A good tennis player who understands strategy and tactics knows how to deal with tennis demands first and only then tries to outplay his opponent. Learn basic and advanced neutralizing and offensive tennis strategies that will help you win more matches.
The first rule of tennis strategy is not to beat yourself. That means that your first goal when playing tennis is to keep the ball in play.
But just pushing the ball over won't do it if you are playing against quality players. Your shots need to be deep, with good pace to prevent your opponent from setting up for the shot and they need to be directed into open court to keep your opponent on the move.
So your first opponent in tennis is actually… tennis. You are dealing with tennis challenges - judging the ball flight, moving to the ball, timing the shots and trying to hit that big square over that 1m high net.
That's tennis and its demands.
Only when you are quite comfortable and consistent in not losing to yourself - or the tennis game - only then can you start playing against your opponent.
Now you are looking for general tennis strategies with which you will try either to neutralize your opponent's advantages or to take advantage or their weaknesses.
Let's see first the neutralizing strategies:
1. Prevent opponent from attacking with their strength - Majority of players have one shot better than the other and that is the first thing you need to notice. And most players prefer forehand against their backhand so playing to their backhand more would be a simple way of neutralizing their better forehand.
2. Prevent player getting in a good attacking position - A good attacking position is when the ball is short and at the right height, the ball could be off center so that the attacker has a good angle of attack, or the ball is simply not forcing your opponent to move so they can be more precise with their shots.
Good neutralizing strategies are logical: play deep, down the middle or keep your opponent on the move.
There are of course more neutralizing strategies and tactics but for now let's just master the simple ones before we move on to the advanced and expert tennis tactics.
Offensive tennis strategies are sometimes very similar to neutralizing. The only difference is your intention and sometimes the speed and precision of the played shot.
1. Take advantage of opponent's weakness - This is usually their weaker shot but can also be movement. By playing aggressively to their weaker side you can force a mistake or get a short ball which you can put away. Opponent's weakness can for example be their net play. You can then bring opponent to the net by playing short and then taking advantage of their poor volley and overhead skills to win the point.
2. Take time from opponent - This is the favorite strategy of players at all levels but many of them do not know how and when to use it to best effect. Most players just try to hit the ball hard which is one of the tactics to take time from opponent. Another tactic is to play the ball early like Andre Agassi used to play.
These are just two of the offensive tennis strategies that you can use to gain advantage in the point.
Remember - your first goal when playing competitive tennis is to be consistent and not lose to tennis itself. Only when you can play tennis consistently with very few unforced errors should you start thinking about trying to outplay your opponent.
Sport is one of the most notorious group activities. It brings people together. It makes people aware of each other’s strong and weak points. Sport also has a way of bringing people closer. Many couples around the world met in the sports field. While competing against each other, people begin to form attractions and even fall in love. Competition and rivalry in sports sometimes turns into a whole different set of emotions, which then becomes evident and reveals itself in the outskirts of sports field.
Tennis is an evident example in this matter. Many boys and girls first meet at the tennis field. Even if they aren’t as beautiful as Maria Sharapova, or play with such physical strength as Roger Federer, they still catch the attention of viewers, plunging into the love story, which begins in the tennis game. There are more than several examples to this phenomenon; I shall name two.
In an old American film called “Nobody’s perfect” a guy (played by Chad Lowe) falls in love with a girl (played by Gail O’Grady), while watching her moves at the college tennis court. He tries to get closer to her and ends up dressing up as a girl, playing in her team, as they get ready for an important tennis match. When she finds out the truth about him, she leaves him, but later is forced to ask him to come back and play with her in the important tennis match. Naturally, they play and win, kiss in a happy-end right there at the tennis court, thereby only strengthening the main idea of this tennis article.
Another, far more known example, is the case of Vladimir Nabokov’s “Lolita”. When Humbert takes Lolita with him to his hopeless journey, he tries to engage her in sports activities, such as swimming and playing tennis. He describes in very small, exact details the picture he gets watching her play: "She would wait and relax for a bar or two of white-lined time before going into the act of serving, and often bounced the ball once or twice, or pawed the ground a little, always at ease, always rather vague about the tennis scores, always cheerful as she so seldom was in the dark life she led at home”.
Needless to say, no one would like to raise the kind of emotions Humbert feels for his beloved; nevertheless, it is hard to argue with the notion that love often sparkles and grows at the sports field.
After learning about betting point spreads, our favorite newbie bettor Emily wanted to know about betting tennis. There are no point spreads in tennis because there is no meaningful way to measure how much a tennis player wins or loses by. In tennis, all that really matters is who wins and loses the match, and that's where money line wagering comes into play. Following are tips on understanding tennis odds and betting tennis matches.
For example, Emily's favorite tennis player Serena Williams wins a majority of her matches. The chances of winning for Serena's opponent, let's say the 102nd-ranked player in the world, would be less than 50-50 for this very reason.
Thus, sportsbooks would make bettors wager significantly more money on Serena than her opponent because of the disproportionate likelihood of Serena winning the match.
In the case of Serena Williams versus an overmatched opponent, a reasonable money line would require Serena bettors to risk $400 to win $100; while a $100 bet on her opponent would win $360.
Here's how the money line would be listed: Serena Williams -400 / #102 Ranked Opponent +360
Every $400 bet on Serena nets a $100 profit if she wins (plus the return of the $400 risked). If her opponent pulls off the upset, $100 bet on the underdog would profit $360 (plus the return of the $100 risked). For more information on how this works, make sure to check out Reading and Understanding Money Lines.
Another popular way of betting tennis is picking the winner of each tournament before it starts. In fact, "Betting to Win" an outcome event like Wimbledon is the most common way to wager on tennis. Since tennis has multiple tournaments over the course of a year, "Betting to Win" obviously offers numerous wagering opportunities. It is very important to note that not all the competitors in a tennis tournament may be listed, so another tennis betting option is a "field" bet which includes all other competitors not listed.
The tennis odds on a "field" bet are typically comparable to a bet on the favorite in order to protect sportsbooks from taking a big hit if a major upset occurs. In exchange for a lesser payout, field bettors gain the advantage of having more than one entrant that can win for them. For example, the top 20 players going into a tournament might be listed with their own individual odds while the rest of the players are grouped together.
Some sportsbooks will also allow you to bet futures on the four major major tournaments, which is yet another way you can "Bet to Win" that can offer you appealing odds because you are betting far in advance of when the event takes place. For example, betting on the 2006 Australian Open now might get you much better value on Serena, who may be 10/1 at this moment but dip to 6/1 closer to the event if she is on fire. For more information on the value of betting golf futures, read How Future Bets Can Pay Off.
Before placing a future bet or any bet on any tennis player, it's important to find out their strengths and weaknesses. Some tennis players perform better on different surfaces, and it must be noted that the French Open is played on clay and Wimbledon on grass. Playing on clay was the biggest weakness for Pete Sampras, arguably the best tennis player ever. He won 7 Wimbledon titles but never brought home a French championship. Fortunately for Sampras, he also performed well on a hardcourt surface (the most common), where he earned the other half of his 14 career Grand Slam tournament wins.
Other possibilities for betting tennis include proposition bets on the number of sets a match lasts. There are several advantages to betting at elite online sportsbooks but the very best will give you the most wagering opportunities, so it's a good idea to shop around and find out what everybody has to offer.
If you are a knowledgeable tennis fan who has a good feel about how a match will likely turn out, then you should most definitely trust your insights and use them to find strong bets. For those of you with less experience, several sports web sites have power rankings for players which should give you a good idea of who's hot on the tennis court and who's not. Of course it's up to you to decide which driver you want to bet on, but the more you learn about tennis, the more prepared you will be when placing your bet. Hopefully now you understand the basics of betting tennis and how tennis odds work!
This simple plant ginger is not only a wonderful tasting spice that gives vibrancy and pungency to any meal but it also contains many wonderful healing properties that have been revered by the great ancient civilisations of India and China for over 5,000 years. Today one of the big ginger producers is Jamaica and and India. The rhizomes (the bulbous root) are the location where all the wonderful healing properties of the plant are stored. I am just going to explain briefly about a couple of the kinds of properties that ginger is blessed with. The first one is the essential oil that is extracted through a method of distillation from the plant. Ginger is made up of the following essential oils properties alpha-cadinene, alfa-farnesene. beta bisolobene, beta-bisabolol, beta phellandrene, beta pinene, camphene, limonene, alfa cadinol, citral, citronellal. I know that these names may not mean much to you but on a molecular level it means that they have different properties that are naturally synergistically combined to give ginger extremely powerful and potent healing abilities that include:
analgesic, anti-inflammatories, antiseptic, expectorant, anti-viral and many others.
In addition to all of the above ginger also contains proteins and minerals amongst which are aluminium, magnesium, phrosphorus and zinc. Being an aromatherapist I often use ginger essential oil in various blends for digestive conditions, sickness and aching muscles. (But did you know that using the fresh ginger root is just as therapeutic as using the essential oil?) Fresh ginger is full of wonderful healing properties that can help with many illnesses including helping to prevent heart conditions. One of the most common uses of ginger is in combating motion sickness. More recent studies have also explained its potency in tackling inflammation and pain. One active ingredient in this important role is - gingerols - that act on a specific sensory receptor called the vanilloid receptor. This receptor sits on the pain sensory nerve endings (this is where the body submits nerve impulses from to tell our brain that we are feeling pain). The vanilloid receptor reacts to heat and acidity and this is how the active molecular structure of ginger reacts with these receptors to block pain.
Recent investigations into how best use of ginger as an anti-inflammatory pain killer has come up with some of the following ways:
Drinking it as a tea throughout regular intervals during the day. Making a compress to apply to the injured area and repeating this therapy every 6 hours
This makes ginger an extremely useful and inexpensive treatment that can be used for tennis elbow suffers and other tendonitis and arthritic conditions to effectively reduce inflammation and pain. In other words ginger can be used as part of a tennis elbow treatment program along with other natural healing techniques.
This simple plant ginger is not only a wonderful tasting spice that gives vibrancy and pungency to any meal but it also contains many wonderful healing properties that have been revered by the great ancient civilisations of India and China for over 5,000 years. Today one of the big ginger producers is Jamaica and India. The rhizomes (the bulbous root) are the location where all the wonderful healing properties of the plant are stored. I am just going to explain briefly about a couple of the kinds of properties that ginger is blessed with. The first one is the essential oil that is extracted through a method of distillation from the plant. Ginger is made up of the following essential oils properties alpha-cadinene, alfa-farnesene. beta bisolobene, beta-bisabolol, beta phellandrene, beta pinene, camphene, limonene, alfa cadinol, citral, citronellal. I know that these names may not mean much to you but on a molecular level it means that they have different properties that are naturally synergistically combined to give ginger extremely powerful and potent healing abilities that include:
analgesic, anti-inflammatories, antiseptic, expectorant, anti-viral and many others.
In addition to all of the above ginger also contains proteins and minerals amongst which are aluminium, magnesium, phrosphorus and zinc. Being an aromatherapist I often use ginger essential oil in various blends for digestive conditions, sickness and aching muscles. (But did you know that using the fresh ginger root is just as therapeutic as using the essential oil?) Fresh ginger is full of wonderful healing properties that can help with many illnesses including helping to prevent heart conditions. One of the most common uses of ginger is in combating motion sickness. More recent studies have also explained its potency in tackling inflammation and pain. One active ingredient in this important role is - gingerols - that act on a specific sensory receptor called the vanilloid receptor. This receptor sits on the pain sensory nerve endings (this is where the body submits nerve impulses from to tell our brain that we are feeling pain). The vanilloid receptor reacts to heat and acidity and this is how the active molecular structure of ginger reacts with these receptors to block pain.
Recent investigations into how best use of ginger as an anti-inflammatory pain killer has come up with some of the following ways:
Drinking it as a tea throughout regular intervals during the day. Making a compress to apply to the injured area and repeating this therapy every 6 hours
This makes ginger an extremely useful and inexpensive treatment that can be used for tennis elbow suffers and other tendonitis and arthritic conditions to effectively reduce inflammation and pain. In other words ginger can be used as part of a tennis elbow treatment program along with other natural healing techniques.
Tennis tip #1
When you start your warm up before the match you first need to get used to the conditions and your feel and form for that day. It's not realistic to expect that you'll be feeling superbly well every day.
So check the conditions - windy, sunny, hot or something else and adapt your shots and tactics accordingly. Then check your feel for the ball and racquet, your general mood and look to improve on them.
Tennis tip #2
When you start the match you furthermore need to get used to your opponent's play. Most of the players don't play the same in the warm up as they do in the match. So you are very likely to see and feel new speeds and spins of the ball.
Don't panic if you can't adapt in the first minute. Your brain is getting the information, unless you're too emotional. Remember previous matches, how you found your timing on returns or volleys or whatever caused problems at first.
Just watch the ball well and notice what is happening - are you late, too far, is the ball too high and then gradually adapt. Don't force it - it will happen if you are relaxed.
Tennis tip #3
The most important shots which define how the point will be played are the serve and the return. If you have a weak serve and return, then you'll be on defense the whole point.
A good serving tip is to first find your serve. Don't blast your first serves in the match at your full power. Start at 75%, then increase the speed and see where is the best feeling and percentage of shots.
The same rule applies to returns - start with medium paced returns down the middle and then add speed and placement when the match progresses. The main goal of the return on the first serve is to get it back deep down the middle and on the second serve to make your opponent run - so preferably a cross court return.
Tennis tip #4
The game is obviously based on forehands and backhands - hence "groundstrokes". You need to find them also when you start the match. Start with long cross courts 2-5 feet over the net and aim 5 feet from both side and baseline.
When you find good length, start utilizing short cross court and down the lines shots to make your opponent run.
Tennis tip #5
The same principle applies to volleys and overheads. It may take you 10 or 20 minutes before you play your first volley or overhead, so don't expect a perfect shot. Or maybe you can expect it but don't get too upset if it doesn't happen.
Actually if you often play at the net you're maybe aware of this fact: you need to develop the feel and timing for your volleys too. You might play a couple of poor volleys or overheads first but don't let that discourage you.
You're showing your opponent that you are not afraid to come to the net and you are also adapting to his shots. Imagine how good it will feel when you hit excellent volleys and overheads towards the end of the set.
Tennis tip #6
This is actually a summary of the above mentioned tips: first deal with the tennis game and conditions on a given day. And when you get reasonably comfortable with the tennis game and conditions, start thinking and dealing with your opponent. This is my primary tennis playing tip whenever I start the match.
Tennis tip #7
Now you are trying to figure out how to outplay your opponent. Ask your self - where are his weaknesses and where are his strengths? Look to exploit his weaknesses with your strengths and try to avoid your weakness against his/her strength.
It sounds so logical but in my experience I don't see many players actually thinking logically on court. They are usually too emotional. You need to learn how to get out of emotional states quickly and start thinking smartly and positively for the next point.
Tennis tip #8
When you finally see what your opponent's weaknesses are you must first check with yourself whether your level of play realistically allows you to play certain shots. If you your opponent moves very slowly towards the net, is you drop shot reliable enough to use it?
Don't change your game too much or into areas that you don't master. Adapt your game so it is very difficult for your opponent, but stay in your limits.
Tennis tip #9
If you did a good job using the above mentioned tips, you are now probably ahead in the match. This is one of the biggest traps in the game. You might try to defend the lead. You'll start thinking: "I don't want to lose this lead now."
And since our brain does not understand the word NO, it hears: "I want to lose this lead now." and it will help you do it.
Does this sound familiar? You need to think what you want: "I want to finish the set." or "I want to extend the lead."
Tennis tip #10
You are now at match point having played masterfully through the whole match. There are many mind traps here. See if you fall into one of them:
- If I miss this opportunity, I won't get another one
- If I win this, it won't be fair. He/she is actually a better player.
- I don't want to make a double fault now.
- This is it. (and you make a historic event in your mind about one point in a tennis game)
If any of these thoughts enters your consciousness, smile at them, say: "Yeah, right." and then play your match point decisively and with courage. Then go shake the hand of your opponent. :)
Tennis Elbow is an injury usually associated with tennis, which is characterized by pain radiating from outside the elbow of the forearm and back of the hand. Pain worse by moving your arm or gripping objects.
Causes:
Basically, this injury is caused by repeated motions of the forearm or wrist. In this condition of tennis is attributed to one-handed backhand with bad technique, a swing end Forehand resulting in flexion of the wrist and too powerful serve with a bad turn in the wrist.
Treatment:
The first thing to do is to rest the arm to prevent further injury and relieve pain. Put ice on the area 2-3 times a day for 15 minutes to reduce inflammation. Also anti-inflammatory drugs can be used to relieve pain and help the healing process.
If this treatment does not relieve the symptoms, it means that the injury is more serious or you may have another type of injury and you should consult a doctor.
Prevention:
The best way to avoid tennis elbow is to strengthen the muscles involved in the swing, use a good warm-up routine and proper technique and movement during the game. You can also release the chain tension to reduce vibration arm receives, using a vibration damper and whether you use the right size grip.
Here's a good question: I find the right coach is the guy that I play with, or play with my children, good enough? The question is clear but the answer is not as simple as that. A coach can be perfect for a total player, but inappropriate for another. To explain that we have to consider the level and age tennis player.
For beginners
First, the coach is entitled to have very good teaching skills. This is the stage where the tennis player is introduced to the basics of tennis, learns the rules and most important basic strokes (Forehand, backhand, fly, smash and service). It is very important that he learns, because the correction at a later stage it is a very difficult process, sometimes even an impossible task.
They must have good experience in teaching young players. If he has good results with young players, this does not mean that it is also good with beginners.
Another important quality is that he enjoys working with children. The young players are difficult to control, they get bored easily and for this work, a beautiful person and the patient is necessary.
Last but not least, fun, fun, fun. The player's return is very important, and if you ask a 6 year was how his footwork or has been able to put more spin in his Forehand he does not know how to respond, but if you ask, is it fun? What you want to go again tomorrow? You have a sincere and precise answer.
For players
Well, players are players who have gone beyond a beginner, now in the basic strokes, the player introduced to other moves (slice, drop-shot), physical condition plays a more important role and competitions also come into play. So, until the professional level where every part of the training of the player will be examined by a specialist, the tennis coach is also a physical trainer, sometimes an investor partner, a nutritionist and even the role a psychologist. Knowing this, we can say that the right coach for advanced players should:
- Fill in the players' physical training program
- Provide advice on the benefits of good nutrition
- Further development of the basic strokes in concert with increasing power and control
- Encourage the player to start playing tournaments, but at the same time, neither the coach nor the players or parents should consider the results as of great importance
- Support for the player as many tournaments as possible and analyze the performance of her match
- Monitoring the progress of the player in physical and technical training, and also in competitions, discuss problems with the drive and make the necessary adjustments to training
- Try to help the reader not only with its problems of tennis, but also with personal as school or family
A coach with at least these features may consider the right coach, but as I said earlier a coach may be perfect for a total player, but inappropriate for another, so how the player sent during the training is very important, If we have a talented player who loves tennis and loves training, which is supported by a good coach then and we will see fast results.
Sometimes one end of tennis for a beginner can make a big difference. You'll find great here, but do not forget to check other sections of tennis tips too.
Here are the usual problems beginners face:
too much information
unrealistic requests tennis
not knowing what is the most important part of good tennis - the sensation!
they are too preoccupied with technology and "good" form (most often influenced by coaches)
they beat themselves, because they have unrealistic expectations - which slows their learning
impatience
...
Take your time and absorb each end of tennis for a beginner and implement the slight change in the thinking of your game. It will help you learn as quickly as possible rate.
1. Do not try too hard - whatever you do. Even if your car tells you to do something, this is not a command. What they are really saying is give it your best and we will see what happens. Even when you miss feedback on what happened. How did it feel, how my racket face to determine where the ball goes ...
We are so used to try harder when things do not go our way. In tennis in general it does not work. When things do not work, try less. Soften your grip and your muscles and press on average plans for some time. Do not try to hide good all the time (while learning new techniques!)
2. Do your best not to have expectations. You are improving as fast as you are. The only problem that may arise in your mind, if you suspect you are not improving fast enough. Nothing changes really, you start with the exception of suffering - and your plans suffer as a consequence of this even more.
3. Focus on your feelings and how it affects the outcome. Of course - to listen to your coach and do your best to make the right move. But this is not the most important part of a good shot. Feeling the ball and racket is. Start looking for it. Many good exercises for beginners are inside games for beginners section.
4. There are no mistakes only feedback. If you click in the net, hit the next times. It's as simple as that. You do not need to complicate things with your knees, going under the ball and monitoring. It will happen all by itself.
5. To continue to move, dance, run, make small jumps, whatever you do just keep moving. Static permanent place makes your movements even stricter than they already are.
6. My favorite tennis tip for a beginner you can apply is to wait. Yes, wait, because it takes time for your brain to start making adjustments from all this information coming in. So when you type a coach instruction in a certain way or for some field goal of the court, do your best to beat that. And then wait until your body adapts. Look no results after 10-20 shots. Wait. The results will come, be patient.
The impression I have from many TV commentators and almost every tennis expert that I have read or listened to, is that they all seem to be in awe on how fast the game of tennis today is. Everyone seems convinced that players of the past played slower games and therefore could not cope with today's fast game. Is it true that power and power alone and faster means better in Tennis? I dare challenge everyone to think twice.
Remember Mike Tyson in boxing? Who drove him to the border of insanity? A boxer that had mastered an "old" punch, the jab, Evander Hollyfield.
In tennis the two most dominant male players of the last few years Pete Sampras and Roger Federer mastered the "tennis jab" the "old" backhand slice from "eons" past. When you have understood the importance of such a shot and the advantages it brings to your game you will understand why sometimes slower is better.
Like in boxing the jab is designed to open up the opponents defense to allow a KO, in other words a powerful straight right (or left if you are a left-hander). In tennis the slice backhand is to allow you the put away forehand. In many cases if you do have an excellent slice, many opponents get so frustrated that they end up making unforced errors before you even need to put the ball away! That is a bonus!
What happens when the slice is well executed? That changes dimensions in the whole game, from fast to slow, from waist or higer level shots, to low skidding balls, from not bending to getting down on your knees, from being comfortable with your racket grip to having to change gripping slightly to get under a lower ball, from using the opponents pace to having to generate it yourself and so on.
So what does a good slice backhand do for you?
- If you are in trouble it can give you more time to get back into position by floating it deep.
- It can force the opponent into giving you a slower high shot that you can put away.
- If you play it short with an angle it can bring any opponent into no man's land and allow you to hit behind them into the open court.
- Again, if you play it short with an angle it can force your opponent to have no other choice but to come to the net (where he may not want to be) from an uncomfortable position. Roger Federer has mastered it.
- Once you have displaced your opponent out of the court with a punishing stroke, you can easily surprise him with a sliced drop shot (if you disguise it well) instead of a deep ball.
- You can use it as an attack on second serves from your opponent (the so called chip and charge) and go to the net. Pete did it both with the forehand & backhand and Tim Henman executes it classically.
- Then again, from an attacking position inside the court, if you play it deep with good pace and keep it low, you can approach the net with a much higher likelyhood of winning the point with your next volley.
In almost all point situations, time and variation are crucial factors. By playing the backhand slice judiciously, you will be putting both elements in your favor.
Copyright © 1999-2005 Tenniscruz.com®. All rights reserved.
By: Sérgio Cruz
Brabenec and Stojan (2006) underlined that coaches and players have been paying attention in training or during the learning process exclusively to the visible elements of the stroke; backswing, forward swing and follow through and that examination of the impact moment has however received comparatively less research attention.
In this context, the purpose of this study was to examine head and gaze behaviour during the hitting phase, i.e.to explore the old adage "keep your eye on the ball!" probably the most used instruction ever given in tennis.
METHOD
In order to explore the head and gaze behaviour of elite players, photos at - and just after - the impact moment was analysed and compared to less skilled top players on the professional tour.
Past study of Stein and Slatt (1981) who looked at photos of all the major professionals demonstrated that top players' eyes invariably do not follow the ball and highlighted that tracking the ball as close as possible to the impact zone is not feasible or desirable for most people.
Since, it is often assumed that, at the very best, everyone can keep their eyes on the ball until the moment that the ball actually strikes the racquet.
However, recent observations of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal call into question their conclusion. More specifically, the idea motivating this study is that great players, i.e. those at the top of the professional rankings (as defined by Brabenec and Stojan, 1997), seem to achieve acontrol of their gaze and head movement during the hitting phase.
Nadal's gaze and head control
RESULTS
Federer's gaze after impact
A considerable amount of hitting sequences photos (several hundred for each player) reveals that elite players not only seem to follow the ball longer than other players but also possess a characteristic posture of the upper body: at impact, their head and eyes are turned in the direction of the hitting zone.
Additionally, what contrasts with previous studies is that Federer and Nadal not only keep their eye on the ball up to the moment of impact, but after impact their head remains still and in the direction of the contact zone.
This 'fixation' of the contact zone is the trademark of elite players.
The most noteworthy finding was that elite players were able to maintain a fairly consistent control; a consistency also illustrated on the women's tour by Steffi Graf who kept her eyes on the ball on every shot with significant fixation stage after impact.
TOP PLAYERS COMPARISON
The comparison of hitting sequences shows that top players differ greatly in their gaze behaviour. Indeed, there is a profound disparity in their head and gaze behaviour as compared to previous elite players (see Arnaud Clément for example).
Arnaud Clement
The vast majority of photos show players hitting with their eyes focused ahead of the ball in the fog zone - term introduced by Stein and Slatt (1981).
Moreover, players were often seen to lift their eyes and pull their head up before the ball even reaches the racket.
They turn their head as if they want to immediately follow the beginning of the ball trajectory or the movement of their opponent (Brechbuhl et al., 2005). It is evident for the forehand side where top ranked players differ greatly from those of lower rank.
Despite this comparison reveals that a majority of professional players appear to not keep their eye on the ball or only intermittently, any players have been noted to make specific control on their best stroke (often their backhand), i.e. associated to better centering and accuracy (see Lleyton Hewitt).
Lleyton Hewitt
A common idea is that there is very little difference in the stroke capabilities of the top players (Taylor, 2000) and therefore the only difference lies in their mental strength.
However, the above observations show that at the professional level, all the players are not equally talented in terms of technical skill especially with regard to gaze control.
Past studies in racket sports have already reported that experts watch the ball differently. They differ from novices in eye fixation patterns and perceptual strategies (Murray, 1999), analyse relatively little information but focus only on the most pertinent information (La Rue and Ripoll, 2004), and show faster information processing and decision times (Day,1980).
But, what is particularly interesting and departs from previous studies, is that great players watch the ball and position their head differently, especially after impact. Thus, great players don't just hit the ball better, they do it differently.
CONCLUSION
In tennis, top players are expected to maintain visual contact with the ball as they complete the hitting action but that was not consistent with the observations. In particular, what emerges in this study is that the top players are not as individual in the way they deal with the gaze control in tennis as they are in the way they stroke the ball.
More precisely, among top players, only few high level performers follow a typical fixation of the contact zone. It is significantly illustrated in the modern game by the amazing consistency of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
So, is gaze control a decisive characteristic of great players? At this time, observations of elite players only suggest that gaze control, especially fixation could be partly what gives them higher accuracy especially through better centering.
More broadly, Federer and Nadal demonstrate that it is possible and even beneficial to play tennis with the eyes not always focused on the ball. Therefore, watching the ball throughout its entire flight is not the visual strategy used by elite players.
In a sense, it confirms the hypothesis of Ford et al. (2002) about the possibility and benefits of focusing on the contact zone during the stroke execution.
Tennis is a great sport, but not without a few foibles. Tennis was a game I remember playing from a very young age. Not really sure, what prompted me to pick up the game, but my younger brother and I use to head over to the local public tennis courts quite a few times during our summer vacation. Quite a few very competitive matches ensued during those long summer days, and a number of them evolved into some very competitive and verbal matches. Ala John Mcenroe vs Jimmy Conners kinda stuff. Not the same tennis skill level of course, but some of the tennis style disagreements certainly did.
There are a few things that are kind of annoying about the game of tennis, especially whey you play at the very beginning skill level. One has to be learning to hit a decent tennis serve. Certainly tricky, hitting the ball with just the right power to get it over the next, and still land it in that itty bitty little square of a service box. Certainly makes you look in awe at the tennis pros, as they pound the tennis balls at over 100 miles per hour just barely over the net, and paint the lines of the service box. Of course thousands of hours with a tennis racket in your hands hitting balls till there are callouses on your callouses helps develop a great tennis serve.
Tennis Serving Wenches
The other thing that kind of annoys me about tennis, is all the time spent chasing errant balls. All those tennis shots, that should have been great, but somehow ended up flying over the fence, orwhacking the guy two courts over, or the really sneaking ones that zipped out under the hole in the fence into the big bunch of bushes. I think every tennis court, public or otherwise, should come with a full time staff of ball boys or ball girls. I love watching those kids on the big televised matches running around fetching balls, handing out towels, at the beck and call of the players. As I've gotten older, and hadchildren, I've tried to encourage them to take up the fine and honorable of career of tennis ball girls, but to no avail. There must be something about chasing all my wild tennis shots, that just doesn't appeal to youngsters these days.
Tennis Graduation Days
I don't play a whole lot of tennis these days. Occasionally I'll play with friends and family while on vacation, or at resorts that have tennis courts available. I've taken up other racket sport activities. Played racquetball for a while before moving on to the game of squash. There is something to be said for playing in a court with no net, and no chance of the ball slipping under or over the fence. Helps to save my energy for running down my opponents shots, instead of traipsing through a pack of bushes look for that pink tennis ball, that should be oh so easy to find. Although, I'd have to thank my early days on the tennis courts to develop my affinity for other racket sports. Their all fun in their own way, a great game to play with family, and quite a racket.
The history of tennis, from the 1850s to present: the true history of tennis, todays modern tennis, started with Goodyears invention of vulcanized rubber.
In my mind, the true history of tennis does not begin until the 1850s, when the first modern tennis balls were invented and used. Before this point, the history of tennis is the history of a completely different game real tennis.
Real tennis is played on indoor courts. In fact, real tennis cannot be played outside the players use the angled walls of a real tennis court to strategically hit and return the ball to their opponents. Yes, real tennis his very similar to todays modern tennis, or lawn tennis, but only in the same way that handball, badminton, croquet, and racquetball are similar to lawn tennis!
That is why I choose to start my history of tennis at the point in which lawn tennis diverged from real tennis, and this happened in the 1850s. It was in the 1850s that Charles Goodyear, of Goodyear tire fame, invented vulcanized rubber. Vulcanized rubber is a process that prevents natural rubber from deteriorating so quickly (without the vulcanization process, natural rubber could deteriorate within just a few days.)
So, with the vulcanization of rubber came rubber tennis balls. The rubber tennis balls could be used outdoors on lawn courts. These rubber tennis balls were a nice change from the wads of wool, hair, wool, or cork wrapped in leather or string and cloth these are what had been used in real tennis.
And because these vulcanized rubber tennis balls could be used outdoors, on lawn courts, without walls to bounce them off of, new rules had to be invented for this new game of lawn tennis.
Walter Clopton Wingfield is usually the man who is given credit for the invention of modern tennis, or lawn tennis. Around 1874, Wingfield actually patented the game. And the game became popular among the leisured classes throughout the end of the 1800s.
The popularity of tennis spread relatively quickly. Tennis clubs were set up around this time. The first tennis championships were held in 1877 in Wimbledon a precursor to the Grand Slam tournament held in Wimbledon every year, even today.
The rules of tennis changed gradually throughout the later 1800s, changing the shape of the court and the height of net and thereby changing the history of tennis in the process!
So, as you can see, it makes sense that I choose to start the real history of tennis around the 1850s when Charles Goodyears invention of vulcanized rubber made modern tennis possible.
Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and sports. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on tennis, please visit E-Tennis.
When you were a kid you had at least two pair of shoes. One pair was your "good" one your mother referred to as your "dress shoes," while the other pair was your "everyday" shoes, most probably of athletic nature. These shoes, specially designed for sporting activities, were given the generic name "athletic shoes," which is still considered a category that consists of running, basketball and tennis footwear. Originally introduced as part of the sporting apparel, athletic shoes are now worn as part of a casual look. Going for a walk, running across the shore, or playing outdoor games, are examples of the instances that people of all ages select to wear them. But how did all begin and why do more and more different types of athletic shoes being produced?
It is much more than the supply and demand curve, but it all
comes down to that. Modern sneakers have beginnings in various
sports shoes. One ancestor is the expensive British upper-class
footwear of the late 1800s, used for lawn tennis, cricket,
croquet, and at the beach. While at the turn of the twentieth
century, football and baseball players wore essentially the same
shoe type as before, the leather high-topped lace-ups with
leather soles and cleats, the need to have footwear that
provided a good grip onto the ground was the reason why a
variety of lightweight shoes were introduced. Special shoes that
would allow runners to move and lead to positive results, like
increasing their speed and thus, their competitiveness, were
ordered. Thus, as the need for greater speed increased, so did
the athletic shoes' number and styles. By refining and improving
the shoes' traction, sportswear companies created a subcategory
in sports apparel; the shoemaking industry that is now worth
billions. The sneakers' demand emerged as athletes drew
spectators to games and scientists invented new ways to
accelerate human limits and improve athletes' scores.
The dictionary defines the athletic shoe or sneaker as "a sports
shoe usually made of canvas and having soft rubber soles; also
called tennis shoe." As today, uppers can be of leather, nylon,
canvas, plastic, or combinations of these, and the shoe bottom
surface has come to include any type of natural or synthetic
rubber soles, tennis shoes are not equivalent to any other type
of athletic shoe types. Sure, the term "tennis shoes" has become
a generic term for athletic shoes, but this should not give the
wrong impression to people that all sports shoes are the same or
that one should wear them interchangeably regardless of the
game/sport played. Running shoes on a tennis court, for example,
are a sprained or broken ankle waiting to happen. Running shoes
are built with a thick, soft heel to maximize cushioning for
straight-forward, heel-to-toe foot impacts. Playing tennis is
all about sudden starts and stops, as well as moving quickly
from side to side. The trouble is that, during extreme stopping,
cornering, and pivoting, if the sneaker's outsole is too rigid,
the tennis player loses contact with the playing surface, which
results in a loss of footing. In addition, since runners do not
usually move sharply sideways, while "on the run," the running
shoe sole is totally unsuitable for the sideways movements a
tennis player makes.
>From Keds, which were the first tennis shoes in 1917, to today's
extraordinary designs and expensive advertising budgets,
shoemakers continue to design shoes with an eye towards
accommodating various types and shapes of feet. When one adds to
this equation, the trendy variety of styles, the outcome speaks
for itself. There is always an option available for our feet
will feel comfortable while playing a friendly match of tennis.
Arguably one of the most recognizable figures in the world ofprofessional tennis, player Andre Agassi has announced that hewill be retiring from the sport after the 2006 U.S. Open.Currently aged 36, Andre's tennis career has spanned 20 years.His career was a long-lasting one that saw him play on whileother players of his age range retired. He was a true master ofthe sport, held in regards with Pete Sampras and Jim Courier.Andre's career saw its first speck of glory when he won theWimbledon tournament in the year of 1992. The odds were stackedagainst Agassi; many critics felt that due to his method ofbaseline playing, he wouldn't be able to hold a candle to theother competitors in the event. He proved them wrong, as hewould time and time again. One of the major highlights of hiscareer is the fact that he won all four Grand Slams - he wasonly the fifth man in the history of the sport to do so. Anotherimportant thing to note is that Andre has won 8 major titlesthroughout the course of his career, a highly significantachievement in the unpredictable world of professional tennis.All that is not to say that his career went perfectly; he wasfraught with peril in 1997, bogged down due to injury which sawhis ranking drop to a meager #141. As all true athletes,however, he saw this setback as an opportunity to betterhimself. He went on to play two Challenger events which saw hisrank increase. Many people saw Agassi as a popular figurethroughout tennis. Without a doubt, he is one of the mostrecognizable, and one of the common faces pushed in the tennisworld. His free spirit and his undying philanthropy can be seendue to the fact that he's donated literally millions of hisearnings over the years to such notable causes as helpingunderprivileged children in his hometown of Las Vegas. The AndreAgassi Charitable Foundation works towards his goals to thisvery day. Needless to say, Andre will be missed by tennisplayers and fans alike. He brought a certain touch of fun andadventure to the game, and he will never be forgotten in theannals of tennis fame.
Is tennis good for you?Absolutely - tennis is a gentle way of exercising for beginners, and for more advanced players is a very thorough workout. Physical activity increases energy and also helps you to stay healthy, fending off germs and infections. Playing one set of tennis would give you thirty minutes moderate physical activity, not to mention plenty of fresh air!How old do I have to be to start?Obviously you have to be able to hold a tennis racket, but there are plenty of opportunities for youngsters. Mini Tennis is an excellent game for starting off young players under eight. Played with a scaled down racket, foam balls and a small court the game is a fun introduction to the full game.How much will it cost?Prices for coaching vary from club to club, but we always recommend keeping your lessons to half an hour or an hour, and to have group coaching.How can I develop my game?One way is to go for an intensive week of tennis, or a break where you can play tennis at your leisure, there are tennis holiday companies offering holidays both in the US and abroad. You can see a list of these in Clubs and Camps.Once you have found a court to play on and you start to play tennis with your friends, family or other players, you will naturally start to get a feel for the game. A way to develop your hand-eye co-ordination is to practice throwing and catching the ball either against a wall or with a partner. Your tennis coach will have many other games and exercises to help develop the correct movement, co-ordination and dexterity for tennis.If the full court seems too big at first, play a scaled-down version of the game in the four service boxes of the court. As you start to become more confident you will start to use tactics. Hitting a ball that comes near to you is easier than running to hit a ball - therefore you'll soon realise that one aim is to try to make your opponent move in order to hit the ball. You will be better placed to hit each ball if you maintain a good position on the court before and after each shot, and you'll begin to understand the importance of good positioning. Don't get caught out of position to one side of the court or stuck half way between the baseline and the net.Once you have mastered these basic principles, try to play to the weakness of your opponent. This might be their forehand, backhand, volley, smash, or perhaps running to the ball. Exploiting your opponent's weaknesses will help you to start controlling the game. Also, remember to use your own strengths as much as possible. You may enjoy serving, have a strong cross-court backhand, love to volley and play from the net - try to do more of what you enjoy!And keep at it! The world's best players spend many hours training and improving their game. Success may not come immediately, so don't get downhearted if you don't always play at your best.'Tennis is a battle of minds, just as much as it is a battle of playing ability. Trying to expose your opponent's weaknesses is one of the most vital and fascinating facets of tennis'
Basic tennis rules can sometimes be hard to remember, however, if you play tennis they should come to you naturally as you play - like riding a bike. There are always rules that must be followed, in any sport. Unfortunately, as many bowlers have said, as long as you are unaware of the tennis rules, you are not a real player. Of course, just as in any game, there are certain tennis rules one must follow. The most basic of which can be broken into five categories. Here are a few tennis rules:1. Opponents remain on opposite sides of the court:This is quite a simple and self-explanatory one of many tennis rules to remember: one opponent on the opposite side of the netdirectly across from the other opponent.2. The right to serve: Determine how the match will begin:a) The second of the tennis rules I am laying out for you, the server begins with the ball, and the receiver prepares to hit it from the opposite side. However, at the beginning of the game it must be decided. But the most basic tennis rules can be the most important. Who will serve? Who will receive?b) According to tennis rules, with the toss of a coin or a racquet the decision will be made as to who begins as the server and who begins as the receiver.3. The server: where to stand and when to serve:a) The server stands behind the baseline, on the deuce court, within the same boundaries of the single court.b) Note the dimensions of the court.c) The server cannot serve the ball until his or her opponent is ready.d) If the server misses his or her hit twice, the tennis rules state that he or she looses a point.e) By the same token, if the ball hits the net between them and falls in the correct service box, the server will be allowed because of basic tennis rules another chance to serve the ball. But if the server moves into or onto the baseline too soon his or her serve will be called as a fault.4. The receiver:a) Tennis rules dictate that the receiver can stand where he or she likes, but cant let the tennis ball bounce into the service box.b) The receiver is considered ready to go when an attempt is made to return the ball.c) If the ball drops anywhere besides the service box a second attempt is allowed.d) If someone hits the ball (either opponent) before it bounces, the point goes to the server.5. The most important tennis rule: Points:a) According to tennis rules, the server will always call his or her score first.b) love means zero in tennis.c) Tennis rules about scoring the first point:When the server accomplishes scoring the first point, he or she receives a score of 15.d) A 30:The second point is called 30.e) A 40:The third point is called a 40.f) A deuce:According to basic tennis rules, the match is over when the score ends up 40-40 (a deuce). One side must have at least two more points than his or her opponent to win.g) Advantage in:An advantage in is a situation in which the server has a chance to win the next game if he or she scores the next point.h) Advantage out:An advantage out means that the receiver could win the game if he or she wins the next point.It is a simple game thats not quite so simplebut you have to know the basics as well as the complexities of many different kinds of tennis rules. The better you know the game the better you will play.Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, recreation, education and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles about tennis and tennis guidelines, please visit Tennis Rules.
Tennis would be a boring world if every player used the same tricks. Winning would become very tedious. With this in mind, you are probably asking if Dinkers and Moon Ballers are beatable. You can beat them, but it is important to understand their tricks.A Dinker is the type of player who never misses a ball. A Dinker is also known for hitting lightly, yet still getting the ball deep and angled to where you cannot possibly hit it back. This type of player is extremely successful because they force you to make errors every step of the way.To beat a Dinker, you need to play from the net. Jump and get those balls back over the net in record time. A Dinker will not be expecting the quick return. Suddenly, your opponent will be the one struggling to return the ball.Another great trick is to force your opponent to move up to the net for a short shot. This type of player is not good at hitting short shots, so invariably he or she will choke.Do not rush the game. Keep returning his or her balls until you find a shot that you know you can get to a place that he or she will not be able to return. Usually, drop shots will do the trick.Players who are good at moon balling never hit hard, but they excel at the backspin. Balls from this type of player come fast and deep. You need to be on your toes to beat this type of player.You can beat a Moon baller by attacking from the net. Remember that the returns will go deep, so as soon as you have hit it, move back on the court.Lull your opponent into a false sense of security. Allow for a series of volleys back and forth and let the player get comfortable. Suddenly, attack by moving forward and hitting the return while the ball is still in the air. You will shake your opponent up and cause him or her to miss the ball.Moon balls often fall spin when they drop. Hit the ball when it is still rising to maintain best control of the ball. Then aim for a location just barely over the net. This type of player usually struggles to return a low ball.Throw in an occasional low ball. Have the ball drop suddenly. Most players are not comfortable near the net, so by having a ball remain low and close to the net, you take your opponent out of his or her comfort zone.Remember that every tennis player will have a trick up his or her sleeve. By preparing for the unexpected and turning the tables on your opponent, you will succeed at any match.
Tennis shoes, shoes for tennis, tennis gear, tennis footwear, tennis equipment, tennis players, When you need tennis shoes you want to have the very best tennis shoes for your feet. Different people, depending on many different factors, need specific kinds of tennis shoes. Believe it or not, your tennis shoes are a very important part of your overall performance. If you are serious about tennisyou must focus on nothing but the game. You want to do your very best, but even someone with the greatest talent and skill can be unfortunately effected by painful tennis shoes. When your tennis apparel is not right, you are often distracted from your concentration on the game. This takes away from your potential and can then lower your confidence.Therefore, you want to be sure you have tennis shoes from the very best manufacturers, and in the highest quality condition. This way you will not have to worry about your shoes getting in the way of your success. Often, the most popular and most expensive merchandise is bestbut sometimes you can find higher quality tennis shoes from sources you never knew about before.The designs of the different kinds of tennis shoes are steadily increasing. It is amazing how much the manufacturers can do. New lines of top-of-the-line tennis shoes are available in many placesespecially great merchandise can be found on the internetso dont go anywhere!There are tennis shoes for children that are made in colors children love. For little girls there are pinks/white tennis shoes, purple/white, glitter pink or purple/white and much, much more! In her new canvass tennis shoes your little girl will be thrilled, comfortable, and ready to play.For little boys there are tennis shoes made in the same plethora of different kinds of fashions. The style is up to youand the colors are perfect for your boy. Blue/whites, black/off-white, green/white, and many more kinds of tennis shoes for boys are currently on the market. Your boy will be happy to play with his new, comfortable tennis shoes from a high quality manufacturer you can trust.There are great and incredibly comfortable tennis shoes in new designs and styles for men as well as women. The really are offered now in more styles, designs, and choices than you could possibly imaginenot only to look good, but also to improve your game. All you have to do is find the very best tennis shoes for you.The items I have briefly mentioned above are only few compared to all that exist among many other new styles being created. In some places, you can even work with professional artists and designers to get your tennis shoes custom designed. Just browse around!
After learning about betting point spreads, our favorite newbiebettor Emily wanted to know about betting tennis. There are nopoint spreads in tennis because there is no meaningful way tomeasure how much a tennis player wins or loses by. In tennis,all that really matters is who wins and loses the match, andthat's where money line wagering comes into play. Following aretips on understanding tennis odds and betting tennis matches. For example, Emily's favorite tennis player Serena Williams winsa majority of her matches. The chances of winning for Serena'sopponent, let's say the 102nd-ranked player in the world, wouldbe less than 50-50 for this very reason.Thus, sportsbooks would make bettors wager significantly moremoney on Serena than her opponent because of thedisproportionate likelihood of Serena winning the match. In the case of Serena Williams versus an overmatched opponent, areasonable money line would require Serena bettors to risk $400to win $100; while a $100 bet on her opponent would win $360. Here's how the money line would be listed: Serena Williams -400/ #102 Ranked Opponent +360 Every $400 bet on Serena nets a $100 profit if she wins (plusthe return of the $400 risked). If her opponent pulls off theupset, $100 bet on the underdog would profit $360 (plus thereturn of the $100 risked). For more information on how thisworks, make sure to check out Reading and Understanding MoneyLines. Another popular way of betting tennis is picking the winner ofeach tournament before it starts. In fact, "Betting to Win" anoutcome event like Wimbledon is the most common way to wager ontennis. Since tennis has multiple tournaments over the course ofa year, "Betting to Win" obviously offers numerous wageringopportunities. It is very important to note that not all thecompetitors in a tennis tournament may be listed, so anothertennis betting option is a "field" bet which includes all othercompetitors not listed. The tennis odds on a "field" bet are typically comparable to abet on the favorite in order to protect sportsbooks from takinga big hit if a major upset occurs. In exchange for a lesserpayout, field bettors gain the advantage of having more than oneentrant that can win for them. For example, the top 20 playersgoing into a tournament might be listed with their ownindividual odds while the rest of the players are groupedtogether. Some sportsbooks will also allow you to bet futures on the fourmajor major tournaments, which is yet another way you can "Betto Win" that can offer you appealing odds because you arebetting far in advance of when the event takes place. Forexample, betting on the 2006 Australian Open now might get youmuch better value on Serena, who may be 10/1 at this moment butdip to 6/1 closer to the event if she is on fire. For moreinformation on the value of betting golf futures, read HowFuture Bets Can Pay Off. Before placing a future bet or any bet on any tennis player,it's important to find out their strengths and weaknesses. Sometennis players perform better on different surfaces, and it mustbe noted that the French Open is played on clay and Wimbledon ongrass. Playing on clay was the biggest weakness for PeteSampras, arguably the best tennis player ever. He won 7Wimbledon titles but never brought home a French championship.Fortunately for Sampras, he also performed well on a hardcourtsurface (the most common), where he earned the other half of his14 career Grand Slam tournament wins. Other possibilities for betting tennis include proposition betson the number of sets a match lasts. There are severaladvantages to betting at elite online sportsbooks but the verybest will give you the most wagering opportunities, so it's agood idea to shop around and find out what everybody has tooffer. If you are a knowledgeable tennis fan who has a good feel abouthow a match will likely turn out, then you should mostdefinitely trust your insights and use them to find strong bets.For those of you with less experience, several sports web siteshave power rankings for players which should give you a goodidea of who's hot on the tennis court and who's not. Of courseit's up to you to decide which driver you want to bet on, butthe more you learn about tennis, the more prepared you will bewhen placing your bet. Hopefully now you understand the basicsof betting tennis and how tennis odds work!
Although she is no longer the number one tennis player in the world, Maria Sharapova is still absolutely the most famous and most watched female tennis superstar as well as the worlds highest paid female athlete.Her parents were originally from Gomel, Belarus but they moved to the infamous Siberia in Russia in 1986 after the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe. Sharapova herself was born in Nyagan, Russia on April 19, 1987. She now resides in the United States but has retained her Russian citizenship.After moving with her family to the Black Sea Resort at the town of Sochi at age three, she started playing tennis later at the age of four. Her first racket came from the father of tennis star Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who hails from Sochi. By the time she was six, she showed enough talent on the court to catch the eye of superstar Martina Navratilova, who then spoke to Sharapovas parents, urging them to send the young girl to the United States for professional tennis instruction.The parents were not rich people yet they took a gamble and followed Navratilovas advice. Accompanied by her father, Sharapova went to Florida and enrolled at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, the same tennis school that produced former world number ones such as Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. Due to visa problems, the father and daughter were separated from Sharapovas mother for two years.In the beginning, Sharapovas father worked at several jobs to pay for her tennis lessons. But things would get better soon enough. The giant sports talent agency, International Management Group, soon granted Sharapova a full scholarship to ease the financial burdens on her father.In 2004, Sharapova defeated two-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams in straight sets (6-1, 6-4) in the finals to become the third youngest winner of the prestigious Wimbledon womens singles event, following the footsteps of Lottie Dod and Martina Hingis. She also became the first Russian to win the event. On her way to the finals, Sharapova pulled off stunning three-set victories against Ai Sugiyama (5-7, 7-5, 6-1) and Lindsay Davenport (2-6, 7-6, 6-1).On September 12, 2005, Sharapova rose in the rankings and was named the number one tennis player in the world. She was only 19 years old.
When you are a regular tennis player, among the most essential tennis accessories are tennis bags. We know you will love the selection of tennis bags available on the market today. There are tennis bags out there that you will find that are perfect especially for your needs. Remember, when you are an avid tennis player, among the most essential tennis accessories are tennis bags. Everything from single tennis bags, to tennis bags that will fit balls and extra racquets or other accessories, and everything in between is available on the market todaythe industry has never been better!The manufacturers of tennis bags available right now are creating new lines of tennis bags, adding new and improved features you have never seen before. The technology behind the specific design of tennis bags is the key to creating a great tennis bag for you. The tennis bags you can find online from many manufacturers are also high quality tennis bagsdesigned to last and last.Whether you want tennis bags for men, women, or children, whether you want plain designs, special designs, or custom designed tennis bags there are virtually endless possibilities.The manufacturers of tennis bags want to make sure that there is room for your essentials as well as your tennis accessories. Sometimes all you require is a small tennis bag, and other times you will need a larger one to carry with you. There are many different designers, many different styles, and if you still cant choosedesign your own personal tennis bagpurchase tennis bags custom made just for you. Several designers will be happy to help you create the perfect bag.When you need tennis bags and you have not yet found what you are looking for, why not shop online where you can find websites that feature wide varieties of in stock selections? You will find that when you shop online you will see more variety than you can find anywhere else.Even the largest selections at the highest quality sports stores cannot provide you with the huge selection of merchandise online. Save time and frustration and order your tennis bags from an online source. The continual improvements, features, and designs will always be updated if you find the right website.In addition, you want to be sure to look for tennis bags that will last and last. Keep the tennis bags we know you will love for years and years to come. Remember, as a tennis enthusiast you may even want to have more than one tennis bag. Some for certain occasions or events, and others for certain other occasions in which you will not need something so small, or by the same token, you may not want your tennis bags to be too big either. So choose the tennis bags that will best suit your needs and you will be glad you did!
ONE of the most important things in tennis is to keep the eye on the ball. Nine players out of ten lose sight of a ball shortly after it crosses the net. It is essential to watch it until it comes in contact with the racquet. Most players, when they should be watching the ball, are either looking at their opponent or at the spot on their opponent's court where they wish to place the ball. The player who takes his eye off the ball, if only for the fraction of a second, may in that short time miss the opportunity for hitting it clean, i. e., in the center of the racquet. This applies to every shot in tennis.It is an excellent thing while playing to repeat to one's self over and over again:" Eye on the ball," "Eye on the ball."Many a volley and smash go out of court because the racquet has turned in the hand. This happens because the ball has not met the center of the racquet. Even a tighter grip will not prevent this. This difficulty is obviated by keeping the eye on the ball. Watch your ball and you are bound to judge it right. By hurrying and losing sight of it you are bound to misjudge it. Keeping the eye on the ball does not mean merely to watch it casually, but to reckon its flight, also to judge the speed and depth of the stroke. By doing this the player can tell beforehand where the ball is going to drop in court.Another thing of first importance in tennis is to put the ball over the net. A player feels disappointed and angry at a ball that goes out of court. He feels the same way when he puts it into the net, for this has sacrificed all the chance he might have had of winning the point.Again you see many players take balls which if let alone would go out of court. In doubles suppose you call "out," but still your partner takes it. If he returns the ball he at least has his opponent guessing and trying for a return. Many times he will be in doubt if he should take it, not knowing if the ball is going to be good. All this is that much more strain on his nerves.Notice a first class player while in a game. He is always putting the ball over the net and at least two feet above it. The fault of the average player Is, that he plays his ball too fine, putting too many into the net in consequence.In singles, because the opponent is more often playing deep, you should play higher above the net than in doubles, where one or both opponents are likely to be near the net. In general never play a return very low, that is, near the net on its way over, except when the opponent is close up. Playing a return deep and well above the net keeps the opponent from coming to the net.After making a bad return try not to get angry over your shot. Rather try to perceive at once what your error was and to correct the fault. It may have been your position instead of your stroke. Many a player blames a bad return on the stroke when really it was the fault of his position. For instance some players keep putting the ball in the net. If they studied their shots they would see that the thing to do was to get more height on the ball.There are many little faults a player could correct by himself if only thought of at the moment he makes them. Here are a few to remember and correct:First -- Don't hurry; you have more time than you think if your position is the center of the court.Second -- Don't take your stroke so close to your body that you cannot make a clean swing.Third -- Don't try to kill a ball when an easy one would do.Fourth -- Don't let your opponent find you out of position as a result of watching your own return.Fifth -- Don't take your eye off the ball, as it prevents you from making a clean stroke.Sixth -- Don't fail to "finish out " on your stroke in order that you may get a " drop " on the ball as it passes over the net.All these little faults and many more which players have could be prevented if discovered and corrected at the time they are committed. Many players complain that they have not the time while playing to correct faults. One has more time in tennis then he is apt to realize, and this excuse is not a sound one.To learn more tennis tips, you can visit the website.Hope you enjoy yourself.
Sports are require to acquire skills of sharp co-ordination,agility, quick thinking and reflex reactions can be of enormousbenefit to someone vith asthma. The stamina that comes withphysical fitness is also an asset to anyone. The training done by a boxer, gymnast or ballet dancer developsthese, as well as flexibility, strength and concentration.Boxing may seem an odd choice of activity for an asthmatic.However, consider the boxer's loud expulsion of air whenthrowing a punch. This expulsion of air is made during anextreme effort, similar to that of a tennis player serving aball, or a footballer kicking the ball, an athlete leaving theblocks or a squash player making a shot. You will hear competitors in many sports make this often loudand obvious expulsion of air. It helps them relax immediatelyafter the point of maximum impact.The quick expulsion of air may not be exactly the same as theslower expulsion in the rythmic breathing pattern, but I believethat someone with asthma should choose a sport that involvesbreathing out at the time of maximum impact, or when intenseeffort is involved. However, sports that require longer andslower breathing out are even better.Which sports are more suitable?Football, basketball, cricket, gymnastics, netball, volleyballand ballet are suitable for asthmatics as they require short,quick bursts of effort. In contrast long distance running, where sustained effort isneeded over a considerable period, is an example of a sport thatstresses asthmatics and aggravates their condition. Likewise, scuba diving, skydiving and bungee jumping are notsports I would recommend to someone with asthma.No matter what sport is the final choice - be it table tennis,badminton, softball, horse riding or whatever . . . they allneed agility, concentration, flexibility and strength. Regular exercise will start you on the stairway to betterhealth, and will help your body reach its full potential andkeep it there. Exercise should be dynamic, varied, accessibleand without adverse side effects and don't forget theail-important factor of choosing one you really enjoy. If youdisregard this you won't keep the sport upWhatever the activity, always keep your limitations in mind andconscientiously follow the breathing and relaxation techniquesthat you know.Even though you may roughly know what are those suitable sportsthat are for asthmatics, but all these information will be of nouse if no action is being taken. Having the knowledge is not power, applying the knowledge istrue power to free yourself the agony of having asthma again.You should never add to, or alter any component of your currentasthma treatment without first consulting your physician. However, many asthmatics that I know sometimes tend to takeplaying a sport for granted and they should be be conscious andaware that in order to have an asthma-free lifestyle, a properand yet effective asthma recovery system is necessary. Evenwithout a proper asthma management system, there will not bemuch asthma free lifestyle to hope for.Applying the knowledge of what type of suitable are forasthmatics together with an effective asthma management systemeven your little one can use to enjoy asthma-free life onceagain.
Tennis is a sport that requires very little equipment -- a tennis racquet, a court/net, and tennis balls. Therefore, it is all the more important to be sure that you have the right equipment: make sure that you have the right tennis balls for your game. This article takes a look at the different types of tennis balls.If you think that tennis balls are simply yellow fuzzy balls, one no different from another, you are most definitely wrong. Tennis balls are much more than that. Here are some facts about tennis balls that you may or may not already know:Pressurized vs. Pressureless Tennis Balls:There are two main types of tennis balls: pressurized and pressureless.Pressurized tennis balls have a hollow core, filled with air. Some tennis ball manufacturers use nitrogen in the center, because this air tends to last longer pressurized balls will lose their pressure after about a month or so after opening the pressurized can that they come in. As they lose their pressure, they become dead and do not bounce so well.Pressureless balls have a solid core. These tennis balls are great for anyone who does not play tennis that often and/or to use and training tennis balls. These tennis balls do not lose their bounce. However, the felt will slowly wear off, and they will eventually need to be replaced.Regular Duty, Extra Duty, or High Altitude Tennis Balls:When you buy tennis balls, the container that they come in should be clearly marked with what kind of balls it contains regular duty, extra duty, or high altitude tennis balls.Regular duty tennis balls should be used on indoor and clay courts. Extra duty balls would get too fuzzy if used on clay courts.Extra duty tennis balls are used on grass courts and tennis courts.High altitude tennis balls are used in places like Denver where you are playing 4,000 feet or more above sea level. These balls have different pressure regular balls would bounce too much at this elevation.Tennis Ball Fuzziness:Without the yellow (or white) fuzziness of tennis balls, the game of tennis would be a whole lot different. The fuzz of the tennis balls creates friction. The fuzziness of the balls creates dray in the air, making topspin and backspin more pronounced and more possible.Numbers on the Tennis Balls:Have you ever wondered what the numbers on your tennis balls meant? Do they reference the weight or style of the tennis balls, etc.? No.The numbers on the tennis balls are simply for your benefit if you are playing with Wilson 1 balls, and the people on the court next to you are playing with Wilson 2 balls, it is easier to retrieve your tennis balls when they wander onto another tennis court. The numbers help you tell your balls apart from other players balls (assuming that you are not using the same brand and same number of tennis balls!)