Washington Capitals

If you already knew how to play golf properly, you probably wouldn’t need the advice in this article–in fact, you’d be making more than a comfortable living as a professional golfer. Since you’re here, you might as well keep reading to discover some great tips that will likely improve your game. This allows you to determine which stance is best suited to your individual style. Your stance is important, but since everyone is unique, it is impossible to to determine the proper stance without experimentation. Discovering your best stance does wonders for your game. Get more from your time on the course by walking it instead of driving. Walking the course will help you to get more exercise while golfing and will simultaneously improve your game by improving your strength and endurance. Walking also keeps you loose and warms up your muscles. You can get a lot of help you in your golf game from your body. Your whole body is the force behind your shot. Use your whole body to execute every stage of your golf swing. This will help by having less stress on your arms and you will gain more distance with your strike. You can find flaws in your stance by using a toe-wiggling exercise. If the golfer finds this act difficult as he prepares to swing, he is leaning unreasonably forward and into the ball. The player should lean back as much as possible to improve their posture. The position of your toes will help guide you towards finding proper posture for your swing. If you can move your feet very easily, then you have not aligned your body properly enough to take your shot. You want to lean toward the ball just enough to allow some wiggle, but not excessively free foot movement. When playing golf, do not be so serious. You will be able to relax and have fun if you recognize that mistakes happen to everyone and are simply a necessary part of the learning process. If you want to improve the quality of your swing, you should learn to put the full force of your body into the motion. Do not fall into the trap of many beginning golfers and assume that arm strength is all that is needed. When you use your whole body, you create true strength in your stroke and create a beautiful shot. Put your left hand before the ball while putting. When you are swinging the club do your best to hold this position. This will stop the ball from leaping off your club when you hit it and keep your club in proper position. Learning lessons from the golfing mistakes that others have made is a lot easier on your spirit than continually making them yourself. If you’re passionate about golf, you should be excited to try these tips. You can use them to greatly improve your golf game, without having to learn from your own mistakes.

I was eight years old when I first felt the sweet sting of cupid's arrow. Her name was Kelsey and her sun-kissed blond hair and soft blue eyes were so elegant that they made angel's weep and dove's spontaneously combust. Suffice to say, even in the third grade she was way out of my league. We were in the same homeroom, not because we shared the same age but because my parents -- under the encouragement of my teachers -- thought it would be best for my development if I joined the advanced courses of those older than me. The transition was neither smooth, nor enjoyable. There was nothing more damaging to my psyche than having to leave my friends who were occupying their time making collages, singing songs and playing games for my personal higher learning. I loathed agreeing with the decision, but as a subordinate, assumed that falling in line was the best recourse to take. The adjustments I had to make became more difficult with each passing day. Not in course material -- that was the easy part -- but rather in social networking. In a class full of a dozen of your peers who feel like you're infringing on their turf, I faced a regiment of constant bullying. Words. Fists. Humiliation. It was all just part of the daily routine. Luckily, I still had a small cluster of friends now a grade lower which kept me optimistic that better times lay ahead. That entire year, I would spring out of bed bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, eager to sit next to Kelsey in class. When she finally did find out that I had a school-yard crush on her, she distanced herself. I can't blame her, it likely would have been social suicide for a girl like her to be seen eating lunch a geek/loser/dweeb/etc. like me. Before the age of ten I was already self-loathing. *** Growing up, I always loved the sport of hockey. It never mattered who was playing -- though I was partial to the Winnipeg Jets at the time -- or what the score in the game was. Every Saturday night my dad and I would convene in the basement of our country bungalow home to entrench ourselves in its ultimate whimsy. My sisters already asleep and my mom working weekend night-shifts so she could be around to raise us during the week, Saturday's became a ritualistic event. Bowl of popcorn and soda's in hand, dad and I would trudge downstairs and spend four hours bonding around the game we loved. I never told him, but I think he knew he was my best friend. The Jets' packed up shop in 1996 and I became a tad bit jaded towards the sport. No longer did hockey appeal to me in quite the same way. Players didn't seem as fast, or as strong, or as skilled. The whole thing just seemed blasé. That was before I met the second love of my life; the Washington Capitals. For reasons unbeknownst to even me, I was a Joé Juneau fan as a kid. I couldn't be bothered by collecting the hockey cards of Gretzky, Lemieux, Roenick, or Jagr; if it wasn't Joé Juneau (or Teemu Selanne), I couldn't be bothered with it. The spring of 1998 was as exciting a time as any for a Capital fan as they made their trek towards the Stanley Cup Finals. Living in small town Manitoba meant I wasn't privy to cable TV or an Internet connection, meaning that it was difficult to religiously follow any NHL team not named the Toronto Maple Leafs or Montreal Canadiens. But those playoffs changed things. I still vividly remember being sucked into a second round game between the Caps and Ottawa Senators and seeing names I never thought I'd see on the same roster flash across the screen: Juneau, Bondra, Oates, Bellows, Hunter, Tikkanen, Miller, Berube, Housley, Johansson. I was in love... again. That Capitals team took me on a wild ride as I travelled through the abyss of personal uncertainty. My parents planned to move our family to the city where I would be forced to make new friends and form new relationships heading into junior high. Unnerved, those playoffs kept me sound. Juneau banging home the overtime winner that sent

Your savory breakfast links: The end of the all-too-brief playoff run for the Caps has many typing away about a few growing trends in Washington - losing too soon and making excuses for it. [WaPo, FanPost] Nicklas Backstrom isn't making excuses for his early season doldrums, however, despite suffering an injury to end his KHL run in Moscow. [RMNB] A look ahead at some key roster decisions facing the Caps next season: The Caps have said they want Mike Ribeiro back, and Ribeiro has said he wants to stay... but does he fit into the team's plans going forward? [CSNW] Another guy who wants to return is impending UFA - and beloved wagon - Matt Hendricks, who his teammates say is irreplaceable. Darn right. [CSNW] But he'll face a challenge from the youngster in the wings, as Tom Wilson got a taste of the NHL at the end of the Rangers series... and liked it. [WaPo] In general the team might want to look to upgrade the blue line... [Spector] ...especially with veteran Tom Poti hitting the open market this summer. [WaPo] Down on the farm: The big news out of Chocolatetown was the departure of head coach Mark French, who leaves after four seasons, 180 wins and a Calder Cup victory behind the Hershey bench. [Pennlive (and again), LDNews (generous contributor to today's title), SHOE] Looking back at French's top ten moments as the Bears' head coach. Guessing #1 goes back to sometime around June 2010... [Pennlive] No decisions have been made on French's replacement, but current assistant coach Troy Mann is in the running for the job. [Pennlive] Meanwhile the Reading Royals prepare to play for the Kelly Cup against a somewhat unexpected opponent. [Reading Eagle] Everything you ever wanted to know about injuries (or at least everything they're telling us): More on Alex Ovechkin's wonky foot, as the team doctor tells all and Ovechkin himself tweets all. [PHT, Bog] The Caps - and the NHL in general - are notoriously cagey about injuries. But when does the right to know trump the right to privacy? (Hint: when gambling on hockey becomes a big deal.) [WaPo] How's this for hilarity: Brooks Laich, noted Blue Jays fan, is scheduled to throw out the first pitch Tuesday night as the Orioles take on another AL East rival, the Yankees. #TeamMeteor, right Brooks? [CSNW] And speaking of hilarity...check out some old school pics of Smokin' Al Koken. There may be some words in there, too, but they are less important than the Greatest. Pictures. Ever. [Bog] Flying from Kuwait City to DC just to watch the Caps isn't just proof of true fan dedication - it's also proof that Caps fans are completely batpoop crazy. And wonderful. [Bog] Great, great work once again by the Caps organization - with some help from SKYDEX Technologies - as they raised over $100,000 for TAPS through this year's Courage Caps campaign. [Ft Mill Times] Adam Oates. John Tortorella. Grudge match to end all grudge matches. Make it happen. [Bog] Finally, happy 54th birthday to Errol Rausse.

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People of all backgrounds and ages love the sport of golf. Despite the large number of people that play this sport, lots of tips exist which any golfer can utilize. Keep reading for a handful of practical tips and ideas for improving your game, regardless of your skill level. By experimenting, you can find the best way to stand while playing. The right stance can vary a lot depending on your body type, weight, height and gender. Once you find the right stance, you will immediately notice the benefit in your swing. Get more from your time on the course by walking it instead of driving. This only adds to the amount of calories you burn, and will leave you feeling great by the end of the round. Walking also keeps your muscles loose and warm. Learning to use your body as part of your golfing strategy can produce marked improvements in your score. The power of your swing is created through the use of your entire body. Let your body be one with the club. The added power will propel the golf ball further and lessen the strain on your arms. You may want to ask the advice of a golf pro when deciding which new clubs to buy. The information they can provide will be instrumental in purchasing the correct clubs for you, because they can tell you which type will fit you best and data about cutting edge products. If you are a beginning golfer, learn how to grip the golf club properly. The most common problem when trying to hit the ball far is they tend to have a hard grip on the club. Instead, the club should be held loosely in the fingers. Imagine that you are cradling a wounded bird and use the same care to grip the club. A good piece of advice for improving your golf swing is making sure you utilize your entire body for power. When people first start out playing golf, they think the power is in their arms, but that is only partially true because you need to be in coordination with your body to hit the ball far. It’s more efficient to gyrate your whole body to match the club’s motion. When just starting out, it’s important to learn how to properly grip the club. People often try to grab the golf club too hard, they think the ball will go much further. A firm, yet soft, grip works better. Approach the handling of the club as you would if you were holding a bird. Because of the variety of people who play golf, many collections of advice may not feel like they apply to you. These tips may be used by practically anyone. Next time you head out to the golfing green, embrace this knowledge and use it. There is room for improvement in every golfer’s game, and these tips will show you how to do it.

Highly-touted prospect Tom Wilson made his NHL debut in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but it remains to be determined whether the young winger will be on the Capitals’ opening-night roster next fall. As encouraged as the Capitals were by Wilson’s … Continue reading →

The Noon Number: 6 - Number of playoff series the Capitals have won since George McPhee took over as General Manager in 1997 (which makes him the fourth-longest-tenured GM in the League), three of which came in McPhee's first season on the job. Peerless breaks it down further, comparing McPhee's track record to that of his predecessor, David Poile: The Age of Poile (1982-1983 through 1996-1997): 15 seasons 3 coaches 1,180 regular season games Win-loss-T/OTL record of 594-454-132 4,180 goals scored for, 3,719 goals scored against (per game: 3.54 - 3.15) 14 playoff appearances 8 first round playoff exits 5 second round playoff exits 1 conference final Playoff win-loss record (games): 53-64 Playoff win-loss record (series): 7-14 Playoff Game 7 Record: 1-4 The Age of McPhee (1997-1998 through 2012-2013): 15 seasons 6 coaches 1,196 regular season games Win-loss-T/OTL record of 575-458-163 3,416 goals scored, 3,396 goals against (per game: 2.86 - 2.84) 10 playoff appearances 6 first round exits 3 second round exits 1 Stanley Cup final Playoff win-loss record (games): 41-48 Playoff win-loss record (series): 6-10 Playoff Game 7 Record: 2-5

Veteran defenseman Tom Poti hopes to continue his playing career but will not return to the Capitals next season. After showing he could still hold his own in the NHL after missing more than two years with injury, Poti is … Continue reading →

Your savory breakfast links: Sayonara, season. With the gear stowed and the players headed for their cottages and dachas, there's not much left to do besides ponder lessons learned and read the tea-leaved future: Stability behind the bench and a familiar playbook in place will allow the players to train with confidence and purpose this summer. It will also allow the front office to work on shaping the roster with confidence and purpose. [WaPo] Point: The roster may not need that much work at all. [WashTimes] Counterpoint: Actually, it does. Stop deluding yourselves, people. [CBS DC (audio), DC Sports Bog (transcription), OFB, DC Pro Sports Report] Will that roster include Matt Hendricks? It's not immediately clear. [RMNB] It will nearly certainly not feature Tom Poti, who states he will seek to make a roster elsewhere. [WashTimes, PHT] Perhaps it should consider better support for Alex Ovechkin... [WashTimes] ... and fewer pretty perimeter players, for crying out loud. Crash. The. Net. [DSP] Speaking of Alex, the single game he was able to play for Team Russia went just about as well for his team as Game Seven against the Rangers did... [IIHF, RMNB, Puck Daddy] ... and only now do we learn that he played Games 6 & 7, plus the game for Russia, on a broken foot. Eesh. [@CSNWashington (pic), WaPo, CSNW, RMNB, Alex Ovetjkin] "Hindsight is 20/20 and looking back now, jeez, if I could’ve done it in January and been good to go by mid-February, late February, yeah I would’ve done it." Brooks Laich reflects on his season on the sidelines. [WashTimes] Another question for next year - whither Tom Wilson? [CSNW, WashTimes] If John Tortorella would just come back here, Adam Oates would totally bite his legs off. [CSNW, Eye on Hockey] Finally, best wishes to Stephen Whyno, who has announced he's leaving the Washington Times' Caps beat to become a national reporter for the Canadian Press. [@SWhyno]

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