Onesmoothoperator has plenty of Australian experience but steps into fresh waters lining up for the Blamey Stakes at Flemington.
Previously handled in the UK, the galloper makes his bow with local trainer Tim Fitzsimmons in Saturday’s Group 2 1600m feature.
After appearances in the past two Melbourne Cups for Brian Ellison, Onesmoothoperator was retained in Australia post-16th in last year’s race to Half Yours, now under Fitzsimmons.
Victories in Echuca trials on February 3 and 13 days later signal Onesmoothoperator’s readiness to resume.
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The gelding encounters a career first shorter than 2000m in his 47-race tenure boasting six wins, such as the Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m) from 2024 and the prior year’s Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m).
“It’s going to be going to be interesting,” Fitzsimmons said.
“The mile will probably be too short for him, but you never know. Hopefully there is a little bit of speed on, but it’s a starting point for him.
“We’ll see how he goes on Saturday. The owners would love to run him in the Australian Cup, but whether he is sharp enough, we’ll have to wait and see.
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“This weekend will give us a good guide as to where we go.”
The March 28 Group 1 Australian Cup at 2000m may precede a tilt at the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) Randwick on April 11 if ground suits, at 55kg.
“He’s nominated for the Sydney Cup, but the problem would be the rain as he doesn’t go a yard on a wet track,” Fitzsimmons said.
“I think last year was a Good 4, but it’s often very wet, so the immediate aims will be the Blamey Stakes and the Australian Cup.”
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Fitzsimmons revealed a brief autumn program for Onesmoothoperator, targeting the October Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m).
Onesmoothoperator was ‘casual’ in his work and trials and only does as much as he needs, Fitzsimmons said.
“He’s an interesting horse but they’ve found the key to him, riding him cold and let him finish off,” Fitzsimmons said.
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“Talking to Brian, they tried everything. Riding him closer just doesn’t work, so one thing for sure is whatever race he’s in, he’s going to be ridden quietly to finish off.”
Fitzsimmons’ acquisition of Onesmoothoperator for Bendigo stemmed from a meeting almost 20 years prior.
He visited Perth with Bay Story, imported by Ellison for the 2006 Melbourne Cup Spring Carnival.
“It was the Christmas before I went to Singapore, 2006-2007,” Fitzsimmons said.
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“I went with Brian and we took Bay Story over for the Perth Cup and I spent probably two or three months with them, and we became such good friends.
“Brian recommended me. The owners came up on Bendigo Cup Day, had a look at the facilities and when they decided he would stay, he came to me which I’m grateful for.”
Fans should check the leading betting sites for Blamey Stakes opportunities.
Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer is currently in a relationship with an NXT star. Last year, they confirmed they were dating. While La Primera is making waves on RAW as its top titleholder, her boyfriend also won his first WWE championship this week.
The NXT star in question here is Myles Borne. On the latest episode of NXT, Borne won the NXT North American Championship. He defeated Ethan Page, ending the longest (tied with Oba Femi) NXT North American Title reign. Vaquer recently took to Instagram to express how she felt about her boyfriend’s achievement.
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Vaquer wrote that she was proud of Myles Borne because she knew how hard he worked to achieve his goals. The Women’s World Champion added that Borne deserved the North American Championship win and much more. On her Instagram Story, she also posted a picture of the 26-year-old holding his newly won title.
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“I’m so proud of you because I truly know how hard you work day after day. You deserve this and so much more [red heart emoji],” Vaquer wrote.
Stephanie Vaquer has had one of the best rookie years in WWE
Stephanie Vaquer is heading into WrestleMania 42 as the Women’s World Champion. She has had a stellar rookie year, winning a total of four titles. She first won the Women’s North American Championship from Fallon Henley. Later, she captured the NXT Women’s Championship from Giulia. At one point, she held both the titles simultaneously.
La Primera quickly transitioned to the main roster and held her ground. At Evolution, she won a 20-woman Battle Royal for a shot at the Women’s World Championship. She battled IYO SKY in possibly the best match of the night at Wrestlepalooza to capture the coveted gold.
At Crown Jewel: Perth, Stephanie Vaquer squared off against then-WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton in a Women’s Crown Jewel Title match. The RAW Superstar reigned supreme, adding another major accolade to her resume. Ahead of her match against Liv Morgan at ‘Mania, the fan-favorite star seems unstoppable.
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TORONTO — The Oklahoma City Thunder will be the defending NBA champions until sometime in mid-to-late June.
They remain favourites to be champions again, but the group that was on the floor at Scotiabank Arena are not those guys.
Not with defending MVP (and defending Finals MVP) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander back home in Oklahoma nursing an abdominal injury that has kept him out for 10 games and counting, and all-NBA wing Jalen Williams out with a bad hamstring and Ajay Mitchell — their newly discovered bench sparkplug — out now for 14 games and counting.
They are trying to navigate a post-championship season that has been more notable for who has not been playing than who has. Gilgeous-Alexander has now joined fellow starters Luguentz Dort (12), Isaiah Hartenstein (27) and Williams (33) for the dubious distinction of having missed double-digit games through the Thunder’s 59th start. As well, key reserves Mitchell (16), Aaron Wiggins (16) and Alex Caruso (21) have missed significant time.
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But somehow the Thunder continue to roll.
They were able to squeeze out a 116-107 win over the Raptors that they earned thanks to a dominant second and third quarter where they out-scored Toronto by 27, and a fantastic flurry in the final four minutes. They finished with a 15-point surge, shutting down a Raptors rally that saw them come back down 24 with one minute left in the third to tie it up with just over four minutes left.
For the Raptors (34-24), it was another loss to a quality team, this one a little more concerning since Scottie Barnes left the game early after bruising his right thigh in a collision with Hartenstein. Barnes will be listed as questionable as the Raptors host the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday night.
For the Thunder (45-14), it was one more bit of evidence that their championship pedigree extends past Gilgeous-Alexander or Williams and runs all the way through most of their rotation. On Tuesday night, it was Cason Wallace — the Thunder’s third-year on-ball stopper and the league-leader in steals — who exploded for 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. His run included six quick points after the Raptors had tied the game on a Jamal Shead three with 4:06 to play. Meanwhile, Canadian national team star Dort shed his defence-first reputation (though not before helping hold Raptors leading scorer Brandon Ingram to 14 points on 14 shots) long enough to score four of his 15 points in the final minutes on a pair of tough jumpers with the game in the balance.
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“We’ve been in a lot of those situations before, obviously we’re still without our main guys, but we know that we have to execute and find the best shot that we can get,” said Dort. “Credit to the Raptors, they didn’t give up, but down the stretch we had to find the best shots, which we did.”
It was a familiar situation for the Raptors, too. The loss dropped Toronto to 4-14 against the top 10 teams in the league by winning percentage. Three of those wins came against a (then) struggling Cleveland Cavaliers team early in the season and the other came on the road against a short-handed Thunder team back in January, although that version did have Gilgeous-Alexander in the lineup.
It’s a bit of a good news, bad news story: It’s not nothing that the Raptors are 30-10 against the league’s other 19 teams, but beating good teams is essential if all that work is going to deliver something in the post-season.
“I mean, we made a huge jump from where we were last year, like, where were we last year versus now?” said RJ Barrett, who led the Raptors with 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-6 from three, his best offensive outing since returning from knee and ankle injuries that forced him to miss 24 games in a 30-game stretch over December and January. The Raptors won just 30 games all season, was his point.
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“A lot of these teams have already been good, already been in playoff situations [or] like tonight, won a championship. They already have these guys that are battle-tested.
“It’s good for us to play these teams right now, go through these tough losses during the season so we’ll figure it out,” Barrett added. “Detroit game we got blown out [just prior to the all-star break], tonight we went down and fought all the way back, so we’re already learning and we got to continue to learn and scratch and claw and beat these good teams.”
They certainly have some blueprints they could work from, namely how they performed during the first and fourth quarters — or at least until those final four minutes.
The Raptors jumped out to a 32-25 lead after the first as they forced the Thunder into six turnovers in 12 minutes, continuing the ferocious perimeter defence they have shown since the all-star break in road wins over Chicago (23 turnovers with 14 steals) and Milwaukee (19 turnovers with 11 steals).
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It was the Raptors at their best. Rookie Collin Murray-Boyles (four points, four rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal in 30 minutes), starting at centre for Jakob Poeltl (out resting his back), got his hands on seemingly every pass the Thunder tried to throw. Barnes (15 points, seven assists, three steals and four blocks), back in the lineup after missing Sunday’s game for personal reasons, stripped Caruso’s dribble on consecutive possessions, each turning into transition lay-ups, giving the Raptors a 10-point lead — their high-water mark for the game.
They reprised that energy for a nine-minute stretch bridging the end of the third quarter and first eight minutes of the fourth as they went on a 27-3 run where they held the Thunder to 1-of-15 shooting and forced them into seven turnovers. OKC looked very much like a team needing the defending MVP to bail them out.
“I mean [the Raptors] defend really well,” said Dort. “The pressure and the way they turn us over was extremely tough, but obviously it’s hard to pressure for 48 minutes and we had to find a way to break that.”
They did. It began in the second quarter when the Thunder began taking care of the ball and some of their secondary scorers got cooking.
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Wallace — getting all the point guard reps he could hope for with Gilgeous-Alexander out — exploded for 13 of his game-high 27, making all five of his field goal attempts, including three triples. The Thunder led 60-51 at half.
In the third quarter, it was three-point specialist Isaiah Joe shaking loose, knocking down five threes, including two for four-point plays, finishing with 19 points in the frame and pushing OKC’s lead to as high as 25 — creating an 18-point cushion to start the fourth. Over the pivotal second and third quarters, OKC had just five turnovers while forcing the Raptors into seven. Related, the Raptors’ offence cratered, as they scored just 48 points over the middle two frames.
“I wish I had the answers. Hopefully the film is going to help us understand better, but the second, third quarter was not us, and it was not our identity,” said Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic, as his team allowed the Thunder to shoot 54 per cent over the middle two periods. “That was not what we did in the first quarter to start the game. We were dictating and dominating on the offensive end, creating a lot of turnovers, which fueled our offence and we took our foot [off the] gas.”
They got onto the gas again in the fourth and made it a game. The Raptors deserve plenty of credit for that. But two good quarters are not going to cut it against the NBA’s better teams, and certainly not against the defending champion Thunder — even the short-handed version.
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Barnes in good spirits: The Raptors’ workhorse banged his leg on Hartenstein’s knee with 3:38 to play and immediately limped to the bench. The Raptors were down two at the time. The Thunder quickly scored on a lay-up from Wallace, a triple from Joe and a jumper by Dort. Barnes subbed back in with the Raptors suddenly down nine with 2:29 to play and was subbed out again 90 seconds later. In the locker room, he seemed to be in a good mood, joking with locker mates Ingram and Jamal Shead, but could be seen rubbing the inside of his right thigh or knee area before going for treatment post-game. Barnes has missed just two games this season, and the Raptors won his 32 minutes against the Thunder by 18 points.
To the winners go the spoils: When Dort spoke with the media after the Thunder’s win, he had a massive diamond-encrusted necklace on over his black turtleneck sweater. At the end of the chain was a pendant shaped as a wolf’s head, roughly the size of a toddler’s hand. It’s his championship wolf, Dort told me, a gift to himself for winning the NBA title last year. His last name, translated, means wolf. “A [championship]ring wasn’t enough,” he said, laughing.
Silver lining for SGA? Gilgeous-Alexander has played a lot of high-pressure basketball in the past three years. To review: the Canadian national team star led the Thunder to the second round of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, helped the Thunder to the second round of the 2024 playoffs, led Canada to a fifth-place finish at the 2024 Olympics and helped the Thunder to their first-ever championship last summer. Chances are he’ll be playing deep into June this year and beyond, while the 2027 World Cup and 2028 Olympics aren’t all that far in the future. In that context, is missing a month or more of basketball (he’s been out since February 3rd and will be re-evaluated next week) the worst thing? “He wants to play, he doesn’t want to miss games and he didn’t want to miss this game, I’ll tell you that, so that’s a high cost to him,” said Thunder head coach Mark Daigenault. “… But getting a good reprieve out of this [could be a benefit] — not that he would ever want that — but you can’t fight your circumstances.”
On Tuesday, Kansas City Chiefs heiress Gracie Hunt posted a short Instagram video of her making a healthy recipe that she said tastes like dessert. She is best known for keeping her followers updated about her healthy routine.
Hunt shared the ingredients and the recipe and also talked about stevia.
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“I’m obsessed with stevia, and it’s my vice in life,” Hunt said.
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Hunt often grabs people’s attention with her workout routines. On Jan. 28, she posted a video of her gym session. She shared a glimpse of her workout and mentioned the “arms and abs” routine in the caption.
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“Arms & Abs Circuit,” she wrote. “I aim for 20 reps per exercise, focusing on mind–muscle connection over speed. Repeat the circuit 4️⃣ times. This is my go-to routine for building upper-body strength while keeping the core engaged the entire time.”
In the clip, Hunt started her workout with dumbbell deadlifts, then did triceps dips, followed by incline crunches and finally incline situps with a weighted bar. She also did bench hops, incline dumbbell fly and incline shoulder press.
Gracie Hunt penned a heartfelt message on her father, Clark Hunt’s, birthday
On Thursday, Gracie Hunt shared a sweet post on Instagram, celebrating her father, Clark Hunt’s, birthday.
“Happy Birthday, Dad! 🥳🎊 You make the world better every single day through the way you work, love, teach, serve, and make everyone you meet feel truly seen and special,” Gracie wrote. “You’ve impacted countless lives and are the kindest, most patient, God-fearing man I know. Thank you for leading by example and living each day with integrity and intention. I’m so grateful to call you my dad — and to celebrate another 365 days of you.”
Gracie posed with her father in the first slide of the post. She wore a body-hugging dress, while her father wore a printed blue shirt and black pants. She added a video of the Kansas City Chiefs owner cutting his birthday cake.
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Her mother, Tavia, also joined Gracie. She shared a picture with her mother in the third slide of the post. It was followed by a snap of her with her boyfriend, Derek Green, who wore a black shirt and white pants.
Trainer Mick Price recognizes the tough assignment of getting the better of Observer in the Australian Guineas following their recent showdown.
However, Price is far from abandoning his bid for a fourth success in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) which heads to Flemington this Saturday.
“He’s a nice, uncomplicated gelding and he’ll show up, but everything will have to go right for us to turn it around on Observer,” Price said.
“My opinion is no I can’t (beat Observer) but that is not how we’re training him. My opinion is Observer is the clear good horse, and we are there to do our best.”
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Price’s prior Australian Guineas conquests feature Light Fantastic (2008), Heart Of Dreams (2009), and Grunt (2018).
He also achieved second place via Tarzino in 2016, behind Palentino.
Handled by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, Planet Red has tangled with Observer three times, with Planet Red superior in two instances.
Planet Red’s initial success came against Observer in a Pakenham maiden back in May last year, prior to their rematch in the Caulfield Guineas seeing Planet Red runner-up and Observer an unfortunate third.
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Observer later succeeded in the Moonee Valley Vase and Group 1 Victoria Derby, then dominated the Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 7, Planet Red rallying late from behind for second.
Planet Red carried 2kg less than Observer then, but equal terms apply for Saturday.
“I’m not sure how we beat Observer,” Price said.
“We rode our horse cold first-up and I thought it was a very good run, a long-sustained run.
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“He’s going well and hopefully he can take up a more forward position in the race.
“He’s had a good prep for the race, he’s sound, he’s got good condition on him, and I’ve got enough horse to go to Sydney for something afterwards, but I haven’t worked that out yet.”
Price keeps the door ajar for a quick turnaround into the Group 1 Randwick Guineas a fortnight hence, despite deeming it improbable.
Price harks back to Global Glamour under Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, who managed dual Group 1 victories a week distant across borders.
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“Normally seven days after a Group 1 here and then a trip up to Sydney would be too close, but Gai did it one year from the Flight to the Thousand Guineas, so anything is possible,” Price said.
Visit the betting sites with the keenest racing betting markets for the Australian Guineas.
Team India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has revealed that batter Rinku Singh will be joining the team on Wednesday (February 25) evening, ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Zimbabwe. The Super 8 clash is scheduled to be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday, February 26.
Rinku Singh was not present for Team India’s mandatory training session on Tuesday as he had left the squad to deal with a family emergency. Reports soon emerged that the southpaw was visiting his father, whose condition, amid long-term cancer treatment, had deteriorated.
The batter has not yet returned as he is not a part of the optional training session on Wednesday, with only Tilak Varma and Varun Chakaravarthy being part of the proceedings.
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“Rinku will come back today evening,” Sitanshu Kotak confirmed during the pre-match press conference. (via RevSportz).
It remains to be seen whether Rinku Singh will be in contention for selection for the playing XI in the upcoming clash.
“There can be changes in the game” – Batting coach on Team India’s playing XI after crushing loss in IND vs SA T20 World Cup 2026 match
The batting coach admitted that the recent result against South Africa in the Super 8 stage and the left-handed top-order being exploited by oppositions, have forced the team management to think about potential changes in the combination.
“There can be changes in the game. We are thinking of the top three left-handers and oppositions bowling off spin. Now that we have lost openers early in 3 matches we are talking about it. The No. 8 position, we think is for all-rounders,” Sitanshu Kotak explained.
The coach also defended Tilak Varma, who has been struggling with form and rhythm after coming into the T20 World Cup 2026 right after an injury, followed by surgery.
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“There are no issue s with how Tilak is batting. He batted well against Pakistan. For Tilak, it is a matter of two boundaries (on his strike rate). There’s no concern about his run a ball innings. There is no tension regarding Abhishek, Tilak or even the loss against SA,” the Indian coach added.
Both Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma have had a campaign to forget so far. The former has scored only 107 runs at an average of 21.40 and a strike rate of 118.89, and was dismissed for one run against South Africa.
Abhishek Sharma, on the other hand, recorded three consecutive ducks in the group stage for India. Although he ended the string of ducks against South Africa, he perished soon after, scoring 15 runs off 12 deliveries.
Manchester United could be in for a busy summer and reports suggest they’ve set their sights on raiding relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest
Ben Crawford Senior Sports Writer
10:46, 25 Feb 2026
Manchester United are reportedly interested in Nottingham Forest duo Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson. And some sales might have to be sanctioned to afford this blockbuster double deal.
With Michael Carrick at the helm, United have made significant improvements over the last month. Having supplanted Ruben Amorim, the English manager is yet to lose any of his first six matches in charge during this spell.
Yet, bolstering the squad when the summer window opens must still be on the club’s agenda and they have reportedly singled out both Gibbs-White and Anderson. The former was the subject of a £60million bid from Tottenham over the summer, though this was rebuffed and he shortly thereafter signed a new three-year deal at the City Ground.
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Anderson is one of the Premier League’s hottest properties and whispers of a £100m price tag continue to swirl. Irrespective of whether Forest survive the drop, it appears United may launch an assault on this pair and the Manchester Evening News looks at sales the club could sanction to fund it.
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There are two obvious moves that United are expected to make come the summer: offloading both Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund, who are currently away on loan.
Hojlund is thriving at Napoli and he too has a buy-out obligation. This £38m clause is activated if Napoli qualify for next season’s Champions League and even if they don’t, it is still expected they’d attempt to purchase him.
If both of these exits go smoothly then they may generate £64m, with Rashford’s sale acting as pure profit. Next, should the dynamic Gibbs-White arrive, he would surely take the place of Bruno Fernandes in the first team.
He is only under contract until 2027 and would likely demand astronomical wages to renew. The Daily Mail reports that he has a £56.6m release clause in his contract for clubs outside of England.
Two other squad players could join Fernandes out the exit door, Mason Mount and Joshua Zirkzee. The Dutch forward was linked with a move away in January and appears out of the first-team picture.
Mount has struggled with injuries since his £60m move from Chelsea in 2023 and he would free up space if Anderson is to sign. January rumours placed Zirkzee’s price at around the £20m mark, with Mount valued at £28m as per Transfermarkt.
Altogether, selling these five players could raise roughly £170m. Forest may demand near £100m for Anderson and there is a release clause in the new deal Gibbs-White penned last summer which prevents a bidding war.
Nevertheless, a combined £170m, not to mention the wages that United may have been able to get off their books with these sales, would surely be enough to secure this potentially game-changing double transfer if personal terms can be agreed.
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
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Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.
Lots of recreational golfers have the right instinct about what’s wrong with their swing. But issues arise when they apply a superficial “solution” that doesn’t address the actual issues in their swings.
The best example? Tons of amateurs “scoop” the clubhead as they make impact with the ball. It translates into weak contact with too much loft and (usually) an open clubface. It only takes a few of those shots before you start trying to do something to address it.
Usually, that means shoving the handle toward the target in an effort to remove the scooping motion. You might be able to get away with that on a short pitch or chip, but when you add length and speed to the swing, that handle shove actually makes you scoop it more because your body responds by backing out of the shot. This will have you dumping the clubhead just to avoid hitting the ground six inches behind the ball.
In reality, the root cause of scooping at impact often has nothing to do with your hands or your release. It happens because you aren’t rotating in a way that moves the low point in front of the ball, which promotes proper compression of the ball at impact.
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Working with my teaching partner Morgan Hale, we addressed this exact problem in the video below. The student was stalling his rotation, standing up out of his posture and using his hands to try to create more speed through impact — but that doesn’t work!
To help fix the issue, we gave him three easy drills to improve his rotation, create a real pivot and get his low point more in front of the ball. If you struggle with scooping your irons at impact, they may help you, too.
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3 drills for better compression
1. Stretch and turn
Pull an exercise band against your chest by extending your arms completely, then make slow backswings and through-swings as you keep the band fully stretched. If you stop rotating or make an over-the-top move, you’ll instantly lose the stretch on the band.
2. Push with precision
Lots of people do a good job pushing with their trail foot during the downswing, but when they do it, they slide everything toward the target. Pushing is good, but you need to add in the feel of pushing your lead hip back to get the proper turn through the ball.
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To teach yourself this feel, have a friend stand to the side and hold an alignment stick in front of your lead hip. As you make practice swings with no club, make sure you’re turning through in a way that doesn’t bump your lead hip into the club.
3. Lawn mower stretch
Another way to feel that is to have somebody stand in front of you holding the resistance band on the ground with their foot where the ball would be. Hold the other end of the band in your lead hand, and when you make your downswing, pull the band tight post-impact, like you’re starting a lawn mower. The effort it takes to create the tension will encourage you to rotate and push that lead hip back instead of sliding it toward the target.
The NFL Combine’s 40-yard dash is a sprint designed to evaluate the speed and acceleration of football players by scouts for the Draft.
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Traditionally, a player’s recorded time would only impact his prospects at the “skill” positions, but these days a fast time is telling for almost every position on the field.
Of course, the 40 is not an official race in track and field athletics. So why that distance and not a 50 or 100?
According to Michael MacCambridge inAmerica’s Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation, the origin of timing football players for 40 yards comes from the average distance of a punt and the time it takes to reach that distance, as determined by Paul Brown in the mid-1940s.
Punts average around 40 yards in distance from the line of scrimmage, and the hangtime (or time of flight) averages approximately 4.5 seconds.
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Theoretically, then, if a player can run 40 yards in 4.5 seconds, he will be able to leave the line of scrimmage when a punt is kicked and reach the point where the ball comes down as it arrives.
Below we’ve compiled the 40-yard-dash time for every player from the region who has run it at the NFL Combine since 2000, along with their position, school, and the year they participated, in a searchable, sortable table.
Since the Combine wasn’t held in 2021 due to the pandemic, we’ve included the team Pr0-Day drill results for that year instead.
Washington’s John Ross recorded the fastest 40-yard-dash time among former SuperWest players and owns the all-time NFL Combine mark.
The U.S. men’s hockey team made history with its 2-1 overtime win over Team Canada at the Milan Cortina Olympics in the gold medal game Sunday.
Jack Hughes hit the golden goal to deliver the U.S. its first men’s hockey gold medal since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” team.
“We deserve it,” Matthew Tkachuk said during an exclusive sitdown on Fox News Channel’s “Special Report” about the whirlwind celebration he and his teammates have experienced in recent days.
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“We really pride ourselves on being true Americans that would doing anything it takes for this country and to win. And I’m so proud of the guys, and I’m so proud to be able to compete with them.”
Brady Tkachuk (7) and Matthew Tkachuk (19) of the United States celebrate after their game against Team Canada during the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena Feb. 22, 2026.(Geoff Burke/Imagn Images)
“You never really dream of being in this position, but to share this with (Matthew), but also my 23 other brothers … wouldn’t change it for the world,” Brady Tkachuk said about the experience of playing alongside his brother Matthew in the gold medal game.
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“To be able to represent this country and all (the) amazing people and millions of Americans that were back home, we felt their love. We felt their support.”
Team USA goaltender and Winnipeg Jets star Connor Hellebuyck discussed his transition back to Canada for NHL competition.
“Mentally, this is going to be hard to get back in it. I need at least 24 hours to wrap my brain around this because this has been not only the most fun experience of my life, but you just see the pride in this country,” Hellebuyck said.
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck of theUnited States celebrates winning the gold medal during the men’s gold medal game against Canada at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games Feb. 22, 2026, in Milan, Italy.(Andrea Branca/Eurasia Sport Images)
“It’s bigger than the game of hockey. …. I know my city loves me in Winnepeg, and I’m really looking forward to trying to bring some joy back to that city as well and hopefully chasing a (Stanley) Cup.”
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Canada has historically been the most dominant Olympic hockey team in history, with a world-best nine gold medals. Sunday’s win also avenged a loss to Canada in the NHL’s 4 Nations Face Off exhibition last year.
“The second the boots hit the ground back here in the U.S., we could feel how many millions of people were tuning in, supporting us and just loving how we represent,” Matthew added of the outpouring. “We were kind of America’s Team there for a bit, and we could feel it across the Atlantic (Ocean). We just appreciate everybody’s support. It was truly amazing just to represent the greatest country in the world at that stage.”
Dylan Larkin and Zach Werenski appeared on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends” Tuesday morning, hours after celebrating their gold medal victory against Canada in Miami. The two opened up on what it meant to them to represent the Stars and Stripes.
The United States celebrates after winning the men’s ice hockey gold medal game during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.(James Lang/Imagn Images)
“I think a lot of us played at the U.S. National Team Development Program. … When we were there, you get to put the jersey on every day for two years before you’re drafted. We go through training. We’re not military by any means, but they put us through some training, and they really instill in you some pride,” Larkin said. “Once you go through that, you take the jersey off. … And every time you take it off, for me at least, I don’t know the next time I’m going to put it on.
“So, every time I get the chance to represent the United States of America, I put that jersey on, I’m all in. I love doing it, and it’s just something special. I could go on all day about how great our country is. Just being home and seeing our friends and family, it’s just special.”
Stripped of its context, it seemed an ordinary moment. A player tumbling to the ground. A referee’s whistle. A penalty scored. An early lead.
But, as Manozh Noori raised a fist to the sky to celebrate her first international goal in her first international game, the significance to her and her teammates was overwhelming.
“It was the moment of happiness for everyone,” Noori told DW after the match.
“All of my teammates came to me and hugged me,” she said. “It was such a great moment for all of us. I dedicate this goal to all of those in Afghanistan, because they deserve happiness.”
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It has been a long time in the making. Afghanistan’s women’s football team last played an international match in 2021, before the Taliban returned to power in the country later that year. The Islamic fundamentalist nationalist movement has relentlessly repressed women since regaining power and, according to the United Nations, “is closer than ever to achieving its vision of a society that completely erases women from public life.”
Women and girls in Afghanistan see no hope for the future
All of the players on the pitch in late October were forced to flee, with playing sport in public placing a target firmly on their backs. Just over half of the squad eventually found a home in Australia; other playes settled in various European countries.
Sport a faraway, but achievable, dream
Since they were exiled, regaining their status as international footballers — which means recognition from the game’s global governors FIFA — has been the preoccupation for many. Though they are driven by playing at the top level, their deeper motivation is always front of mind.
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“Girls in Afghanistan don’t have any rights right now. Playing sport is maybe a faraway dream, but just a very simple one is studying and having education and they don’t have it,” goalkeeper Fatima Yousufi told DW.
“It’s just the biggest motivation for us to do this for all those girls,” Yousufi said. “We’re showing them that their dreams are valid.”
Fatima Yousufi was between the sticks for Afghanistan on SundayImage: Ann Odong/FIFA
Those thoughts and memories of their homeland were etched on the faces of the players as they saw their flag fly and heard their anthem play before kickoff against Chad, who eventually won 6-1 on Sunday, with tears flowing freely.
While FIFA started the process of recognizing the team in May, they are currently playing as Afghan Women United, a name picked in conjunction with the players that replaced their old status as the Afghanistan women’s refugee team. As such, the tournament they are playing in is composed of friendly matches, with Libya and Tunisia also involved. Afghanistan’s men’s team continue to compete on the global stage under Taliban control.
Yousufi was one of those who played in the team’s last fixture as Afghanistan — before the Taliban retook control following the withdrawal of US and NATO forces. Women’s football has moved on rapidly since then, with increased professionalization, booming ticket sales in many countries and increased media interest.
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Afghanistan have lots of catching up to do
With players scattered across the globe and having also to concentrate on building new lives in unfamiliar lands, Afghanistan have plenty of catching up to do. That process was not helped by the delay and last-minute change of venue for the tournament after the Afghan players’ visas were rejected by the United Arab Emirates, who had initially agreed to host, and play, in it. No official statement has yet been offered as to the reason for that rejection, but the UAE has strong diplomatic links with the Taliban.
Until a few days ago, some of Afghanistan’s players and staff hadn’t even met, now they are proud to be back on the international stageImage: Ann Odong/FIFA
“It’s very difficult, when you’ve not played international football for four years, to understand what the level is, because even in that time the game has changed a lot,” said the team’s Scottish coach, Pauline Hamill.
“I think you can see that there’s a level of potential there,” Hamill said. “I think it was a case of ‘Welcome to international football’ [in the first game], and now: ‘How do we improve moving forward? I think that’s the key message.”
FIFA promises ongoing support
After another defeat, to Tunisia, the Afghan side showed that improvement with a 7-0 win over Libya to end the tournament on a high. But, after fighting so hard to be heard and recognized for four years, the Afghan players see this as merely a first step on the path back to a sporting existence somewhat like the one they had before their lives were upended.
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FIFA president, Gianni Infantino turned up to the team’s second match, posing for pictures and declaring the tournament the start of a “beautiful, beautiful story”. He has also promised to “continue to stand by all Afghan women” and “work tirelessly to ensure that every one of them receives the support they deserve to play the game they love.”
But what happens next is not yet clear. With a government unwilling to support them, competetive fixtures are currently impossible and none are arranged as the year ends.
While they may not yet be representing their country in quite the way they want, this group of exiled women has shown their resilience time and time again. As Yousufi puts it, complete with a hint of Australian twang: “Never give up on your dreams, girls.”
Edited by: Chuck Penfold. This article is part of DW Sports’ Best of 2025 series in which we revisit some of our outstanding features from the past year. The article has been updated to reflect the latter stages of the FIFA Unites tournament.
Here’s a look at previous 40-yard dash results for players from schools in the West.
