New This Week

A couple of new things in our classroom this week.
Playing the equal/not equal game…

…and working in our “offices”.

from Ms. Cassidy's Classroom Blog http://ift.tt/2oNeico

Open Sentry Safe in less than 5 seconds at the Kitsilano Business Leaders Meetup

Open Sentry Safe in less than 5 seconds at the Kitsilano Business Leaders Meetup.

Terry Whin-Yates from Mr. Locksmith demonstrated how easy it is to open a Sentry Electronic Safe is less than 5 seconds with no damage or “Signs of Entry” for the Kitsilano Business Leaders Meetup.

To purchase an excellent UL Listed Burgulary and Fire Resistant Safe for home or business that can not be opened in seconds visit Mr. Locksmith Safes.

 

 

Terry Whin-Yates from Mr. Locksmith Open Safe Demo at the Kitilano Business Leaders Meetup

Terry Whin-Yates from Mr. Locksmith Open Safe Demo at the Kitilano Business Leaders Meetup

Terry Whin-Yates from Mr. Locksmith Open Safe Demo at the Kitilano Business Leaders Meetup

Terry Whin-Yates from Mr. Locksmith Open Safe Demo at the Kitilano Business Leaders Meetup

 

For Hands-on and On-line  Locksmith Training go to Mr. Locksmith Training.

The post Open Sentry Safe in less than 5 seconds at the Kitsilano Business Leaders Meetup appeared first on Mr Locksmith Calgary.

from Mr Locksmith Calgary http://ift.tt/2qkkl5t

Open Sentry Safes in Seconds | Mr. Locksmith Blog

Open Sentry Safes in Seconds | Mr. Locksmith Blog. For further info go to www.mrlocksmith.com/.

Both Electronic Sentry Safes look the same but different serial numbers. The first Sentry Safe is on the recall list and the second Sentry Safe is not on the recall list. Both appear to be exactly the same and both are vulnerable to rare earth magnets.

When I checked the serial numbers on the Sentry safe website, one safe the serial number starts with an “A” and is on the recall list. I called Sentry and they are sending me an upgrade kit.

Note: Three (3) weeks now and I still have not received the upgrade kit.

The second safes serial number starts with a B and the Sentry website states this safe is not on the recall list.

 

I do not see any difference externally. When I was on the Sentry Safe website with the “recalled” safe webpage I was linked to a webpage and the recall letters stated “a Canadian locksmith with a hockey puck rare earth magnet is occasionally opening up safes.” I open lots of Electronic safes with rare earth magnets and at Mr. Locksmith we open and repair most safe and many other locksmiths in North America.
Examining the solenoids on both safe after I opened them with the magnet they look exactly the same.

Now we’ll take out the inside panels and we’ll just take a look at each one. So when I compare these two safes everything looks the same. Solenoid, actually that solenoid is exactly … That’s that version the affected and the unaffected or the recalled and the non recalled. This one has a green dot, green dot. I don’t see any difference in the wiring, the construction, nothing so, this ones recalled, this ones not. A series recalled, B series not recalled but as you saw simple easy to open.

I will buy a brand new one of Electronic Sentry safes and test it and see what happens. Sentry states “A” is on the recall list and is potentially vulnerable to being opened with a magnet and ‘B”,is not recalled and not vulnerable?

 

 

Open locked Sentry Electronic Data Safe

 

I hope you enjoyed watching this video. Subscribe to my channel, also visit my website and you can see what online locksmith training I have for beginners, intermediate and advanced as well as my covert methods of entry and my non destructive methods of entry.

For On-line and Hands-on Locksmith Training Dates and Cities near you for Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced Locksmithing as well as my Covert Methods of Entry, Non-destructive Methods of Entry and to purchase the Famous “Dumb Key Force Tool” that opens Smart Key locks in seconds go to Mr. Locksmith Training

For Locksmith Franchise and Licensing Opportunities go to http://ift.tt/1Q6sOkb.

The post Open Sentry Safes in Seconds | Mr. Locksmith Blog appeared first on Mr Locksmith Calgary.

from Mr Locksmith Calgary http://ift.tt/2pij2Wn

Get Spare Car Keys Now Call Mr. Locksmith™ Automotive 604-265-5571

Get Spare Car Keys Now with Mr. Locksmith™ Automotive.

Call Mr. Locksmith Automotive 604-265-5571

Hi, I’m Terry Whin-Yates from Mr. Locksmith. It’s the holiday season. We get lots of call this time of the year, people have lost their keys to their cars, and we go out there and make keys to it. So before Christmas day, or New Year’s, get spare keys cut now. We can make transponder keys, chip keys, remotes. So call us now and get your spare car key, before you lose them all for the holiday season.

 

 

I hope you enjoyed watching this video. Subscribe to my channel. Also, visit my website, and you can see what online locksmith training I have for beginners, intermediate, and advanced, as well as my covert methods of entry, and my non-destructive methods of entry.

For On-line and Hands-on Locksmith Training Dates and Cities near you for Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced Locksmithing as well as my Covert Methods of Entry, Non-destructive Methods of Entry and to purchase the Famous “Dumb Key Force Tool” that opens Smart Key locks in seconds go to Mr. Locksmith Training.

For Mr. Locksmith™ Franchise and Licensing Opportunities go to http://ift.tt/1Q6sOkb.

Mr. Locksmith Automotive Locksmith

The post Get Spare Car Keys Now Call Mr. Locksmith™ Automotive 604-265-5571 appeared first on Mr Locksmith Vancouver.

from Mr Locksmith Vancouver http://ift.tt/2oL8dgV

Seventy Percent (70%) Electronic Safe Lockouts Can be Avoided

Seventy percent (70%) of Electronic Safe Lockouts and Electronic Safe Problems can be avoided by just having good quality batteries.

 

Terry Whin-Yates opening locked Sentry Electronic Data Safe

 

Mr. Locksmith has some of the newest and modern safe tools to open most  Electronic Lock Fire and Data Safes without or with minimal damage to  the safe door and no damage to the safe contents.

Most Electronic Safe lockouts and problems are a result of dead, failed or cheap batteries.  Replace AA or 9 volt batteries with new Duracell Batteries.  Many of the Electronic safe lockouts I attend, I just replace the batteries.  Sometimes the old batteries have corroded the contacts and I use a special Electronic Jump Box as a power boost to safely open the electronic safe. However, seventy percent (70%) of the lockouts I just replace the batteries.

Save yourself from an electronic safe lockout.  To get the newest and freshest batteries buy from a high volume shop like WalMart.  You can buy other batteries and take your chances but we use only Duracell batteries.

Terry Whin-Yates

The post Seventy Percent (70%) Electronic Safe Lockouts Can be Avoided appeared first on Mr Locksmith Vancouver.

from Mr Locksmith Vancouver http://ift.tt/2ptdPJS

Mortgage rates move higher for Friday

If you're thinking about refinancing, it may be a great time to lock in a rate.

from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2qmKyzB

Mortgage rates move higher for Friday

If you're thinking about refinancing, it may be a great time to lock in a rate.

from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2qmKyzB

Mortgage rates move higher for Friday

If you're thinking about refinancing, it may be a great time to lock in a rate.

from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2qmKyzB

Natural Ways to Get Better Sleep (Even If You’re a Mom!)

It is common sense that we all need adequate sleep. Yet, statistics show again and again that we just aren’t getting it. For some, (including me) the idea of ever getting a solid night of uninterrupted sleep again may sound wonderful, but unrealistic. My excuse is the constant presence of a child under 18 months in my house but for many others it is insomnia, sleep disturbances, or simply not enough time.

I get it…it is hard to get decent sleep as a mom. A perfect 8 hours of blissful sleep may not work out with really little ones… but there are some things we can do, even as moms, to get better sleep.

Sleep Matters… More Than Diet or Exercise!

Sleep is a hormone dependent process, and with all the variables in our lives that can affect proper hormone balance (foods, toxins, artificial light, etc) it makes sense that many people struggle with sleep. This is also why times when hormones change often have a negative effect on sleep (menopause, puberty, pregnancy, etc)

While mainstream thinking might recommend a pharmaceutical option to help deal with sleep issues, artificially augmenting the hormone system to induce sleep isn’t without its problems (just check out the side-effects and warnings list!) and can have an impact on other hormone functions as well.

Often, lack of quality sleep stems from one or more lifestyle causes, and it is important to address these underlying issues as they can impact more than just sleep.

The Problem

Lack of sleep = Stress on the body = weight gain, premature aging, hair loss, hormone imbalances, infertility, and lowered immune function.

Hormone problems that cause sleep disturbances don’t just begin at bedtime, and they can’t be fixed by just addressing them at this time. Ever noticed that animals don’t have trouble sleeping and waking when they are supposed to? They don’t toss and turn to fall asleep and they don’t need pills to help them do so (speaking about outdoor animals… I don’t have any, but indoor animals could potentially have some of the same struggles that humans do).

Proper sleep hormone production (melatonin) depends on proper hormone function during waking hours (serotonin and others). As the endocrine system is a complete system, hormone imbalances (PCOS, Endometriosis, etc) can often lead to poor sleep and vice versa.

Stress hormones can have a tremendous impact on the sleep cycle as well, and it is a two-way street. Lack of sleep elevates stress hormones, and stress hormones can cause sleep problems.

What Happens When You Don’t Sleep?

Sleep is important for optimal health in so many ways. In fact, sleep is the one similarity across the animal kingdom. The amount of sleep needed varies greatly by species, but all animals (humans included) need sleep. Lab rats started dying after only a few days of being kept awake.

Sleep is important for almost every aspect of health:

• Physical Health: The body repairs tissue, including heart and blood vessels during sleep. Long term poor sleep is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.
• Obesity: Lack of sleep alone can also make you fat. One study found with each hour of sleep lost, the odds of becoming obese went up.
• Hormone Health: Sleep helps maintain the balance of the hormones that make you feel hungry (ghrelin) or full (leptin). When you don’t get enough sleep, your level of ghrelin goes up and your level of leptin goes down. This makes you feel hungrier than when you’re well-rested.
• Insulin: Sleep impacts how your body handles insulin, the hormone that controls your blood glucose (sugar) level. Sleep deficiency results in a higher than normal blood sugar level, which can lead to many serious problems.
• Growth & Fertility: Deep sleep triggers the hormone cascade responsible for growth in children and teens. Do you kids tend to get growing pains at night? This could be why! This hormone also boosts muscle mass and helps repair cells and tissues in children, teens, and adults.
• Learning & Memory: Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. In studies, people who’d slept after learning a task did better on tests later.

Understanding Sleep Cycles

Of course, not all sleep is created equal. There are several stages of sleep that the body cycles through during the night:

1. N1-This is the stage when you feel half asleep and still have some awareness of your surroundings. This is also the stage where you involuntarily jerk or kick.
2. N2-Slightly deeper stage of sleep. You actually spend about half of your sleeping hours in this stage.
3. N3– Deep slow sleep where your core temperature has dropped and your melatonin production is going strong. N3 cycles you into the most “productive” of the sleep cycles…
4. REM– Rapid Eye Movement sleep is when most dreaming occurs. In REM, muscles completely relax and the mind and body regenerate at an amazing rate. Only about a quarter of your daily sleep is in REM but it is vitally important.

Research shows that the best sleep happens on a consistent schedule. This is because your circadian rhythm remains constant and your hormone production is optimal. The most beneficial hours of sleep are between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., though most adults miss about half of this.

Start By Optimizing Sleep While You Are Awake

To optimize sleep during the night, one must also optimize factors during waking hours including food, supplements and exposure to light/outdoors.

Getting a quality night of sleep actually begins when you wake at the beginning of the day and there are many factors that can have a dramatic impact on sleep length and quality.

Foods to Improve Sleep Naturally

Just as foods can impact health in other areas, foods can contribute to good or bad sleep. To help improve your chances of quality sleep, these are the best foods to consume:

• Healthy Fats– such as coconut oil, organic and pasture raised meats, eggs, avocado and butter all help provide your body with the necessary building blocks to manufacture sleep hormones.
• High Antioxidant Foods– Also important for hormone production and removal of toxins that can impede sleep. Focus on vegetables, high nutrient fruits, and herbal or green teas (green tea early in the day only).
• Quality Proteins, especially at dinner: For best sleep, it is better to stop eating at least 4 hours before bedtime, and preferably by 6pm every night. Your evening meal should include proteins, vegetables and healthy fats. Eating enough protein at this meal will help prepare the body to enter the sleep cycle.

Avoid:

• Sugars: Sugars and carbohydrates, especially at night, can cause a blood sugar spike and crash that will lead to difficulty falling or staying asleep. Many people crave carbohydrates (chocolate, anyone?) in the evening, which is a sign of an underlying hormone problem to begin with but eating carbohydrates late at night can cause problems falling asleep or lead to waking in the middle of the night when blood sugar levels drop.
• Grains– I’ve written before about the negative effect grains can have on health, and if you have an intolerance to grains, this can cause physical stress in your body, which alters the hormone cycle and can impede sleep.
• Vegetable Oils– No one should ever eat them anyway, but I have a theory that just as these artificial fats can cause problems in new skin formation (skin cancer) they can cause problems in the hormone cycle, as hormones need (saturated) fats for production and giving the body the wrong building blocks for hormones can wreak havoc with hormone production.

Supplements to Improve Sleep Naturally

Sadly, it is often difficult to get enough nutrients from foods as our soil is depleted and foods are picked before ripe so they can be shipped around the world. Especially if you struggle from a health challenge or sleep problem, it is often helpful to supplement some key nutrients, at least in the short term, as you build your body back up.

• Quality Omega-3s- I’ve found that taking a quality Omega-3 (this is the one I take) at lunch time seems to improve my sleep, especially over time.
• Magnesium– Many people are deficient in Magnesium and this particular deficiency can have a big impact on sleep quality. Some people find that just adding a product like Natural Calm about 30 minutes before bedtime can really improve sleep.
• Gelatin– Many of us eat a disproportionate amount of animal muscle meat compared to bone broths, organ meats and marrow. If you aren’t a fan of consuming liver daily, drinking natural gelatin (from grassfed sources) can help balance your intake. Consumption of only muscle meats, which are higher in stress hormones, can cause problems in the sleep cycle. Personally, I often drink a cup of chamomile or herbal tea with a tablespoon of gelatin dissolved in it each night a couple hours before bed.
• If you have a solid diet and are already taking the things above, specific sleep related herbs might help your fall asleep. Try my sleep tincture, or some chamomile or catnip to help with relaxation.

A Daily Routine for Better Sleep

A daily (and nightly) routine can make a big difference in how easily you fall and stay asleep. You’ll have to experiment to find out what works best for you but here are some helpful suggestions:

• Wake up and go to bed at the same time, even on weekends to keep your hormone cycle regular.
• Eat a high protein/high fat snack a few hours before bed (7pm or earlier) or consume a lot at dinner.
• Avoid caffeine after 1 pm.
• Install F.lux  (it is free) on all computers and devices to reduce blue light and help you sleep better (it is also easier on the eyes!)
• Drink enough water during the day and stop drinking about 2 hours before bed so you don’t have to wake up to use the bathroom.
• Take a soothing salt bath about an hour before bed with some relaxing music or a great book.
• Dry Brush a few hours before bed– Dry brushing is supposed to help with cellulite but I noticed that the gentle lymphatic movement also helped my sleep. I used these brushes to gently brush my skin according to the instructions.
• Get at least 30 minutes of sunlight each day (even if you aren’t trying to get your vitamin D). The exposure to the wide-spectrum light during the day boosts serotonin levels, which will help improve melatonin levels at night
• Avoid artificial light as much as possible after the sun goes down.
• Pray, meditate or find a way to reduce stress.
• Give yourself a massage before bed to release stress and help relax (Personally, I love this for home-massage)
• Stretch before bed to relax muscles.

How to Improve Your Sleep Environment

Your sleep environment is also extremely important for sleep quality. Artificial light, warm temperatures, sudden noises, and EMFs can all effect sleep quality, but these things are almost always fixable. Again, you’ll have to experiment to figure out what works best for you, but in general, here are some tips:

• Remove ALL artificial light, including the light on your alarm clock, TV light, phone, etc. I use blackout curtains. because we have artificial light outside, and cover my clock light with a towel. Our kids don’t have night lights, and they typically sleep very well.
• Keep the temperature around 65-68 degrees and always below 70 degrees.
• Try some white noise like sounds of rain, ocean or our kids’ favorite, Gregorian Chant (though if any of them ever decide to become a cloistered religious, they will have trouble… chant always puts them to sleep!).
• Trade out your jolting buzzing alarm clock for a gentle sunlight alarm clock that will wake you up much more gently. I don’t know about you, but my dread of the sound of the alarm clock sound always caused me to wake up a few times in the early morning in anticipation of it.
• Try an earthing sheet. I am still experimenting with this one, but there is some evidence that sleeping on a grounding mat reduces your exposure to EMFs and improves sleep quality. While I have noticed a big difference on myself, I don’t know how much is mental, so I’m experimenting with having the kids sleep on it without them knowing what it does. The book Earthing explains more of the theory behind this method. According to the book, you can also create the same effect by spending time barefoot outside on dirt, grass or rocks daily for at least 30 minutes (If you garden barefoot in the middle of the day, you’ll get three benefits in one! Exercise, Vitamin D and the negative electrons from the earth).

Just Sleep!

I implore you… please make time to get enough sleep. It is tremendously important for your health and it doesn’t cost anything!

If you can’t afford supplements or organic food or don’t have time to workout, at least make sleep a priority!

I understand how tough it can be, especially with kids when those precious hours at night are sometimes the only time a couple gets alone, but in the long run, the extra hours of sleep will equal happier, more patient parents and hopefully many more years of time together.

I also know how tough it can be to sleep with nursing babies, and my personal solution is to have baby in our room/bed so I don’t have to completely wake up to nurse. There is also some evidence that there are protective hormones for mom and baby that allow mom to wake to nurse baby without ill effect to her sleep patterns.

Do you have trouble sleeping? What is your sleep routine like? Any good tips? Share below!

Continue Reading...Natural Ways to Get Better Sleep (Even If You’re a Mom!)

from Blog – Wellness Mama® http://ift.tt/2pr6DzL

Putter Fitting 101

By: Doug Emma

Favorite club in the bag? For your score’s sake, I would hope it’s your putter.

It’s amazing how golfers come to select the putters with which they play. Some players emphasize feel, some aesthetics, some choose to play a putter because their favorite player uses a specific model, while others play putters that have sentimental value. So many golfers spend thousands of dollars custom fitting drivers, iron sets, and hybrids/fairway woods, yet the club they will use for over 30% of their strokes made (twice as much as any other club in the bag) is unfit, and has very few other criteria for why it's in the bag other than “feels good, looks good, made a couple”.

I tend to look at putting and putter fitting a bit differently. I think a player can putt with a few different putters very successfully. These putters will consist of all the same fitting components but will differ in specific preferences for a flatstick. They just have to understand how putters work and how their stroke reacts to different putter designs.

Putter fitting is a balance of art and science. It puts the right brush in the painter's hand to create a masterpiece.

Let's talk about the major fitting and design components of putting. I want to explain why a putter wants to move the way it does and why a player might react to it differently.

Fitting Components

• Toe hang
• Offset
• Head shapes
• Loft
• Length
• Lie Angle
• Weight
• Grip Style/Size
• Face Material/Texture

Toe Hang

If you have always heard people talk about the toe hang of putter but still do not understand what it means, let’s go ahead and clarify: toe hang is the position in which the toe of the putter points if the putter is allowed to hang naturally.

We have found that find the proper toe hang for your stroke is essential to squaring your face at impact.

We like to think about it like this: if a shaft were to enter the putter through the heel, it would take more effort to rotate the face closed. If a shaft were to enter the putter through the middle of the putter, the face would feel much easier to rotate closed. As we define the different types of toe hang, keep in mind that more face balanced designs release easier and more heel shafted designs cause the face to stay more open at impact for players who have average to minimal face rotation in their stroke.

These are the five most common categories of toe hang styles:

• Full Toe Hang - Commonly found in heel shafted blades. The toe of the putter points more directly to the ground when allowed to hang naturally.
• ¾ Toe Hang - Commonly found in blades with short and small hosels. The toe of the putter points down by about 75 degrees.
• ½ Toe Hang - This toe hang originated with the PING ANSER design. It occurs with most plumbers neck blade putters and hangs about 45 degrees.
• ¼ Toe Hang - This toe hang can be found in both blades and mallets depending on the hosel design. The amount of toe hang is about 25 degrees.
• Face Balanced - This toe hang can also be found in both blades and mallets. The face of the putter will point directly to the sky when allowed to hang naturally.

The reason that the toe hang of a putter is so critical - and one of the first design features addressed - is that it is the only characteristic that directly relates to the way the player squares the face at impact. Motion capture technology, highspeed cameras, and physics tell us that putting is almost completely ruled by face angle at impact.

Offset

Offset is most commonly talked about with full swing golf clubs. Clubs will literally feature a face that is offset from the leading edge of the shaft to correct an errant shot. Putter offset is no different. Offset is defined as the shaft placement in relation to the putter face. The amount of offset affects both the player’s ability to aim the putter as well as square up the face angle at impact.

As a general rule of thumb there are three common offset styles:

• No Offset - Commonly found in putters with a straight shaft that goes directly into the putter head. From address, the left edge of the shaft will line up straight with the leading edge of the putter face.
• Half Shaft Offset - Commonly found in putters with a small S-Shaped hosel or double bend shaft with no hosel. This means that half of the width of the golf shaft is ahead of the leading edge of the putter face at address.
• Full Shaft Offset - Commonly found in putters with hosels and with double bend shafts. This means that a full shaft width will be ahead of the putter face at address.

Different offsets will cause a player to unknowingly aim slightly more left or right relative to the other offset styles, depending on various optical characteristics, such as eye dominance, depth perception, visual acuity, head position at address, and more. Knowing your optimal offset is a crucial aspect of a properly fit putter. We encourage players to test different offset styles in combination with their favorite putter head shape. When the correct offset is found, a player’s eyes will naturally aim the putter to the intended target. When a player is using the incorrect offset, the player will believe themselves to be lined up to the same location, but in fact, the putter will be misaligned.       

Head Shapes

While it is important to pick a putter head that is attractive to look at, one must also consider the effects the shape of putter has on their ability to use it optimally. We like to split up head shapes into more rounded vs. more square. When the trailing edge of a putter is rounded, we see players tending to aim more open to the intended line, while a square trailing edge with more parallel lines tends to encourage a more left bias. Head shape is important to squaring the face angle up at impact because it is directly related to how well a person aimed the putter face.  Find a shape that you like, but make sure if works! 

Loft

The loft of a putter is directly related to the quality of launch and spin. In this day and age, we are now trying to maximize putter launch the same way we try to optimize driver launch. In recent testing, we have found that putters with the standard 4 degrees of loft are now launching putts too high and producing backspin.

In any fitting we conduct, we first measure the loft of a player’s current putter. After analyzing measurements of shaft lean and attack angle we can determine a player’s loft for perfect launch and spin.

Loft should also be customized based on the surfaces a player typically putts on. To achieve perfect launch on faster greens, a player may require less loft than on slower green speeds.

The loft of a putter will also change the player’s perception of the putter face at address. A less lofted putter will appear more open while a more lofted putter will appear more closed.

Length

At the start of each fitting, we like to find a base measurement for length. By taking a yard stick and measuring the distance in inches from the ground up to the base of a player’s wrist bone from a standing straight posture, we can find a great starting place for length. It is an old-school test, but it works!

Putter length is one of the most important variables to a proper putting setup. By using a putter that is not the correct length you will suffer improper wrist and arm alignments, poor posture, less-than-ideal distance from the golf ball.

With high-speed camera testing, we find that if a putter is too long, it increases face rotation above the desired range and too short results in below the desired range.

If the length of your putter is too long, it will likely be too upright, while too short will likely be to flat in terms of lie angle.

Lie Angle

Lie angle is the angle in which the shaft intersects the head relative to the ground. Most off-the-rack putters come standard at approximately 70 degrees. Testing shows that best performance comes when both the toe and heel sit evenly at impact.

• A properly fit lie angle gives the ball the best possible chance to strike the highest part of the putter face, nearest the center of gravity, thus ensuring a solid strike that promotes forward spin.
• A poor lie angle at impact will cause the ball to strike low on the blade, nearer to the toe or heel depending on whether the toe or heel is off the ground. This results in poor contact, creating speed control issues.

Weight

Weight in a putter can be associated with three separate concepts:

• Head weight
• Grip weight
• Counterweight

Head Weight - Most putters are defined as standard at approximately 350 grams. Head weight will affect how a player squares up the face at impact. During a fitting, it is important to test both lighter and heavier head weights to see which type you respond to best. As a general rule players can use a lighter head on fast green speeds while a heavier head might work better on slow greens.

Grip Weight - While picking your favorite look and feel of a grip is important, understanding how the weight of the grip influences overall swing weight matters significantly. A lighter grip will give a player a heavier head feel, and a heavier grip can make the same head feel lighter.

Counterweight - Some players test best with counterweight. This occurs by adding weight to the top end of the putter. Also, having a heavier than standard head combined with counter weight produces a “counterbalanced” design. These putters are typically issued in 36-38 inches with a long grip so that a player can choke down and take advantage of this technology. This method is a common go-to for players seeking control through less risk to manipulate the clubface due to the added weight.

Grip Style/Size

Choosing the right grip is one of the final keys during a proper putter fitting. The different sizes, shapes, and weights can have an effect on squaring up the face angle at impact. With some players, the effect of the grip is extremely minimal. However, with others, it can lead to an enormous difference in their performance. The shape of the grip, the texture, and the size all have to be considered.

It is widely believed that the size of the grip will influence the amount the face rotates through impact, with a larger grip limiting hand action, and a smaller grip promoting more hand action. Research has shown this is true for about half of all players tested. For other players, the shape of the grip and how it rested in their hands seemed to play a more contributing role.

As far as shapes, the following are widely available: Pistol, Paddle, Round, Semi-Round, Nontapered, Square. Textures can vary tremendously going from real leather wraps to synthetic rubber/acrylic. And most importantly, the grip must settle into the player’s fingers and hands comfortably to promote both stability and confidence.

Face Material/Texture

If ten putters were selected at random at a major golf retailer, we would probably see three main categories of face material and texture:

• Milled Face
• Grooved Face
• Face Insert

The face material you select will directly impact the feel and quality of roll on your putts. High-Speed Cameras have shown us how important it is to get the rolling end over end. A putter that causes the ball to bounce and skid off the face will make distance control difficult.

Milled Putter Faces - Typically made from 303 stainless steel and are precision milled using a CNC machine. These putters tend to produce a more muted sound and soft feel.

Grooved Putter Faces - Thought to produce more “overspin” on the golf ball. While high-speed cameras have shown us that multiple face types and textures can produce excellent forward roll, grooved putter faces have a feel all to their own. The sound is typically higher pitched, and players have a good feel for a solidly struck putt.

Face Inserts - Utilized to change the feel of a putter. Inserts are usually the cheapest to produce and feel the softest of any face.

It is important to remember that face material and texture create friction between the ball and face at impact. This friction alters the ball speed of your putts. Find the putter face material that feels best to you. The best putter face will create great vibrations, acoustics and feel which will translate to how much energy you need to put into each putt.

Stop Wasting Time... and Strokes

While the fitting component list we just laid out is used as a basic introduction to putter fitting, we believe that once we have determined the proper toe hang, offset, head shape, loft, length, lie, weight, grip and face material, the player is left with no guesses about which putter will work best. When you consider the cost of a putter fitting, and the price of a putter, there is probably no greater value in equipment as it pertains to scoring than having a properly fit putter.

from MyGolfSpy http://ift.tt/2oAVRb1

Refinance rates rise for Thursday

If you're thinking about refinancing, it may be a great time to lock in a rate.

from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2ppBmgM

Mortgage rates move up for Thursday

If you're thinking about refinancing, it may be a great time to lock in a rate.

from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2qa63UX

Refinance rates rise for Thursday

If you're thinking about refinancing, it may be a great time to lock in a rate.

from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2ppBmgM

Mortgage rates move up for Thursday

If you're thinking about refinancing, it may be a great time to lock in a rate.

from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2qa63UX

Under Trump tax plan, would you still deduct mortgage interest?

The mortgage interest deduction might survive tax reform, with fewer people using it.

from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2ox3MWJ

BREAKING NEWS: PING Purchases 5 Nike Golf Patents

Some interesting news is popping out of Scottsdale Arizona. The Phoenix Business Journal is reporting that the Karsten Manufacturing Corp., the parent company of PING, has purchased at least five club technology patents from Nike.

Terms of the sale weren’t released, but the Journal reports PING has also purchased additional Nike equipment patents, but that those sales haven’t been officially registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Nike, of course, exited the golf club equipment arena last August but had been actively preparing its 2017 product line right up until that announcement.

“We see this as an opportunity to add utility patents to our already significant intellectual property portfolio. Our team can use these patents, along with our existing intellectual property, to our competitive advantage, accelerating our ability to further technology that ultimately leads to higher performing, score-lowering golf equipment.” - PING president John K. Solheim, to the Phoenix Business Journal

MyGolfSpy has tracked down the five patents purchased by PING, and while patents are long, highly technical and we can report that PING picked up some fairly interesting technology, the most stunning of which is a patent application for a complete single length set, including woods, hybrids, and irons.

It’s by far the longest and most detailed patent and was filed by Nike in May of 2015.

PING also purchased what appears to be a 2007 manufacturing process patent for the rotational molding of polymeric components for metal woods. This patent appears to cover what Nike called RZN, a strong, lightweight component which was used extensively in its Vapor Flex and Vapor Flex 440 drivers.

Another patent, granted in 2012, covers aerodynamic features for metal woods, specifically dimples on the crown and/or sole, and even more specifically, crown dimples concentrated towards the hosel and even on the hosel. The patent covers several variations of dimple location, and states the dimples can improve aerodynamics in the latter portion of the downswing, just prior to impact. Given the timing of the patent, this appears to be Nike's version of PING's turbulators.

It had been reported that Nike was planning to do away with its unique Covert Cavity in its 2017 metalwoods line, but the company did have a 2013 patent for an elongated cavity in a square-shaped driver intended to allow for weight redistribution and increased MOI. That patent now belongs to PING.

The fifth patent picked up by PING is a 2006 concept that would allow the manufacturer, club fitter or builder or even the user the ability to adjust the sound and feel of a club, specifically the putter.

The Phoenix Business Journal has reported that Nike has over 1,200 golf-related patents. And although many of those are most certainly centered on footwear and apparel, Nike’s stable of club engineers no doubt had some interesting projects cooking in The Oven. As stated earlier, PING is in the process of purchasing more of Nike’s patents, and it will be fascinating to see how one of golf’s most innovative and intellectual brands folds these new technologies into its future offerings.

from MyGolfSpy http://ift.tt/2oMbl82

Mortgage rates move up for Wednesday

If you're thinking about refinancing, it may be a great time to lock in a rate.

from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2q5cQiH

PIMP MY CHEVRON – Callaway Expands Customs Program

Here comes another example of Callaway Golf’s efforts to keep its lineup fresh, generate a little buzz, and keep you interested in its products without resorting to flooding the market with new gear or promoting its warez through a series of self-congratulatory tour-issue hats.

The new Callaway Customs program builds on the company’s U-Design and the original Callaway Customs programs (launched for MD3 wedges) with more options for more products. You'll find the requisite details below.

Drivers

 

Available on GBB Epic and GBB Epic Sub Zero, customizing your Epic will set you back an additional $50, but it gives you eight color options and two additional paintfill zones. You also get a Callaway Customs headcover, which is nice, I suppose.

I don have an Epic, but if I did, I’d want it in blue…or maybe pink. Perhaps a bit of both.

Wedges

Available on MD3 Milled, Mack Daddy Forged, and likely whatever comes next, Callaway Customs adds between $15 and $45 to the cost of each wedge. Pricing depends on the options selected, but your choices include 3 characters (basic), 10 characters (advanced), or scatter stamping. Paintfill is also available in 7 different areas, including the weight ports.

Golf Ball & Accessories

Available on Chrome Soft, SuperSoft, SuperHot, and Warbird balls, pricing again varies based on how much customization you want. Callaway ball customization allows for up to 20 characters of text over 3 lines. The alignment line is also customizable. 4 colors are available.

Finally, Callaway is also releasing Callaway Customs Merchandise, which includes hats and belts.

All of the new Callaway Customs options are available for purchase now.

For more information, visit CallawayGolf.com, or watch the video below.

from MyGolfSpy http://ift.tt/2ovtMSd

4 Tips for Repairing a Leaky Shower Faucet

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

A leaky shower faucet could potentially be costing you money on your water bill. Thus, to help you out, we’ll discuss 3 tips for repairing a leaky shower faucet below. Read on!

Image Source: Flickr

Remove the Handle
Start by removing the faucet handle. Methods for doing this will depend upon the faucet’s design. Older or simply-designed faucets often have an exposed screw front and center or a locking screw in the side. Newer and more decorative models of faucets hide the screw beneath a cover cap. With these, you need to pry off the cover cap to expose the screw. If your faucet handle is the type with a cover cap and there is no obvious method of removal, use a very thin screwdriver or pocketknife to pry the cap off. Be careful not to scratch the finish or damage the material. Source: HomeTips

Remove the Cartridge

• The cartridge is a large ring that is adjacent to the wall. It will be exposed after you remove the faucet handle.
• Use a cartridge puller. This can be found at a hardware or home improvement store. Source: wikiHow

Install the New Cartridge
Turn the hex screw by hand until it bottoms out. Snug up the hex nut by hand and tug on the cartridge puller handle. If the cartridge won’t pull out, hold the puller handle steady and tighten the hex nut two full turns. Pull the cartridge out of the faucet body. Buy an identical replacement cartridge, align it properly and reassemble the parts. Source: FamilyHandyman

Clean and Reassemble
Before putting the shower stem back, take the opportunity to clean any junk from the pipes. Put the shower stem back into the pipe in reverse order from how you took it out. Use some faucet grease and apply it to the faucet stem threads. In order to prevent damage, re-caulk the faucet plate. When completely finished, don’t forget to turn your water back on. Source: DoItYourself

 

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

The post 4 Tips for Repairing a Leaky Shower Faucet appeared first on Perfect Bath Canada.

from Perfect Bath Canada http://ift.tt/2q65nmo

New to Couples Counselling? Unsure What to Expect? Take a Look Inside the Therapy Experience

By: Alexa Gelles

Do you find the very idea of relationship counselling quite nerve-wracking or downright scary? If you do, you’re not alone. Many people, especially those with no clue about what to expect, find themselves apprehensive and even somewhat frightened.

When … Read the rest

The post New to Couples Counselling? Unsure What to Expect? Take a Look Inside the Therapy Experience appeared first on Steadfast Counselling.

from Steadfast Counselling http://ift.tt/2q2uO5A

Refinance mortgage rate advance for Tuesday

If you're thinking about refinancing, it may be a great time to lock in a rate.

from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2oIstvi

Mortgage rates rise for Tuesday

If you're thinking about refinancing, it may be a great time to lock in a rate.

from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2phtkGv

Refinance mortgage rate advance for Tuesday

If you're thinking about refinancing, it may be a great time to lock in a rate.

from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2oIstvi

Mortgage rates rise for Tuesday

If you're thinking about refinancing, it may be a great time to lock in a rate.

from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2phtkGv

Refinance mortgage rate advance for Tuesday

If you're thinking about refinancing, it may be a great time to lock in a rate.

from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2oIstvi

Mortgage rates rise for Tuesday

If you're thinking about refinancing, it may be a great time to lock in a rate.

from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2phtkGv

How Do You Build a Fort? 7 Epic Forts for Kids

Click here to read How Do You Build a Fort? 7 Epic Forts for Kids on Hands On As We Grow

---

My kids have been fort builders (and fort lovers) since they were little.

I remember my own winter breaks and long weekends making forts and spending the entire time in there, reading, playing pretend something or another, or even building the fort around the television to watch a show!

Over the years, my boys have built many different forts, of all kinds and I feel like they keep graduating to something bigger and better.

Here are 7 forts for kids to build:

The lovely thing about these forts for kids is that they can be as simple or as complex as you want them to be!

The Cushion Fort

This is the simplest of the forts for kids and what my boys started with.

Stand any couch and chair cushions that you have on end. You can balance them against the arm rests of the couch, or prop them up with pillows.

Then gently lay a blanket across the top of it to cover it.

These make great reading nooks for the kids to hide out in. It’s also fun for a TV show here and there.

The Sheet Fort

The Sheet Fort is just a step up from the Cushion Fort.

To make a sheet fort, you simply lay sheets over anything you can find. A chair, a table, a bench. You may need to secure them in place with a stack of heavy books.

These are what I remember building as a child. We covered entire rooms with sheets.

You can even the corners of the sheet onto spindles of chairs or use clamps to pinch them in place if you have them handy. This Blanket Fort Kit for Kids (affiliate link) looks like it might come in handy!

You can spruce these up by adding in a string of lights (they also aide in holding up the blankets!) and you’ve instantly created a magical experience for the kids!

The Cardboard Box Fort

The cardboard box fort is versatile to what you have! If you have a great big box, that’s a huge score, but it’s not necessary!

Just save your Amazon Prime boxes (not a member? I can’t live without it, I swear!) and tape them together, decorate them how you please and you have a fort!

These forts the kids play in for days on end. And they can decorate as much or as little as they want.

My kids usually opt for markers and writing “Keep Out” notes to their brothers, but you can go all out with paper and tape!

Again, the addition of a cordless string of lights (affiliate link), make this super magical! You can poke holes on the top and poke them through!

The Official Fort

(This section contains affiliate links that support Hands On As We Grow at not extra cost to you!)

We were lucky, a long while ago, we worked with Fort Magic and got their amazing fort kit. It’s basically a bunch of small PVC pipes and connectors to make whatever you want! Then they have clips to clip on sheets to cover it up and you can make anything you ever dreamed of!

What makes Fort Magic cool is that there are curved pipes that can give you round peepholes, and there are connectors that are unlike any real PVC connectors you would find. It’s pretty cool and is our go-to indoor fort building way 90% of the time.

There are other ‘official’ fort building toys out there to check out too. You may want to look at these (I personally don’t have any experience with these, just Fort Magic):

• HearthSong Fantasy Fort Kit

• Discovery Kids Build and Play Construction Fort

• Tote-A-Fort Blanket Fort Kit for Kids

Or, use things you have to make it work! Here, we’ve used our ABC mat along with the plain mats to build a fort.

The Fort in the Woods

The fort in the woods is currently what my boys are into. We are very lucky to have a hilly wooded area in our backyard and the boys play in it for hours on end.

Lately, they’ve each been working on building their own fort in the woods. They know what it all means and have an imagination like no other when it comes to these.

Kids can be as creative as you want! Here, with the help with Dad, they collected branches and sticks and made a teepee-like fort. They also have their own ‘private’ forts in the woods that they’ve made rooms, seats, and so forth, but not really a structure.

The Tree Fort (aka Tree House)

The Tree Fort is out newest fort around our house. A couple weeks ago, my husband and I were working on a remodel of our mudroom while the boys were playing outside. Louis popped in to ask if they could build a tree house and wanted Dad to help.

He asked Dad what they needed, he said they’d need to find a tree. Louis left and came back 30 seconds later saying “Okay! We found a tree, what’s next?”

My husband said they’d need to find some boards, so the boys scrounged up some boards from the garage. And then my husband built the rest. He put steps on the tree trunk and a deck for the boys to sit on in the tree. Right now, it’s small and only one or two can be up in the tree at a time. We hope to add to it.

This isn’t for the safety conscientious. Kids can fall as we don’t have guard rails. I embrace that part. If you’re making one, be sure to make it safe enough that you’re comfortable with your kids climbing it.

The Snow Fort

Last, but not least, the kids always have to build a snow fort!

In a snow pile made by the snow blower, dig a tunnel or trench. For safety, instead of a full on tunnel, place a board over top as the roof so it won’t cave in.

What’s your favorite way to build forts for kids?

 

from Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2pecxly