| How to Hit Your Irons Higher Posted: 21 Jan 2021 04:00 PM PST Hitting a golf ball high with your irons is a great skill that gives you an edge on the green. More height can send the ball further and help you get over hills and traps on the course. But this is easier said than done! If you're frustrated about hitting line drives all the time, don't give up— there are lots of ways to fix this problem. Try some of these simple setup and swinging tips to send the ball flying high every time. [Edit]Starting Position - Stand close to the ball so you can swing straight down at it. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with the ball just slightly in front of the line where your toes are. In general, a good position is closer to the ball than you'd normally stand. This should give you a nice, vertical swing plane to lift the ball up.[1]
- If you want to test your ball positioning, take a slow practice swing. Find the ball position that lets you keep the club as straight as possible.
- If you're too far away from the ball, your swing plane will be more horizontal. This will keep the ball low and hit it off to the sides.
- Position the ball closer to your front foot. First, position the ball right in the middle of your legs. Then move it forward 1-2 ball lengths, closer to your front foot. This helps you hit the ball in the ideal spot to send it flying high.[2]
- Don't put the ball any more than 1-2 ball lengths towards your front foot. Otherwise, you'll hit it on the top and it won't go very high.
- Put the ball on a tee to raise it up about . If you don't normally use a tee, then give it a try. The tee lifts the ball off the ground a bit and lets you get under it for a higher trajectory. A common height for the golf tee is , but teeing the ball at will give you a higher shot.[3]
- The legal tee height for golf is up to , so don't go above that when you're practicing.[4]
- Bend your knees slightly so you can get underneath the ball. Standing straight up makes it harder to get under the ball for a high shot. Bend your knees slightly before you start your backswing. This way, you'll get under the ball for a higher trajectory.[5]
- You might have to adjust your ball position again after you bend your knees, since your club might scrape the ground. Do another slow practice swing to make sure you can keep the club as straight as possible without hitting the ground.
- Raise your front shoulder a bit higher than your back shoulder. Tilt your front shoulder up a bit to move your head and center of gravity back. This keeps you behind the ball and gives you more lift.[6]
- Tilt the club head slightly away from you, towards the ball's outside edge. This gives you more lift and height at impact. If you're right-handed, open the clubface by aiming slightly to the right of your target. If you're left-handed, aim to the left instead.[7]
- Grip the club loosely and stay loose throughout your swing. It's harder to get under the ball if you're stiff, so don't squeeze the handle.[8] Position your hands slightly ahead of the ball on impact to gain more height.[9]
- If you're worried about the club flying out of your hands, use good-quality gloves with a strong grip.
[Edit]Swinging Technique - Shift 60% of your weight to your rear leg before your backswing. Get set up and stand with roughly 60% of your weight on your rear foot and 40% on your front foot. This helps you stay behind the ball throughout your swing and lift it higher.[10]
- Don't throw all your weight forward when you swing. Maintain this weight distribution through the whole swing for a high shot.[11]
- Rotate your hip and shoulder back to generate power. You'll need a lot of power to hit the ball high, and that power comes from your body. Start your backswing by turning your rear hip and shoulder back, away from your target. Then, raise your club up, following your shoulder and hip.[12]
- Avoid sliding your hips back and forth during your swing. This won't give you any power and it throws your swing off. Be sure to actually your hips and shoulder back to get more power.
- Bring your hands up behind your head on the backswing. This high backswing helps you keep the club straight and maintain a vertical swing. If your hands are lower, like around your shoulders, you probably won't get a high shot.[13]
- If you can't tell where your hands are going on your backswing, have someone watch and tell you. You could also put a camera behind you during your swing and review the video later.
- Swing with your body for a lot of speed and power. Don't be afraid to hit the ball hard! This is key to sending the ball flying high. Rotate your hips and shoulders forward, with the club following. This gives you a hard, fast swing so you can hit the ball with a lot of force.[14]
- When your swing is complete, your rear hip and shoulder should be facing your target. This is how you know you swung enough.
- Keep your head back behind the ball while you're swinging. This gets a lot of weight behind the ball for more lift and power.
- Hit the golf ball right in the center for a strong shot. You might think you need to hit the ball in a different spot to send it flying high, but that's not true. Try to hit it square in the center on your downswing for a strong shot.[15]
- If the ball is flying too low, then you may be hitting it above the center. Check your swing trajectory to see where you're making contact, and adjust your stance or swing if you have to hit the ball lower.
- Follow-through vertically to send the ball high. Continue swinging straight up after you make contact with the ball. Follow the trajectory of the ball with your head and look upward.[16]
- Remember to keep about 60% of your weight on your back foot during the whole swing, including the follow-through.
- If you're not sure about your swing trajectory, videotape yourself while you practice. Then you can review the tape later and break down your swing.
- Like with everything, practice makes perfect! Be patient and work on your swing to get high shots every time.
[Edit]References |
| How to Fold Curtains That Are Too Long Posted: 21 Jan 2021 08:00 AM PST Curtains can be pricy, so if you accidentally bought a set that are too long, you're probably not in a big hurry to replace them. However, you're probably also not super excited about seeing your curtains puddled on the floor every time you walk into the room. Luckily, there are a few simple solutions to get your curtains to the perfect length—and you don't even have to sew them unless you want to! [Edit]Using Curtain Clips - Choose curtain clips that are attached to hooks or rings. Curtain clips have a small alligator clip on the bottom and either rings or hooks on the top. Either style will work—it really just depends on the look you're going for.[1]
- You can use as many or as few clips per panel as you'd like, but in general, using more clips will give your curtains a more luxurious, pleated look. On the other hand, using fewer clips might make your curtains look kind of stretched out. We recommend using 9 clips per panel because it makes the spacing super easy![2]
- If your curtains are a really heavy material, like velvet or brocade, purchase heavy-duty curtain clips. Check the packaging or online product listing to see how much weight each clip can support.
- Fold the top of the curtain over so the curtains are the right length. Measure the length you want your curtains to be, then fold them over from the top. Make sure the fold goes toward the back of the curtain.[3]
- Don't worry about spoiling the look of your curtains—you won't be able to see the fold from the front![4]
- If your curtain has tabs for the rod to slide through, cut these off with sharp scissors first. Otherwise, the tabs might be visible through the curtain when the sun shines through.
- Clamp the curtain clips onto the fold so they're evenly spaced. If you're using 9 clips per panel, you don't have to do any measuring to make sure the clips are spaced perfectly. Start by placing a clip on either end of the curtains, then another right in the center. Add 1 more clip exactly halfway between the leftmost clip and the center, then 1 halfway between the middle and the right. You should have 5 total now. Place each of the remaining clips exactly halfway between the ones already in place, for a total of 9![5]
- No matter how many clips you're using, make sure they're spaced out evenly. Otherwise, some parts of your curtains will be too taut, while others will sag.
- Slide the rings or hooks onto the curtain rod. If you're using rings, feed the rod through each ring individually, then mount the rod on brackets. If your clips are attached to hooks, just slide each hook over the curtain rod—you don't need to take the rod down.[6]
- To keep your curtains from sliding too far when you close them, place the last ring or hook outside of the bracket on your curtain rod.[7]
[Edit]Creating a No-Sew Hem - Read the care label for ironing instructions. Some synthetic fabrics will melt if you iron them, while other materials require low heat so they don't get burned. If the tag doesn't specifically say anything about ironing, look for a symbol that looks like an iron—or sort of like the lowercase "a" on a computer keyboard. If you see:[8]
- A plain symbol—it's safe to use any heat setting on your iron.
- A symbol with 1 dot—only use the lowest heat setting.
- A symbol with 2 dots—use medium heat.
- A symbol with 3 dots—use the highest heat setting.
- A symbol with an X—do not iron this fabric. Try creating a rod pocket or using curtain clips to adjust the length, instead.
- Fold the bottom of the curtains under so they're the right length. There are two ways you can do this. The easiest way is to hang the curtains, then fold the bottoms under so they just graze the floor. However, you can also measure the length from the top of the curtain rod to the floor, then measure down from the top of the curtains. Just be sure to fold the fabric under, or toward the back of the curtains.[9]
- If you're measuring, make marks with a disappearing-ink fabric pen, then fold the bottom of the curtains under so they match that measurement. Also, if the curtains will be hanging from clips or hooks, be sure to account for that.[10]
- If you're folding the curtains while they're hanging, you don't have to take any measurements at all.
- For curtains that are way too long, you may have a lot of excess fabric left. You can trim this extra material at the end, but if you don't want to cut the curtains, make 2 or 3 folds so the excess material is tucked in neatly.
- Pin the hem into place. As you fold the curtains under, slide straight pins horizontally through the fabric to secure it. You'll take these pins out later, so don't worry if they show through the front of the curtains.[11]
- Sometimes curtains can actually be a little longer on one side than the other. If you're working by measurements, measure from the top down in several spots along the curtain's width to make sure the length is even—don't work from the bottom up!
- If you're worried about the pins falling out, use safety pins instead of straight pins.
- Iron the fold to create a crease, removing pins as you go. Place your folded hem onto an ironing board and heat your iron to the appropriate temperature. Slowly run the iron along the bottom fold, but don't iron over the pins, since they could snag the fabric. If you used straight pins with plastic heads, be especially careful to remove them all, as the plastic will melt.[12]
- If you pinned the curtains while they were still hanging, you can just put the ironing board right under the window where the curtains are hanging—no need to take them down!
- Iron both the top and bottom folds if you had to fold the curtain on itself more than once.
- Ironing the crease down will help keep the fold in place even without the pins.
- Place a strip of iron-on hem tape inside the folded hem. If you made a small fold or you're planning to trim away the excess fabric, keep the tape close to the bottom of the fold. If you folded the curtain on itself several times, place the tape closer to the top crease so it will lay flat. Just make sure none of the tape is showing outside of the fold—if the adhesive touches the iron, it will make a sticky mess.[13]
- It's okay to work in sections if the whole hem won't fit on the ironing board at the same time.
- If you're handy with a sewing machine, it's totally fine to stitch them down.[14] However, iron-on hem tape will allow you to get a neat hem even if you don't have any sewing skills!
- Press and lift the iron over the fabric to secure the tape. Place the iron onto the fabric right over the hem tape and press down for 1-2 seconds, then lift the iron straight up. Move the iron over to the next section of the adhesive and press down again. Keep going until you've gone down the whole length of the curtain.[15]
- Double-check that the adhesive is completely covered by the fabric. Don't let the iron touch the hem tape, or it will stick to the iron plate.
- The heat will cause the adhesive to stick to both sides of the fabric, creating a durable hem.
- Always use a pressing and lifting motion. Don't run the iron over the adhesive—you might pucker the fabric, and it could stick that way.
- Trim the excess fabric, if you'd like. If you left a lot of extra fabric folded up, you can trim it now with a sharp pair of fabric shears. Cut slowly so you get a straight line, but don't stress too much—the raw edge will be on the back of the curtains, so it shouldn't be visible.[16]
[Edit]Folding a Rod Pocket - Fold the curtain down twice from the top. Be sure to fold the fabric toward the back of the curtain so the pocket won't show. Make two folds—that way, you'll still have a pocket for the curtain rod after you glue down the first layer of fabric. However, if your curtains already have a rod pocket, just fold that over once—you'll still have a pocket when you're finished.[17]
- Be sure the fold you create is at least twice the width of the curtain rod you're planning to use. This will ensure you can easily mount the curtain when you're finished. You can measure the distance if you'd like, or you can just eyeball it.
- If your curtains don't have a rod pocket and you only want to fold them over once, or if you're planning to sew the hem in place, leave a seam allowance.
- Add pins to secure the pocket in place. Slide straight pins horizontally through the bottom of the fold that you made, or use safety pins if you'd prefer. This will create the bottom hem, but will leave the pocket open so you can slide the rod through.[18]
- If you're just looking for a temporary fix, it's fine if you want to stop here! Just slide the curtains onto the curtain rod and hang them in place.
- Place hem tape under the bottom fold for a no-sew fix. Place a section of the folded curtain on an ironing board in front of you. Remove a few of the pins, then place a strip of iron-on hem tape between the curtain and the innermost fold you made.[19]
- Make sure none of the adhesive is showing—if it touches your iron, it will stick to the iron plate, making a big mess!
- If you'd prefer to stitch the curtains, use a heavy-duty sewing machine and work slowly. Just be sure to sew along the very bottom of the fold, and don't sew up the sides—you need the pocket to be open.[20]
- Iron the hem tape to secure it. Press your iron down over the folded fabric and hold it in place for 1-2 seconds. Then, lift the iron straight up. This will heat up the hem tape, making it stick to the fabric. Keep pressing and lifting until you finish that section, then repeat for the next section all the way down the curtain.[21]
- Check the care tag to make sure your curtain fabric is safe to iron before you do this. However, since you won't be pressing the iron to the fabric very long, this will work on most fabrics—just place a cloth between the curtains and the iron and test it on low heat in an inconspicuous area.
- Slide the rod through the pocket you made. There should be a gap between the second and third layers of folded fabric. This is your rod pocket, so just run the curtain rod through that gap. Then, you can hang your curtains like normal![22]
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Curtain clips
- Measuring tape (optional)
[Edit]No-Sew Hem - Straight pins or safety pins
- Iron-on hem tape
- Iron
- Ironing board
- Measuring tape (optional)
[Edit]Rod Pocket - Straight pins or safety pins
- Iron-on hem tape
- Iron
- Ironing board
- Wash and dry the curtains first to be sure of the length—curtains will sometimes shrink when you wash them.[23]
[Edit]References |
| How to Cook Eggs in an Instant Pot Posted: 21 Jan 2021 12:00 AM PST Your Instant Pot can be used for tons of recipes—why not add eggs to that list? You can cook up a batch of hard boiled eggs at the perfect softness, or whip up some scrambled eggs to enjoy for breakfast. Try out both recipes to see which you like more and find out just what your Instant Pot can do. [Edit]Hard Boiled Eggs - Pour of water into the Instant Pot. You're basically steaming these eggs, so you don't need much water at all. Make sure the steamer basket is inside of your pot before you start.[1]
- The steamer basket looks like a small metal colander that fits in the bottom of your Instant Pot.
- Adding too much water can make your Instant Pot too pressurized and overcook your eggs. Stick to of water for perfectly hard boiled eggs.
- Put 1 to 6 eggs into the steamer basket. Carefully arrange your eggs so they don't fall on top of each other in the pot. Try to space them out so they're all in a single layer and get steamed evenly.[2]
- If your Instant Pot is large enough, you can put up to 12 eggs in the bottom. Just make sure they're all in a single layer!
- Set the lid on the pot and close the pressure-release valve. Make sure the lid fits snugly on top of the Instant Pot by twisting it sideways until you hear a click. Slide the knob on the top of the pot from "venting" to "sealing" to make sure it's airtight.[3]
- Your pot may also sing a little jingle as it locks into place.
- Select manual and cook on low pressure for 3 to 5 minutes. Press the "manual" button on the front of the Instant Pot, then enter your time limit. For soft-cooked eggs, cook them for 3 minutes; for medium-cooked eggs, cook them for 4 minutes; for hard-cooked eggs, cook them for 5 minutes. Once you enter in your time limit, the screen will switch to "On" and then start counting down to lock the lid in place.[4]
- Soft-cooked eggs are great for adding to ramen or noodle soup.
- Medium-cooked eggs are great to eat on their own for a hit of protein.
- Hard-cooked eggs are perfect for making deviled eggs.
- Wait for a natural release. When the timer runs out, the Instant Pot will start naturally releasing its pressure so you can safely open the lid. Wait for the pot to release its pressure naturally (you may have to wait up to 15 minutes) before you take the lid off your eggs.[5]
- The natural pressure release will continue to gently cook the eggs until the yolks are soft and perfect.
- You can tell the natural release is done when the pin is down and you can turn the lid to unlock it.
- If the pin is still up after 15 minutes, turn the knob from "sealing" to "venting" to release the rest of the pressure.
- Place the eggs in a bowl of cool water for 1 minute. Fill a large bowl with cold water from your tap, then use a slotted spoon to set the eggs in the bowl. Wait for about 1 minute to make the eggs stop cooking so their yolks don't get overdone.[6]
- If you want to store your eggs, put them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days (they might make your fridge a little smelly).
[Edit]Scrambled Eggs - Break 2 to 3 eggs into a bowl. You can make as many eggs as you'd like at one time. If you're just making them for yourself, stick to 2 or 3 for a perfect serving for one person.[7]
- You can also add chopped onions and mushrooms if you'd like to make your eggs a little more nutrient-packed!
- Whisk the eggs together and add milk, salt, and pepper. Pour of milk, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of black pepper into your bowl. Grab a whisk or a fork and stir your mixture together until it's frothy and smooth.[8]
- Adding milk will make your eggs more light and fluffy.
- Set your Instant Pot to the "saute" function. It's the very last button on the left side of the screen. Press this button to start warming up your Instant Pot to get it ready for your eggs.[9]
- The saute function acts exactly like a burner on your stove top. It will heat up evenly so you can cook eggs, meat, and vegetables on it.
- Add 2 tbsp (28 g) to the bottom of the Instant Pot. This is to grease the bottom so your eggs don't stick. Use a wooden spoon to spread the butter around and coat the entire bottom of the pot.[10]
- The butter might sizzle a little bit when you drop it in, but that's normal!
- Pour the eggs in when the butter is melted. Grab your egg mixture and slowly pour the whole thing into the bottom of your pot. Your mixture may sizzle a bit as it hits the pot, but that's just because it's warm![11]
- Keep the lid of the pot open the whole time that you're cooking.
- Lift and fold the eggs until they're fully cooked. Grab a wooden spoon or a spatula and use it to gently lift the eggs from the side and fold them back on top of each other. Keep doing this until there isn't any liquid left in your eggs, then scoop them out of the pot with a spatula.[12]
- Scrambled eggs cook fairly quickly, so you should only have to wait for about 5 minutes until they're done.
- Hard boiled eggs are a great practice recipe to get to know your Instant Pot.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Cooking and Cooling - Instant Pot
- Steamer basket
- Slotted spoon
- Large bowl
[Edit]Scrambled Eggs - Bowl
- Instant Pot
- Whisk or fork
- Spatula or wooden spoon
[Edit]References |
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