Author Archives: mimin

How to Have Fun With Flag Football

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Many of us have enjoyed pickup games of football ever since we were little guys trying to emulate the professionals on TV. Touch football, little league football, and plain old tackle football occupied our late summers and early autumns. However, when it comes to playing in a flag football league, you just can’t line up, snap the ball and expect to get anywhere without planning your game. The teams that develop a playbook, practice and execute fundamentals, and have a few flag football tips to follow will find themselves in the win column more often than the alternative.

This article presents some tips for playing flag football in a way that will produce more fun than you could ever imagine. Knowing the rules of the game is a big help towards enjoying the game, and committing yourself to develop a solid game of playing by the rules and stick to it no matter what other people may say will define your team as a standard for excellence.

Here are some tips that will take your team to the next level of flag football excellence and fun play.

  1. Develop a team of players that will absolutely commit to being at every practice and subsequently present at every game. Reliability goes a long way to developing a well-organized team. When your men are dependable in this area, they will be dependable in carrying out play assignments.
  2. A simple playbook will establish not only dedicated assignments such as pass routes and blocking particulars, but it will also help develop strategies when certain obstacles and circumstances present themselves. There are several sources for plays on the Internet and at your local library in the sports section.
  3. Watching football games on television is really entertaining, but it can also be a bad example, especially for flag football. One common rule is that when the ball hits the ground the play is dead. There is no recovering of fumbles, which is a good rule for protecting the players from harm. What you can do when your ball carrier gets caught in an inescapable situation is to lateral or pitch the ball to a teammate. This advances the ball and can keep the play going when most teams would take the down.
  4. According to the rules of the United States Flag Football Association each team is composed of eight players. With this many men on your team you should develop a defense that has at least four rushers and the balance of the team play zones to cover pass receivers. Every now and then blitzing will also cause a team to stumble and it will give your team the advantage in those circumstances.
  5. Offensively develop some plays that will continually give you some short gains. Everyone likes to throw the “bomb” to the parking lot kind of play, but game strategy is like trying to eat an elephant. Take little bites at a time out of the defense by running short yard plays. This type of play will become a burden on their defense and it will open up opportunities for that big yardage gaining pass play.

You can never have too many flag football tips and the wise coach will develop all the little things that will cause his team to shine. Practice until everyone is confident of his position and employ each of them to look for some secrets that will help their position become a stronger asset for the team.

Excellent One Liners About Baseball Tips on Hitting

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Sometimes you can say a lot with only a few words. The following list of baseball tips on hitting will prove just that point

“Everything goes toward the pitcher.”

Your body should be going toward the pitcher and not toward third base if you are a right-handed hitter or toward first base if you are a left-handed hitter. It’s a very common baseball hitting problem because it is extremely unnatural to go toward someone who is throwing a baseball in your direction. But, the truly great hitters all do it.

“Outstanding hitters have slow feet and fast hands.”

The faster you move your feet around the better the chances are that you will get “sloppy.” A steady, balanced foundation is as important to good baseball hitting as it is to building a house. Even if everything above the foundation is perfect, whether it be hitting a baseball or building a house, if the foundation is not perfect it will lead to many problems. And “fast hands” are of the utmost importance when hitting a baseball. It’s very frustrating, especially for power pitchers, when a hitter literally just flicks the bat out with very quick hands and hits the ball hard for a hit.

“Short and quick is so much better than long and strong.”

I can not overemphasize how being “short to the ball” is a very critical factor and one of the better baseball hitting tips. Being “short” is an absolute necessity and will enable you to catch up to any fastball. I would rather pitch against a baseball hitter with a long and very powerful swing than someone who is “short to the ball” any day!

“Stride and then swing.”

They are two separate movements yet quite often weaker hitters will do them at the same time. Watch and you will see this very common baseball hitting problem often. They should happen in rapid succession but they are separate movements that should be done as smoothly as possible.

“Tension is a hitter’s worst enemy.”

An expression that’s been around for decades and is still one of the better baseball tips on hitting. Hitting a baseball effectively is not an easy thing to do. If you tighten up your muscles it is pretty much impossible to be a good baseball hitter. That’s one of the reasons some very good hitters will have a little waggle with their bodies or their bats while waiting for the pitch. It’s almost impossible to tighten up your muscles when you are moving them. Relax and “let the air out.”

“To hit the ball harder, you don’t necessarily have to swing harder.”

Don’t place too much emphasis on how hard you swing the bat. It’s a very common baseball hitting problem, especially with younger players.They swing too hard and miss the baseball by a foot. Focus heavily on getting the sweet part of the bat on the ball as often as you can. Trust me, one of the most important baseball tips on hitting is to just get the bat there and watch what happens. Let the bat do 90% of the work for you. Bat manufacturers spend millions of dollars on research to have the ball jump off the bat when hit on the “sweet spot.” Nobody will ever notice how hard you did or did not swing at the pitch. What they will notice is your “seed” going up the right-center or left-center field gap!

Baseball Hitting Tips Highly Recommended For Your Success

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Not all baseball tips on hitting are etched in stone but here are several very good guidelines to follow:

A Balanced and Workable Stance

All good athletes are balanced almost all the time. It gives you a solid, comfortable foundation, which is where hitting begins. Some very good hitters find it useful to have a little body movement while in their batting stance. They may rock a little back and forth which they find relaxing. It’s almost impossible to have your muscles tighten and tense up when your muscles are moving. You can then be quicker and shift your weight much better than someone who is just standing there like a statue. It’s identical to a goalie in hockey. If he stands up straight like a statue, what chance will he have to move freely to make a save on a slap shot that’s traveling close to 100 mile per hour? What chance will a tennis player have waiting for a serve in excess of 100 miles per hour? None of them will have a good chance and neither will a baseball hitter.

Striding With the Front Toes Slightly Closed

If your toes are slightly closed, it encourages you to keep your front hip and front shoulder closed as well. In other words, instead of having the toes pointing straight out away from your body when you take your stride, turn them an inch or two inward, back toward the catcher. If you point the front toes out toward the pitcher, it will encourage you to open your front side too early which will create many baseball hitting problems.

Have the Bat Fully Loaded When the Stride Foot Touches the Ground

All good hitters have the bat in the “launching position” when their front foot completes the stride. You stride and then you swing. They are two separate movements that should happen very quickly and smoothly but they are separate movements.

Making an Aggressive Motion Toward The Pitcher

A lot of hitters do not do this but all the great hitters do. That is where the ball is coming from and that’s where you should be going. Real good hitters go into the ball to hit it. It’s a common baseball hitting problem to not go toward the pitcher when swinging. The reason it’s such a common baseball hitting problem is because it is simply not natural to move your body toward a baseball that someone is throwing in your direction.

Having a Tension Free Swing

“Tension is a hitter’s worst enemy,” is a quote that’s been around for decades and is still one of the best baseball tips on hitting. Tension destroys a fluid, graceful swing that’s necessary for hitting the ball properly. Don’t squeeze the bat too tightly and don’t tighten up your muscles. Like mentioned above, many very good hitters have a slight waggle to help them relax.

Head Behind the Swing

The real good hitters actually see the ball a little longer than the weaker hitters. They literally lower and turn their heads when making contact. You simply can not keep your head facing the pitcher and look at the baseball out of the corners of your eyes when trying to make contact.

Hitting to All Fields

Rarely will you find a hitter with a high batting average who limits himself to hitting the ball to only one part of the field. Pay attention to the old expression, “hit it where it’s pitched.” In the long run, you will be much better off.

Hitting Through the Ball

Hitting “through the ball” is one of the more important baseball tips on hitting. You should pretend that you are trying to hit three or four baseballs that are tied closely together with a piece of string, instead of hitting only one baseball. This will help you keep the bat in the hitting zone longer and hit through the ball.

Three Great Football Betting Tips to Win More Football Wagers

I’ve been betting on football for a very long time and I’ve learned some great sports betting football tips that I’m going to share with you. Betting on football is a process that requires continuing development unless you buy football picks from someone.

Today, I’ll share with you three football betting tips to help you win more in your football wagering journey.

Football Betting Tip 1

Don’t bet college football games like NFL football games. This is one of the more common mistakes in football. Do it at your own peril.

With college football, you have young men coming into their own. They’re at school and under all sorts of influences. NFL football is about professional business men. It’s more of a business attitude and to win, you need to bet it a little differently.

Football Betting Tip 2

Make sure your football parlay betting is only a small portion of your overall football wagering. If it’s not, you’ll eventually become a long run loser, which I know you don’t want.

Football parlay bets are a blast, but don’t just bet parlay cards. You need a healthy dose of single wagers.

Football Betting Tip 3

Bet the value. It’s really simple. When you make football bets, you want to find lines that offer you value. Let’s say that the New England Patriots are playing at home against the Atlanta Falcons.

The line is -21. Is this value? Nope. Sure, the Patriots are probably going to win (in our hypothetical NFL game), but 21 is much too high.

It doesn’t matter if you know who will win the game. What matters is beating the spread. And what matters more is getting great value for your bets.

6 Steps to Dominating the Court

Many basketball players are looking for ways to really stand out on the court and show how good they are while other need ways to really get to the next level with their ability. I have put together some basketball tips to help you get ahead of your rivals.

1. Be focused. The top athletes have a laser-sharp focus which gives them a strong desire to win. You should aim to develop your focus so you can visualize the outcome of a move before you have started it. Keeping good concentrating means you will be in the zone more often and working to your best abilities.

2. Be a team player. It is not a one-man game so always think about your team-mates. As much as we all enjoy some personal glory, the main goal is to win as a team so always aim to build each other up and help others with your knowledge.

3. Be decisive. Do not sit back and wait for things to happen. In most cases nothing will happen when you do this so always be willing to take action. When you have decided on an action you must commit to it or it will not come off.

4. Study the best. Take note of the top NBA players and what they do. Think about tactics and movement. Watch how the top players control the ball and take shots. This will then translate into your own game.

5. Practice hard. You should really dedicate yourself to working hard even in practice sessions. This will lead to improvements in your game that will show in the big moments. Work at something until you have it down perfectly.

6. Listen to your coach or mentor. Pay attention to what those around you say if they have been there before. If you have a mentor that has worked hard they will have a lot of good advice to impart so pay attention to them.

Master Off the Screen Shots

NBA’s best shooter ever is Reggie Miller; his off the Screen shots were so deadly, that other players could only dream of shooting at that level. His speed and shooting percentage Off the Screen frustrated many teams and players.

Before we continue, answer the following questions:

    (1) How fast you take your shot? (2) Can you get a clear view of the rim before you shoot? (3) Can you make the shot off the screen?

Basketball tips on how to Master Off the Screen Shots?

(1) When you go by the screener, catch his jersey. This way your defender has no alternative but to trail you or to try cutting the passing lane.

(2) Run as fast as you can, don’t worry about setting your legs. If you run slowly it doesn’t matter if you can set your legs. You won’t be open.

(3) Watch your defender. If you have gained a distance because you run faster, take the shot. If he is behind you, curl.

(4) If your defender tries to cut the passing lane, jump to the corner. You’ll be wide open.

(5) Work on your release and foot work. The faster you can release the ball the more dangerous you’ll become.

The most important advice on Off the Screen shots is to practice. Remember that no one was born taking shots off screens. Start practicing by yourself, throw the ball to the wing, set your legs and take the shot.

Master your Pick and Roll

Mastering Screen and Roll gives an important advantage to the offense team as it is considered one of basketballs’ toughest situations to defend.

Lets take John Stockton for example, NBA’s all-time leader in steals (3,265) and assists (15,806). True he had Karl Malone next to him, but his remarkable ability to use the Screen and Roll to a level of perfection made this duo one of the deadliest ever.

Before we continue with basketball tips for Screen and Roll, ask yourself:

(1) Can you create a shooting situation every time you play Screen and Roll?

(2) Are you afraid of the trap or hedge? Are you just looking to get the ball away from you as fast as you can?

(3) Can you find the open man?

Want to Master Screen and Roll?

(1) First of all, don’t rush it; you need time to read the situation.

(2) Always try to start the play where you believe can take the shot. If the defender is going under the screen, take the advantage and make him pay.

(3) The opponent teams’ defense will try many solutions: switch, hedge, trap… at some point, someone is going to be open or with a mismatch you want to take advantage of.

(4) In a trap situation, it is most likely that one of your teammates will have a better passing angle to the big guy.

(5) Remember - If you started to drive and can’t finish, the corner man is waiting for the shot. He is w-i-d-e open.

(6) At least 25% of the time you need to fake and go to the same side you came from. No one will expect that.

How To Improve Your Conditioning While Improving Your Skills

Conditioning is such a critical factor of success in all sports and basketball is no exception. In fact, due to the constant running nature of a game of basketball, conditioning could have more impact in basketball than in many other sports.

Given the limited amount of practice time we have, we have to find a way to get in top condition while getting enough work on our skills to improve and be ready to play against top competition. The traditional ways of conditioning, running sprints, distance, etc., are very effective as conditioners but have no relevance to the game. Running suicides or 17’s (running sideline to sideline 17 times in a minute) might be a little more game like (very little) but still does nothing to improve your skills. Below are some basketball tips where you can accomplish both better conditioning and better skills.

Full Court Dribble

Start at the baseline with a ball. Using your right hand, dribble to the opposite baseline with 5 dribbles. Switch hands on the way back. Next try it with 4 dribbles, then 3 dribbles. If you do them all in a row, you have run 6 sprints. Put a lay-up on the end of each sprint and you have worked on your conditioning, dribbling and layups all at the same time. You have improved your ability to score on the break and in transition.

Defensive Reaction

Start at the baseline. When ready sprint to mid-court. Upon reaching mid-court, get in your defensive stance and defensive slide, diagonally, back to the baseline. Change direction twice. When you reach the baseline, sprint immediately to the foul line. Upon reaching the foul line, get in your defensive stance and defensive slide side to side. Change directions twice. After the second change in direction, sprint to the far end of the court and touch the rim 10 times. Take a minute to rest. Step back up to the baseline to go again. This time, change directions 4 times. On the next set, change direction 6 times and then 8 times in your last set. You have increased your conditioning, improved your defensive footwork and worked on your jumping.

Beat The Pro

Pick your favorite player as your imaginary opponent. In this case we’ll use Kobe Bryant and your opponent. Start with the ball on the baseline. Dribble to the foul line and shoot a jump shot. Then, chase down the rebound. If you have missed, score the rebound by making a lay-up. Then dribble back to the foul line and shoot again. Keep score. You get 1 point for every jump shot you make (rebound layups don’t count) and Kobe Bryant gets 2 points for every shot you miss. Play for 2 minutes. If you win, take some foul shots. If Kobe Bryant wins, do the full court dribble drill (see above) 1 time for every point he beat you by. You have worked on your conditioning, ballhandling, shooting, rebounding and layups.

Spinouts

Pick 10 spots, 5 on each side of the court, that you think you can shoot effectively from. Start with the ball under the basket. Spin out to the first spot (a spin out is a toss with bask-spin on the ball. Done properly, the ball will hit the ground, bounce straight up and “wait for you”). Sprint after the ball, catch, make a right foot pivot and shoot. Chase down the rebound and if it was a missed shot, score with a lay-up. Grab the ball out of the net and immediately spin out to the second spot, then the third, fourth, etc. Continue until you shoot from the 10th spot. After the 10th spot, reverse the order (spot 10 becomes spot 1) and go back the other way, using left foot pivots. Continue using different pivots on each rotation. Your objectives are: make as many 1st shots as you can, make 6 rotations (60 shots) in 10 minutes. After your 6 rotations, relax by making 15 foul shots and then start again. The drill can be done with any pivot, practicing jump shots and 1 dribble moves. You have worked on your conditioning, shooting, rebounding, follow shots and pivots.

Get to Know Basketball Tips

To become a basketball player, one needs to possess certain skills. If you are a beginner, it may take some time to develop those skills. Now, let us go through the basketball tips. These tips can assist you in making good use of your skills. Remember, you can develop these skills only through constant efforts and dedication.

Make a plan and schedule your day accordingly. Each day is not going to be the same, but your constant efforts will really pay off. However, a proper plan could keep you realistic and focused all the time.

Furthermore, get some advice from the professional people. This is the most important factor. Great advice can motivate you in the right direction. Therefore, take full advantage of it. Remember to follow the basketball tips regularly. It can save your time in the end.

More importantly, you will find particular drills for each skill you wish to develop. If you want, you can also ask the professionals for some suggestions. Accordingly, you can schedule the practice time. Always take the help of professional players. This is because they can help you in knowing your weakness and strength.

Basketball is a unique game. Without constant focus, you will end up losing the game. Therefore, always practice with strong focus. Constant efforts, concentration and right attitude are the most important factors to become a successful basketball player.

See to it that your attitude never goes wrong. Take up things in a serious manner and focus on them. In short, keep moving forward and learning new things.

Basketball tips can play a vital role in increasing your commitment level. Nevertheless, the more time you spend practicing, more you learn. If you become de-motivated very fast, then ask one of your friends to play with you. It might help you to feel good and energized.

Improve Your Decision Making Skills

Sometimes you’re probably having these bad days - committing too many turnovers, coach is yelling at you, telling you that you’ve made bad decisions while all you want is to improve your game. Want to avoid these situations and dramatically improve your performance? - Read the following tip carefully.

Making the Right Decisions

Making the right decisions on a basketball game is one of the most important aspects a player must consider. It doesn’t matter if a player runs faster or jumps higher than any one else on court, if he turns the ball too often he will simply end up sitting on the bench.

Take Steve Nash for example, he is not taller or faster than other talented NBA players, yet, he was selected the NBA MVP… The secret is all about decision making skills.

Basketball tips to remember about decision making skills:

(1) An athletic ability is great - it will definitely give you the opportunity to play, however smart decision making skills will keep you on the court.

(2) While your team is on the offense, coach expects you to read the game and identify opportunities to take shots. All that, while you listen to his or hers’ instructions.

(3) Smart basketball players are those who think fast and quickly analyze the game, in order to find these opportunities that will enable them make the right decisions.

Want to Improve your Decision Making Skills?

Well, dribbling is easy for you as is following coaches’ instructions. Now, following coaches’ instructions from the bench while dribbling isn’t that easy.
Here is one of the best basketball tips that will improve your decision making skills on court:

Start by dribbling up and down the court; try to mix it up with between your legs or behind your back etc. While doing so, do the following:

(1) Spell the A-B-C, not that difficult. Don’t stop dribbling.

(2) Spell the A-B-C backwards Z-Y-X. Now it’s not that easy…

(3) When you master this drill, add your first name, age, phone no. etc. - everything backwards.

This exercise will help you think while you execute other basketball tasks. It will help you to perform better on the court.