Month / February 2015

by Copley Sutton

Golf Drills to Help You Hit a Flop Shot Correctly

Phil Mickelson is well known for making the flop shot look easy. Learning this shot comes in handy for clearing bunkers, while at the same time adding a spin to the ball and directing it to the desired spot. However it’s actually one of the most difficult shots to perfect. Below are some of the technicalities of the flop shot that will assist you in practicing your drills.

 

The right club for a lob shot

A club that should be present in every golfer’s golf bag is a sixty degree lob wedge. Many golfers prefer using a sand wedge for a flop shot, but for the purposes discussed here, the sixty degree lob wedge is the best tool for the job.

 

Setting up your clubface for a lob shot

When making a perfect flop shot, you should have two goals in mind:

  1. You should aim to get lots of height on the ball.
  2. You should aim to add a spin on the ball which will make up for too much distance if you hit the ball further away from your target than what you intended.

To perform these two tasks, you will need to turn your sixty degree lob wedge so that the face is 100% flat facing upwards. The face should be as level as you can get it to make this shot do what it is meant to. Remember to grip the club in this position, rather than compensating your wrists and turning it into this position post-grip.

 

Aiming your lob shot

Because you’ll be adding a spin to the ball, it’s important to compensate for this by aiming slightly to the left of your desired target. Twenty degrees to the left is enough of a slant to make the flop shot. The spin you will put on your ball won’t be too heavy, so only a slight deviation left of the target is necessary.

 

Too much height – Too much spin

This shot will take some practice to perfect. Depending on the distance of your target, try and find a good balance between flying the ball over the bunker, and adding enough spin to it for when it lands. Remember that the harder you hit, the higher—not further—the ball will travel, so make the call on which of these you want to achieve.

by Copley Sutton

Winter Fire Safety

Why is fire safety equipment such an important addition to every home? Well, winter time is an especially danger-prone period in terms of fire risk. Our need to keep warm during cold periods inadvertently leads to hundreds of house and company fires every year—and that’s in the UK alone.

Fortunately for UK home owners, preventative equipment like a fire extinguisher or a Kidde smoke alarm are readily available at Fire Protection Online. It’s important to remember that safety should never be compromised for the sake of comfort.

So here are some of the main dangers to look out for during winter months, and details on the fire safety equipment you can utilize to prevent these dangers.

 

Risk # 1: Chimney fires

A clogged chimney accounts for over seven thousand chimney fires across England alone. A fire in your chimney can have disastrous results, not the least of which is causing a full-blown house fire. Prevent this by always making sure your chimney is cleaned out. The best time to do this is just before or after winter—since it’s in winter when your chimney will be utilized the most.

 

Risk#2: The fire place

Let’s not leave the fireplace just yet. Many house fires are also caused by sparks from embers jumping onto your wooden floor or carpet. This often happens when people go to asleep and neglect to properly put out their fire.

Preventing this disaster is two-fold:

  • First, install a fireplace guard to prevent sparks from jumping out.
  • Second, get yourself a Kidde smoke alarm which will warn you of a fire while you’re in bed. Catching it in time can mean the difference between life and death.

 

Risk #3: Electric blankets

Unless you want to live life recklessly or plan on sleeping with fire safety equipment under your pillow, it’s best not to fall asleep with your electric blanket on. An electric fire can wreak havoc if you don’t have the right equipment to control it. Make sure an electric blanket and a hot water bottle are never found in the same bed, as this is very risky.

 

Risk #4: Candles

With cold weather comes dry weather, which is why having a fire in your house should always be a secondary option. If your lights have gone out, opt for a torch rather than a candle. There’s less risk involved. Many fires get started because of home owners falling asleep and forgetting about a burning candle left in the room.

 

Preventative measures

Now that you’ve been made a bit more safety conscious, it’s time to take extra precautionary measures to ensure the safety of you and your family. One good way to do this is to install a Kidde smoke alarm. One particular variant of this brand has a battery that lasts for ten years. Its high pitch alarm will ensure you wake up in time to prevent a fire emergency.

You can get lots more advice about winter fire risks by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter. We’re also on Google+. Feel free to pose any questions you may have about fire safety on our social profiles and we’ll be sure to respond with sound, expert advice and availability of our fire safety equipment.