Golf - week 3

On the first week I learned basic rules about the golf, and then I learned how to grab a golf club and how to swing a golf club. This time I learned how to putting.There are many things to consider for putting such as the stance, setting up and stillness. Putting is the most important thing in golf which decides the actual score.
There are ten tips that I learned for putting.

Tips for the Putting Stance

• Get your eyes directly over the ball. This is just as important as a snooker or pool player looking down the cue. Take up your stance, hold a ball next to your eyes and drop it. If your eyes are directly over the ball it should hit the ball you are going to putt.

• Have a firm base. Make sure your legs are wide enough to make sure your lower body stabilises the body when you make a stroke. If the wind is blowing make the stance even wider.

• Make sure your arms are lined up correctly. Whatever putting grip you use, a line across your arms should aim directly at the hole. If someone stood behind you and put a golf shaft against your arms, it should point at the hole. How accurately this line points will influence the quality of your putting back stroke.

Tips for the Putting Stroke

• Number one for better putting is to make sure you have the right putter for your stroke. If you are not sure read this article on putters. If you have a blade putter make sure the stroke moves inside on the backswing and inside on the follow through. With a face balanced putter the stroke should be straight back and through with the face looking at the hole.

• Keep the wrists out of the stroke. Shoulders, arms and hands move together as a unit in a good putting stroke.

• Keep your head still. Just as in pool or snooker you must keep the head still during the stroke. Listen for the ball to go into the hole, don’t look up to watch it.

• Make sure the putter goes back and through the same distance. Keep the putting stroke even both sides for smooth acceleration and to stop quitting on putts.

• Keep the rhythm of your stroke like a metronome. Count ‘one-two’ to yourself to keep the stroke smooth. Rhythm in a putting stroke is just as important as rhythm in a full swing.

• Make sure you get the golf ball up to the hole. All putts from inside twenty feet should end up past the hole. Make sure you read the green to end up eighteen inches past and not lamely to lag into the hole at dead weight.

• To read a green correctly you must look at the hole from both sides. If you really want to putt well from distance you must take time and look from the other side of the hole. The break often looks different from behind the hole.

Through this activity I had learning outcomes.
I had increased my awareness of my own strengths and areas for growth.
I had undertaken new challenges.
I had planned and initiated activities. 
I had shown my perseverance and commitment in my activity.
I developed new skills 

Push up - week 1

When I planned push-ups, I decided to do 17 push-ups. There are many kinds of push ups but I wanted to make my shoulders wider, therefore, when I did push ups I positioned my hands slightly more than my shoulders.
This is the method that I found  to do a perfect push-up.

• Raise up onto your toes so you are balanced on your hands and toes.
• Keep your body in a straight line from head to toe without sagging in the middle or arching your back.
• Your feet can be close together or a bit wider depending upon what is most comfortable for you.
• Before you begin any movement, contract your abs and tighten your core by pulling your belly button toward your spine.
• Keep a tight core throughout the entire push up.
• Inhale as you slowly bend your elbows and lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle.
• Exhale as you begin pushing back up to the start position
• Don't lock out the elbows; keep them slightly bent.
• Repeat for as many repetitions as your workout routine requires.

It was much harder to do push ups than before when I followed these steps. There

were learning outcomes fro this activity.

I had increased my awareness of my own strengths and areas of growth. On the first day I could do only 10 push ups but everyday I increased the numbers one by one and I showed my growth.

I planned and initiated activity. I planned how much I will do every day and I did it.

I had shown perseverance and commitment in my activity. I am doing this activity everyday therefore I showed my perseverance and commitment in my activity.

Golf -week 2

After I learned basic rules and terms about the golf, I learned how to grab a golf club in the first week. This time I learned how to swing a golf club. There are many kinds of clubs that people are using when they are playing golf. First of all, I learned how to swing the biggest golf club which people use when they want to hit the ball as far as they can.

First, I practiced how to swing without a ball. It was much difficult than I expected.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMtQjnsoD8c < This video was very helpful for me to learn how to swing a golf club.
There were 5 steps that I need to remember to swing a golf club.

1.Stand with your spine in a neutral position and bend from the hips, with feet shoulders width apart.

2.Rotate the torso on the back swing, and 'set' the lead wrist fully before you reach the top, creating a 90 degree angle between your lead forearm and the shaft.

3.When swinging down,'haul' the head of the club so that it lags behind everything else, and allow the 90 degree forearm/ shaft angle to increase, then unwind rapidly through the impact area. This creates tremendous club head speed while allowing the body to move relatively slowly and maintain control.

4. Make sure to have the shaft leaning forward toward the target at the moment of impact, this will help to have the face of the club face square at impact, an important factor in directional control.

5.Swing-set-through is the rhythm.It is not critical how far back you take the club but if you have released the club correctly, you will follow through completely. your belt buckle will be facing the target, the club will be behind you, you will be balanced on your lead foot with the back foot balanced on its toe. You should be able to comfortably hold this finish as you watch the ball fly off into the distance.

Through this activity,I had increased my awareness of my own strengths and areas for growth.
I had undertaken new challenges. It was my first time to learn how to swing a golf club
I planned and initiated activity. First I learned the rule, second I learned how to grab a golf club and then I learned how to swing a golf club. And next time I will learn how to putting.
I had shown my perseverance and commitment in my activity. I am learning golf constantly.
I developed new skills. Now I can swing a golf club

Push-up plan

I bought two equipment that help me to push-up. I decided to use this to develop my chest muscles. It is much harder to do push ups on these equipment than just on the ground. I tried to push up with those things and I could do only 10 push ups. I decided to increase the number one by one everyday. Therefore, on the next week I will do 17 push ups. On the second week I will do 24 push ups. On the third week i will do 31 push ups. This will develop my chest muscles.

There will be those learning outcomes after this activity.
I will increase my awareness of my own strengths and areas for growth.
 I wil plan and initiate activities.
 I will show perseverance and commitment in my activities

Golf -week 1

Since my father is very good at playing golf, I decided to learn golf from my father.

When I asked him to teach me playing golf, he did not give me the golf ball and club. He gave me a book and asked to read all of it and learn the rules and basic stuffs. There were many vocabularies that I had to learn before I play golf such as 'par','hole in one','buddy','buggy' etc. Not only for rules but also there were so many terms that I had to learn for classifying the golf club, fields and balls etc. 

http://www.bsgolf.co.kr/customer/term.asp?part=1 < This cite helped a lot to learn about the basic golf terms. 

These are the basic rules that I learned

General PointsThe game of golf should be played in the correct spirit and to understand this you should read the Etiquette Section in the Rules of Golf. In particular: 

• show consideration to other players

• play at a good pace and be ready to invite faster moving groups to play through, and

• take care of the course by smoothing bunkers, replacing divots and repairing ball marks on the greens.

Before starting your round you are advised to:

• read the Local Rules on the score card and the notice board

• put an identification mark on your ball; many golfers play the same brand of ball and if you can’t identify your ball, it is considered lost (Rules 12-2 and 27-1)

• count your clubs; you are allowed a maximum of 14 clubs. (Rule 4-4).

During the round:

• don’t ask for “advice” from anyone except your partner (i.e. a player on your side) or your caddies; don’t give advice to anyone except your partner; you may ask for information on the Rules, distances and the position of hazards, the flagstick, etc. (Rule 8-1)

• don’t play any practice shots during play of a hole. (Rule 7-2)

• don't use any artificial devices or unusual equipment,unless specifically authorised by Local Rule (Rule 14-3).

After I read the book and learned some rules and vocabularies, my father started to teach me how to grab a golf club. I learned that my two hands should not be separated and and my legs should be divided as much as my shoulders. And the golf club should be at the center of my chest. 

Through this activity,

I had undertaken new challenges.

I increased my awareness of my own strengths and areas for growth

I had shown perseverance and commitment in my activity.

I developed new skill

Golf plan

I decided to learn golf as one of my CAS activities. My father is good at playing golf and I have all the equipment in my house. Therefore it was easy for me to prepare to learn.
There are 3 goals that I want to achieve.
1. Learn basic rules and terms about golf
2. Learn how to swing a golf club
3. Learn how to putting
At the end of this activity I will be able to play golf although it is not very good.

There will be many learning outcomes that are appropriate for this activity
I will increase my awareness of my own strengths and areas for growth
I will undertake new challenges
I will plan and initiate activity
I will show perseverance and commitment in my activity
I will develop new skills

Blood donation

On 3rd of January 2013, I visited blood donation center. I heard that many people require blood in emergency cases. For me it was difficult to donate blood in Russia, so I planned to do it when I go back to Korea during the break and finally I did it.
Before I donate my blood, I was concerning about the hygienic conditions. I heard that some serious diseases such as AIDS can be infected if the hygienic condition is not very good in the blood donation center.

 However,fortunately the hygienic condition in the blood donation center was very good, and the service was also really good. I heard that the number of people who require blood is increasing every year but the number of people who are donating their blood is decreasing. My blood type was A which is quite common comparing to rare blood types such as AB rh- but still they said they really appreciated to me about the donation. While I was waiting for the donation there were many books to read, I could use the internet for free. And after the donation, they gave me a chocolate pie for free. They were advertising about the blood donation however, unfortunately the number of people who are donating their blood is decreasing.

I was happy that I was one of people who volunteered to donate my blood. I did not expect any benefits from this and I volunteered to do it, therefore I had considered the ethical implications of my actions.If I have another chance to donate my blood, I am willing to do it anytime.