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By admin On January 25, 2010No Comments
In over 30 years, since November 1976, the US dollar and Canadian dollar have not been par until now. As the Canadian economy has been progressing over the years, the US economy seems to have fallen behind with all its turmoil.
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The war in Iraq has not helped the US economic situation but rather offset the deficit, and in a move to avoid the forecasted economic recession due to the credit crunch, the feds cut interests rates by 0. 5 points to 4. 75 percent. The move to cut interest rates to ease the mortgage industry has weakened the US dollar against foreign currency including the Euro, and giving the push for the Canadian dollar to hit parity with the US dollar. One US dollar now buys one Canadian dollar. But the Canadian dollar’s gain isn’t only linked to the US federal interest rate cut, but can also be seen as the Canadian economy has been booming in an upward gain from 2006 with a low inflation rate, and a red hot oil industry. This rapid progression of the Canadian dollar against the US comes as a shock to some Canadians, who measured the Canadian dollar value at . 62 USD only four years ago in 2002, and now hitting par seems too good to be true. As Jeff Rubin, chief economist and strategist at CIBC World Markets, stated, “the Canadian economy that once used to be the sleepy little resource backwater of the North American economy is certainly turning the tables on its big brother in a hurry. ” So what does all this have to do with Canadian and American dealings with each other? Well, for starts there will be an increase in American exports as buying from the American markets will become cheaper for Canadians. Although, vice versa Canadian exports to America will also decrease, as it will simply cost more for Americans to buy Canadian manufactured goods. The Canadian tourism industry will also suffer, as more American visitors will decline as the dollar parity discourages Americans from shopping in Canada, since the one time savings of up to 40%, due to the dollar value, will no longer be available to Americans. Although, Canadians will suffer in sales, they will gain in purchasing from American based businesses, and buying cars from the American side is becoming more attractive to some Canadians. As car prices in Canada are much higher than in America, a lot of Canadian shoppers will find drastic savings by traveling south of the border to buy a car. The difference in prices may not be the greatest for all cars, but gaps in some categories such as luxury sports cars, will save a Canadian buyer almost $14,000 on average. But the high loony will put pressure on Canadian companies that are dependent on exporting to the US, who is also Canada’s largest trading partner. Already, in 2006 there were almost 100,000 job losses in southeastern Ontario, due to the rising Canadian dollar against the US dollar. Even with such a massive job loss, the Canadian economy is still doing well, as the manufacturing sector loss a total of 289, 000 jobs since 2002, the Canadian economy has created over one million jobs in resources, construction, services, health care, education and financial industries, leaving the national jobless rate at 30-year low. In contrast the Canadian dollar seems to be stronger over the American for the time being, but only time will tell the future of the American dollar vs. the Canadian. If asked to predict, there is always uncertainty, but given factors such as future interest rate cuts by the Americans, could possibly even lower the US dollar compared to the Canadian, and this could become reality in the next 6-12 months.
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By admin On December 7, 2009
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Golf is a difficult game to master and most golfers don’t have the time it takes to practice, practice, and practice to significantly improve. When you’re playing golf badly it isn’t a lot of fun. Even the guys who play golf for a living and get the best golf instruction in the world still struggle to improve their golf; and they practice each and every day!
Concentrate totally on your game and you’ll get the best score. The positive energy you send out will influence your game, just as negative thinking and therefore negative energy will affect it also. Golf requires tough mental fitness as well as physical fitness and is often overlooked.
Use the basic ‘hitchhiker’ position when you’re working on your backswing. Ask your golf pro to evaluate your posture while swinging. One of the problems that most inexperienced golfers share is they think too much about their swing.
Before you swing, make sure you’re relaxed; contract all your muscles tightly for a moment and then relax them. As the body matures, the ability to rotate the upper torso is affected by age, and the hand action can also slow down requiring a slightly stronger grip. Try not to grip the club too tightly.
Putting can become a nightmare and a condition called the ‘yips’ has affected not only amateurs but professionals as well; get expert advice and consider a golf swing aid. Putts and short chips are ideally played without much movement of the body, but most other golf shots are played using variants of the full golf swing.
At the end of a swing, the weight has shifted almost entirely to the left foot, the body is fully turned to the left and the hands are above the left shoulder with the club hanging down over the players’ back.
Swing slowly and steadily using a nice rhythm. At the end of a backswing the hands are above the right shoulder, with the golf club pointing more or less in the intended direction of ball flight.
Workouts with straight crunches won’t improve your swing or driving distance; concentrate on weighted rotational exercises instead. Using a weighted club, make rotational golf swings to improve your power. Once you understand that you can change your swing by using a simple technique, you’ll never underestimate golf fitness again.
Golf swing aids come in all shapes and sizes including apparel type accessories to correct alignment or a golf club add-on accessory to monitor your swing. There are golf swing aids that act as driving range simulators. Golf aids are often for sale at your pro shop or local golf shop.
Most of all don’t waste your money on a golf swing aid you don’t need or will never use. Sporting goods stores have golf aids to improve your game. Look for golf swing aids at your local golf course.
Golf magazines often review the newest golf swing aids and are reviewed by golfers, making it easy to choose the right one for you. Overall, investing in golf swing aids will greatly improve your golf swing and your golf game. If you’re looking for an aid to improve your stance they’re not hard to find.
Before buying any golf swing aid, check with an expert to get an idea of what problem you need to work on first; backlift of golf swing, momentum of downward thrust or stance for example. In any case, stick to just one golf swing aid at a time; don’t load up on them.
If you’ve hit with your golf driver perfectly once, you can do it every time. There are a lot of places to get golf swing tips, golf game tips and golf instruction so when you do have time to hit the course, you’ll have a plan in mind. Having a plan and working on specific aspects of the swing or game should be your goal.
By admin On December 6, 2009
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Even the guys who play golf for a living and get the best golf instruction in the world still struggle to improve their golf; and they practice each and every day! It’s important to remember, your golf swing is what drives your score; not your clubs or ball. You need great hand-eye coordination, balance, athletic ability and creativity to play golf.
It’s been proven that thinking positively about bettering your golf game will benefit you more than playing to compete with your partners and trying to win for winnings sake. Overall, you generally want to play golf with confidence. The positive energy you send out will influence your game, just as negative thinking and therefore negative energy will affect it also.
At the end of a swing, the weight has shifted almost entirely to the left foot, the body is fully turned to the left and the hands are above the left shoulder with the club hanging down over the players’ back.
The backswing is a rotation to the right, consisting of a shifting of the player’s body weight to the right side, a turning of the pelvis and shoulders, lifting of the arms and flexing of the elbows and wrists. Putts and short chips are ideally played without much movement of the body, but most other golf shots are played using variants of the full golf swing.
At the end of a backswing the hands are above the right shoulder, with the golf club pointing more or less in the intended direction of ball flight. After the ball is hit, the follow-through stage consists of a continued rotation to the left. Make sure to use the proper technique. It’s difficult for a golfer to practice hitting shots longer than short pitch shots unless one pays to play golf or pays to practice at a driving range or indoor golf training facility.
Putting can become a nightmare and a condition called the ‘yips’ has affected not only amateurs but professionals as well; get expert advice and consider a golf swing aid. When you swing if you have problems with your left knee buckling, imagine you’re holding a soccer ball between your knees.
Use the muscles in your legs and trunk when you swing. Accomplished golfers purposely use sidespin to steer their ball around obstacles or towards the safe side of fairways and greens. Most golfers don’t know there are techniques that will greatly affect swing mechanics; you can get an edge by just changing your approach.
Workouts with straight crunches won’t improve your swing or driving distance; concentrate on weighted rotational exercises instead. You can get rid of shoulder problems with some simple techniques.
Overall, investing in golf swing aids will greatly improve your golf swing and your golf game. If you’re a golfing novice just starting out, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Golf swing aids will improve your golf game.
Before buying any golf swing aid, check with an expert to get an idea of what problem you need to work on first; backlift of golf swing, momentum of downward thrust or stance for example. Golf magazines often review the newest golf swing aids and are reviewed by golfers, making it easy to choose the right one for you. There are a number of good golf swing aids on the market today.
Golf swing aids come in all shapes and sizes including apparel type accessories to correct alignment or a golf club add-on accessory to monitor your swing. Golf swing aids can be found online and are often cheaper. You can find golf swing aids that will help you with your wrist and arm position.
In any case, stick to just one golf swing aid at a time; don’t load up on them. If you’re looking for an aid to improve your stance they’re not hard to find.
If you’ve hit with your golf driver perfectly once, you can do it every time. Practice, practice, practice! Having a plan and working on specific aspects of the swing or game should be your goal.
By admin On December 5, 2009
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When you’re playing golf badly it isn’t a lot of fun. If you’re like most golfers, you want to improve, not just hack around the golf course. Finding ways to improve your golf game, then applying what you’ve learned and practicing, is the number one way to get ahead of the game.
Overall, you generally want to play golf with confidence. Keep the good energy flowing and don’t give in to any negative thoughts. Golf requires tough mental fitness as well as physical fitness and is often overlooked.
Trust your golf club to do the job it was intended to do. It’s difficult for a golfer to practice hitting shots longer than short pitch shots unless one pays to play golf or pays to practice at a driving range or indoor golf training facility. The most important thing about the golf swing is the angle and not the strength that’s applied to it.
Use the basic ‘hitchhiker’ position when you’re working on your backswing. Try not to grip the club too tightly. The backswing is a rotation to the right, consisting of a shifting of the player’s body weight to the right side, a turning of the pelvis and shoulders, lifting of the arms and flexing of the elbows and wrists.
Putts and short chips are ideally played without much movement of the body, but most other golf shots are played using variants of the full golf swing. Use the muscles in your legs and trunk when you swing. Ask your golf pro to evaluate your posture while swinging.
Many golfers who are strongly left-handed in their daily life prefer the right-handed golf swing. When you swing if you have problems with your left knee buckling, imagine you’re holding a soccer ball between your knees.
To prevent injury and improve swing speed and distance requires your body to be both strong and flexible. Many golfers have improved their golf game by concentrating on golf fitness. Workouts with straight crunches won’t improve your swing or driving distance; concentrate on weighted rotational exercises instead.
Keep in mind that with some golf swing aids, you may still need advice or help from an expert. There are golf swing aids that act as driving range simulators. Golf magazines often review the newest golf swing aids and are reviewed by golfers, making it easy to choose the right one for you.
Be careful about the claims on TV commercials and magazine ads; seek expert advice before you buy because they may not live up to their claims. You can find golf swing aids that will help you with your wrist and arm position. Whether you’re a seasoned golfer or just starting out, pick just one golf swing aid and go to work on your swing.
If you’re looking for an aid to improve your stance they’re not hard to find. Make sure to look for reviews and ratings online for any golf swing aid you’re considering. Sporting goods stores have golf aids to improve your game.
Golf swing aids will improve your golf game. Golf swing aids come in all shapes and sizes including apparel type accessories to correct alignment or a golf club add-on accessory to monitor your swing.
If you’ve hit with your golf driver perfectly once, you can do it every time. If you apply both physical and mental workouts, golf swing improvement will be your reward. Take as many private lessons as you can afford with a good golf pro.
By admin On December 5, 2009
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The Champions Tour starts its regular season Friday in Hawaii at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship. The course at Hualalai always yields low scores and 20 under might not be good enough to win.
With the regular PGA Tour showcasing more celebrities than tour winners this week, the Champions tourney is the one to watch. Hawaii this time of year looks pretty darn good.
Here is my case for the round bellies over the flat bellies this weekend. Fred Couples, David Duval and maybe a first time winner are the stories at the Hope. It is so tough watching those pro-ams. It is only fun for the amateurs and celebrities that are playing. It is no fun to watch; maybe the tour should get the message.
If you want personality along with great golf, watch the Champions this week. There are eight players that have won a PGA major at the Hope this week. There are eleven players in Hawaii that have won PGA majors. The eight have won a combined total of eight majors, each having one win each. The eleven ?old? guys have a combined 32 major wins. That?s right 32. Oh yea, the Champions event boasts seven World Golf Hall of Fame members. Gary Player has more major wins then the entire Hope field and Tom Watson has just as many.
Gary Player, Tom Watson, Hale Irwin these guys are icons that have shaped the golf world, and they still got game! Player is 73 and still beats his age. He is in better shape then 99% of the PGA tour and he?ll let you know it. Player has been the best international ambassador for golf for over 50 years.
Tom Watson has eight PGA majors and has battled all the greats over his career. He always manages to sneak into contention at the Masters. He is a living testament to the qualities that this game encourages.
Hale Irwin at 63 is the all time Champions Tour winner with 45 wins. These guys still can play some great golf.
Look at this one grouping, Player, Watson, and Jay Haas. Haas is the current Charles Schwab Cup champion and the 2007 player of the year. Watching that threesome alone is worth it.
Check out these names that are playing: Kite, Pate, Sluman, Stadler, Langer, Crenshaw, Strange and Roberts. These guys are good.
With all due respect to Arnie, who is hosting the Hope, I?ll spend my time watching some of the all time heroes of the game. I?ll take Player and Watson any day.
Jeff is an avid golfer and loves to write. You can see more of his articles and hear his opinions on everything golf at his website www.linkslifegolf.com