Pirates Plank

Archive for the ‘Sports’ Category

A good way to practice gun safety is to practice shooting a gun. Gun owners who don’t practice are more likely to misfire a weapon or hit a bystander instead a target if they are ever in a situation where they need to fire their gun. Just as keeping a gun clean and in good working condition is important, keeping shooting skills fresh and improving accuracy are always good things.

Shooting ranges are a good place to practice. Most towns and cities will have at least one pistol or rifle range and possibly multiple options to choose from. They should offer a variety of targets and distances, so that law enforcement officers, hunters, and other gun owners can get the specific practice they need.

It is possible to practice shooting at home, but that is best left to those who live in semi or mostly rural areas. Setting up a steel pistol target in the backyard of an urban neighborhood will most likely result in a police call by neighbors or passers-by. In more secluded neighborhoods or out on farmland, it is possible to shoot at various targets, from the cliche soda cans and beer bottles, to professional targets that can be purchased from gun shops and hunting supply stores.

In tennis, like in many sports, speed doesn’t necessarily determine excellence. But it certainly doesn’t hurt. Players are able to capture the imaginations of the loyal fans with combinations of grace and agility, and it takes a bit of a trained eye to see these things as they play out on the court. It doesn’t take any training, however, to get excited when someone can turn and shift their attention in a split second, nor is it difficult to get the world to skip a heartbeat at a fast serve.

Right now Andy Roddick of the U.S. has a pretty solid position in the world’s top ten, and is in excellent regard for the upcoming French Open 2010 . He’s reportedly in the best shape of his life, which is no mean fete for one who’s powerful court appearance has been justifiably intimidating in the past. He has also been working on his variety on the court, and now covers more ground with greater dexterity than ever before. There’s a lot to admire about the player, but one thing that’s always captured the world’s attention is his serve. Called the Roddick Serve, it’s something that he’s been able to use to his own great advantage, sometimes using an abbreviated version of it to take the opponent by surprise. It’s precise, and it’s graceful.

It’s also clocked in at 155 mph. That makes it the fastest serve in professional tennis. Big Bill Tilden has clocked 163 mph, back in 1931, but not professionally. Either way, either one would be enough to stun most anyone out of trying to hard, because that speed does tend to override a lot of learned skills. It’s hard to tell if there will be any new records set at this year’s French Open , but it seems likely, given the players and the past year. And, as people have noticed, with the new kinds of training, and new equipment, there is a trend toward being faster in world athletics, and that might be a goal, or it might just be a by-product. Meanwhile, speed might attract another generation of fans, while the previous generation watches for signs of precision.