How to Play Fantasy Sports - PGA Tour Fantasy Golf Tips for Newbies

Although PGA Tour fantasy golf is a simpler form of daily fantasy sports to learn, it isn't a very familiar one to many. But even if you're not familiar with the golfing scene, daily fantasy golf is very much worth a try, and we'd like to help you out with it. So read on as we now present to you some interesting and useful tidbits about daily fantasy golf, and how to play it if you're a newcomer.

How to draft your roster of golfers

Just like in any other daily fantasy sport, you'll have to pay an entry fee if you want to compete for prizes, and draft players without going over the stipulated fantasy salary cap. Using DraftKings' fantasy golf as an example, you'll need a lineup of six golfers to fill out your roster, and that's out of approximately 130 to 150 golfers in a tournament. Those who don't have much knowledge on the sport, of course, will have to do some research, but fortunately, there aren't too many numbers to keep in mind when playing fantasy golf, and there are tons of places where you can check out stats and predictions for any given tournament.

How do the tournaments play out?

A PGA golf tournament takes four days to complete, and everyone entered in a tournament will have an equal number of holes to shoot - that's 36 for the first cutoff of golfers. Those who make the top 70 (including ties) get to play another 36 holes, while those who finish among the bottom 70 or so don't go on to this stage of the tournament. Still, this is as equal-opportunity as one can get; nobody in a tournament has to worry about playing time or getting sent to the bench for one reason or another.

Where should you research?

We won't leave you without offering you some tips on where to gather your research data for your PGA Tour fantasy golf team. PGATour.com is the official website of the PGA, and it has all the stats that you need, as well as important information on just about every golfer eligible for tournaments. And while talking about the stats to research on warrants a separate article on its own, we'll wrap up by saying it's best to check scoring average (a golfer's total score in all rounds divided by the total number of rounds played) before all the others.

The Mental Gateway to Consistent Golf

Have you ever taken a golf lesson? Did you see immediate improvement, or did you give up in frustration and revert to your old technique of trial and error?

After thirty-three years of teaching, I've noticed a basic pattern that applies to the majority of once-a-week golfers. Understanding the mindset behind this pattern is the gateway to unlocking your potential.

Stage One: The Novice golfer starts off with a clean slate. He or she goes to the practice range with friends several times and has some success in terms of simply making contact with the ball.

Stage Two: The student makes contact most of the time, but wonders why every club seems to go the same distance. Well-meaning friends offer suggestions which produce mixed results. At this point, the student usually seeks professional instruction.

Stage Three: Depending on the instructor's preferred teaching method, this stage can either catapult the student's progress or condemn him (or her) to an endless cycle of fault-finding and error correction.

What is the determining factor in the student's progress?

It's the instructor's choice to either focus on mistakes or reinforce and refine the effective parts of the students swing.

Am I suggesting that you ignore critical flaws in technique? Not at all.

I am saying that a student doesn't have to understand all the technical flaws in their swing in order to correct them. The instructors job is to provide a straightforward key for the student that will reduce, and hopefully eliminate, the technical error.

Constant improvement is the by-product of focusing on an idea or suggestion (what to do) rather than obsessing over what to avoid (what not to do).

For the skeptics who are well-versed in the nuances of perfect mechanics, this theory may seem too simplistic. How can you possibly correct a swing flaw without understanding the contributing factors?

Please consider these two questions.

Do you need to understand the timing cycle of combustion in your car in order to drive? No. You turn the key and start the ignition.

Do you need to understand how electricity works in order to flip the switch and turn on the light? Why should the golf swing be any different?

The biggest mental key to improvement for any golfer, regardless of skill level, is the ability to avoid the seductive trap of obsessing over potential swing flaws and reinforcing the feelings of your best shots.

The desire to learn is admirable, but it must be accompanied by the ability to stop thinking for 1.5 seconds and just hit the damn ball!

Every golfer has heard the phrase that golf is ninety percent mental. How does this knowledge help the average golfer in his quest for consistency?

The first key is controlling your attention; develop the ability to stop obsessing over swing flaws and start reinforcing the feelings of your best shots.

For additional works, based on lessons with real students, please check out: http://www.davejohnstongolf.net.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/D._Johnston/1308123

The Delusion of Perfection: The Art of Negative Thinking

Most mid to high handicap golfers do not have the time, money or desire to hit thousands of practice balls, but every golfer can develop the attitude that allows you to consistently play to the best of your ability.

Constant improvement is a by-product of developing the beliefs that allow you to unlock your potential.

How would you define consistency?

Your definition depends on expectations. Perhaps modifying your expectations, might reveal that you are actually more consistent than you think.

Most of my students equate consistency with score; breaking 95 or 90 or 85. Once you've established a goal (in terms of score) the next step is to uncover the mental barriers that seem to constantly block your progress.

Which shots have the biggest effect on your score - the number of perfect shots or the number of mis-hits?

Perfect shots are a fortuitous accident; nice when they happen, but impossible to predict. You never know if you are going to hit a perfect shot. On the other hand, imperfect shots are inevitable; it's not a question of if, but rather when, a poor shot is going to manifest.

The secret to consistency is minimizing the effects of the first poor shot. You never know when it will occur, but you can prepare mentally by minimizing the odds of forfeiting more than one stroke.

Learn to play by feel; pick the club that feels right rather than trying to follow a preconceived idea of how a hole should be played. Scoring in the nineties is bogey golf. When you eliminate the double-bogeys, then breaking ninety is easy.

Consistency is not the result of hitting more perfect shots; it's a matter of reducing the severity of the poor ones.

Poor shots are inevitable. At first, this may sound like negative thinking. Allow yourself a reasonable number of imperfect shots per round. If you score in the nineties, I would start with ten. You can reduce the number as you improve,

Your golf swing is constantly changing, based on how you feel. The better you feel, the better the chances of re-creating a smooth swing.

Would you feel better allowing yourself to hit poor shots or beating yourself up by constantly demanding perfection?

Consistency is not an all or nothing concept. The worlds' best players understand the unpredictability of the game. Developing the mindset to accept this fact is the most important element you can learn from the world's best players.

Every golfer, at any skill level, wants to be consistent. The first key is accepting the fact that the game is unpredictable. Giving yourself permission to hit poor shots develops the mindset that insures one poor shot doesn't ruin an entire game.

Can you knock five strokes off your game without changing your swing? You can read about the experiences of real-life students at: http://www.davejohnstongolf.net.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment via e-mail to: davejohnstongolf@gmail.com

Golf's 7 Deadly Sins

LUST- After asking the question a bunch of times, it has become obvious that you suffer from golf lust when you'd rather be on the course or at the driving range than be intimate with your spouse or significant other.

GLUTTONY- This actually has nothing to do with food. Many players find it impossible to part with the stockpiles of golf equipment that they have amassed. Does a player really need 20 putters, 10 sets of irons or 15 persimmon woods in their garage? You notice we didn't include drivers because long drivers have an over-under number of 14 drivers at any given time.

GREED- We encourage aggressive play but when a player bites off way more than they can chew, it can lead to trouble. Trying to hit a 9 iron onto a green that is 200 yards away when you know you're carry with that club is 135 yards is a perfect example. Greed can also be found in a win at all cost mentality. Some players are willing to lie, cheat and steal in order to win any tournament, even when the prize is a $3 trophy.

SLOTH- Slow play is a constant problem in golf. This is never more evident than on a par 5 when players are in the fairway and have 325 yards remaining to the pin and yet they insist on waiting for the green to clear. A well placed tee shot from behind a slow crew can encourage them to speed up.

WRATH- People who can't control their anger are no worse than folks who can't handle their whiskey. Throwing clubs, cussing in front of innocent ears or harboring an ill mood when you're not having your best day are all ways to confirm yourself as an unworthy opponent.

ENVY- When you find yourself consumed about fitting in with you're normal playing group or upset about how much golf others are able to play without you, envy may be creeping in. This also applies to being concerned about whom you will be riding with in the golf cart. If your playing with people that you would rather not ride with, perhaps you're in the wrong group. Drama and envy go hand in hand.

PRIDE- Hardly anyone keeps a true golf handicap. There are sandbaggers who believe that have outsmarted the system and then there are prideful players. The prideful players tend to only turn in their lowest golf rounds and can't play anywhere near their severely low numbers. There are also prideful people in long drive. These folks tend to pay the entry fees without having any legitimate chance at competing just so they can call themselves a long driver or so they can get on social media and brag about going to professional long drive events. Of course, a certain number of these people are needed in order to provide round numbers and proper payouts. They can also be best described as donors.

If you recognize yourself on this list, don't hate the messenger but simply ask forgiveness from the golf gods and work on ways to contribute to this great game and let's make it the sport of champions rather than the domain of the elite and fortunate

Great Throw for Young Pitchers

When cultivating your skills as a pitcher, it's great to build a repertoire of simple pitches that promote skills and can lead to more advanced throws. The following are three basic throws that will help you find rhythm as a pitcher and promote good technique for future instruction.

Pitching is considered one of the most difficult activities in sport. There is a reason that a strong, shut-out capable pitcher makes big dollars, and that's because the talent and dedication that goes into being a strong pitcher is only matched by how dominant those skills are on the mound. Think about it this way, if a pitcher is truly capable, and given the right circumstances, they could in fact defeat another team on their own, entirely.

Before no-hitter dreams, however, the basics must be grasped. While the raw talent and drive to practice cannot be taught, a young pitcher can learn the tools to succeed. Such as, the basic pitches that can be molded into a particular style and open the way for the more advanced pitches. Able to be practiced in a wide field or at your local batting cages, these are some of the grip mechanics for our favorite basic pitches.

Fastball
The fastball is the bread and butter of a young pitcher. Master the most basic of throws in order to upgrade to the more technical or uncomfortable grips. A basic, 4 seam fastball begins with crossing your index and middle fingers perpendicular across the seams of the ball that form a horseshoe. Place your thumb beneath the ball on the leather in the middle of the second "horseshoe." Make sure that there is space between your hand and the ball, and keep your grip on the ball slightly loose. Friction holds a pitch's speed back and makes the ball leave your hand slower, keep loose to make sure that ball flies as fast as possible.

3 Finger Changeup
The change up is the classic off-speed pitch for throwing a batter off their game. A seasoned batter could read the changeup as a time to swing for the fences, but a young batter will bite at just about anything and a changeup is a great way to get them frustrated and swinging. Lay three fingers perpendicular on the stitches as you did with the fastball above. Touch your thumb to your pinky underneath the ball and hold the ball deep into your hand. The more contact with the ball, the slower the pitch. Throw with all the same fastball mechanics, the differences in grip and pressure on the ball with crank down the speed and catch the batter off guard.

Basic Curveball
The basic curveball is a stellar throw for getting a young pitcher comfortable with more advanced techniques. Line your top two fingers on the seams, and your thumb on the top/back seam. Then, remove your index finger so that you're gripping with your thumb and middle finger. Use your index finger to guide as you finish the throw; otherwise, simply rotate your thumb upward and snap your middle finger downward as you throw. The curve should be basic, but effective. Wean yourself off this pitch as you get into college ball though, a batter worth his salt can see the lifted finger on delivery a mile away.

Practice!
Throw at least twenty of these pitches a day. If you need space or training partners, head to you local fun center and hang around the batting cages. There's going to be a batter training there who will be willing to square off against a real pitcher. Also you could rent out a batting cage for pitch training, as well as batting. The right setting or opposition will make your practice that much more fruitful.

If you are looking for a Fun center with a batting cage near you in the Bakersfield, CA area, stop by Camelot Park today. You can also visit their website at http://camelotparkbakersfield.com.

Come to Camelot Park in Bakersfield, CA & see all of the rides & attractions. they have go karts, mini golf, batting cages, arcade games & much more!

Who Else Wants to Know Why Baseball Players Are So Superstitious?

Baseball is possibly one of the oldest sports in the US, and it's steeped in history. In fact the professional game can be traced back to the 1860's, and some of the grounds around today are just as old. No building whatever type it is cannot be as old as this and not have a certain "air of nostalgia" about it.

Of course, there are people who will argue the sport has changed. Recently there have been events that shook the world of baseball, and also upset fans. For instance The New York Yankees changed stadiums back in 2009. OK, it was only across the street, but many fans believed this would affect the way their beloved team would play, and how well they would do in the league.

This air of superstition doesn't just sit with the fans, professional baseball players are also well known for their little "foibles" when it comes to superstitions and perhaps that's what makes them so fascinating? I watch baseball regularly and I often find that I'm more interested in what's going on in the dugout, or what the players do just before they step up to the plate.

Commentators are often found talking about which player has come up with the latest superstition to help them achieve their goals in the game. It's not just individual players that follow in the foot-steps of superstition, teams and even clubs have had their rituals over the years.

One of the oldest superstitions around is the fact that players will never step on the chalk that makes up the foul line. No-one knows when this started or why, but there you have it, players simply will not step on the line.

Another odd one is shared with both players and fans, again no-one knows where this came from but if a home team is losing and the game is in its last innings, you can bet the whole team and the fans will be wearing their baseball hats in some weird and wonderful way. This is supposed to bring good luck to the team. The list is endless and players who are going through a "lucky streak" will often wear the same hats, use the same gloves and even wear the same shirts for each game, no matter how battered they are.

There have even been players who save the piece of gum they were chewing when they hit a home run. They'll bring out the same piece each time they step up to the plate and give it a good old chew. Not the most hygienic thing in the world to do, but if they think it works, that's fine by me.

The fact is that nobody really knows why baseball players are so superstitious. I've done tons of research on the internet to try and find out without any luck. Maybe they're keeping it a secret because it's bad luck for other people to know? Just a thought!

There is one thing that certainly won't spark any feelings of good luck, and this is something that happens regularly, especially to pitchers. Because they're throwing balls all the time, their elbows and shoulders become very sore. In fact it's not uncommon to see a pitcher with an ice-pack at some point in a game. This is why many of them have to undergo shoulder surgery. However, unlike the "old days" technology is such that many pitchers return to the game once they've recovered.

Jerry Costa has been a sports coach for over ten years who enjoys blogging regarding a variety of sports topics like having shoulder surgery and knee surgery after the play

Win Your Bet With a Soccer Guru

These days it is not a difficult task at all to win a bet if you are getting guidance from a soccer guru. This is because of the fact that a soccer betting guru will always give you genuine and profitable soccer betting advice that will lead your bet towards success. All over the world soccer is played with immense zeal and zest and people are crazy about it that is the reason why soccer is the most played game all across the globe and is providing chances to gain monetary benefits for people associated with the sport in any form no matter if they are players, organizers or bookies.

One can find hundreds and thousands of bookies all across the globe, but few are there who also teach or guide a person how to book. Previously it was difficult for individuals to get guidance in this regards, but today there are a lot of opportunities for everyone to learn how to book in a profitable way by winning a bet. Genuine soccer tips and betting tips are the necessary tools that are required for a successful betting. Soccer has most of his fans in Europe, Asia and Americas and that is the reason why one can find many online books in Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Poland, Greece, Ukraine, Romania and Canada that claim to give solid betting advice to their customers for placing a successful soccer bet.

For placing a successful betting, two people are very important, one is the betting guru and the other is the soccer guru. A soccer guru is the person who is good at analyzing the game of soccer along with the changing trends and performances of the teams and players. This man is capable of guiding people by giving concrete betting advice while suggesting on which player or team an individual should make his betting. Apart from a soccer expert a betting experts is also the key man that give an expert advice and expert opinion to a client for winning a bet. A betting expert gives advices regarding the changing conditions and parameters of the teams, players and circumstances while a game is being played. A min to min advice is also very important as far successful betting is concerned. A betting professional is the most important person in the betting field as he is having the detailed knowledge and the inside information regarding the teams and the players. This is the reason that this person can give the most authentic, accurate and educated betting advice.

Today many online platforms are available giving quality advice along with many valuable value added services live giving live score updating and soccer information.

Aaron Bert is working for Tipster Connection that has been serving the entire sports and soccer betting needs since 2009 in Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Poland, Greece, Ukraine, Romania and Canada, more topics on soccer tips and betting advice services.