Car Racing Sports

Archive for the ‘Hockey’ Category

Now you are on the green, holding your putter, facing the pin and trying to evaluate the shape of that area between your golf ball and the hole. Forget about the strokes needed to reach the green. That’s past, that’s history. And because it’s not the right time to put pressure on you, forget also

a) that the last few yards on the green can take more strokes than the 3 or 4 hundred yards between the tee and the green

b) there’s no such thing as a recovery for a missed putt

Let’s assume that you are aware of all that and take golf putting seriously. So, the most important thing you desperately need now is to know the slope of your putting area, that is the green’s zone your ball will cross on its way to the hole. You observe carefully from the ball’s side and there’s no doubt it will break slightly say, from north to south (n/s). Now, let’s have a look from the other side to get a clearer picture. And . . . oops! It breaks slightly from south to north (s/n).

Now you have a big problem that all of us (who look from both sides) faced several times. If your group is alone on the golf course and your buddies aren’t pushing too much, you can repeat the entire process but the results won’t change. Perhaps it’s because the shadows are distorting the image or, perhaps, some objects in front of you (trees, fences, etc) are giving you a wrong perception. Still more likely, perhaps you are a biased observer. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps! But the truth is that the data your eyes sent to your CPU are not coincident, so your brain gets confused with that and any commands coming to your muscles will reflect that dilemma. It’s easy to predict there’s trouble ahead.

Table top air hockey is something I remember from my childhood. My friend had an air hockey table that made me jealous, until Santa finally came through for me one year and I got my own. Until then I would go over to my friend’s house to play. I never wanted to stop. The swoosh of the puck, and the thrill I felt when I scored, made the game fun and exciting. There was just something amazing to me about the way the puck would float across the surface with the slightest tap from the mallet. And that sound it would make against the sides of the table and handles is indelibly impressed in my memory. Clickity, clack, clack, clack, followed by an explosion of victory and defeat at both ends of the table.

Since those early years I’ve seen a variety of styles of table top air hockey. Some hockey tables do not have forced air, but then they are usually referred to as slide tables. An air hockey table has air that is blown out onto the surface with a small motorized fan. This makes the puck float and move much quicker. It is a game of reflexes and anticipation. I remember feeling like the king of the world when I could get one past my Dad. He seemed undefeatable. I always wondered if he was just letting me win, but I didn’t care.

Speaking of memories: my third grade teacher had a type of hockey game that the janitor made for us to use. We played it on the ground outside at recess. It was the kind of game that in which two people could really compete. Can’t you just picture it: two third graders - kid to kid, facing off to determine who would have bragging rights until the next day. To the victor went all the glory. Serious stuff, funny stuff. This hockey game wasn’t atable top air hockey game, but was really fun to play anyway. Sort of a variation on a theme. It was made out of 2×4 lumber with a plywood bottom. It was a rectangle about four feet long and about two feet wide, maybe a bit more. It had a divider across the middle with a cutout in it so the puck (also made out of wood) could fit through it onto your opponent’s side. At each end of the box there was a cutout that allowed the puck to escape, thus resulting in a one point score. Both players had a three foot stick to use to frantically chase the puck around with. You would start the game by placing the puck up on the center divider and hit your sticks together to the count of three, then go at it until someone scored.

The Ridley Motorcycle would not be the first motorcycle name to be uttered if someone was asked to name their favorite motorcycle cruiser.

When people think of American cruiser motorcycles it will always be the same ones brought to mind such as the Harley Davidson or Indian, most probably because they have been around forever, however there is another motorcycle which is growing in stature and consequently is very much sought after.

The Ridley motorcycle has been built by Clay Ridley and his team since 1995 after developing his dream idea for four years. Today The Ridley Motorcycle Company build the most innovative and stunningly beautiful motorcycles in their Oklahoma City Factory, and are then distributed world wide via a global network of authorized dealers.

When Clay Ridley started his company he did so off the back of a lifetime of innovation, from being a young boy he dreamed of this day. He had always been hands on building bikes from a very early age, he continues to design and build out of the ordinary bikes that have earned the right to display the Ridley Motorcycle badge.

The first designs were for a three quarter style cruiser known as Ridley speedster these sold well, however, more people were demanding a bigger bike so the Auto Glide was born and was received enthusiastically by both beginners and experienced riders.

The Auto Glide differs from most other bikes by being extremely light weight, it has a very low seat and a unique automatic transmission. They are great bikes to ride and boy do they turn heads as all of the bikes have been produced with a stunning paint job; the powerful 700cc V twin engine on the Auto-Glide emits a warm bass tone from the chromed mufflers.

Cricket bats are an integral part of the great sport of cricket. Cricket has been around for hundreds of years and in that time span changes have occurred to the game and the equipment. It is said that the early bats were similar to hockey sticks, with a long shank and a shorter angled end. In fact one of these early bats, said to be from 1729, exists and is on display in London. Since then the bats have evolved and modern style bats are not only shaped differently, there are more distinguishing features.

Modern cricket bats are paddle shaped, with a slim handle and a wider blade. The blade is flat on the front side and the back side has an aerodynamic v-shaped ridge. The ball is hit with the flat side of the bat. The cricket bat is usually made from willow wood because it is rugged and virtually splinter-proof while remaining fairly light. The bats are treated with linseed oil and this serves two purposes. It protects the willow wood and it also provides increased friction on the surface when it meets the ball and that helps the batsman’s control. Aluminum bats are not allowed in organized games because they can damage the cricket balls.

Bat size is regulated and can be up to 965 mm long and the blade up to 108 mm wide. While there is no restriction on weight, most weigh between 1.1 to 1.4 kg. Most bats today are machine-made, but there are some craftsmen who make cricket bats by hand. These are generally custom orders for professional players or for very serious amateurs who are seriously passionate about the sport.