Euro 2012 day 16 analysis

                                                                                                      France started Euro 2012 as outside favourites but their uninspiring exit made a mockery of their tag as dark horses for the tournament.

Their elimination was confirmed by a 2-0 quarter-final defeat by Spain,dealing a blow to the country's hopes of restoring their pride in the national team.Laurent Blanc's side had been on an upward curve following the nightmare of the 2010 World Cup when they went out at the group stage following rows and in-fighting.

They had come into Euro 2012 on the back of an unbeaten 20-match run but a 2-0 loss to Sweden in their final group game caused unrest and disrupted their preparations to face a Spain side who brushed them aside with ease.

The much-lauded striker Karim Benzema failed to score, winger Franck Ribery struggled to shine and playmaker Samir Nasri was dropped for the defeat by Spain.

The manner of their elimination was as unceremonious as it was unexpected and left Les Bleus red-faced.

Golf Putting Tips To Help You Become A More Solid Putter

Game of golf can be very rewarding to learn and play. There are many aspects to the game and putting has often been said to be a separate game altogether. Learning how to putt can be quite a challenge. Some people pick it up quickly and become good but often they encounter difficulties down the road and develop the dreaded putting yips. Here some useful tips to help you become a good putter and stay that way.
Putt To Make It:
Many golfers on long putts try to just get the ball close to the hole. They often will aim for a 3 foot circle. The problem with this strategy is that you are just increasing your margin for error. A better approach would be to always putt to make it. This means that on every putt your goal is to make the putt.
This does not mean you have to hit the putt hard in order to make sure to get it to the hole. Instead think of making every putt by seeing the ball dying into the hole on the last rotation. This way your misses will be much closer.
Trust Your First Impression:
When you are reading greens it can be very easy to get overwhelmed and start doubting how the putt will break. When you first approach a green take a bit of time to look at the putt from a few different angles. After that simply come up with a good solid first impression and stick with that.
It is very important to be decisive on your putts. You must trust the read you make and believe the ball will go in the hole. This does not mean you will make every putt. Your goal is to give every putt the best chance of going in the hole and this way of thinking will allow you to do that. Remember that even the best professionals misread greens so when you do misread a few putts just forget about them and believe your next read will be accurate
Focus On Your Successful Putts:
If you play a lot of golf then you will inevitably miss a lot of putts. It can become very easy to dwell on these misses. However there is no doubt that you have made a fair number of putts too and some of them have probably been quite spectacular. Be sure to celebrate all the great putts you have made. This will ingrain into your mind the good putts you have made and will help to build your putting confidence.
Be sure to remind yourself of some of the greatest putts you have ever made. One good thing to do is each day before you go to bed think about the top 3 putts you have ever made. Replay them in your mind as vividly as you can and really experience the joy and satisfaction that making those putts gave you. Never suppress your emotions on successful putts, of course do not brag too much either, instead celebrate internally so you do not appear rude to your playing partners.
Do Not Think Too Much:
It is easy when you are about to hit your putts to start thinking about all sorts of things. Make sure that when you are about to hit your putts you are focused on your target. So make sure to pick out a target like a blade of grass on the edge of the hole or somewhere to the right or left of the hole if you expect the putt to break. Also make sure your target is something small.
Do not think about putting mechanics or how you made the last putt or about how the putt will break as you are about to hit the putt. Just focus on the target and let your mind and body strike the putt in the most accurate manner that will allow the putt to go to the hole with the right direction and speed. Use some of these tips to help you make more putts.
Jitender is an online researcher, avid golfer and regular contributor to a site on golf tips. Be sure to visit the section on putting tips to help you to reduce your handicap.

Golf Putting Tips - 3 Benefits Of Buying An Indoor Putting Mat

you want to practice putting but find it a hassle to head down to a practice green, you might want to consider investing in an indoor putting mat. Good putting mats use high quality synthetic turf that last for a few years and are easy to maintain. They also come with holes to putt into, just like on the green. Here are 3 benefits of getting a golf putting mat.
Benefit 1. Practice at your own time and target
Just 30 minutes of putting practice a day is sufficient to build a smooth and consistent putting stroke. However, many people have hectic schedules, live a distance from the nearest practice green or don't see the value of travelling to and fro just for half an hour of practice. An indoor putting mat allows you to practice making putts into a realistic sized hole on a surface that simulates the green at a time that is convenient to you.
If you have the luxury of placing one in your office, you will be able to practice during lunch or use it as a form of relaxation. The most common area of placing the putting mat would be in the living room. Placing it in an area that is highly visible will make you more motivated to just take a few strokes when you see it or while watching television.
Benefit 2. Introduce golf to someone in a relaxed environment
Do you know someone who complains because you spend too much time playing golf?
Introduce golf to that person by starting them with putting. It is an important part of the game even though it does not require much energy. In addition, it is not difficult to teach because getting the ball into the hole is intuitive.
When you introduce putting to someone that you care about, you are spending valuable time together and sharing your interest with that person. If you do it in your home or at the office, this person is likely to feel more comfortable and receptive to the sport. They may start to be interested to pick it up too.

Benefit 3. Improve your putting confidence on straight putts

Indoor putting mats are most effective for practicing straight putts because you can get instant feedback on the putt. Proper alignment and putting stroke should always get the ball into the hole on a straight putt. This is because there will be no doubt of a flat surface on a putting mat as compared to the grass on a practice green.

You will be able to analyse the reason for missing short straight putts and direct your practice towards improving on those areas. Over time you should find yourself consistently holing putts on your indoor putting mat. This will translate into confidence on the golf course when faced with such putts.

There are a wide variety of putting mats in all shapes and sizes. There are many different manufacturers and can vary dramatically in price. If you have never used one before, the local pro shop often has one for you to test out new putters. Examine your choices and select one that fits your budget and size requirements.

Hitting a Golf Ball Off the Ground

This world, you have to give a little to get a little. Baseball and tennis are difficult sports because the ball we have to hit is moving so fast. Let's slow the ball down a little, like to a complete stop. Now it's sitting on the ground, waiting for us to hit it at our leisure. Welcome to golf.
What we gave up to get a stationary ball is the freedom to hit a little above or below the ball. The margin for error in that dimension is gone. This means the spot the clubhead has to hit is about the size of a dime, and the clubhead will be moving at about 80 miles per hour at the time.

Learning how to pick the ball cleanly off the ground is the hardest problem new golfers have to solve. It will haunt them well into advanced golf, and may be an issue for their entire playing career.
There's an easy way to learn this, and if you're willing to put in the time, you can move on from wondering if you'll hit the ball to planning exactly where you're going to hit it.
Get a 7-iron, drop a ball in front of you, and take a stance with your feet about six inches apart. Now just chip the ball with a backswing that is no more than two feet long. The ball doesn't have to go anywhere, you just want to focus on clean, ball first-ground second contact.
You'll soon be able to tell if you hit the ground first, even by just a little, and also if you missed the ground completely, even though you hit the ball reasonably well. You'll learn, too, what the perfect strike feels like, where the ball, ground, and club all come together at just the right moment. That's your ball striking goal.
Do this exercise for a few minutes every day. Make short swings, get clean contact. You can't get too good at it. Once you have mastered the two-foot swing, and I truly mean mastered it, lengthen your swing, maybe by about a foot. If you have problems making clean contact, go back to the two-foot swing then gradually work back to the longer swing.
Keep lengthening your swing, but only when you feel you are ready to. This exercise builds a lifelong habit that will produce effective golf shots to the degree that you develop your skill with it. There's no need to rush, and there are no short-cuts. Six months of dedicated practice will get you to where you want to go.
If you have taken your time with this exercise, working in a controlled way through longer swings, being thoroughly prepared for the time you move up, by the time you get to your full swing, you will be the ball-striker you had hoped you would be.


There's one other thing you give up to hit a stationary ball. Your peace of mind. When the tennis ball comes at you, you have to hit it and there's no time to think. A golf ball just sitting there gives you all the time you need to let unhelpful thoughts enter your head. But that's the subject of another article.


At last! A golf instruction book by a recreational golfer for recreational golfers. Better Recreational Golf shows you how to play consistently, starting from where you are.

Posture in the Golf Swing

Everyone who has ever played the game of golf has heard somewhere that your posture is extremely important. Well, if you are a golfer and really want to improve pay close attention. Your posture in your golf swing is the foundation in which any and all athletic movements you make are derived from. If it is just a little off, the body will compensate somewhere to counter balance the inadequacies of having a faulty set up. So remember, what you have heard is true and also an absolute necessity to be able to perform your golf swing efficiently and at your highest level possible.
When your posture is correct in your golf swing you have a really great chance to perform the motions necessary to make an effective motion. Yes, there is a little more to making a good golf swing than just your posture but it all starts with how you get set up. More than 90% of all swing faults stem or originate from not being set up correctly. However, obtaining this unique balanced position to start with is really very simple when you understand the principles of Geometric Optimization™.
Geometric Optimization™ leaves no doubt to the positions your upper and lower body need to be in when you get set up in your posture and this is what makes it so great! For most golfers it comes down to the simple fact that if they could only see and understand where these positions were and why they are so important, than they would be well on their way to achieving the correct starting position all the time. When you are set up correctly the bodies foundational system starts to seek the correct path and movements necessary in a more natural flowing harmonic manner. By getting set up correctly it causes a positive reaction to take place in the beginning of the entire swing sequence and it is this starting position that is so critical for a golfer to achieve to be able to perform at a very high level.
You might be asking yourself about now, "What is Geometric Optimization™, I have never even heard of it before"? Geometric Optimization™ is what happens to a golfer when they see and understand how the principles of their own geometry account for all the movements they are ever going to make in their golf swings. When these principles and methodologies are used in training correctly is when real results start to happen at an unprecedented rate of acceleration. It is like they have tapped into the secret law of the universe or even discovered the "holy grail" of the golf swing. The manifestation of repeatable motions just simply start to take place as they are more in line with the natural organic values that surround us in life.
Let me explain in some detail how it works. Every single golfer, no matter what their body type must position their bodies in certain angles to get the maximum results and benefits they are seeking. These angles are clean and unmistakable to the human eye once you know what you are looking at and how to see them in the first place. The angle of the upper spine must be tilted forward at an angle of 60 degrees. There are no exceptions to this angular law, not for anyone! The lower body must also be positioned on an angle of 60 degrees as well. This angle must show itself from the hip socket, to the knee cap of the back facing leg. When both of these areas (upper and lower) are in geometric alignment is when a golfer will start to get a hint eternally of the real hidden power of Geometric Optimization™. When these angles are present in the set up position they create a connection of the real 90 degree relationship of the upper and lower body in geometric space.
To get Geometrically Optimized™ a golfer must be able to see their set up and golf swing inside a cubic model. The cubic model provides the blueprint for understanding and when the golfer just traces the lines and positions his/her body correctly inside of the cubic model is when they will start to experience this incredible phenomenon of real personal improvement. Until now there has never been an absolute way to see the golf swing and pinpoint the movements that must take place. This is no fault of anyone's by the way, it is just the pure simple fact that no one has ever had the use of the cubic models until now.
if you were to look at and study all of the professional golfers in the world you would discover there are a lot of similarities in most of their set up and golf swing positions. Make no mistake about it; this is not by chance. This comes from hours and hours of practice and from the instructors they are working with on a daily basis. However, in the not so distant future you are going to start seeing more and more golfers looking like they are all performing the same moves but in an entirely different manner. This migration will come from Geometric Optimization™. When golfers start to get optimized for superior performance people are going to take notice and if these changes are not made across the board then the golf tours around the world are going to be dominated by the players that are Geometrically Optimized™, it's that simple. Make no mistake about it, the cubic models provide the answers to the mysteries all golfers have been seeking for centuries. It's just a matter of time until the true power of Geometric Optimization™ is realized by all golfers across the globe.

Ways To Become A Great Golfer

Just because you know how to hit a ball or go around the course with a par score, does not immediately make you a great golfer. Do you know what you are doing around the course? Many people who play golf don't even have the slightest idea what they are doing around the course. In order to become a great golf player, you'll need to learn the factors that will assist you to accomplish your golf goals. Many people who play golf ask me specifically what does it take to become good or even superb in the game of golf. At some point, I have even asked myself the same question. However, becoming good in playing the game can't be achieved over night. The simple tips that I will impart to you in this article grew from my years of playing golf.

Numerous golfers, even those professional players, have spent much on their desires of developing their total golf performance. They're buying various equipment, different golf magazines or books, and enrol in various golf lessons or in golf schools just to know more methods of improving their golf skills. I think that the secret to becoming a great golf player is not to stop searching and learning to become better. Here are a few tips and hints in learning to be a great golfer
Start Playing Young
The later you start out playing the game, the more difficult it can be to discover the techniques and the much harder it is to develop the necessary skills. This tip goes out to all aspiring golfers. If you are in your teens, you must start as early as now. The later you start on learning and developing your skills, the harder it will be to gain your 'great golfer' dream.
Many top and professional golfers did not learn the basic skills in golf mechanistically. They started learning to play the game when they are just teenagers that they have successfully imprinted the vital skills in their Central Nervous System. Discovering and developing necessary mechanics and skills at a younger age will help you to imprint them in your mind and help you to earn the wider chance of becoming great at it. But if you are not in your teens today, you must start playing right now.
Develop The Natural Talent As A Golfer In You
In becoming an amazing and superb golf player, I personally think that you should play it naturally. Playing it naturally entails one to develop the needed skills.
Golfers really need outstanding visual-physical perception. This means that a golfer ought to have the natural ability to obtain the desired direction, distance, and speed of the ball by precise muscle movement. A golfer got to know how hard he should hit the ball, in which direction and in what angle to swing the golf club in order for the ball to go to the direction you want it to.
Exceptional hand-eye movement needs to be innate to become a great golfer. You may know how hard to hit the ball because of great visual-physical perception, however, you must have excellent hand-eye movement to make it feasible for the club face to hit the ball where you want it to. It is important to coordinate one's swings.
Sometimes, bad hits, good hits but bad bounces, and any other unlucky screw ups can impact the attention of a golfer. A stable and superb mental fortitude during the game helps keep emotions in check even with numerous mistakes. It will help the golfer to preserve visual-physical perception and hand-eye coordination in place.

Practice and More Practice
For those who don't have the time to practice, I think you will not become a great golfer. I do believe that the more your practice, the better is your overall performance around the course. The majority of top professional golf players do practice, practice, and practice.

Monty misses out on US Open spot

Colin Montgomerie failed to qualify for the US Open after posting a one-over-par total of 145 in the European qualifying tournament at Walton Heath.
It means that the Scot will not take part in the second Major of the year at Congressional, the course where he finished second to Ernie Els in 1997.
Irish star Shane Lowry earn a place in the June 16-19 tournament after rounds of 67 and 69 while France's Thomas Levet also claimed one of the 11 spots just a shot behind Lowry.
Scotland's former US Amateur champion Richie Ramsay was furious, however, after missing out on a play-off to decide the final berth when he left the event early to try to attend a friend's wedding reception.
Ramsay went back to the Walton Heath course on the outskirts of London but missed the start of the play-off by a matter of minutes. Johan Edfors took the final spot in near darkness when the Swede beat Denmark's Andreas Harto at the first extra hole.
"I feel suicidal right now," Ramsay said after dashing back to the course, having already missed his flight to fellow professional Gareth Maybin's wedding reception in any case.
Former Ryder Cup player Thomas Levet of France and China Open champion Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium were also among the 11 qualifiers for the U.S. Open.
Joining Lowry and Levet at Congressional will be Dutchman Maarten Lafeber, British quartet Robert Rock, Stephen Gallacher, Robert Dinwiddie and David Howell, Swede Alexander Noren and German Marcel Siem.
Ryder Cup captain Montgomerie had boosted his confidence before Monday's 36-hole qualifying tournament with a seventh-place finish in the PGA at Wentworth on Sunday, his best result in three years - but he was philosophical after his failure to fire at Walton Heath.
"If you don't enter you can't win -- I gave it a go," said the Scot. "That's hard work -- it was miserable out there."
Ross Fisher also shot one over par to mean that his only hope of making the field is to break into the world's top 50 by the end of next week. The Englishman, who challenged for the US Open title at Bethpage Black two years ago, is currently 52nd in the rankings