Florida Sports

Posts Tagged ‘Choosing’

Normally, Choosing the right powder ski depends largely on what conditions you expect to be skiing, but generally remember that the fatter the better. While a reverse camber ski with 130mm waist would be overkill if you only ski in the Northeast, it is definitely better to err on the fat side. Because as you will find, powder skis are surprisingly versatile and can handle all sorts of snow from crud to spring skiing conditions.

The most important measurement to keep in mind when choosing a powder ski is the width of the waist. The waist is the part of the ski that is under your ski boot. The waist is generally the narrowest part of the ski, but this is not always the case with some of the more progressive ski shapes designed for the deepest powder conditions. By today’s standards you should not really consider any ski with a waist measurement of less than 90mm as your primary powder ski.

Luckily, there are plenty of choices in the over 90mm category. That being said, it is important to keep in mind where you will be skiing. If you will mostly be skiing a continental snow pack, like in Colorado, you will want a much wider ski. In Colorado where snowfall is often 5% water content or less, even 15 inches of fresh won’t be bottomless. So you are definitely going to want a powder ski in the 110mm waist range and up. Remember to always err on the side of wider. But this probably should not be your only set of skis as the powder days in Colorado are fewer than you think.

The important point that turned up your ski tips can make a huge difference in the overall flotation of a ski. These skis had an 86mm with a very pronounced turned up tip. The tips on these skis were nearly perpendicular to the snow. For some reason the exaggerated turned up tip is rarely seen in powder ski design these days. Perhaps, it is unfashionable. Although Head has at least one offering with a high-rise tip.

So it is important for the overall width of the ski, shape is another factor to take into consideration when choosing a powder ski. Since you won’t be skiing any groomers on your powder skis, you don’t need as much side cut as traditional groomer skis. In fact, many serious skiers prefer straighter powder skis. Also, in the past few years reverse camber and reverse side cut skis have begun to gain popularity for those bottomless powder days. The shapes for these skis have been taken from surfboards and water skis.

In theory, bottomless powder is more like water than hard pack snow. In reality, most of us never get an entire day of bottomless skiing and this newest flock of powder skis reflects this reality. Next time you are in a ski shop take a close look at the reverse camber skis and you will notice that most of them have traditional camber and side cut through the middle third of the ski, while the front and back third have reverse camber and side cut. Still these new models are a significant change in ski design and you will definitely want to demo a few pairs before jumping in.

Hockey equipment is required for all players who step onto the ice but some differences exist regarding the hockey equipment utilized by different leagues. Players’ hockey equipment generally consists of skates, shin pads, gloves, hockey pants, sticks, and helmets. The hockey stick tends to be the most vital, apart from your body protection.
Choosing hockey sticks that suit you best is important. If you choose the wrong sticks you could end up playing badly or even doing yourself an injury. So how do you work out which hockey sticks are right for you? Here are some helpful tips.
Firstly, when standing in your skates, your stick should reach your chin. Some defence based players prefer a longer stick to give them more reach when they’re defending. If you can, buy your sticks a little long and have the shop cut them down. This is far better than having a stick that is too long or too short. Most people tend to find they have to have their stick customized to give them their optimum comfort.
You can work out what length you need by looking closely at the wear of the tape on the bottom of your stick. If the tape is worn down near the toe, then you should probably consider a longer stick. If the tape instead is worn near the heel, then you should probably consider a shorter stick. Ultimately you should try sticks at different lengths until you find one that’s got a comfortable weight and feel for you.
When choosing hockey sticks you should also consider weight and blade size. Most players recommend wrapping both the stick handle and the blade with a layer of tape. This is done to assure both a tighter grip on the handle and so that the puck does not slide off of the blade as easy as normal. If you are new to the game and have yet to tape your stick then we recommend that you do this early on. As outlined above, it will help you measure your game.
Different curves will affect the way you stick handle and shoot the puck too. Again, when you’re starting off and new to the game, it is a good idea to try different curves until you find one that feels comfortable. Like with all sports equipment, the best idea is try out a few different hockey sticks so that you find one that conforms to your style.

Ok. Here are the basics. A golf club has three parts – the head, the shaft and the grip. A standard set of golf clubs consists of three woods (the Driver, #3, and #5 fairway woods), eight irons (#3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, and PW), and a putter – that’s twelve clubs in all. According to the rules of golf, and we should all play by the rules, you can carry fourteen clubs in your bag, so many golfers add a specialty wood or another iron.

Now, let’s have a look at the different types of clubs.

Drivers & Fairway woods

These clubs are used to hit longer shots. That’s a basic yet apt way to look at it. If a golf hole is a par four or five from tee to green, most golfers would choose to use a wood.

The driver, or the 1 Wood, has the lowest loft of any golf club. Loft is the angle of the club face that controls trajectory and affects distance. A driver has a loft between 7 and 12 degrees. Better golfers have traditionally favored drivers with less than 10 degrees of loft, which require a lot more skill to hit.

Most golfers also carry a #3 and #5 fairway wood as part of their arsenal. A #3 wood has a loft of 15 degrees, and a #5 wood has a loft of 18 degrees. The higher the golf club number, the higher the loft. The #3 and #5 wood are commonly referred to as fairway woods, because they are most often used during the second shot of play, when you are supposed to be on the fairway.

Hybrids

Hybrids are a recent innovation to golf. A hybrid is a combination of an iron and a wood and is an easier to hit alternative to a long iron. Hybrids are versatile enough to be used in any situation. Hybrids come in a range of four lofts – 16 (#2), 19 (#3), 22 (#4) and 25 (#5) Degrees. Hybrids replace their equivalent number long iron, e.g. a #3 hybrid will replace a #3 iron and a #2 hybrid can be used to replace a #5 fairway wood.

Irons

Irons are generally used for shorter distances and more control than drivers and fairway woods. The closer you are to the green, the higher the iron you will use. A standard set of irons consists of #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8 and #9 and the PITCHING WEDGE (PW). A sandwedge is generally a good option to purchase for shots out of sand traps. The #3 and #4 irons are harder to hit than the higher numbered irons. Many golfers choose to replace the #3 and #4 iron with higher lofted woods or hybrids which are easier to hit than traditional long irons, resulting in comparable distances.

Wedges

Wedges are really just specialty irons. The first wedge is the Pitching Wedge (PW), which is usually between 52 and 56 degrees in loft. The PW is the highest lofted iron in a standard set and lowest loft of the wedges. Lob wedges range from 58 to 64 degrees and are used for close range short and high shots to overcome obstacles close to the green. Wedges are extremely useful for your short game and it is beneficial to keep a selection of them in your bag.

Sand Wedges are another type of wedge and are designed to get you out of the dreaded sand traps. They have a shorter shaft and a more angled face to get under the ball in order to exit a bunker.

Putters

As the adage goes “Drive for show, Putt for dough”. The putter usually gets you in the hole, so it can be assumed, that choosing the right putter is critical to your game. Putters come in various styles and types.: short, belly, long, bent, center-hosel, heel-toe, mallet, and so on. When choosing a putter the main things to consider are the: weighting, balance and feel. Better putters provide alignment aids to help you visualize the line from your ball to the target.