Page 70 October 2 014 ARCADIA SPORTS By Nicholas Smith Volleyball and softball are heavily played sports in Heather Broermann’s family. She has two older sisters and all three girls spent their childhood playing both sports. Upon reaching high school, the two older girls decided to leave volleyball behind to focus on softball full time. When it came Heather’s time to pick a main sport, she decided to go her own way. “I guess I just wanted to do my own thing,” she said. “I loved volleyball and wanted to be different.” Heather began playing volleyball in the fifth grade, playing for years on both school and club teams. Last year as a junior, she was pulled up to the varsity team and spent the season working to adjust to the higher level of play. “It was pretty difficult. The pace really speeds up,” she said. “You move so much quicker between rallies. But the girls and coaches were very patient and willing to work with me and that helped a lot.” The team is looking to improve little by little this season. Heather believes that the closeness of the group is a big advantage for the team. “We grew a lot as a team last year,” she said. “We didn’t have the best record but we became very close and we want to improve as both a team and as individuals. You have to be a family and be willing to work with each other on and off the court.” The team camaraderie was what Heather By Tina Tombs A common question that I often get during a session is: What is the right height to tee up your ball? It turns out there is actually more than one right way to do it. Have you ever noticed how some golfers tee their ball up low, some tee it up high, and some tee it up in the middle? The right height all depends on preference and circumstance. When to tee it up low: Teeing the ball up low (when the top of the ball is even with the top of the club) works best when you’re hitting hybrid clubs, hitting a wood or hitting into a strong wind. The low height of the tee will lower the launch angle and help your shot stay out of the breeze – maximizing roll and distance. Teeing it low can also help prevent you from “skying” the ball. When to tee it up in the middle: Teeing the ball up in the middle (with half of the ball above the top of the club) works best when you are teeing off with fairway woods in normal conditions. This will ensure the optimal launch rate, minimize spin and maximize carry and overall distance. What’s the height to tee up? When to tee it up high: Teeing the ball up high (when the bottom of the ball is even with the top of the club) works best when you are hitting one of today’s big 460cc drivers in normal playing conditions. Studies have shown that this tee height consistently delivers maximum distance and accuracy for players of all skill levels. Just be sure that the bottom of the ball is even with the top of the driver. Also, swing to make contact with the ball and not with the tee. Visually this helps keep the swing shallow and provides more accuracy and distance with your new driver. While you might not think about the height of your tee very often it can actually have a big impact on the distance and accuracy of your tee shots. Be sure to experiment with these different tee heights next time you hit the driving range. Find out how they work for you before trying them in a big money game on the course! Tina Tombs is the 2014 LPGA Central Section Teacher of the Year and Director of Instruction and an LPGA Tour Professional. Contact her at tina@tinatombsgolf.com. Volleyball aims to improve huge end of summer bike sale! giantscottsdale.com 480-773-7706 2902 N. 68th St (68th St. & Thomas) all 2014 bikes 20-30% off Best prices of the season! Your locally owned, family friendly bike shop Sale ends 10/31/14 listed when asked about her favorite aspect of volleyball. “I just love being on a team,” she said. “We all have different skills and always help each other.” Another positive for the Titans is their coaching staff, in particular Coach Josh Olshan, whom Heather credits as a selfless instructor who is a huge part of the team’s success. “Coach Olshan has been with Arcadia for I believe 16 years,” she said. “He isn’t looking to build himself up and then leave for another program. He wants to be our coach and cares about our school. He’s all about building the program.” This is Heather Broermann’s last season at AHS.

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