Clan-Members » d my confidence and also given

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzkys slap shot was always precise and straight as an arrow. Give archery an assist for that.The Great Ones aluminum stick, with a wood and fiberglass blade, was constructed in part using innovations derived from bow and arrow technology. So were the shafts on many a golf driver, the bike frame used by an Ironman triathlete, the drumsticks used by rockers. Cutting-edge advances in archery have even influenced the plastic components on dental chairs.Its all because researchers discovered: Getting an arrow to fly with accuracy is anything but straightforward.Ultimately, if you can make a really good set of arrows, everything else is comparatively easy, said George Tekmitchov, target archery manager and senior engineer for Easton Technical Products, a leading bow and arrow manufacturer with a special claim to fame: An Easton arrow has been used to capture every gold medal in the mens and womens individual Olympic event since archerys return to the modern games in 1972.Long before the arrival of Katniss Everdeen -- the arrow-brandishing heroine in The Hunger Games played by Jennifer Lawrence -- arrows were typically made from Port Orford cedar wood. Making an accurate set of those was complex and costly.See, every imperfection in an arrow gets magnified over a long distance. Take the archery competition at the Olympics this week: An arrow will travel about 200 feet per second, and if the stiffness is off by even a ten-thousandth of an inch, it can cause the arrow to deviate by as much as two rings on the target at 70 meters. That can be the difference between going for gold or going home.We have really high demands for our equipment, because small imperfections make huge differences, said Zach Garrett, who helped the Americans to an Olympic silver medal in the mens team competition on Saturday. It does take a material scientist to work through these things.Researchers constantly have to think straight, in other words, and Easton has been among those at the forefront of innovation.As the story goes, the companys founder, Doug Easton, was duck hunting one fall day in 1921 when he leaned his shotgun against a car. It fell over and discharged; he was struck in the legs. As he recovered in the hospital, Easton devoured a book by Saxton Pope called Hunting with the Bow and Arrow. It hit the mark.Eastons interest in archery shaped the direction of his company, which has taken arrow technology from wood to aluminum alloy to carbon fiber. One of the biggest breakthroughs was the process of bonding carbon to aluminum, which allows arrows to be strengthened through the aluminum core and stiffened by the presence of carbon fiber. This became revolutionary for other sports, too.Easton innovation expert Gary Filice designed an even more proficient hockey stick -- just what the NHL wanted in the hands of Gretzky, who was already virtually unstoppable. The bike frame of Ironman triathlete Paula Newby-Fraser went from aluminum to carbon fiber as she captured numerous world titles. Golf drivers have been made out of similar material, allowing everyone from the pros to the weekend player to crush the ball farther.The bonded-carbon process was also applied inside of aluminum bats and engineered in such a way that when under pressure from contact, the bat can give a higher rebound. Slugger Darryl Strawberry tested different models for Easton, which built a robot to mimic Strawberrys swing.This particular package of specialized carbon bonding also improved windsurfing booms, tennis rackets, lacrosse sticks and even led to aluminum drumsticks like the ones used by rock icon Tommy Lee of Motley Crue, according to Tekmitchov.Space technology developed by Easton found its way into archery, as well. Remember a project from the early 1990s called the National Aero-Space Plane, a spaceliner with an ultimate goal of shuttling passengers from New York to Tokyo in 90 minutes? The project was scrapped, but it led to a breakthrough in arrows. Easton developed hydrogen-fueled tubing for the project, and it went into the companys X10 arrow line. The model features an ultra-thin profile for minimal wind drift, and will be used by most of the archers in Rio.A German plastics company was an innovator in the field of micro-plastic engineering for years before dabbling in archery in the 1980s. Its founder, Werner Beiter, was a big supporter of the sport and made small plastic accessories like the nocking point, which provides an accurate connection between the arrow and the string.Research into archery equipment affected other products, too, including the part of the dental chair that attaches to cables containing the air for the drills.As for the bow, it certainly doesnt take a backseat to the arrow in technological progression. The dawn of a carbon-fiber limb helped American Darrell Pace capture gold at the 1976 Olympics and again in `84. Its still the industry standard -- with a few modern tweaks, of course.The next wave of bows went to a whole new depth: submarine technology. A bow manufacturer called Hoyt, owned by Easton since the 1980s, developed a new core for bow limbs using syntactic foam. Originally designed so submarine control surfaces could be kept hollow without being crushed by sea pressure, the foam makes bows limbs lighter and much stronger.Were always looking for ways to make something better, said Eastons Tekmitchov. If someone goes, `Hmm, maybe that would work for this? Well try it. Custom Predators Jerseys . - Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie never doubted he would bring back coach Dennis Allen for a third year despite back-to-back 4-12 records. Authentic Custom Predators Jersey . Miller finished in two minutes, 6.09 seconds, one day before the first medal race on the Alpine schedule. The 36-year-old American also turned in the top time in Thursdays opening training session. http://www.custompredatorsjersey.com/ . Pettersen, winner of last years Evian Championships, had nine birdies and three bogeys, holding off a series of challengers led by Marion Ricordeau of France. The second-ranked Norwegian made her season debut after missing the LPGA Tours opening event last month in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury. Wholesale Custom Predators Shirts . The 43-year-old closer, in his 19th and final big league season, has said hed like to play the outfield. Yankees manager Joe Girardi says hes thinking about allowing Rivera to do it this weekend, when the Yankees finish their season with a three-game series at the Houston Astros. P.K Subban Jersey Large .Y. -- Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo had little trouble picking up his first shutout of the season against a Buffalo Sabres team thats having trouble scoring goals. Sameer was only 15. He would get lonely. Every two months he would want to run back home to Dhar in Madhya Pradesh to be with his parents.Hyderabad was not home. But it was where he had come to make something of his life as a badminton player. His brother Sourabh, older by a couple of years, was there, too. And the Verma boys knew that in Pullela Gopichand, they were under the tutelage of the best coach in the country.Sameer learnt to live with the loneliness because he figured badminton was his calling. Seven years since he first arrived at the Gopichand academy, trailing his elder brother, Sameer has made the biggest splash of his young career by becoming only the third Indian male player to reach the final of a Superseries tournament.?I have understood that if I want to accomplish something, I will have to forego a lot, Sameer tells ESPN over a crackling phone line from Hong Kong hours after going down in the final. If not, I will feel in the future that I didnt achieve what I could have. We live in a joint family and we go back home once or twice a year. It is tough for our parents but they are happy that we are performing well.The we rolls off Sameers tongue quite naturally. Sourabh and he have chosen the same professional path and at least for now, the younger sibling is making the greater impression. Earlier in the year, Sameer quelled his brother to win the national championships in Chandigarh and has now made a significant run at one of the sports elite tournaments before Sourabh. There is a matter-of-factness about their sibling rivalry, one that Sameer embraces without much fuss.I think our head-to-head is at 4-4, or maybe I am trailing 3-4, I am not sure, he chuckles. We keep talking to each other and sharing information. I am the more attacking and aggressive player while he relies more on rallying.This aggressive and attacking instinct Sameer refers to was visible throughout his 50-minute, three-game final against NG Ka Long Angus on Sunday. He overturned the loss of the first game with a spectacular torrent of shot-making in the second against the World No.14. Ahead of the final, Gopichand had described his playing style as unorthodox and pointed to his knack of smartly seeing angles on the court.Given to playing a high-risk, high-reward game, Sameer believes the experiences of the last week that included the biggest win of his career so far over World No.dddddddddddd3 Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark in the semifinals, will be invaluable as he aspires to build on this success.I wasnt intimidated at the thought of playing the world number three, he says. I just thought he is a player like I am, I will give my best and may the best man win. Even when I was down 17-20 I didnt think much about the game situation.In the final I did try very hard today but my opponent was really retrieving well and he was the better player on the day. I must have made some mistakes but I havent really thought about it much yet. My confidence is definitely up from before, so lets see what happens from here on in.Ranked 43 in the world at the moment, Sameer has identified a spot among the top 10 and a strong showing at next years world championships as his short-term targets. With Gopichand in his corner and support from the GoSports Foundation that has been assisting him with aspects such as tournament and medical expenses, nutrition, and facilities such as cameras to record and analyse his match play, Sameer is confident that the run in Hong Kong wont be a flash in the pan.This tournament has helped my confidence and also given me some knowledge on how I can improve as a player at the highest level, he says. Patience and calmness are two important attributes I feel. I have to improve my smashes and attacking game. I dont want to think too much, just enjoy my game and play then I am not very far from that level.While he does not have too many role models or heroes in sport, Sameer says watching the recent film about MS Dhonis life was inspirational and left a strong impression on his mind as he could relate to many of the situations. For counsel, besides Gopichand and Sourabh, Sameer turns to Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu, cajoling them for tips on how to handle the pressure of situations such as big finals.He knows this week has catapulted him from a virtual unknown to an athlete whose fortunes will be eagerly followed. But ever since he first picked up a badminton racquet at the age of six and went along with his dad to the local club, Sameer has understood the sport will determine his destiny. It has already been long journey but it has only just begun. ' ' '