Octagon is jumping right into summer with exciting new menus. Begin to experience the Art of Steak with a selection of our starters, including Peppered Kobe Beef Carpaccio with a spicy Arugula Salad or Crab & Asparagus Salad with Bitter Greens and Basil Vinaigrette or Truffled Mussels & Clams with Corn Madeleines or select your own starter plate with blackened Tuna Sashimi, or Scallop Ceviche or our daily raw bar including Oysters, Clams, Mussels & Shrimp. Continue your gastronomic journey with one of Octagon’s feature plates: Bella Bella Farms Organic Roast Chicken, Bamboo salted Tasmanian Salmon, Jumbo Grilled Prawns, or Steamed Striped Wild Bass with Hon Shiminji and Enoki Mushrooms in a Lemongrass Broth. Our current handcrafted Steaks include an 8oz certified Black Angus Tenderloin, a 16oz Brandt Farms All Natural Delmonico Rib-eye, a 14oz Snake River Farms Kobe Sirloin, a 22oz certified Black Angus Kansas City Bone-in Strip and of course, Octagon’s Signature 24oz Chili-rubbed Bone-in Rib Eye. All prepared for you with a choice of nine complimentary rubs and sauces.
When players think of the backswing, they usually focus on two things. The first, if the club does not reach at least a horizontal position, then the player made less than a full swing. The second, the longer the backswing the further they will be able to hit the ball. If this was true, why then do we see so many PGA Tour players with backswings where their club does not reach horizontal yet they hit the ball such long distances?
When we are assessing a player’s swing in our Golf Schools, we are looking at a couple of key areas when making decisions about the efficiency of a backswing:
1. Body rotation. In an athletic backswing, we are looking for the upper body to have turned about 90 degrees to the target line and the hips about 40 to 45 degrees. In this position the back is facing target, and the lead shoulder is turned under the chin.
2. Weight transfer. The role of the backswing is to load the body so that you can unload into the downswing thus producing high club head speed and distance. While turning into the backswing, feel as though you pivot around your trail hip. This will allow the weight to load into the inside of your trail foot. In this position, you are balanced and loaded behind the ball to be able to make a dynamic and explosive move into the downswing.
3. Arm position. The arms and upper body need to work together to provide consistency in both backswing and through impact. At address the hands and arms are in front of the chest. At impact they are in a similar position. If the arms are in front of the chest at address and impact it makes sense to keep them in front for the entire swing rather than getting them out of position in the backswing and then trying to recapture that position in the downswing.
There are a couple of very good yet simple drills that you can do to learn the movements of an athletic backswing:
Basketball Drill. Take your normal address posture and hold a basketball in both hands in front of you. Keeping your elbows close to the body, turn to the right, for a right hand player, pretending to hand the ball to someone. Once there, lift the arms up in front of the body, being sure to maintain good posture. This is a great example of how the backswing works. The upper body rotation takes the arms and basketball away and then the arms lift in front of the body to get the ball above shoulder height.
Shoulder Arms Drill - From your normal address position keep your body angles and cock the wrists to bring the club up in front of you. Then lift your arms in front of the body to set the club over your trail shoulder before finally turning the upper body as you would in your backswing. This is where you should be at the top of your backswing and this drill is a very simple way of learning that position.
Derek Hooper is the Director of Instruction at Lake of Isles Golf Academy. Derek has a college degree in teaching and over 14 years experience conducting lesson programs in Australia, Japan and Taiwan. Before moving to the United States, Derek was the Director of Instruction at the David Duval Golf Academy in Miyazaki, Japan. Derek can be contacted at 888.475.3746 or dhooper@troongolf.com.
ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Count to 10 if you must, but don’t lose your temper, despite that person’s (you know who!) efforts to goad you into reacting. Your restraint will pay off in a big way.
TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) This week finds you in a sociable mood, ready and eager to enjoy the company of family and friends. It’s also a good time to seek out and renew old friendships.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Patience is called for as you await a decision about that project you’re eager to launch. Meanwhile, try to set aside more time to share with that special person in your life.
CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Avoid becoming involved in a workplace dispute early in the week by insisting both sides submit their stands to a neutral arbitrator. Things begin to cool off by Thursday.
LEO (July 23 to Aug. 22) It promises to be a busy but productive week for the Big Cat. The pace slows by Friday, allowing you to catch up on matters you put aside but that now need your attention.
VIRGO (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22) A suddenly disruptive family situation is best handled with a cool, calm and collected response. Wait until things settle to let off all that pent-up emotional steam.
LIBRA (Sept. 23 to Oct. 22) Your practical side dominates the week as you reassess your finances to make some sensible adjustments in what you plan to spend and what you expect to save.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21) An unexpected meeting with a former colleague opens some interesting possibilities. But you need to press for full disclosure before making a decision.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21) A recent flurry of activity eases by midweek, giving you time to readjust your disrupted schedule and make new plans for a weekend getaway.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19) You’re usually the one who gives advice. But now it’s time to open yourself up to counsel from friends who have your best interests at heart.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18) You might find resistance to your call for a full inquiry into a workplace problem. But by week’s end even the most rigid naysayers begin to come around.
PISCES (Feb. 19 to March 20) A recurring problem surfaces once again. Maybe it’s time you used your creative talents to help you find a new approach to resolving it once and for all.
BORN THIS WEEK: You are guided in what you do both by your intelligence and your emotions. An acting career would suit you quite well.
DEAR PAW’S CORNER: One of my pet hamsters died just a week after I got it at the pet store. I would really like to know why it died, because the pet store would not tell me. The only clue I have is that it had a wet tail before it died. I’d like to get another hamster, but how do I know if I’m getting a healthy pet from the store? - Hamster Lover
DEAR HAMSTER LOVER: That’s an important question, and one all potential hamster owners should pay attention to. Many, if not all, pet stores have “as is” policies regarding hamsters and other very small pets like goldfish, because so many of them fall ill or die soon after being purchased. But you certainly don’t want to bring home a hamster that’s already sick — not only are you stuck with trying to make it well, but the illness can quickly spread among your other hamsters.
When purchasing a new hamster, look for these telltale signs of illness or injury:
- Wet tail (indicates diarrhea, a clear symptom of illness or worms)
- Lethargic, with dull eyes
- Huddles in one corner for a long time, doesn’t respond quickly to being picked up or petted
- Runny nose and watery eyes
- Rough, matted or patchy fur
- Bites or scratches from other hamsters.
If you notice any of these signs, don’t buy that hamster, and notify store management so that it can isolate the sick hamsters from the healthy ones.
I also recommend that anyone wanting to keep a hamster collect as much information on caring for these small pets as possible. A smaller pet is not necessarily an easier pet to keep — it depends entirely upon you for its health and welfare.
Send your tips, questions and comments to Paws Corner, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or e-mail them to pawscorner@hotmail.com.
Dear Neil: I am living with a younger man who is drop dead gorgeous. He takes care of himself, has a beautiful body and looks like he stepped out of GQ. He is 5’ 7” and 29 years old. He brings me flowers and cards for no reason, and he is very affectionate: he cuddles, kisses and touches me often. He also tells me several times a day that he loves me, he helps with cleaning and we cook together. He frequently makes me laugh, and we have lots of fun together, and he says he is happy with me.
I, on the other hand, am average looking on a good day, although I have been told that I look pretty damn good for my age. I’m 43 and 6’ 1”. The problem is he has a very low sex drive, and I am in my sexual prime. I enjoy sex now more than I ever have in my past. I’ve talked to him several times about how I want to make love more often, but he makes no extra effort.
I can’t help but think that if he were with someone younger- firmer – prettier that he would be friskier. He just doesn’t have much interest, and I can’t help but take it personally. The past six months since our relationship has begun have been the best of my life, but I’m at my wits end at the lack of feeling sexually desired. Can you help me?
- Feeling Unfulfilled in Oregon Dear Oregon: There is no correct number of times a couple in love is supposed to make love. Different people have different appetites – and sometimes libidos can differ wildly between partners. Even in the same individual, sexual appetite can vary dramatically depending on season, level of fatigue, how emotional you feel, how work is going – and on an endless variety of other factors. All that being said, here are some things you might try.
First, ask for his help. Is there anything that would help him be amorous more frequently? If you guys were going to create the perfect setting for love-making, what would he include? What time of day does he most prefer? What conditions or circumstances are most conducive for him?
Second, get assertive and ask him to take care of you, even if he himself isn’t in the mood. If he’s willing to do that when you ask, it just may arouse him as well. But whether it does or doesn’t, presumably you’ll feel happier and less rejected.
Third, you might try reaching over to him early in the morning. That’s when many men easily can feel their wild oats. If you find him receptive, you could always take the lead.
Fourth, trying going away for a weekend together. Sometimes a different location, setting or set of activities helps us to feel more connected and relational. You might also try renting an X-rated movie or buying a new hot lingerie number.
Finally, understand that his libido and your self-esteem are not the same. He is not rejecting you, although it might feel like it. He is presumably being himself-and that means that he has a different appetite than you do. If you let this undercut your self-esteem, you are compounding the problem that very likely isn’t about you at all.
Neil Rosenthal is a licensed marriage and family therapist in Denver and Boulder, Colorado, specializing in how people strengthen their intimate relationships. He can be reached at 303.758.8777, or e-mail him from his website, www.heartrelationships.com
