent Simple golf Swing and shoot in the 80's in 14 days or less: http://www.ebooksbestbuy.com/golf

george was a runner. A quarter-miler. One of the best.

His club, south London Harriers, wrote to his RAF Commanding Officer to explain that george was an athlete. george was put in charge of the squadrons athletic team.

george won the London championship and his county championship. But a muscle sprain and an uncomfortable night, trying to sleep on a hard wooden floor, probably cost him the All england championship at Bath in 1949. george came second.

His hand-crafted running spikes sit beside me in my study.

george was a boxer.

From the time I was a young boy, we used to spar together. Hed be pretty gentle until Id catch him off guard with a punch. Then hed really show me how to do it!

His boxing gloves hang in my study.

george loved tennis.

His old wooden tennis rackets were put to good use when we used them to practice badminton in the back garden. Once Id learnt to control a heavy tennis racket, using a lightweight badminton racket seemed easy.

One of those old rackets stands in the corner.

george taught me to run and to swim. To cycle and to play chess. We joined a badminton club. We played squash and Monopoly. Holidays were spent playing cricket, learning to row and flying kites. We queued up for hours in the cold and the rain to get tickets to see Sutton United play Leeds in the 4th round of the FA cup. I sat on his knee to watch Henry Cooper knock down Muhammed Ali. We revelled in england winning the world cup. And my first attempts at golf were with george.

When my children were small it seemed perfectly natural to enjoy sport with them too. Cycling, running, football, netball, badminton, tennis, rugby, swimming; not to mention endless indoor games. Whilst other children were hanging around the streets, mine were too busy training and looking after themselves.

sport and sportsmanship is ingrained in our lives thanks to george.

Yesterday, I was with george when he was diagnosed as suffering from cerebral atrophy. We didnt understand exactly what the doctor was telling us but a leaflet with the tablets she prescribed said Alzheimers.

george and I are lucky. Were into extra time and were going to play this game the way it should be played. Right up to the final whistle.

I love you Dad.

We would all love to be able to get within 100 yards of the green when we tee off. Unfortunately this luxury is not always possible and most of us will have to reach for a long iron or fairway wood several times during a round of golf.

This is often a frustrating situation to find yourself in. Even though on a par 5 it would be quite common, when teeing off on a par 4, we are aiming to get within an easy shot with a 7 or 9 iron or the green.

So when you find yourself having to take a shot with a fairway wood or long iron on a par 4, it is often because you have made a mistake.

So one of the first things to do is take stock of the situation and try not to get angry with yourself. This only leads to lack of concentration and more mistakes. And you don't want to be taking 2 shots with your long iron or fairway wood!

The second thing to do is to take a normal address position when setting yourself up for the shot. Treat this shot like any other shot and don't let using the long iron or fairway wood intimidate you. Fear will also create more mistakes and frustration.

Next position the ball slightly back and take a full backswing. Because of the design of fairway woods and long irons, you need to hit the ball at the bottom of the swing, instead of the descending blow of the much shorter irons.

Also, while setting up your swing, think about aiming to clip the top of the grass. Unlike shorter irons, your long irons will not create the deep divots and you will achieve a greater impact.

I believe that the main thing to do is not to panic when you find yourself in this situation. Fear arises from lack of familiarity with having to use the long irons and fairway woods, so take time to use them at the driving range.

Also, if your driving range has a grassed section, spend plenty of time creating a set up that will work for you when you hit the golf course. Next time you are reaching for the long irons or fairway woods, it won't feel like the first time!

Find out more about hitting with long irons and fairway woods, and get some tips on how to hit with these clubs more effectively.

Coming into the matchup between the Panthers and Bears, everybody spoke of the mighty Bears defense. They had an amazing run this season by allowing fewer than double digit points per game at home this season. With a week off and the media attention hyping them up, they lost their defensive edge.

The Bears were definitely rusty and unprepared in this game. They had a week off to heal their wounds and to review video tape but the week off also took away their sharpness on the field. They were so successful defensively because they would be able to swarm to the ball in record time. Yesterday as smith was running all over them, their ability to swarm to the ball was questionable.

The Panthers also did a great job at picking apart the Bears defense early. The steelers did much of the same against the colts by getting to them early. The rustiness of the team off of a bye will not last forever so the Panthers knew to pass the ball early hitting big plays and getting the early touchdown.

The Bears offense looked great this game and for people to question their offense would be a mistake. It is also a mistake for people to blame their defense for this loss because without them, they would not have been in the playoffs.

If anything, blame should be placed on Lovie smith for not preparing his team for the speed and intensity of a real game. He also made very little defensive adjustments at half time to give his team a chance to win. There was also a very poor game plan heading into the game to defend steve smith.