Yes, the tennis ball shooting from the racket of the fiery Andre Agassi in the 90's is like a bullet from a gun - a straight ace - the opponent can't come any close. Ace or no ace, if you are just beginning to play the game of tennis, service is a very important part of your game. In the beginning, the service was considered to be a mere initiation of the game, to begin a rally and send the ball across the court without any fault. People served that way for ages - till the concept of 'power' was introduced to tennis and the service became a point winner.
Today 130 miles per hour serves rip through the court gives the player's points for an ace shot. For the service to win a point, it should be speedy, accurate and reliable. It involves not just muscle power but also brains anticipating your opponent's movement and fooling him or her in their own game.
A tall person will serve better than a short person. Thus Ivanesevic was a better ace server than Andre Agassi. But it is not just the ace. Let the opponent touch your serve but make it difficult for him to return it. Even if he or she can return it, place your serve such that you can predict well in advance the only way the opponent can return it and where would the ball fall. This is where the magic of a perfect serve lies. A tall person has the advantage of height, angle and can overcome wind factor to eliminate any resulting twist in the ball and can land the ball flat and low enough for the receiver to return it easily and well.
Upsetting the return of your opponent is the second advantage of a perfect serve. Hit the serve from the highest position that is comfortable for the server and keep the speed varied. Do not outstretch yourself or do not try to hit it too hard to gain momentum - you do not want a fault but an ace or a serve that falls within the service court.
A slice service can be hit from as high as possible and the server should ideally stand at a forty-five degree angle with the baseline. Throw your weight backwards and while you throw the ball in to the air and then bring it forward as you hit the ball with your racket. Unless you learn how to shift weight, you will have serious chances of injuring your back. It is the angle with which your racquet hits the ball will spin the ball as it hits the court. Remember that the wrist should be flexible while serving.
While serving keep a note on whether you are footfaulting. Although there are lot controversies regarding footfaults, it is safe to say that before you have served the ball if your feet cross the court line it is a fault.
Service is the most important part of playing tennis. A good serve kick starts the game. Learn the tricks of serving to play better tennis and enjoy your game.
Gregg Hall is an author living on the Emerald Coast of Florida. Now that you know a little more about playing tennis be sure that you get quality tennis racquet by going to http://www.nsearch.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gregg_Hall
I could not be happier with the 4 semifinal this year's Masters Cup in Madrid. I think they represent the transformation of the game is currently undertaking.
I once heard John McEnroe said that it is very different from learning to play with a wooden racket and get a racket high technology, it is to learn to play on one of these snowshoes. It could not have been more correct.
It was natural that the new technology in rackets lead to the great serve first, followed by big groundstrokes. Sampras has embodied this change. He forced the game to a new level.
Then, Federer arrived and was unbeatable for over 3 years. The game has a new leap and it did.
It took time for coaches and players to realize that the same technology that empowers racquet has also increased the capacity of the accuracy and variety. The channel won the manufacturers in any game before and achieved, players can do incredible things with a ball. I watched Federer hit a shot to be bent 2 feet, intentionally. Wash Conners never see or curve ball?
Now it seems that the court people have added their contribution and the courts have been slowed. Nobody, I think, that typing loved was under way, the kind James Blake and Andy Roddick embody, one with groundstrokes and the other with serving. The new slower courts reward the player who can keep the ball alive and hit angles and spins.
Of course, there are still players who continue in the old style, and they will win from time to time, no one can deal with the incredible pace they can strike, if not disappeared. It is a big "if".
With the new strategy is a new type of player. This game is intended to reward the player Intelligent again. Not that a good man can not play tennis dumb, James, but if you can think of your feet, you'll quickly discover that the variety is available.
In truth, the game is returning to its roots. When the game was created, very few aces have been affected and they were well in sight, not crushed. Players moved from each other around on the grass, most often not perfectly flat, with rackets to wood and nervous with thick ropes without pop.
However, hidden in this wonderful transformation is a concern: the height of modern tennis players. We can consider a player say, 7'6 "and athletic. It can be used regularly to 150 km / h and hit places in the service box, nobody has ever touched before. He can not play the rest of Thursday, but it does not do so. It wins (or lose) each match 7-6, 7-6. The founders were smart enough to work in preventing this scenario. You had to break your opponent's serve least once in a set to win. However, the recent addition of tiebreakers opened the door to a service of the machine is well done. We have a couple on the Tour yet, Ivo. Slowdown of Justice has helped But they will still win their share.
Well, there are a lot of tennis on the horizon. It May American coaches take a few years to understand that they are training "old" players (someone wake up Donald Young), but I think they are catching on. Tuesday fish is to develop a game all courts.
If you do not move your game forward try. See how you can turn the ball hit the corners and your opponents can never achieve. The first step is to learn to stand closer to the baseline, or at least be willing to move forward at the first sign of a short ball. No matter how strong you are, you can not hit many winners from 10 feet behind the baseline, Roddickland, and it is too far to close in on a short ball. Realize that you can hit the ball on a short hop more easily with these big rackets, so retirement is not as necessary. Try to hit the ball on the rise, especially the return of service. You do not have to return the explosion, the service was probably skip you and you just have to redirect. If you're inside the base, the ball back to your opponent so fast, they have little time to respond.
Next find topspin and slices. Singing is very effective against the culture of firecrackers. They like a ball and most are "rhythm" of players. I force takes more than a statistician can measure. This statistic probably changing needs. There is a big difference between missing an easy groundstroke and vicious missing piece to your ankles after touching a topspin before firing and a flat disc of the ball before. Change should be granted because of its strategy, but currently only outright winners to hit, that is smashing the ball your opponent can not reach, is credited with the win. "
Well, many in the game must evolve to adapt to the transformation. And we can all hope that the 7'6 "player with the giant serve does not anytime soon.
Contact: Beth McCaskill
Telephone: 678-622-3708
Email: BethMcCaskill@TennisPlayersNetwork.com
URL: http://www.TennisPlayersNetwork.com
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Tennis is considered the beautiful game around the world. It is a sport that not only requires athleticism and fitness, but also mental toughness to succeed. In addition, strategy is a big part of the sport. All the players at the top are fit and very capable, but not everyone is perfect in developing and executing strategies to beat other top tennis players in the world.
Tennis has a great tradition in the United States. The U.S. has won the legendary Davis Cup more than any country in the world. In addition, the United States is the home of Andre Agassi, Michael Chang, Pete Sampras and many other champions in the recent years. But tennis does not get enough attention in the United States these days. Davis Cup gets minimal coverage on TV, and the coverage of major tournaments such as the Masters Series has been significantly less than previous years. So why is it that a tennis rich country such as the U.S. does not pay enough attention to the "beautiful game."
Tennis fans in the U.S. have been spoiled by the wealth of titles won by U.S. players in the past decade. The days of Agassi, Sampras, Courier, and Chang are extraordinary, and it would be unreasonable to expect the current crop of players to emulate what has been done by the legends of the past. The U.S. fans are patriotic and they tend to pay attention to sports that Americans are dominating. Players from Europe currently dominate tennis, and that is why the media does not cover tennis as well as they should.
The American tennis is used to having stars dominating the sports. And that could be the reason the youth programs have been slightly neglected. Not only the U.S. players are no factor on the red clay, they are also losing their edge on the hard courts. The USTA is currently working hard to develop new talent that can not only challenge on faster courts but also on the red clay. But that will not be happening overnight.
The U.S tennis still has many young up and comers that will challenge for titles in the upcoming years. They may not win a double-digit number of major tournaments, but they will be challenging for top honors. In the meantime, the USTA will have the chance to identify and develop the talent that the U.S. viewers are used to see lifting Grand Slams one after another. Only then, tennis will receive the respect that it deserves in the U.S.
Find, discuss, and share the latest tennis news and developments on TripleMatchPoint Social Tennis Community.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Panah_C_Rad
This article has been written for anyone who is looking to improve at the game of tennis. It covers the four key aspects of tennis that need to be developed to maximize ones improvement. No one area can be ignored as they are all as important as each other and have to integrate if you are looking to become a successful player.
The four key aspects are:
1) Physical
2) Psychological
3) Tactical
4) Technical
Physical
All tennis players should have a strong interest in fitness. At lower levels we are wanting to become fitter, tennis might help us do this. At higher levels we want to improve our fitness above and beyond that required for the game of tennis so we can excel to greater levels. Regardless of your level you will need to condition your body to prevent injury, adapt to the movements required on the court and develop your game.
A player will need to perform strength training specific to the muscles used in the game. Weight training for especially the upper body is imperative as it will help you develop more power in your shots. If you look at Agassi for instance he could bench press 140kgs almost twice his body weight. This is a phenomenal power to weight ratio.
Strength training also helps prevent injury. Tennis can unbalance muscles in the body which can lead to injuries down the track. Often the front shoulder and chest muscles are more developed then the back muscles. Also the more dominant arm is often more developed then the non dominant arm. Working back and non dominant arm muscles will help balance your body out.
Psychological
Some say tennis is 80% mental and 20% physical. Whether this is true or not, psychological factors play a big part in the game of tennis. Your mental training program should go beyond the game of tennis on the court. You really need to build your self confidence, develop a competitive attitude, practice relaxation and concentration techniques, ensure you use positive self talk and visualize your goals you want to achieve. All these factors cannot be covered here in detail, and some are self explanatory like self confidence. Really all need to be developed and worked on daily.
Self talk and a positive attitude is perhaps the most important factor that needs to be discussed here. When you miss a shot what do you tell yourself in your head? Something along the lines of "damn I missed it" or "ill hit my next one for a winner". Can you see the first comment is self defeating and the second is positive. If you can change the way you think from a negative to positive outlook by consciously monitoring your self talk you will go a long way to a sound psychological mind for tennis.
Tactical
Tactical elements of the game of tennis are often overlooked by most coaches which is a bad mistake. A more mindful tactical player will come out on top. Thousands of players hit better balls then the pros, however there poor tactical mind impedes there performances.
The ultimate tactic in tennis is consistency. The more balls you hit in the more likely you are to win a point. This is your greatest weapon. Good shot selection is also a cornerstone for a sound game. When in a rally situation you should use the more safe cross court shot, and only when you get a short ball that you can take advantage of should you go down the line.
The foundation of a good tactical play is the understanding of ones limits at all times. This comes through tactical practice and knowing where one is on the tennis court. Always incorporate tactics into a training regime and implement them in games.
Technical
Everyone's technique is slightly different, however certain fundamentals need to be met for a sound shot. For example the racket face is always vertical on impact, certain grips work better on different shots, and a pathway of motion of the racket is required. For a topspin shot this would be from below the height of the ball to above the height of the ball.
Make sure when you train you develop a sound technique which can meet the demands of playing at higher levels, to ensure you do not have to drastically modify it later. This is done through developing those basic technical foundations that every coach should be able to help you with.
In summary all the four areas do need to be addressed to ensure you can develop a well balanced game with scope for improvement.
© 2008 copyright South Parkholme Tennis Club
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Sports stars have always been sex symbols. This has been the case going back as far the Roman Empire. (Actually, the worship of sports stars probably is as old as human history itself) However, most sports sex symbols have almost unilaterally been men. While women athletes have long since been idolized and respected, very few female sports stars have claimed the mantel of being popular due to their looks. Much of this has changed with the arrival of Anna Kournikova on the professional tennis scene. Yes, she has many fans who love her for her performances on the tennis court. Then, there is the multitude of males who never watched tennis matches in their life; but, they become attentive spectators when an Anna Kournikova match is on television. They also show their fervor by searching for online Anna Kournikova pictures with great abandon as well!
Yes, Anna Kournikova's popularity and superstar status is deeply based on her looks and sex appeal far more than her accomplishments on the tennis court. Let the truth be told, Anna Kournikova is a solid yet not spectacular tennis star. Her overall ratings in singles tennis peaked at #8 and her main success has been primarily in doubles matches. Again, this is a decent career but no where near spectacular as other female greats. However, she has something more important than tennis prowess. She has a great look and this has translated into a huge fan base that has made her one of the most recognizable sports figures in the world.
So, who says you need a good backhand if you look great?
Yes, sexy Anna Kournikova is a solid pro but it was her understanding of the male audience that truly created her great fame. She also used her natural charisma to appeal to the male fans in the audience. In the past, most female tennis stars approached the game with an intense, single minded focus that yielded victory after victory. Such performances, however, had little to do with playing to the crowd. Anna Kournikova understood that playing to an audience would make her a far bigger international superstar than simply winning matches. Of course, her appeal would tumble if she experienced a major losing streak but as long as she remains competent and look goods doing so she will be a superstar.
The men's magazines understood this and played to the fervor by running many Anna Kournikova pics in MAXIM, FHM, and other publications. Anna Kournikova MAXIM layouts greatly aided in making her a modern pinup superstar and internet sensation since modern men's magazines are critical in establishing someone as a sex symbol. By publishing appealing pictures of Anna Kournikova, the tennis star's popularity reached a new apex. She also was introduced to a number of people who previously never watched tennis before and soon became new fans. Well, they became fans of watching Anna Kournikova as opposed to tennis but they are fans nonetheless. This has allowed the audience of professional tennis to grow and that makes the sport healthier as a result. While sexy Anna Kourinkova's original intentions may not have been altruistic, the intensions have yielded positive results for the sport of tennis nonetheless.
This is an article written by one of our Anna Kournikova fans of the Anna Kournikova Gemzies. This Gemzies page is an Online Anna Kournikova Community where fellow fans can share, rate and find websites, videos photos, books and news. We have got some great Sports Illustrated Images, Bikini Shoots and an overview of fan sites. We invite you to visit and join our Anna Kournikova Gemzies.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcel_Van_Brienen
This is a typical question most tennis players would ask. In fact, tennis shoes is one of most important equipment a player should have (apart from the racket of course). So, what characteristics should one be looking for when buying a pair of tennis shoes? As an amateur player, I would normally based my review on the following criteria:
1. Flexibility - I prefer a shoe which has good arch support but yet flexible and not rigid. I enjoy a shoe which is able to fit snugly to my foot and yet lends the necessary ankle support. Test flexibility by bending the shoe.
2. Durability of the sole - this is the area of the shoe which wears off the fastest. Try to go for one which has a better quality and durable sole. There are different kinds of new man-made materials all the time to enhance the durability of the sole of the shoe. Do try to ask the names of such new materials. I am no chemist but do keep abreast of new and revolutionary materials.
3. Stable and fitting - I like a tennis shoe which is overall stable and yet fitting. A good tennis shoe needs to be firm in order to protect your ankle and the sole of your feet. It has to be fitting so that it will not feel clumsy.
4. Light weight - Do try to get a pair of tennis shoes which is fairly light. As tennis requires mobility, you do not wish to be weighed down by your shoes! Having said this, tennis shoes should be still firmer in order to protect the feet, especially the ankles.
5. "Airiness" - I call this the ability to allow your foot to breathe and not to be cooped up. Make sure the shoe you select has some kind of openings in its design to allow air flow.
6. Comfort - Overall, you will know if the pair of shoe suits by just sensing your overall comfort level when you wear it. Make sure you have a pair of socks on as well and do move around and jump around when trying the shoe out. You must have that feeling of being able to move swiftly and being nimble. The pair of tennis shoes which allows you to feel this way would be the one for you!
7. Check out the shoes the top 10 players are using. Although, there could be a sense of bias as the players are sponsored, I am sure there is also a level of quality exuded by these shoes that the players endorse.
As someone who enjoys the game of tennis, I wish to share some of my tennis experiences with everyone. I hope my reviews which are a reflection of my thoughts would come in handy. For more tennis thoughts from me, check out http://learningtennis.wordpress.com Hope you will enjoy it and come back for more tennis thoughts :)
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Tennis racquet string tension is a commonly misunderstood issue but a very important consideration for your racquet. What racquet string tension should I use? Well, when it comes down to it, it really is a matter of personal preference, but here are some guidelines and facts to keep in mind. First, there is generally a tension range that is provided by the tennis racket manufacturer and is usually located on the throat of the tennis racket. If you ever find yourself unsure or struggling to decide what tension, a number smack dab in the middle of the recommended racquet string tension is usually a good one to start with. You can then increase or decrease your string tension until you find something that feels good.
Since all tennis rackets recommend different tensions (they are generally somewhere in the 50 or 60 pound range), there is not one tension that can be recommended. You can only use the following guidelines. Lower tension increase power and higher tensions increase control. With a lower tension, the racket acts almost like a trampoline. The ball hits the racket, the strings quickly form a small pocket (relative to the tennis string tension) and your swing and strings shoot the ball out of the pocket. Obviously, this is a little over exaggerated, but it is a metaphor to how the strings respond with a lower tension. This all results in a little less control.
Racquet string tension that is on the high side causes the racquet to act more like a board or "brick wall". This tight racket string tension causes the ball to flatten out more, which allows the strings to have a better bite on the ball. This, in essence, provides more control. Many players prefer tighter strings but it does have a board like feel that you may not like. It is also important to keep in mind that racket string tension will feel different with different rackets. Some tennis rackets are flexible while others are stiff. Your current tension may feel very different on a different racket even though they have the same recommended string tension.
Tennis string tension really becomes a matter of personal preference and trial and error. And it starts all over again if you get a new tennis racket. So just remember the basics:
1. Higher string tension means reduced power but more control
2. Lower string means more power but reduced control
Now that I have said all of this, I will throw a kink into the mix. These guidelines really apply to those tennis players who are passed the beginning stage of tennis and are a more intermediate or advanced player. A beginner could be hitting balls all over the place but a higher or tighter racket string tension is not going to help them out with better control. A beginner would most likely benefit from a lower tension because the strings will be more forgiving and help with the number of off center hits that they have. I would suggest that a beginning tennis player stick with the mid-range string tension that is recommend for the tennis racket.
Chris is an advid tennis player with over 25 years experience in stringing tennis rackets. For more information on tennis racket strings or where to find tennis strings at a discount, please check out http://www.discounttennisstrings.com Don't miss out on all the great information there!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Greene
The No.4 of the world of 23 years old, Andy Murray, captured his fourth ATP title of the year at the Madrid Masters in Spain by beating the French and world No.10 Gilles Simons 6-4, 7-6(8/6). It was a closed game but at the end the victory was for the British player, especially after his 10 aces and saving two set points in a tiebreaker.
Gilles stated that Murray took advantage of his tiredness after playing Nadal in the semifinals by making him run side to side. However, Murray expressed that he was also mentally and physically tired after the semifinal with Roger Federer, just as Simon was tired of his semifinal with Nadal. The key of his success in the final was his great serve, with which he was able to make 10 aces. Thanks to this, his triumph was unbreakable and became in another great accomplishment for his tennis career, which is growing gradually.
Before winning the Madrid Masters, Murray won titles at the Cincinnatti Masters, Doha and Marseille, becoming the first British player to win four ATP titles in a single season and solidifying that way his spot as the No.4 of the ATP rankings.
After this victory, many are saying that the British has joined the "Big Four" along with Nadal, Federer and Djokovic; however, the Scot expressed that he still has a long way to go and a lot of work to be done before comparing himself with these three great players.
"I've played great the last few months, but those guys have been unbelievable for the last couple of years. They are so consistent on every surface and throughout the whole year. Those guys have been awesome and I'm still not close to them yet, I still need to keep working hard," stated Murray to the press.
Nevertheless, the Scot has beaten these three contenders in various occasions. With Djokovic, Murray has met in six occasions, losing the first four, but winning in the in the last two meetings with the Serbian, during the Cincinnati Masters and the Rogers Cup. Against Federer, Murray has been victorious in three of the five matches they have played, the most recent one in the semifinal of the Madrid Masters. And finally against Nadal, Murray has played six clashes winning only one of them, but it was a very important one because it was precisely during the U.S Open semifinals this year.
As everybody knows, this British has had an awesome season this year, with great accomplishments to be remembered and a great future in the ATP Tour. We hope he will end strong this season since he is already qualified to the Shanghai Masters Cup at the end of the ATP Season.
His next challenge will be the St. Petersburg Open, where he will have to defend his points since he is the defending champion of the tournament. After St. Petersburg, he will go on playing the Paris Masters and finally, the end-tournament of the season at the Masters Cup in Shanghai. Murray hopes to secure his 4th place at the rankings and to keep his great run at the remaining tournaments of the year.
Ally White is a top senior copy writer for the international tennis championships as well as the top ranking online bookmaker: http://www.instantactionsports.com/uk/
Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your site, make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.
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Did you know...
Former tennis player Bjorn Borg -Europe's best ever tennis player- is loved by the Swedish people as a baseball idol might be in the United States.Thanks to Bjorn Borg, Sweden won the Davis Cup for the first time in 1975. This former sportsman is a fan of Elvis Presley´s music...
Australian Evonne Goolagong became the first Aboriginal sportswoman to win an international tournament ( 1971 French Open ). Like Jim Thorpe ( American football, athletics, baseball / Olympic gold medalist, 1912 ) and Cathy Freeman ( 1997 World 400m gold medalist ), she is one of the greatest Aboriginal athletes of all time. Evonne has won 65 international trophies. In the 1970s, she was named the "Best Female Athlete" by the Associated Press.
In 1970, Margaret Smith Court ( Australia) became the first woman to win the Grand Slam (Wimbledon, the US, Australian and French Open tournaments ). In the 1960s, she once confessed, "I had given up most of my teenage years, sacrificed the parties and friends back home..."
Czechoslovakia -currently Czech Republic- won the Davis Cup in 1980. In the final, Czechoslovakia defeated Italy 4-1. This European country became the first socialist country to win the Davis Cup.
Manuel Santana became the first Spanish man to win Wimbledon (1966).
Chris Evert (USA) and Olga Morozova (USSR / Russia) won the women's doubles tennis title at the French Open in 1974. Morozova was the first professional athlete in the Soviet Union.
The United States has won 32 Davis Cup trophies: 1900, 1902, 1913, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1937, 1938, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1954, 1958, 1963, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1990, 1992, 1995, 2007.
In September 1975, Martina Navratilova -one of the world's most famous tennis players of the 20th century- sought political asylum in the United States. Fred Barman ( Martina's manager ) said: "Just a year ago, she was in prison. Czechoslovakia is a prison. She's like a young kid going to Disneyland. She wants to do this, she wants to do that. Maybe she's gotten it out of her system now. It's time to get down to brass tacks. This is not just another tennis player. This is another Billie Jean King".
American tennis star Jennifer Capriati won the women's singles title at the 25th Olympiad in Barcelona (Spain). Curiously, she had lived in Spain in the late 70s. Aged just 16, she was the youngest player ever to win the Olympic title.
Arthur Ashe ,who was one of the greatest tennis players, became the second African-American to win the Wimbledon tournament (1975). For many years, he served as U.S. Goodwill Ambassador to Africa. In the 1980s and 1990s, Arthur also dedicated his life to the fight against the AIDS pandemic.
Tennis is one of the most popular sports in Sweden. In the past century, three Swedish players won a total of 24 world titles:
-Bjorn Borg won six French Open singles titles ( 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981), five Wimbledon singles titles (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980).
-Mats Wilander won one U.S. Open title (1988), three French Open singles titles (1982, 1985, 1988), three Australian Open singles titles (1983, 1984, 1988).
-Stefan Edberg won two Australian Open singles titles (1985 & 1987), two Wimbledon singles titles (1988 & 1990), two U.S. Open titles (1991 & 1992).
Ilie Nastase was one of Romania's greatest 20th century athletes. In the early 1970s, David Gray, a journalist, wrote of him: "Nastephobia is one of the current preoccupations of both the World Championship Tennis Professional and the United States Davis Cup team".
Fact File
Name: Ilie Nastase
Height: 1,81m
Nationality: Romanian
Born: 19 / 7 / 1946
Sports career: 1969-1981
Languages: Romanian & English
Coach : Constantin Chivaru
International championships:
1969 Davis Cup- 2nd place
1970 Wimbledon- 2nd place: mixed (with Rosemary Casals)
1970 Italian Tournament- 1st place: singles
1970 French Open- 1st place: doubles (with Ion Tiriac)
1971 Davis Cup- 2nd place
1971 French Open- 2nd place: singles
1972 Wimbledon- 1st place: mixed (with Rosemary Casals)
1972 Wimbledon-2nd place: singles
1972 U.S. Open-1st place: singles
1973 Wimbledon-1st place: doubles (with Jimmy Connors)
1973 French Open-1st place: singles
1974 Xerox Tournament- 1st place: singles
1975 U.S.Open- 1st place: doubles (with Jimmy Connors)
1975 American Airlines- 2nd place: singles
1975 Louisville Tournament- 2nd place: singles
1975 Canada Open- 2nd place: singles
1975 Hillton Head- 1st place: singles
1975 Masters- 1st place: singles
1976 Wimbledon- 2nd place: singles
1976 Altamira Cup- 2nd place: singles
1976 International Tournament- 1st place: singles
Alejandro Guevara Onofre: He is a freelance writer. Alejandro is of Italian, African and Peruvian ancestry. He has published more than seventy-five research paper in English, and more than twenty in Spanish, concerning the world issues, Olympic sports, countries, and tourism. His next essay is called "The Dictator and Alicia Alonso". He is an expert on foreign affairs. Alejandro is the first author who has published a world-book encyclopedia in Latin America.
He admires Frida Kahlo (Mexican painter), José Gamarra (former president of the Bolivian Olympic Committee ,1970- 1982), Hillary Clinton (ex-First Lady of the USA), and Jimmy Carter (former President of the USA). Alejandro said: "The person who I admire the most is José Gamarra . He devoted his professional and personal life to sport. José played an important role in the promotion of Olympism in Bolivia -it is one of the Third World`s poorest countries- and Latin America. His biography is interesting". The sportspeople he most admire is Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman. "This African-American sportswoman is my idol... "
Article Source: http://EzineArtic
1. In schools
Some primary schools have tennis as a CCA. Most primary schools allow kids in primary 1 to start learning tennis as a CCA. In most instances, such group lessons for kids may not be sufficient if your kid wishes to take up tennis seriously or competitively. A typical group lesson for tennis CCA would have at least 8 kids in a class. Given the large number of kids to a tennis coach, it is not possible for your kids to learn much tennis this way. Nevertheless, it would be a good form of exercise and bonding for the kids.
2. Kids' group tennis lessons (Spex programme)
In Singapore, tennis coaching at the national level is conducted by the Singapore Tennis Association (STA). They have a very comprehensive tennis coaching programme for all levels of players, from beginners to advanced players. For kids, there is the SPEX programme. This is conducted islandwide at most of the public tennis courts, namely at Kallang, Yio Chu Kang, Farrer Park and NIE campus. Again, these are group tennis lessons for kids. Each group would usually have 8 players. The tennis coaches are all qualified and screened by the STA. Therefore, you will have a sense of comfort with regards to the quality of the coaches concerned.
3. Private Individual tennis lesson
If you have the budget and is keen to see your kid improve faster, there is always the option of hiring a tennis coach in Singapore. These are individuals who can visit your condominium tennis courts and train your child in tennis. These are usually 1 hour lessons. You may find such coaches at the Spex programme or search online. Always ask for your coach's credentials i.e. experience, where he or she has been coaching.
4. Private small group tennis lesson
Again, you can have a coach come by your condominium tennis courts to train your child and his or her group of friends. Try not to have more than 4 kids to make the training more effective. Such kids group tennis lessons are good as it allows the child to play against other kids of a similar standard of play. Nothing beats match play against an opponent.
5. Family fun tennis
It would be ideal if some one in the family also plays tennis. These would usually result in the child getting more tennis play time and encouragement. However, as a matter of experience, most kids do not enjoy their parent coaching them. They tend to rebel. This may constrained their development as a tennis player. Hence, it may be more practical and sane to have some one external to coach your kid.
As an avid tennis player, I have had my fair share of experiences in trying to find out which are the best ways to learn tennis in Singapore for myself and my kids. I hope this article will provide some guidance for all would-be tennis players! If you find this article useful and would really wish to learn tennis, please check this out http://www.1sports.asia/ Happy Learning & Playing!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J._Cain
I only played tennis with my father once. At that time, he wore a white T-shirt, white shorts that came to well above his mid-thighs, white shoes and white knee socks. In his defense, he was (and still is) in very good shape, and he pulled off the look much better than most of his contemporaries could have. Of course, the crowing glory to his ensemble was his wooden, circa 1975 tennis racquet. Its wooden frame and small, ovular head were in marked contrast to my racquet's metal frame and neon-colored polyester strings. However, that contrast now serves as an excellent example of the changes tennis racquets have undergone over the past few decades.
Tennis racquets have, in one form or another, been around for hundreds of years. Up until the late 1960s, most tennis racquets were made of laminated wood. At that time, the first steel racquets were introduced and popularized by Jimmy Connors, a top American tennis player of the era. A few years later, aluminum construction came on the market, which allowed for racquets of much lighter weight. As a result, "oversized" racquet heads were popular for the first time. Previously, racquet heads had been about 65 square inches in area. After the inception of the aluminum frame, heads jumped in size to approximately 110 square inches. Aluminum frames were followed by carbon fiber, ceramics, glass fiber, boron and titanium composites in the early 1980s. Since then, composite frames have become the industry standard.
While modern tennis racquets vary in length, weight and head size. Those for adults are usually about 27 inches in length, and they can weigh between eight and twelve ounces (without strings). The size of the head is a major determining factor in a racquet's capabilities. While a larger head allows for more power, a smaller one gives the player more precise control. Today, heads can vary from 90 to 137 square inches in area.
The strings are is another major area of racquet variability. On traditional tennis racquets, natural gut was the material of choice, and some modern racquets still use cow intestine. This material is actually considered by many to be the best for tennis racquet strings in terms of overall playability. However, natural gut strings break easily and are very expensive, which means that only professional tennis players tend to use them.
Synthetic gut, on the other hand, is widely used by amateurs and pros alike. It can be made from a variety of artificial materials, making it cheaper and easier to manufacture than the natural version. Strings made from synthetic gut are also more durable. The most popular synthetic strings are nylon. These strings have a tendency toward breakage and often come with wear-resistant coatings. Polyester is also common; these strings are fairly stiff and do not create as much power, which allows a player to better control the ball with a full swing. Kevlar is the stiffest and most durable of the synthetic materials. It is often used in conjunction with another material, as Kevlar by itself is too stiff for many players. All of these materials come in both "monofilament" and "multifilament" variations: the former means a string composed of a single, thick strand, the latter being a string made up of multiple, smaller strands.
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Footwork, Grip and Strokes - Tennis Lessons Online and Downloadable.
Great footwork is in reality about weight control, something you learn quickly in tennis for beginners training. It is getting the most effective body posture for each shot, and from there pretty much all shots will grow. In explaining the various kinds of shots and footwork I am talking about are as a right-hand player. The left-hander aught basically reverse the feet.
Racquet grip is an imperative aspect of your stroke, because a mediocre hold will mess up the finest serve. A natural grip for a top forehand shot is essentially unsound for the backhand.
To acquire the forehand grip, hold the tennis racquet with the side of the frame toward the court and the face perpendicular, the handle toward the body, and "shake hands" the racquet, just as if you were greeting your friend. the grip settled easily and naturally into the hand, the general line of the hand, racquet and arm are one. The swing brings the racquet in a general line with the arm, and the full tennis racquet is basically an extension of the arm.
The backhand grip is a 1/4 circle roll of hand on the grip, bringing the hand over the hand grip and the knuckles directly up. the shot travels through the wrist.
This is the very best arrangement for a grip. I won't advocate replicating this hand grip absolutely, but learn your natural style hold as closely as possible on these rules while not giving up your own ease or distinctiveness.
Having once mastered the tennis racquet in the hand, the next challenge is the stance of the body and plan of mastering strokes
All tennis shots, would be made with your body at right angles to the net, with the shoulders lined up to the natural line of path of the tennis ball. the weight must always move forward. it need move from the back foot all the way to the other foot the exact moment of driving the ball. On no account permit the weight to be going away from the shot. It is weight that influences the "pace/tempo" of a stroke swing that, influences your "speed/tempo."
Allow me spell out the gist of "speed/pace" and also the "pace/rapidity." "Speed" is the actual rate with which a ball moves through the atmosphere. "Pace" is the velocity with which it springs up from the court. Pace is weight. It is the "sting" the tennis ball has when it comes from the ground, letting the inexperienced along with unsuspecting competitor a blast of power which the shot or swing never revealed.
A good many sports persons hold both "speed" and "pace." A few shots may well have both.
The order of learning strokes should be:
1. The Drive. Fore and also the backhand. This is the starting place of all tennis, given that you simply won't build a net offensive until you occupy the ground hit to create the practice. Nor can you win a net charge effectively unless you in reality, can drive, plainly that is your only effective passing stroke.
2. Service.
3. The Volley and also the Overhead Smash.
4. The Chop or Half Volley and other incidental and ornamental strokes.
Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com
I am in my early 40s, a mother of two and until I took up tennis a few months back, was not very much into sports. As for me, I found that like everything else, in order to learn something new, one has to do the following:
1) Just abandon all fear, and have passion and enjoyment when playing. Initially there were long moments of discouragement. But after many lessons I now enjoy all my lessons, and look forward to ffurther improving my forehand, backhand and serve...
2) Don't scrimp on getting a good coach. At least initially, you will need a good coach in order to pick up the sport correctly. Typically after 20 coaching lessons, you should be in a good position to continue your learning by practicing with other players. For a qualified Singapore tennis coach, look for someone with the correct experience. i.e. someone with a Singapore Sports Council (SSC) level 1 coaching certification at the very least.
3) Do find a group of friends whom share the same passion for tennis. Once you get a regular game going with your friends, you would find yourself looking forward to each week's game. You may join a club or search around for a social tennis network. Some people also join social clubs devoted to tennis. Nowadays, I have a regular game going every week with my lady friends.
4) Learn all you can from speaking to more experienced players, as well as observing how the professionals play.
5) Take time to try different rackets, until you have found the correct racquest for your style of play. In this regard I was fortunate to have my tennis-playing husband advise me. However, you can get similar expert advice from any tennis professional.
6) Finally, perhaps the most important tip to share with you is: no matter what be relaxed and just enjoy your game. Have fun on the court :)
Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com
The field of tennis psychology is not just common advice and tactical or mental tips. It is based on general and sports psychology and then applied to tennis specifically.
There are many common elements in the psychology of tennis which can be found in other sports too. An athlete that wants to perform at his peak needs to learn:
1. How to refocus
Many players start the match with good concentration but they drop their level of concentration because of disturbing outside events, pressure situations, emotional reactions to various events and so on. A player needs to learn how to quickly and effectively refocus to be able to play his best tennis.
2. How to control his arousal – to manage his intensity and body energy
A player's arousal can be too high or too low and in both cases he is not able to play his best tennis. Arousal affects his body and mind abilities – a player may have too much muscle tension and his decisions are usually not tactically intelligent.
Learning to find the »ideal state« is the key in controlling one's arousal and one of the most important aspects of tennis psychology.
3. What elements of the tennis game can a player control
A player may get upset (and it happens often) about an event that he cannot control or even influence. For example – the noise of the planes flying over the court, windy conditions, court conditions, his opponent’s luck and so on.
By being focused on these events he wastes his energy which could be used on elements that he can control – his attitude and effort, how he intends to play, …
4. How to control his thinking
Negative thinking affects players much more than they are aware of. It affects body abilities in two ways – being aware of them (feeling tension) and being unaware (the pendulum experiment); moreover it evokes negative feelings – emotions that cloud the player's judgment and affect his body abilities – again.
By being more and more aware of what he is thinking a player can then change his thoughts to a more positive and solution based thinking. The awareness of our thoughts is quite a challenge in the psychological approach to tennis.
5. How to use imagery
Imagery or visualization is extremely useful in almost all aspects of the tennis game. A player can improve technique, strategy, physical abilities and his mental preparation of certain events. Another use of imagery is when a player misses a shot and then quickly sees in his mind how he hit the ball correctly.
Using imagery is an incredibly efficient technique, not only in the psychology of tennis but in everyday life too.
6. How to build confidence
Confidence is one of those elements where tennis psychology can help really quickly and with very simple tools. A player who is not confident will hesitate in his decisions, will be afraid to take risks and his shots will usually miss by just a little. Doubt can be seen in reality as small misses that happen regularly.
When a player builds his confidence he is able to play at his best and doesn't lose his hope when a big challenge appears.
7. How to find and get rid of limiting beliefs
Limiting beliefs are one of the most limiting and troublesome aspects of human's psyche. They are mostly deep in the subconsciousness and are sometimes hard to find. A limiting belief for example is when a player believes that he is not good in tie-breaks and he will then self-sabotage himself in those crucial moments to prove himself right.
Having no limiting beliefs means that the player is in total acceptance of everything that happens. Outside events are just events with no meaning. The player accepts them and deals with them.
8. How to empty the mind – Inner Game principles to enter the zone
There are three main principles of the Inner Game – quieting the mind, non-judgment and trusting the body. The player must first learn to apply them in training. And when he experiences these effects in training he knows what to look for in the match. He then plays the inner game – how to perform at his peak.
These are the fundamentals of tennis psychology and by understanding these principles and applying them daily a player develops mental toughness. He knows how to apply the tools and as a very positive side effect gains a lot of self confidence.
He now knows that he has ways of dealing with his own mind and that most of his competitors do not. He is aware that he has the edge in the most stressful situations in the match and that gives him inner strength and belief that he can persevere through tough matches.
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.
The Top 4 Reasons For Mental Training And How They Help You Win Tennis Matches Before You Hit A Ball by: Paul Gold
If I was to tell you that there was a sequence of mental events that link together to get you to the match court in the best condition possible would you want to know them?
Of course you would - so here they are!
These factors which you begin to put together in your head way before matches, can easily be the difference between winning and losing without you hitting a ball!
The 4 stages or phases if you like are as follows -
1. Preparation 2. Confidence 3. Game planning & What If 4. Focus
PREPARATION
The first stage is linking the technical and physical work you have done both on and off the court to your mental state.
You need to take stock of the work you have been putting in and think about all the positive aspects of your training and believe that they will make a difference to your performance.
The danger is that like many people you may spend your time thinking that you could have done more or "if only I had done this or that extra", but you need to realise that the chances are that your opponent is probably in the same boat and is asking themselves the same questions of themselves without realising that this is only raising their self-doubt.
I suggest that you keep a "good experiences" notebook that you can keep in your racket bag. Every time you play a match, take a lesson, have a practise session or do some training (physical or mental), you will have some good things to put into the notebook - so do it TODAY!
Thinking about all the positive aspects of your training will lead to higher levels of the next component which is - Confidence!
CONFIDENCE
If you have enough positive experiences in your "mental locker" (as explained in the previous section) will lead to one thing SELF-CONFIDENCE.
Let's be honest, there is nothing better than having high (but realistic) levels of confidence (not so high that you become sloppy and don't try) as it is this confidence that will allow you to play the shots that you have been practising etc. without the fear of failure that ultimately is the biggest inhibitor to match success.
Using your notebook on a regular basis not only helps reinforcement at the time, but serves as a great confidence boost as you revisit those thoughts/pictures and feelings and bring them back to the front of your mind.
GAME PLANNING & WHAT IF
Once you have completed the first 2 stages you are then ready to confidently work through what you WANT to happen in your matches - the Game Plan.
This game planning takes place on 2 levels -
1. You don't know your opponent but will mentally prepare to play the game YOU want to play according to your strengths, weaknesses and game style. 2. You do know your opponent and make modifications to how you play depending on their strengths, weaknesses and game style.
The other (often overlooked) but vitally important part of any pre-match preparation is what I call the "What If."
It's ok to know what you want to do if things run according to plan and you are able to execute. But what if something changes?
You need to contemplate and have alternative "plays" if something happens that is not in your original plan - a plan B (and maybe C) if you like!
Obviously the more experienced you are, the more likely you are to have encountered different situations that may arise but at whatever level you are you can think about and have a possible answer to several situations that may arise. It may not win you the match every time but you have more of a chance if you have some sort of plan in place than if you have none!
FOCUS
All of the above factors join together to give you that vital Focus that you will need on the court.
The ability to control your focus (concentration on the correct aspects of the game and your performance) is vital as lapses in this area always lead to physical and mental errors and ultimately a below par match.
SUMMARY
The above factors are all vital components in getting you to perform at your best when you come to play a match.
Start practising them now and in no time at all you will see some big differences in your matchplay and results.
Just south of Palm Beach and less than an hour's drive north of Miami, Florida, you will find the resort city of Delray Beach, Florida, with it's over two miles of clean well maintained sandy beaches, historic downtown shopping area, beautiful gardens and parks, world class tennis center, golf courses and it's large variety of hotels and motels.
Looking for a place to stay? Try the Breakers-On-The-Ocean, (561) 278-4501, with it's picture perfect beach setting and it's 200 feet of private beach, complimentary beach cabanas, putting green, ocean front suites and ocean view apartments, the recently renovated and restored Colony Hotel And Cabana Club, (800) 552-2363, with it's 70 guestrooms, all with vinage tropical furniture, fabrics and colors, hardwood floors, unique appointments and Florida works of art, personal air conditioning and operable windows or the Delray Beach Marriott, (561) 274-3200, with it's soft sandy beach, heated pool, on site spa and fitness center, rooms with private balconys and it's Marriott service. If you don't like these hotels there are numerous others to choose from.
Feel like some golf? Check out the Delray Beach Golf Club, (561) 243-7380, a 1923 Donald Ross Design located off of Atlantic Avenue just three miles west of the historic Downtown Delray Beach area. This jewel is a meticulously manicured championship track, and features 6,907 yards and a par-72 or the Lakeview Golf Club, (561) 498-3229, a 3,006 yard, par 60 executive golf course, built in 1972. There are also over 100 other golf courses surrounding the Delray Beach area.
Spend your days, sunning, swimming and playing on the two miles of, clean well maintained, beach. Go scuba diving or snorkeling in the clear warm Atlantic waters. Cruise the calm protected waters of the Intercoastal Waterway. Visit the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, (561) 495-0233, with it's two museum buildings which house 5,000 Japanese art objects and artifacts, including a 500-piece collection of tea ceremony items, more than 200 textile pieces and recent fine art acquisitions, and it's 200 acres of expansive Japanese gardens with strolling paths, resting areas, tropical bonsai collection, small lakes teeming with koi and other wildlife, nature trails, pine forests and park and picnic areas. Visit the American Orchid Society, (561) 404-2000, a botanical paradise with thousands of orchids on it's 3.5 acres of themed gardens and a magnificent display greenhouse. Play tennis at the Delray Beach Tennis Center, 561-243-7360, with it's 14 clay courts and 7 hard courts, an upstairs pavilion and conference room, and a pro shop with a locker room, racquet stringing and merchandise. Go shopping in downtown Delray Beach, with it's brick sidewalks, historic architecture, antique shoppes, gift shoppes, boutiques, art galleries and more.
If you want more to do, take a scenic drive down to Miami, stop in Fort Lauderdale on the way, or go up to Palm Beach and go shopping on Worth Avenue. Take a tour of the everglades or go sport fishing. There are enough activities in or near Delray Beach to keep you occupied for a day, a week, a month or even longer.
For more information about the city of Delray Beach, Florida see: http://delraybeachfl.usacitydirectories.com, a directory of links to the city of Delray Beach, Florida guides and directories listing hotels, restaurants, attorneys, real estate brokers, information, resources, services, things to do, places to go and more.
Wimbledon. It's a word that stands for tennis at its best.
Although it is first of all the name of a London suburb, for millions of tennis fans around the world it is shorthand for sportsmanship, athletic prowess, and celebrity stardom. For the half-a-million or so people who manage to see at least some of the annual championship games in person, it also means a huge social event.
One of the great things about the championship tennis tournament played every summer at Wimbledon is that it's one of the few major sporting events for which the average fan (i.e, neither rich nor well-connected) stands a decent chance of gaining entry.
Interestingly, the Wimbledon games ultimately owe their existence not to tennis but to another, more sedate, game that was all the rage among the Victorians: croquet. You see, the private club that sponsors the world's foremost tennis championship was founded originally as The All England Croquet Club.
Founded in 1868, the club did not hold its first tennis championships until 1877. Those games were witnessed by a few hundred spectators in what is described as a "garden party atmosphere."
For a long time now the club's name has been The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, and the Wimbledon championships are attended by more than 500,000 people as well as carried to millions around the world through mass media and the Internet.
The tournament starts six weeks before the first Monday in August and runs for approximately two weeks. Players from more than 60 countries regularly compete.
If you're planning to be in London during the two June or July weeks when the tournament is being played, getting in to see at least a match or two would be a marvelous experience for any tennis fan. So how can you score a ticket to this greatest of all tennis events?
If you definitely want to attend the next year's Wimbledon, you should enter the public ballot (or lottery) that is held each January for some of the Centre Court and No. 1 Court seats. You will need some luck to pick up a ticket this way, but it's worth a try. All it takes is obtaining the official application form and returning it by the deadline (the exact procedures and addresses are detailed on the Tops 4 Tennis Web site at www.tops4tennis.com/articles/wimbledon.html).
If you are successful in the drawing for tickets, you will be notified about four months before the beginning of the tournament and asked to send payment at that time.
Another way to get into the tournament is to purchase a travel package from one of the many companies specializing in tennis tours. Most of these Wimbledon packages will include transportation, lodging and perhaps some local side tours in addition to the tickets themselves. This is a convenient way to go to the tournament if you like the all-in-one approach to buying travel. If you're more of an independent traveler, it might not suit you as well.
You can find Wimbledon travel operators on the Web by searching on "Wimbledon tournament travel" or "Wimbledon travel package."
There are also a number of ticket brokers online, some of whom specialize in sporting events such as Wimbledon. They buy tickets from willing sellers and re-sell them to willing buyers, or alternatively they simply bring the sellers and buyers together to make their own deal. The brokers make their money through the fees or commissions they charge for this service.
Finally, you can also stand in line for tickets during the tournament itself.
Several thousand same-day tickets are put on public sale while the games are going on. You'll have to be present and willing to stand on line a long time to get one of these. In the end you might still miss out, but if you're in the area anyway and have patience, you should show up early and have a go at it.
If you're an avid tennis player or fan or both, Wimbledon is one event you should see in person at least once in your life.
See you courtside?
The truth is that all sports are not equal when it comes to betting.Some of them like soccer for example may have greater appeal to the punters worldwide but that doesnt make them the best markets for wagering.
One of the most interesting and profitable markets i have ever found is without a doubt tennis. One of its main advantages is that the very nature of the sport makes the bookies struggle to come up with the correct odds so many opportunities and value bets arise.There are many aspects that a punter must take into consideration such as surface,tournaments,fittness,mental toughness,ranking of a player but once he master these he will see value bets litterally everywhere.
First of all tennis season is ten months long with many tournaments to choose from.The more important the tournament, the more money it pays, and the more accomplished and high ranked players will enter.Its not uncommon of high ranked players using low level tournaments as a practice for the big one coming up and many times they lose to an inferior opponent who treats these tournaments as gold cause he has no chance on making it far in the big ones.
Of course surface still remains one of the most important factors in tennis. Each player has a favorite surface,a surface that he performs at his best.There are very few players that perform equally well at all surfaces.Many of them play and choose most tournaments in their schedule that have their favorite surface.You can see for example a player that is ranked 15 in the world but when he plays a guy who is ranked for example 50 but plays in his favorite surface and least favorite for the other,things are not good for the top ranked guy.
Surfaces combined with the weapons that each player has at his disposal are perhaps the ones that top the list when we want to decided the winner of a certain matchup: Take Clay for example.Its the slowest surface of them all.Its difficult to hit through your opponent so the big hitters are to an extent losing their edge here.You have to be very fast and a great mover to survive in this surface.Grass on the other hand is very fast and the ball bounces low so the players have less time to react.Good servers with volleying abilities are needed for this surface.
One of the things that are overlooked most of the times is the mental toughness of a player. To learn how a player reacts under pressure is a serious weapon in your way to making a profit out of tennis punting. Many players are known to crack under pressure,many others have a phycological advantage or vice verca against a certain opponent so you can easily make a profile of each players mental status.Whether he has a burning will to win or he is indefferent to a tennis match its easy for you to spot him after a while. You ll know that a certain player if gets just slightly down on the scoreboard most of the time is starting to spray wild balls around the court or another one in the same situation picks up his game and starts to play like god.
Fitness and injuries are of course very important for every sport.But since we are talking about an individual sport they take a much more important role.An injury can end a match in a flash.when someone has played some tournaments in a row or when someone is coming off a serious injury are definately some things that we have to consider before we even begin to think about betting on them.Its not uncommon that a qualifier beats the hot favorite in his first match after a long layoff or the hot favorite loses an easy match only because of getting extremely tired after a few tournaments in a row.Definately one to watch.
All these things and many more make the value betting in tennis one of the most smart ways to bet.The flactuation of the odds most of the time is amazing and there is a reason why tennis is the most traded sport in betfair.If you devote some time to familiarize yourself with the game and its variables you ll find that the tennis market is full of opportunities waiting to be grasped.
There are many components that contribute to an effective tennis-training programme but whilst most people will readily mention strength, endurance, flexibility, speed etc one of the most important yet understated components is variety.
Your body is fantastically adaptive in as much as if you repeat the same thing over and over you will adapt and it will become the norm (an important factor in learning), however if you perform the same workout routine (no matter how good it is) it will eventually prove counter productive as all initial gains you make plateau and there will be no overload and any gains will be reversed.
Think of it another way, if you play your favourite song over and over again for too long it will eventually lose its early appeal.
This is where using other sports and methods of training (or cross-training as it is known), is important.
For the pro players that I work with, participating in other sports keeps them physically and mentally fresh (they obviously play so much tennis) whilst still promoting a training stimulus.
For my junior players (minis included) as well as my recreational adults (some very serious and not too recreational by the way), it is a way of training many of the fitness components critical for tennis away from the tennis environment whilst still retaining a competitive games - based edge. This is especially true of the "mini" juniors for whom early "specialisation" in a single sport has been shown to be counterproductive.
Here are some ideas to either spice up or enhance a program you are currently doing, or to get you started on a new one.
1. Participate in sports such as basketball, soccer, baseball or volleyball.
All these sports have the stop-start repeated sprint tempo that tennis requires with soccer providing a multidirectional agility-training stimulus that is vital for effective court coverage. Although basketball and volleyball include many directional changes as well, they have a large leg power component to them through the repeated jumping that takes place.
Baseball has many useful tennis related aspects to it such as pitching and getting the ball from base to base (which are throwing actions like the tennis serve) and sliding to make base can be very useful when you come to play on clay where sliding is a vital component for success.
2. Use outdoor activities.
Cardio training can be achieved by running, hiking (also good for leg strength), skating (balance and agility), skipping (co-ordination), cycling and swimming, to mention just a few. If you are in a park you could use equipment such as benches, balance beams, monkey bars, rope climbs etc. to do body weight driven exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, balancing, step-ups, squat jumps, tricep dips, calf raises, etc.
As always start slowly and at your own pace and progress slowly increasing the length and/or intensity as you improve.
So, with a little thought and creativity you can combine all the fitness components necessary for improving tennis performance into workouts that take place away from your normal tennis environment, thereby allowing you to be physically and sometimes more importantly mentally fresh every time you step back on the court to play a match or have a lesson.
Who knows you may even find yourself having fun whist getting fitter and improving your tennis!
Before starting any exercise program, always be sure to first consult your physician.
We all want to win. Some of us have a passion for winning. Winning does not have to mean competition. It can simply mean, we get what we want, and we know we will get what we want. We win our lives the way we want them to be.
How do we win the big prizes? You know those prizes. The ones that seem just out of our reach, but we think of them often. We want to win those prizes.
Here's how it works:
In high school, I was on the tennis team, and there was a tennis ladder. This ladder had all of us who were on the team placed on this ladder. Usually the coach puts you where he/she think you are skill wise. If you want to move up that ladder, then you have to challenge the person in the rung above you for their position. You have to beat them out of their place on the ladder. You have to win at being who you are.
Apparently my coach didn't think I was extremely skilled. I wasn't on the bottom of the ladder thankfully; I was put in the position of #1 Doubles Team at the beginning of the season. If I wanted to move from there, then I was the one that would have to do the moving.
That's not last, but it's not what I wanted, and I knew I was *better* than that. I wanted to be a *singles* player.
In order to do that I was going to have to challenge my best friend. Telling your best friend that you think you can beat her, and want to beat her out of her place is actually harder than the skill needed to win the tennis match. (Especially when you are in high school.) But I knew I could beat her. And so I did. I won.
This moved me up to the next skill level. I was now 3rd singles. I felt like I could beat the 2nd singles girl, but I was not so sure about the girl in the #1 slot. Nope, she was very, very, skilled in the game of tennis. She was better than me, and I knew it. I wasn't at her skill level *yet*.
In order for us to win at manifesting, meaning we really get what we want, because we used the skills to get us there faster and better, then we have to choose our goals/intentions to get us there.
In tennis, it's the next person above you on the ladder. In manifesting skillfully, it's the next level of understanding the mechanics of atomic light energy and applying it to our lives.
Just as in tennis, we have to practice the skill in order to move up the ladder. In manifesting successfully, it's the same thing. We have to practice the skills that bring us our stuff.
The real challenge has been, is that people have been naive in understanding how things work. And only those willing to accept that there is skill to this manifesting stuff, will they then begin to develop the skills and move up the manifesting ladder and be the star players on the manifesting team.
Susan James (Copyright http://www.susanjames.org ) Updated Courses/AUDIO http://susanjames.livejournal.com
Each year, twelve teams compete in the World Team Tennis (WTT) Pro League and are comprised of some of the sport’s top athletes. The season runs for three weeks during summer and attracts over 150,000 fans annually.
If you would like to request a signed photo from any of the players, you may do so by writing in care of their World Team Tennis team. When preparing your request, always handwrite a brief letter and be complimentary to the addressee. A SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) will help to increase your chances of receiving a response and, if requesting a signed photo, a 9x12 envelope would be ideal. The best way to prepare an autograph request is to fold the 9x12 SASE, with postage affixed, three ways and place it inside of a #10 business sized envelope. Be sure to place your letter inside, as well. Address the #10 envelope to the proper athlete in care of his/her World Team Tennis team and take it to the post office for mailing.
Below is a list of the current twelve teams and rosters, which can be used for the purpose of fan mail. While there is no guarantee of receiving a response, following the above guidelines and using the correct mailing address will help to increase your chances of building an autograph collection from some of the top superstars of tennis.
Team Name: Boston Lobsters
Address: P.O. Box 381985, Cambridge, MA 01238-1985
Roster:
Thomas Blake
Amir Hadad
Todd Martin
Martina Navratilova
Andy Perianu
Nicole Pratt
Kristen Schlukebir
Team Name: Delaware Smash
Address: 1007 Market St., DuPont Building D-1083, Wilmington, DE 19898
Roster:
Tres Davis
Angela Haynes
Liezel Huber
Eric Nunez
Team Name: Hartford FoxForce
Address: 21 Waterville Road, Avon, CT 06001
Roster:
Goran Dragicevic
Lisa McShea
Meghann Shaughnessy
Abigail Spears
Glenn Weiner
Team Name: New York Buzz
Address: Parks/Tennis, c/o City Hall, 105 Jay Street, Schenectady, NY 12305
Roster:
Viktoriya Kutuzova
K.C. Corkery
Scott Lipsky
Julie Ditty
Team Name: New York Sportimes
Address: c/o Sportime at Harbor Island, P.O. Box 783, Mamaroneck, NY 10543
Roster:
Alex Bogomolov Jr.
John McEnroe
Ashley Harkleroad
Martina Hingis
David Martin
Vladka Uhlirova
Team Name: Philadelphia Freedoms
Address: 1007 Market St., DuPont Building D-1083, Wilmington, DE 19898
Roster:
Casey Dellacqua
Freddy Neimeyer
Daniel Nestor
Lisa Raymond
Chanda Rubin
Rennae Stubbs
Jim Thomas
Venus Williams
Team Name: Houston Wranglers
Address: c/o Westside Tennis Club, 1200 Wilcrest Drive, Houston, TX 77042
Roster:
Mardy Fish
Jan-Michael Gambill
Anna-Lena Groenefeld
Graydon Oliver
Ahsha Rolle
Bryanne Stewart
Team Name: Kansas City Explorers
Address: P.O. Box 1521, Mission, KS 66222
Roster:
Mike Bryan
Bob Bryan
Scott Doerner
Lilia Osterloh
David Macpherson
Brian MacPhie
Corina Morariu
Caroline Wozniacki
Team Name: Newport Beach Breakers
Address: c/o Airport Plaza Center, 4540 Campus Dr., Suite 100, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Roster:
Ramon Delgado
Tina Krizan
Rick Leach
Anastassia Rodionova
Pete Sampras
Jeff Tarango
Team Name: Sacramento Capitals
Address: 2483 Sunrise Blvd., Suite C, Gold River, CA 95670
Roster:
Brandon Coupe
Mark Knowles
Anna Kournikova
Elena Likhovtseva
Bethanie Mattek
Travis Parrott
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Nicole Vaidisova
Sam Warburg
Team Name: St. Louis Aces
Address: 6300 Clayton Road, St. Louis, MO 63117
Roster:
John Paul Fruttero
Maria Emilia Salerni
Aleke Tsoubanos
Brian Wilson
Team Name: Springfield Lasers
Address: Springfield Greene County Park Board, 1923 N. Weller, Springfield, MO 65803
Roster:
Victoria Azarenka
Nick Monroe
Anastasia Myskina
Kaysie Smashey
Andreea Vanc
Alex Vlaski
Thinking of starting to play tennis? Tennis is a great sport that requires mental preparation and physical agility. The first part of being able to play the game properly is understanding the rules, and in this article, we'll be discussing what are commonly agreed upon as the official rules of tennis. The rules that we will discuss are based on the provided courtesy of the International Tennis Federation.
THE COURT - Tennis should be played on a court that is built to certain specifications. The court should be 78 feet long. For a singles match, the court should be 27 feet in width, and for doubles matches, the court's width should be 36 feet. The net should be composed of a net with a cord of metal cable supporting it at a height of 3 and a half feet. Service lines should be placed 21 feet from each side of the net, designating the area in which serving should be performed.
THE RACKET - The rackets used in tennis should only have one pair of crisscrossing strings. Vibration dampening devices are allowed on the rackets, but they can only be placed outside of the strings. No devices that incorporate batteries to help your play are allowed.
THE SCORING - Tennis is a unique game in that it has special names given to the various points awarded. When calling out the score, the person serving the ball should always say their score first. A score of zero is called out by saying ‘Love', and from there, the points go to 15, 30, 40, and game. If both players get a score of 40, the game must become a tie-breaker, and a 40-40 score is announced by saying ‘Deuce'. In a ‘Deuce' situation, if a player gets a point, they are said to have ‘Advantage'. If a player with an ‘Advantage' gets another point, the game is over. If a player gets a point while the other has ‘Advantage', the score is reset to ‘Deuce'. When a game is won, another game is begun until someone gets the best of 7 games. One catch is that they must win by two. If, at the end of 7 games, a player is up 4 to 3, another match must be held as winning by two is necessary. If a player takes the best of 7 games, winning by 2, they are said to have won the match.
Born on February 10, 1883, American William Tilden II or "Big Bill" Tilden, as he was more popularly known, was the first great tennis superstar. He was the number one player in the world for seven years and reigned the courts until the age of 38.
Tilden was the most dominant tennis player in the world in the 1920s and 1930s and is now considered by many as the single most influential person in the history of the sport. His raw physical power and unbelievable skill and quickness on the tennis court did much to change the image of tennis from that of a "sissy" country-club sport played by rich white people in long white pants to that of a major sport played by world-class athletes.
In 1920s America, sports was a huge thing for the public and Tilden was one of five sports figures who loomed as larger-than-life superstars at the time. The others were baseball's Babe Ruth, football's Red Grange, golf's Bobby Jones and boxing's Jack Dempsey
From 1920 to 1955, except for an extended period in the 1950s, Tilden thoroughly dominated tennis in a manner that left little doubt that he was the greatest player that ever lived. There has never been a single player who dominated an entire era of tennis as Tilden had during his prime. For seven straight years in the 1920s, he never lost a single important match, especially when the Davis Cup was at stake. He claimed the United States amateur championship six times in succession and seven times overall. He also led the United States to seven consecutive Davis Cup victories from 1920 to 1926, a record that is still unmatched today.
A stunning revelation surfaced later on that added even more mystique to the Tilden legend. It was revealed that during the mid-1920s, Tilden's middle finger on his playing hand had become infected and was subsequently amputated. But he still kept on playing and still kept on winning after that.
Today, Tilden is not that widely remembered despite his almost iconic renown. But in his prime, he was a flamboyant character who was always in the public eye, even acting in some movies and stage plays. In 1950, an Associated Press poll named Bill Tilden as the greatest tennis player of the half-century by a wide margin.
While many are familiar with the basic aspects of the game of tennis, few realize exactly how much difference a type of course can have on their game. In this article, we'll help you learn to identify the differences of different playing surfaces and allow you to be able to efficiently adjust your game to make up for the changes a court makes.
- One commonly used surface for tennis courts is one that is known as Rebound Ace. This substance is hard, and it is found in may courts throughout the world. It consists of a basic layer of asphalt and/or concrete that is topped with acrylic paint that is combined with sand to get a semi-sticky, grippy, consistent surface. Tennis courts that are made of Rebound Ace have a predictable bounce and speed due to the fact that the court is uniformly created of the same hard materials. To that end, it's a good place to begin playing tennis so that you can get the feel of a consistent surface.
- Another type of tennis court that you may run into is one that is made of clay. Clay courts are made of crushed-up bricks and covered with a layer of rough, loose clay. Clay courts make the ball stick to the ground more, causing the ball to slow down. Consequently, you may find yourself skidding when performing quick movements due to the loose surface. To win on a clay court, work on hitting the ball deep into your opponent's side of the court, putting as much spin on the ball as you can. This limits your opponent's opportunities to return the shot. Also, you may want to consider making shots that will put your opponent off of their footing, causing them to miss the return.
- Grass tennis courts are not seen as often as they used to be, but you can still find them out there. Wimbledon is a grass court, and is one of the few remaining competitions held on grass. Grass can cause the ball to bounce much lower, making grass courts a field of advantage for those who make quick, low shots. Changing up your shots from shot-type to shot-type can also provide to be an efficient advantage over your opponent when playing on grass.
Now that you know more about how the courts of tennis can effect your game, you can better understand exactly what you need to do to keep on top of your game. Happy playing!
Tennis is a sport with numerous rules and regulations, and getting them all in your head can take a while. In this article, we'll examine some commonly occurring issues regarding the game so that you can have a clearer outlook on exactly what should happen should these questions come up in a game.
Q: What should I do if a ball from another court rolls onto my court during the middle of a match?
A: The rules laid out by the International Tennis Federation state that a request by another tennis player to remove their ball from your court must be honored. However, the request doesn't need to be honored while you have a ball in play. If a player from another game hits a ball that doesn't land on your court but near the court's lines, the sportsmanship-upholding rules of the federation state that you should take time when you are not in play to retrieve the ball for the other player.
Q: Can I call my own let?
A: Lets are not allowed to be called by the player performing the service. Regardless of the situation, be it a snap of the player's racket strings or a distraction such as their hat blowing off, nothing that a player does can entitle them to call out their own let. Similarly, if a distraction occurs such as a cell phone ring while a player is serving, they are held responsible and no let should be given. The opponent of the person who is being distracted is completely in charge of whether or not their opponent should be allowed a let, and they should let sportsmanship and fairness guide their decision. However, it should be a players responsibility to ensure that any distractions will be minimized by doing such things as turning off their cellular phone. If, however, the referee doesn't state that cellular phones should be turned off before the game, in certain cases, a referee may allow a player to have a let. However, this can only happen once per game at most for any player, since after it occurs, every player should be familiar with the fact that cellular phones should be left aside. In addition, lets should not be allowed due to the sounds made by any of the audience members. Although it can be distracting, spectator noise is not the basis for the replaying of a point.