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If you are ready to hit the ice and start playing ice hockey you need to know about the basic equipment that is essential to your game. The very basics include your stick, your skates, pucks and protective gear. There are different types of equipment for hockey which you can choose based on your preferences. Starting out, it is a good idea to buy used or at least inexpensive equipment until you discover your personal preferences.

When choosing a hockey stick, your height needs to be considered. If the stick is too long or too short, you will put unnecessary stress on your body when trying to use it and your performance in the game will be affected as well. If you visit a hockey equipment shop, the experts there can help you to determine what type of stick is best for you.

Buying skates for hockey is the easy part. When you purchase skates make sure that they fit well and have sufficient support for your ankles so you won’t easily sustain injuries or rub blisters on your feet. Pucks aren’t really anything special although you may find that you favor one style or brand over another. They are relatively inexpensive, so trying different types of pucks shouldn’t be a problem.

For protective gear you definitely need a well-fitted helmet with a mouth guard, shoulder pads, elbow pads and knee pads. A jockstrap and protective cup is also fundamental for your protection in the game of hockey. Protective girdles that cover the main part of your body are also a good idea as are hockey gloves. Neck protectors are also available for hockey players.

When you are dressed out in your hockey gear you should be protected, but sometimes protective clothing feels uncomfortable and some types may interfere with your mobility. If you feel like you can’t move you might want to try different types of protective gear, but for your safety, don’t give it up entirely. Unnecessary injuries can be prevented by using protective gear. You’ll eventually find the right mix of equipment, clothing and gear that will make you feel both comfortable and safe on the ice. As you get more familiar with the game and what it entails, you have a better idea of what you like and don’t like and you’ll be able to select higher quality gear that suits your needs and preferences for the game of hockey.

Despite their importance to a wide range of athletic and sporting activities, the hip flexors are the most neglected major muscle group in strength training. It is very rare to find training programs that include hip flexor exercises. By contrast there is usually a great deal of emphasis on exercises for the leg extensors.

There are some obvious reasons for this comparative neglect. The principal muscles involved in hip flexion are the psoas and the iliacus, collectively known as the iliopsoas. Because they are relatively deep-seated rather than surface muscles they may have been overlooked by bodybuilders who have traditionally been the major innovators in strength training. Secondly, there are no obvious ways to adequately exercise them with free weights. Finally, these muscles do not have the obvious functional importance of their extensor counterparts. Yet, as antagonists, both hip and knee flexors perform a vital role in controlling the rate of descent and ascent in leg extension exercises such as the squat.

There is no corresponding problem of underdevelopment with the muscles responsible for knee joint flexion, the hamstring group. Because they cross two joints they are active in both leg extension and leg flexion. They act to flex the knee joint and also to extend the hip joint. Therefore they tend to be strengthened by complex leg extension exercises. Also hamstrings can be developed and strengthened through the use of the leg curl apparatus.

Strong hip flexors provide an advantage in a wide range of sports and athletic activities. In sprinting high knee lift is associated with increased stride length and therefore considerable attention is given to exercising the hip flexors. However, they are usually not exercised against resistance and consequently there is unlikely to be any appreciable strength increase.

Hip flexor strength is directly relevant to a range of activities in football. Kicking a ball is a complex coordinated action involving simultaneous knee extension and hip flexion, so developing a more powerful kick requires exercises applicable to these muscle groups. Strong hip flexors can also be very advantageous in the tackle situation in American football and both rugby union and rugby league where a player is attempting to take further steps forward with an opposing player clinging to his legs.

In addition those players in American football and rugby who have massively developed quadriceps and gluteus muscles are often unable to generate rapid knee lift and hence tend to shuffle around the field. Having stronger flexors would significantly improve their mobility.

It is commonly asserted that marked strength disparity between hip extensors and hip flexors may be a contributing factor in hamstring injuries in footballers. It is interesting to speculate on whether hip extensor/flexor imbalance might also be associated with the relatively high incidence of groin injuries.

Other sports where increased iliopsoas strength would appear to offer benefits include cycling, rowing and mountain climbing, in particular when scaling rock faces.

The problem in developing hip flexor strength has been the lack of appropriate exercises. Two that have traditionally been used for this muscle group are incline sit-ups and hanging leg raises, but in both cases the resistance is basically provided by the exerciser’s own body weight. As a consequence these exercises can make only a very limited contribution to actually strengthening the flexors.

Until now the only weighted resistance equipment employed for this purpose has been the multi-hip type machine. When using this multi-function apparatus for hip flexion the exerciser pushes with the lower thigh against a padded roller which swings in an arc. One difficulty with this apparatus is that the position of the hip joint is not fixed and thus it is difficult to maintain correct form when using heavy weights or lifting the thigh above the horizontal.

With the release of the MyoQuip HipneeFlex there is now a machine specifically designed to develop and strengthen the leg flexors. It exercises both hip and knee flexors simultaneously from full extension to full flexion. Because the biomechanical efficiency of these joints decreases in moving from extension to flexion, the mechanism is configured to provide decreasing resistance throughout the exercise movement and thus appropriate loading to both sets of flexors.

The absence until now of effective techniques for developing the hip flexors means that we do not really know what benefits would flow from their full development. However, given that in elite sport comparatively minor performance improvements can translate into contest supremacy, it is an area that offers great potential.

There is no doubt about it, Tony Stewart is proving he is a force to be reckoned with on the race track. With an extraordinary five wins out of the last seven races, Stewart has charged his way to the top of the points. The Home Depot’s ability to dominate week in and week out has netted Stewart 1,431 points over the last eight races. This is slamming the door on many drivers outside of the top ten who had hopes of making it into the Chase by being within the 400 point window.

There is also no doubting that the change in the NEXTEL Cup points system, which was implemented by NASCAR in 2004, is shaking things up. One of the big questions this season is whether Jeff Gordon will make it into the 2005 Chase for the Championship. Gordon is currently in 13th place, which is 67 points behind the 10th place driver, Carl Edwards. The 24 team has planned tests at Michigan, Bristol and Richmond in hopes they can turn their season around and finish in the top 10.

It will be interesting to watch Jamie McMurray over the next four races. Currently in 9th place, McMurray is the only Ganassi driver with a chance of making it into the Chase for the Championship. McMurray is going to do everything within his power to ensure he doesn’t repeat last years 11th place finish which left him out of the running for the Chase.

The pressure is on Elliott Sadler and Yates teammate Dale Jarrett. These two drivers are in a tie, merely three points outside of 10th place. These drivers need perfect pit stops and flawless cars for each of the next four races to take a place among the top ten. No one should count Childress racer Kevin Harvick out of the running, yet. Sitting in 14th place and 70 points outside of the top ten, Lady Luck can easily escort Harvick into the much coveted top ten standings.

The last four races leading up to the Chase are going to be worth watching. Mistakes here and there, a blown tire, or a speeding on pit row penalty will cost deeply, and can easily rattle around positions 7 through 14. So who will make the Chase for the Championship? It will all be decided at the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 night race at Richmond International Speedway on September 10th.

by Wendy Jackson for RacerWeek.com

Wendy Jackson is a freelance writer who covers the NASCAR Nextel Cup series for RacerWeek.com. You can join in with Wendy and other auto sport fans online at http://www.RacerWeek.com. Here you can read the latest news and information in auto sports, including NASCAR, F1 and Rally. You can also join in on the forums to discuss and give your opinions on what is currently happening in the wide world of auto sports. Visit http://www.RacerWeek.com to learn more.

It’s a fact! All want more power and distance. Whether you hit the ball 200 or 300 yards adding an extra 10-15 yards to your driver gives any player confidence, and a distinct advantage over the competition.

The majority of instruction that we deliver is based upon customer feedback. Customers email us consistently with a breakdown of distance per club. They also provide where they would like to get to; usually 10-15 yards increase off the tee and on their approach shots.

The following tip is suggested to players who want an easy to implement way to generate extra distance off the tee. I don’t recommend this set-up from the fairway or around the green, but should give you and extra 10-15 yards off the tee. In the full swing DVD we gave you a section that focused on the driver, but as we all know there is more to learn. We are in the process of creating an entire DVD on the driver and successfully getting off the tee. But until then here is a tip that will help you add extra distance off the tee!

The following is a simple breakdown including different ways that power and distance is generated in our golf swing (I want you to understand what generates power):

Solid Ball Contact: Not on heel or toe.

Hand Rotation through the impact zone.

Weight shift through the ball.

Follow-Through position: This is more of a check point. Club face up at follow-through = less power. Club face down at follow-through = more power.

The Problem

Lack of distance off the tee.

The Solution

I am going to teach you a modified set-up that will allow for maximum power generation. Typically players that have a slight draw generate more distance than players that hit a fade, so this set-up will put you in a position to hit a draw. This is also true for players on the tour (other than Tiger who can hit a 320 yard high fade). The following are steps to modify your set-up in order to allow for maximum distance:

Go through your normal set-up routine. Always remember to bend at the hips and not the stomach or waist. Please go here for a refresher on the setup -

http://www.hypertracker.com/go/dnevogt/sendtoonlinesetup1/

Close your stance: Move your trailing foot back so that the toes are parallel to the middle of your leading foot.

Put a little more weight on your front foot: Instead of 50/50 you’ll have 60% on your leading leg and 40% of your weight on your trailing leg. Essentially you’ll almost be leaning a little forward at set-up.

Knee bend stays the same and then simply take your normal swing, focusing on really shifting your weight and otating your hands through the impact zone. (We do advise you to shift your weight forward through the ball, but we DO NOT advise a weight shift back and away from the ball in your backswing.)

These modifications place your body in a very powerful position at set-up.

Again please only implement this set-up off the tee. You can try it with your irons on the practice range, and if you see amazing results then play around with it on the course, but please don’t change your entire set-up for the irons.

In the first game of TNT’s double-header, Cleveland at 27-17 SU actually comes into this game with an ever so slight higher winning percentage (by .005) than Miami at 28-18 SU. The difference is that the Cavaliers have been profitable at 25-17-2 ATS overall where the Heat are a mere 22-23-1 ATS on the season.

The Cavaliers in fact ride into this game on a sweet 7-0 SU and 5-1-1 ATS run. For that matter, they are also a bookie crushing 15-7-2 ATS vs. the East and 11-10 ATS on the trail. But before you bet the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Labron James and Crew this evening, we should point out they have struggled in this particular role.

We are referring to Cleveland’s 3-7 ATS mark as a road underdog. Of course, this implies that they are 8-3 ATS as a road favorite. In other words, CLE is a great bully on the trail but get slapped around by the better teams.

Miami for their part has not exactly excelled in this role either. Note that the Heat are just 4-8 ATS hosting teams with a winning record and 8-12-1 ATS overall in South Beach. Perhaps, one silver lining for MIA backers is that their team is on a minor uptick with a 4-2-1 ATS mark their last seven home games. In addition, the home team is 4-2 ATS the past six meetings.

In the second game of TNT’s double-dip, San Antonio checks into this game at 36-10 SU and 21-24-1 ATS. They ride into this game on a 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS run. We should note that their one pointspread loss came last night at Portland when they extinguished the Blazers 86-82 as an 8.5-point road favorite.

This is actually game three of an eight game road swing the Spurs, their longest trip away from the Alamo all season. We should also note that SA is just 2-5 ATS in the second of back-to-back games. They are also just 2-5 ATS vs. the Pacific after dropping the cash yesterday.

Did we mention that SA is also a complacent 3-8 ATS after a close win (6-points or less). Do we sense a pattern here? Yes, the Spurs have been overvalued this season (thus far), although they are 4-1 ATS their last five on the trail.

Before doubling up on the Warriors, though, we should point out the host does not exactly have a stack of evidence in their favor. Golden State is a hardly golden 20-24 SU and 21-23 ATS overall. They are also just 3-10 SU and 5-8 ATS their last thirteen games.

In addition, ‘State is a paltry 10-14 ATS as a host, including a pathetic 4-9 ATS when the visitor boasts a winning record. And in case you are wondering, they are a mere 2-3 ATS as a home dog and 0-4 ATS the past four meetings. The one “silver” lining for Golden State is that they are riding a 3-0 ATS run into this game.

It then used those totals to decide who to lay off. Knolls totaled those scores and gave the employees additional points based on their years of service. The Supreme Court has previously recognized that the employer has the burden to establish the BFOQ affirmative defense. A lawyer from Wassenaar won from a lawfirm in Carson City Nevada It has the burden to prove that its decision was based on a reasonable factor other than age. In other words the ADEA permits employers to discriminate based on age considering age is legitimately necessary under the circumstances. In that case Meacham versus Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory the Supreme Court interpreted a provision of the ADEA that permits an employer to take an adverse employment action against an employee. The Supreme Court ruled that if an employer seeks to rely on that defense. As long as the adverse action is based on reasonable factors other than age. For example it would not be illegal to consider criteria for a particular role in a movie that has a disparate impact on age if the part calls for someone of a particular age. Specifically the jury found that although the plaintiffs did not prove that Knolls intentionally discriminated against them they did prove that Knolls method of deciding who to lay off disproportionately harmed older workers. In Meacham Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory was planning to lay off a number of employees. The Supreme Court then agreed to hear the case and eventually reversed the Second Circuit and reinstated the jurys finding that Knolls policy unlawfully discriminated because of age. The company had its supervisors rate their subordinates based on their performance flexibility and critical skills. Thirty of the 52 salaried employees the company laid off were at least 60 years old. The BFOQ defense states that it is not unlawful for an employer to take adverse employment actions otherwise prohibited by the ADEA where age is a bona fide occupational qualification reasonably necessary to the normal operation of the particular business. In reaching its conclusion that the employer has the burden to prove the reasonable factors other than age defense the Supreme Court looked at another provision of the ADEA the bona fide occupational qualification defense. Twenty-eight of those 63 employees sued under the ADEA claiming Knolls illegally fired them because of their age. Even if the employment action is otherwise prohibited by the ADEA. At the trial a jury found Knolls had violated the ADEA because its layoff procedure had a disparate impact based on age. The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit initially affirmed the jurys findings but after the United States Supreme Court asked it to reconsider the Second Circuit reversed itself and ruled in favor of Knolls.

You have permission to publish this article in its entirety either, electronically or in print, free of charge. As long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be greatly appreciated! Thank You.

HOME MADE BOBBER FOR CATFISHING I have lost a couple of larger bobbers when fishing for catfish on the Ohio River. Even when I bought them at a flea market they still cost $3 each. Once the line breaks on a snag that bobber is gone forever with the current. So a friend of mine show me a way to make up my own bobber that cost next to nothing.

The biggest concern is how much current you plan on fishing in with the boober. A large bobber can be made to handle 5-6 ounces in sinkers to hold the line steady. A smaller one 3-5 ounces will do a good job for you. For a large bobber use a 20 ounce plastic soft drink bottle. A smaller one use either an 8 or 12 ounce plastic juce bottle. Stuff the bottle with styrofoam pieces. One source I use is the styrofoam take out coffee cups. Just cut them up and stuff in the bottle until filled. Screw a very small eyelet screw into the top of the bottle cap. Put some glue in the cap by the screw and the inside of the cap then tighten it to the bottle.

The final touch is paint the bottom half of the bottle with a florescence paint. Whatever color you like just so you can spot the bober after a long cast. The bobber will NOT cast as far as a streamline bobber, but will do a good job of showing a bite.

This can save YOU a buck or two for you over a fishing season. Tight line and lots of action. nlcatfish@fuse.net webmaster for Cincinnati Catfishing www.cincinnaticatfishing.com AND SHOP WITHOUT DROPPING www.cincinnaticatfishing.com/Shop1.html Links 4 Fishing Information And Supplies www.cincinnaticatfishing.com/links4fishing.html

It’s funny how a term can so be honored in one place, yet so degraded in another — within the same sport.

In college basketball, the word “Atlantic” conjures up images of ACC powerhouses such as Duke, Wake Forest, UNC, and the University of Maryland, all perennial Final Four and Top 25 powerhouses. The eastern seaboard along Interstate 95 has come to be associated with pure dominance.

The pros are a different story. Since the NBA realignment two years ago, the Atlantic has become a laughingstock, occasionally referred to as “The Wacklantic” or other invented names. There’s good reason — the current Atlantic Division leaders, the Boston Celtics, are a very average 29-28, good for a .509 winning percentage. Among the other five division leaders, the lowest winning percentage is .648, presently held by the surging Pistons.

What’s worse is this — whoever emerges as the Atlantic “champion” draws the three seed in the East, yet might lose home court advantage to the eventual six-seed (probably the Bulls, Wizards, or Cavs). David Stern has gone on record as saying the six-seed will be investigated for possibly going in the tank down the stretch to draw a more favorable first-round match-up.

The Atlantic is a poor complement to torrid play in other divisions this season, but there may be cause for hope. At the trading deadline last Thursday, several division “powerhouses” beefed up their weak lineups, causing us to reconsider the entire balance of power within the Northeast. Hoops Avenue now presents the new “power” rankings for the Atlantic Division:

1) Philadelphia 76ers: AI’s crew nabbed perennial All-Star, 20 and 10 man Chris Webber at the deadline, sending tremors throughout the entire East. Webber does play on a bum knee, but Iverson has never had a sidekick of this magnitude before. Consider this: Iverson, who is the most prolific scorer in the league but regularly suffers from being banged up since he’s the only true option in Philly much of the time, reached the Finals once — in 2001, with Dikembe Mutombo as his running mate. Not to dismiss Deke, but Webber is an excellent four-man who can drain it from the elbow or ram it inside. The Sixers did fall in Webber’s debut to the Kings (ironic), but the team hadn’t had a chance to jell yet — and when they do (Iverson is actually awaiting practice), watch out. Philly plays the majority of its remaining games at home, and C-Webb will get it on with inexperienced Mike Sweetney (Knicks) and overhyped Raef LaFrentz (Celtics) as division ball heats up. The Sixers should easily capture the Atlantic behind the AI/C-Webb dynamic alongside a blossoming Samuel Dalembert, and might even serve as a tough draw for the eventual sixth team in the East.

2) Boston Celtics: The Celtics have played good ball this year, and they just re-acquired a do-everything forward in “Employee Number Eighty-Eight,” Antoine Walker. If you’re confused about why Danny Ainge re-acquired ‘Toine after shipping him out two years ago, don’t worry — so are we. We just figure he’s trying to win the Atlantic this year to bide himself some time and build the Celtics towards prominence again. It’s not a bad plan — Boston has a solid young crew, including Al Jefferson, Marcus Banks, Tony Allen, and Delonte West. The only problem is, Ainge lost the “big deal at the deadline” award to Philly. Webber means more than ‘Toine, and this young team isn’t prepared for a stretch-run battle in the Atlantic.

3) New Jersey Nets: You would think, logically, that a team anchored by Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, and Richard Jefferson — all of whom have received MVP whispers in the past four years — would walk away with this division, right? Not quite. The Nets are as deep as a piece of looseleaf paper, running former Hawks retread Jacque Vaughn behind Kidd, with luminaries such as Rodney Buford, Ron Mercer and Jabari Smith spelling at other positions. To add to the litany of problems for Jer-Zee, their middle is softer than your average Krispy Kreme selection, currently “anchored” by rookie Nenad Krstic.

4) New York Knicks: It’s hard for me to admit how far the Knicks have fallen, considering they were the team of my boyhood. Ewing with those arms outstretched, imploring MSG to explode — ah, fond memories. Now, the Knicks have a variety of over-priced talent (Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Allan Houston), some decent emerging talent (Mike Sweetney), and virtually no backups at the PG and C slot. For the past three years, the Knicks have essentially run an offensive set of four guards and one power forward, which does very little outside of private high school basketball in the southeast. For sheer talent alone, you have to like the Knicks to not bring up the rear in the Atlantic, but then again, they do have Bruno Sundoy running the paint

5) Toronto Raptors: One problem the Raptors don’t have is the paint, where superstar-in-waiting Chris Bosh plays alongside inferior Arizona product Loren Woods (we’ll bet you weren’t entirely sure he was in the league). Unfortunately for north-of-the-border basketball fans, that’s the only problem the Raptors don’t have. Otherwise, rookie coach Sam Mitchell has lost control of the team while feuding with former street-ball prodigy cum NBA point guard Rafer Alston, Jalen Rose wants out more than a man in Nine West, and fading stars such as Donyell Marshall and Lamond Murray are looking for some final paychecks here (with more tax, mind you). The Raptors are currently fourth in the division, but don’t have the chemistry or the talent to finish anywhere except the cellar.

Being without a girlfriend in the world where you observe couples in any bar and nightclub can be a horrible feeling. I personally know of 3 without a girl friends who go on dates each and every day and each week they are lonely because they are still single. In the wonderful city of London there are a large number of wonderful working girls, these fabulous working girls are the perfect present to give yourself if you are without a partner.

Call girls in the amazing city of London are terrific and pretty and have a high education making them excellent companions as well as superb lovers. The escorts in London are often more expensive than anyplace else like Manchester, the reason for this is the call girls tend to be of an improved class. Escorts London are so stunning, use Lucy Bond for the hottest.

Working girls have been made popular with the tv show Secret Diary with the graceful Billie Piper. In the tv show the call girl is made out to be glamorous and rich and always looking graceful. The show is a top rated series in the United Kingdom and many men have seen it and have now booked a call girl. This has helped to fuel the rise in single guys feeling much happier and excited about the choice of women a single boy has in London.

Golf fitness training might sound grueling, sweaty and a lot of work! Doesn’t have to be that way. Now of course I’d be lying to you to say it’s easy and you won’t have to make a small commitment to stick with it to see results.

But what I am saying is…you can participate in a golf fitness training program with minimal equipment and can do it right in your home or even your office.

How ?

With only a stability ball, exercise tubing and a pair of handweights. Grand total…under $60 for your “total golf fitness gym”. That’s about one months membership to your local club that you’ll visit once or twice and never go back (but keep paying every month).

I want you to get that picture out of your head of the “muscle-bound” hulk, heaving hundreds of pounds with on arm, slamming it to the floor and letting out the infamous LOUD GRUNT for attention.

No..you’ll be doing golf-specific exercises with bands, balls and handweights that will quickly and directly benefit your golf swing. Sports conditioning or in this instance golf fitness training requires you to use your body in space incorporating balance, stabilization and sequence of timing just like your golf swing.

The direct correlation results in longer, more accurate drives, hitting a larger number of greens in regulation and walking off the course beating the pants off of your playing partners.

Now that’s “instant gratification” at its best!

And how about no more injuries! I’m dead serious! All those aches and pains finally gone. Forever! A stronger more flexible body will have a much higher level of resistance to pain and injury. And the added bonus is swinging “easier” and with much less effort, but seeing the ball go much further and straighter. It will feel like an “out-of-body” experience.

A few words of caution!

If you hear or see any programs touting they are golf fitness training and see the golfer and/or trainer using the basic machines in the gym, this is NOT golf fitness training. This is without a doubt “general fitness”. Not altogether a bad thing, but won’t directly help your golf game.

Working on a stability ball, and using tubing and handweights you can mimic many phases of the golf swing and at the same time challenge your core stabilization, balance and muscular endurance. All critical factors in achieving optimal swing mechanics for 18 holes.

And…they’re fun to use. You’ll never get board. You can always make it more challenging from a balance and/or stabilization factor.

Just try to get one of those “muscle-heads” on a stability ball lifting the same heavy weights they use. Call the medics..cause it’s going to get ugly real quick.

You see…most people who workout in the gym never challenge their proprioceptive awareness (or simply…using their body in space). This is the key to great golf.

The stronger you can get your core stabilizers, coupled with increased rotational flexibility…you’re headed to an awesome game of golf. You’ll definitely be the envy of your foursome.

So don’t hesitate to get started on your golf fitness training right away!