tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528574398765803442024-03-13T05:06:33.345-07:00Marco Bitran on TennisMarco Bitran lives, eats, sleeps and breathes tennis. Here, he'll offer tennis tips; eating healthy; exercise; upcoming tournaments and results. Who's up for a match? Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-68197259646895282792015-06-20T10:04:00.000-07:002015-06-20T10:04:00.868-07:00Marco Bitran - Double(s) Cross<div id="article-content">
<em>By
<a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Stanley_Clayton" rel="author" title="EzineArticles Expert Author Stanley Clayton">Stanley Clayton</a></em><br />
<br />
The net person's main job is to guard the line. She has to make
certain that the ball is not successfully hit down the alley. Most of
the time, she would become a little paranoid about leaving the alley to
poach at the middle of the net. Normally, if the serve is fast and hit
near the center of the service box, then the fear of down the line
return is muted because of the angle created by the serve. However, most
hackers have slow to moderate serves which are hit to the middle of the
service box. This serve gives the returner confidence to go cross-court
or down the line. As a consequence of the returner's choices, the net
person is rendered virtually motionless against the return.<br />
<br />
I have
my own solution to this problem. I am not sure if it is an original
idea, but it makes perfect sense to me. It protects against the down the
lines, most of the down the middles, and most of the lobs. Only a
perfectly timed down the middle or a well hit lob deep to the server's
side wins outright.<br />
<br />
The maneuver is simple, but brilliant. The
server hits the ball anywhere in the service box. Before the ball hits
in the box, the net person moves directly over to the server-side box.
At the same time, the server moves at a diagonal so that she makes it to
the middle of the back line of the net person-side box. The players
cover both lines and most other shots during the transition to and while
reaching their final positions. The crisscrossing of the players
protects against most down the middle shots. The timing of the down the
middle pass would have to be picture perfect to win the point. Of course
a deep lob to the server's side would be disastrous. However, if a
player could consistently make that lob shot, then he deserves to win
the match.<br />
<br />
I have field tested this maneuver and it has worked
beautifully. I experienced a high winning percentage as long as the
maneuver was done without compromise. Once I had a partner, who as a
server, deviated from the plan and ran along the baseline in the
direction of the net person's court. This deviation opened up numerous
passing lanes. Even when the server reached and returned the ball, the
advantage at the net was lost to the returning team. The results of his
actions severely lowered my winning percentage. If you follow this
maneuver to the letter, then you and your doubles partner should be
difficult to beat!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-25466544743343864852015-06-19T10:01:00.000-07:002015-06-19T10:01:00.292-07:00Marco Bitran - How to Hit a Federer Forehand From Your Own Backyard<div id="article-content">
<em>By
<a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Nea_Khanna" rel="author" title="EzineArticles Expert Author Nea Khanna">Nea Khanna</a></em><br />
<br />
If you've been following tennis for the last 10 years, you should
be familiar with the name Roger Federer. No? OK, let's see if this jogs
your memory a bit: 77 career titles. 17 Grand Slam titles. World Number
1 for 302 weeks. Often seen in expensive watch commercials.<br />
<br />
Still,
no? I hate to break this to you, but, it looks like you've been
watching the wrong sport for the last 10 years. Before you read further,
may I suggest YouTubing Roger Federer for a while?<br />
<br />
For the rest
of you, Federer no doubt embodies all that is perfect about tennis (at
least for now; you never know what kind of ball-hitting machine the
future throws up). His game is complete: a powerful, precise serve; a
fluid backhand; and -here it comes - an atomic bomb of a forehand.<br />
<br />
A
beautiful atomic bomb, too. Simple, clean, exquisite, and most
importantly, effective. So, the question is can you develop your own
version of the Roger Federer forehand?<br />
<br />
Since Fed is more of an
advanced player (advanced as in "Second to God"), his forehand may not
suit novice players. But the basics of his forehand are strong, and it
will do no harm for us to explore it in detail here. You might just pick
up a few tricks.<br />
<br />
So let's get studying!<br />
<br />
1. The grip
<br /><br />
The grip is the most important, yet underrated part of your game.
We're not talking about what the racquet handle is made of, but the way
you hold the racquet. There are 4 types of grips: Continental, Eastern,
Semi-western and Western. Today, we'll look into the Eastern Forehand
Grip because that's the one Roger generally uses.<br />
<br />
Wait, Roger who?<br />
<br />
Roger Fed... hey, aren't you the guy who's supposed to be YouTubing right now?<br />
<br />
Sorry
about that. Back to the Eastern Grip. Hold the racquet handle in such a
way that the base knuckle of your index finger is on bevel 3 of your
racquet. Identifying the bevels is very simple: Hold your racquet in
such a way so that the face is pointing sideways. Now the bevel that is
pointing up is bevel 1. You move the racquet in an anti-clockwise
direction, and the next bevel in line is bevel 2. The next one is bevel
3. Got it?<br />
<br />
This illustration will help you understand the 8 bevels of a
racquet better.<br />
<br />
This is generally considered the easiest grip for
learning the forehand. It's also very easy to switch quickly to other
grips from the Eastern grip, so it's a good choice for players who like
to serve and volley. You can also create shots with top spin and also
play flatter, penetrating strokes.<br />
<br />
2. The Backswing
<br /><br />
For players who are just starting out, coaches usually drop the ball
from a static height. This enables the player to develop his/her
forehand (or backhand) and also, sub-consciously, solidify his/her elbow
and wrist angular positions on impact. What you need to know is that
during a shot, your wrist and elbow positions are going to be relatively
stable; what's going to vary is your elbow and wrist angular velocity.
This is influenced by a number of factors: ball speed, bounce, top spin,
difference in frictional characteristics of the surface etc.<br />
<br />
So what does Federer do?<br />
<br />
When
he sees the ball coming, he rotates his full upper body along with his
racquet to his forehand side (till the racquet reaches his takeback
height). Notice that he never takes his racquet behind his body. It's
precisely because he gets his body into the swing. Once his upper body
is fully turned, he can then unleash tremendous amounts of energy into
his shot. Think of it as a rubber band in a stretched position. It's got
a lot of energy waiting to be released. This is known as the Stretch
Shortening Cycle.<br />
<br />
3. The release
<br /><br />
By now the ball has bounced on the ground. People watching have
their hearts in their mouth. The Swiss is cool: he lets the racquet down
from the takeback height. Now, he's got his whole body into the motion,
so there's more power involved than just his arm. Just relax and let
all that built up potential energy go to war.<br />
<br />
4. Ka-boom!
<br /><br />
Next up, contact. Federer's contact point is not that different from
the contact points of most other players. What's important is the
backswing.<br />
<br />
5. The follow through
<br /><br />
Federer usually ends his forehand across his shoulder, just like
most of the pros out there. This is known as the Windshield Wiper finish
and is different from the traditional follow through which ends over
the shoulder of the player.<br />
<br />
With that we've come to end of the
Federer forehand. Remember, the most important part of his shot is the
core rotation i.e the upper body turn which goes into the backswing.<br />
<br />
Federer's
basics are solid, so you focus on strengthening yours. Also,
concentrate on maintaining a strong, balanced posture throughout your
shots. You'll be fine.<br />
<br />
And ah! Here comes Mr. Roger Who, back from
his YouTube exploits. Sorry, dude, school's out, but feel free to go
right back up and read this article.<br />
<br />
I'll see you soon!<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
The author works for <a href="http://www.liveyoursport.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Live Your Sport</a>, an online sports and fitness equipment store, and is a contributor to their sports and fitness blog, 'The Source'<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-69291950517837236852015-06-18T09:58:00.000-07:002015-06-18T09:58:00.292-07:00Marco Bitran - Fix My Serve: Three Places You Can Aim Your Serve<div id="article-content">
<em>By
<a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Junior_Pswarai" rel="author" title="EzineArticles Expert Author Junior Pswarai">Junior Pswarai</a></em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em><span class="author-divider"></span></em>There are three places that you can send a ball into by the
service box, if you are looking to fix your serve by improving it then
by knowing which 3 areas that you can help you attack at your opponents
weaker sides.<br />
<br />
However, even if you do find out the weaker side then
don't continuously hit to this side, you want to mix it up so that you
don't allow them to build a rhythm - so that you can keep them on their
toes and ready to make mistakes which therefore can keep you in control
of the game.<br />
<br />
Each of the 3 areas that you go onto hitting the ball
to have their advantages and as mentioned there will be one which
creates a weakness for your opponent so make sure that you keep it
varied from out wide, down the middle and straight at your opponent.<br />
<br />
<strong>Wide </strong><br />
<br />
If
you realize that your opponent isn't too fast on their feet then
placing your shot out wide is highly effective, this will lead to them
having to try and reach the ball in time and even if they do they may
provide a weak return which you will be able to hit back to the other
side as a winning stroke.<br />
<br />
However there is a downside to this shot
which is that you are making yourself open to a return, if your
opponent manages to get to the ball they can in fact return it across
court as well. This return might be easier as well due to the fact that
the ball will slow down since it has further to travel so beware of
this.<br />
<br />
<strong>Going down the middle</strong><br />
<br />
If you choose
to go down the middle then you won't encounter the problem of losing
speed as the court is shorter across the middle than traveling all the
way across making this a great shot for powerfully placed shots with
some spin as well.<br />
<br />
This reduces the chances of returning due to
the angle but you can expect more of your opponents to return the ball
back down the middle. If they manage to return this can put you in the
position to place a controlled volley onto their weaker side which can
help to win the point.<br />
<br />
<strong>Serving at the body of your opponent</strong><br />
<br />
This
is a great shot that you can do which can cause your opponent to make
plenty of mistakes. If you serve it fast they will have to back away or
get themselves into an angle however a position like this can be
uncomfortable for them and can cause them to create a weak return if
they are even able to get it past the net giving you the upper hand if
done correctly.<br />
<br />
Whatever you do however don't hit the ball toward
their back or forehand as this is an area where it is simple for them to
get into a position to return the ball, you will want to aim straight
for the body so that they will have trouble placing themselves in a
decent position for a return to take place.<br />
<br />
These are 3 different
types that you should mix up and learn to use to fix your serve as they
can create a lot of trouble for your opponent if they are done
correctly.<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
It's simple to <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/fix-my-serve-fast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fix your serve</a>
by improving plenty aspects of it so you want to make sure that you
know as much as you can see as knowledge is power. If you want to make
your serve more deadly then something you can do is <a href="http://fix-my-serve.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">check out this blog</a> where you can find more information on the serve and how you can improve it.<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-36499746687890632932015-06-17T09:53:00.000-07:002015-06-17T09:53:00.286-07:00Marco Bitran - How To Serve In Tennis Properly: The Power of The First Serve<div id="article-content">
<em>By
<a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Junior_Pswarai" rel="author" title="EzineArticles Expert Author Junior Pswarai">Junior Pswarai</a></em><br />
<br />
When it comes down to how to serve in tennis properly you are
going to want to focus on the first serve, by being able to create a
strong foundation on this you won't have to put pressure on yourself for
the second and increase the chance of double faulting. This doesn't
mean to smash a serve in as hard as possible, there are different ways
that you can create a good first serve.<br />
<br />
Firstly, many people need
to understand is that you don't exercise a lot to create something
powerful and tricky for your opponent, strength is generated from all
over the body not just from the arms so make sure that if you are
exercising you go for the full body as this will help you generate the
power and the speed that you are going to need.<br />
<br />
<strong>Mix up the serves</strong><br />
<br />
One
thing that will hinder your chances are throwing the same stroke over
and over again and it may not lead to a double fault but it can lead to
making the return for your opponent a lot easier putting you off in a
worst off position.<br />
<br />
As you may already know you have the option of
4 different types of shots that you can make; the kick, topspin, flat
and then the slice.<br />
<br />
Instead of just hitting the same one over
again you need to mix it up as this can throw your opponent off if they
have it in their mind that you're hitting the same one over and over
again.<br />
<br />
<strong>Adding some power into it</strong><br />
<br />
Don't
blindly just hit a powerful serve, you want to add placement with it.
Placement is highly important when it comes down to power, if you can
add power and placement you will be able to find that it is harder for
your opponents to be able to hit.<br />
<br />
As mentioned don't just blindly
hit it, if you can't control it then you want to slow it down slightly
and build up control and only after this you can speed up and add power.
The main thing you want to focus on is control and placement before you
focus on putting more power into your shot than you can handle.<br />
<br />
<strong>Keeping your opponent from attacking</strong><br />
<br />
Smaller
players who can't generate much power might don't rely too much on
their power but instead they have options such as spin and placement to
make sure that they aren't able to return and put you into a defensive
position.<br />
<br />
You will want to focus on deeper shots if you aren't
using as much power due to the fact that less power whilst hitting it
shallow can lead to your opponent being able to return back more
powerful returns which isn't something that you will want to go through.<br />
<br />
Switch
up between powerfully controlled shots and then slower ones as well but
make sure that they are controlled and also that you think of the
placement. If you want to know how to serve in tennis properly then this
is something that you are going to have to keep in mind to keep your
opponent on their toes.<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
If you want to <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-serve-in-tennis-properly" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">serve in tennis properly</a>
there are a variety of things that you can do and a variety of things
that you can improve on, all you need to be able to do is learn more
about the serve. If you want to make your serve more deadly then
something you can do is <a href="http://fix-my-serve.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">check out this blog</a> where you can find more information on the serve and how you can improve it.<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-60976653612969008752015-06-16T09:50:00.001-07:002015-06-16T09:50:39.210-07:00Marco Bitran - Fitness Training: The Secret of Success in Tennis<div id="article-content">
<em style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Expert Author Giselle Martin" class="photo" src="http://ezinearticles.com/members/mem_pics/Giselle-Martin_1487101.jpg" title="EzineArticles Expert Author Giselle Martin" /> </em><br />
<em>By
<a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Giselle_Martin" rel="author" title="EzineArticles Expert Author Giselle Martin">Giselle Martin</a></em><br />
<br />
Tennis has changed as compared to a few years ago. To excel in
this sport, a tennis player needs to undergo extensive fitness training
to improve footwork, speed, strength and performance. In order to
out-stand the cut-throat competition, tennis players need to follow a
tennis specific fitness training program that will help give them that
slight edge on court.<br />
<br />
Let us have a look at how tennis fitness training assists a tennis player in climbing the success ladder:<br />
<br />
<strong>Types of Fitness Components</strong><br />
<br />
Tennis
is a very diverse and complex sport. If you are serious about being
successful, training for tennis should address all fitness components,
rather than just focusing on court drills, or running fast. Depending on
the time of the year, (pre-competition etc.) on an average a
professional tennis player should dedicate, 30% of the total work time,
to an effective tennis training program. A good fitness program will
include strength training, agility training, power training, speed
training, aerobic / anaerobic training, core training, balance training,
coordination training and flexibility training. For a tennis player to
make and see an overall improvement in their game, the key is to address
all these individualized fitness components with correct intensity and
load.<br />
<br />
<strong>Develop Overall Strength</strong><br />
<br />
Up and
coming young tennis players need to work more on developing strength,
core, and balance. They need to focus on some basic full-body strength
exercises, which will help them gain speed and flexibility.<br />
<br />
Players
who feel weak, and slow around the court, should dedicate more time on
agility, and reaction drills and overall strength. This can help you
feel lighter and quicker around the court, placing minimal stress and
load on the body, thus reducing injuries.<br />
<br />
Tennis is a sport that
can last for hours, so tennis players need to have a high energy level
as well as persistence. Many players will notice the benefits and a
marked improvement in their level of strength and power endurance, deep
into the last set, after following a specific tennis fitness training
program.<br />
<br />
<strong>Prevent Injuries</strong><br />
<br />
Range of movement
exercise's and keeping the body supple should be one of the main
focuses with all tennis players. They should incorporate stretching as
an important part of their tennis fitness program. Self- myofascial
release exercises are also very important, as this will help maintain a
healthy muscle. Performing tennis exercises regularly, not only helps in
overall performance, but also helps, prevent and reduce injuries within
tennis players. Doing some stretching exercises everyday after practice
will boost muscle flexibility, this would further decrease the risk of
injuries in the future.<br />
<br />
<strong>The Perfect Solution</strong><br />
<br />
Often
players can be seen giving excuses that they can not give time to
training due to their tight schedules and continuous tournaments. A
perfect solution to this is to perform a 20-30 min (Starter) tennis
fitness workout prior to your regular tennis practice. Over time this
will not only help improve your level of tennis fitness, but these
starter workouts will have you warm, get your feet moving, and have you
ready to go for the start of each practice. (no more wasting 10mins of
your court time). If you can do these starter workouts 3-4 times a week,
prior to each practice, you and your coach will be surprised how much
more effective your time on court will be.<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
At Tennis Fitness, we provide <a href="http://www.tennisfitness.com.au/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">training for tennis</a> and tennis programs for players of all levels. We offer specific exercises for tennis fitness and <a href="http://www.tennisfitness.com.au/www/content/default.aspx?cid=992" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">online tennis programs</a> that are proven to work. We help improve tennis footwork, speed, agility, core, power and strength.<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-70436832804534451152015-06-14T06:24:00.000-07:002015-06-14T06:24:00.510-07:00Marco Bitran: Tennis Serve Exercises - Improving Your Speed Without Exercising<div id="article-content">
<em>By
<a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Junior_Pswarai" rel="author" title="EzineArticles Expert Author Junior Pswarai">Junior Pswarai</a><span class="author-divider"> </span></em><br />
<br />
Tennis serve exercises can help you become a stronger player all
around, making it harder for your opponent to attack back. There are
plenty of exercises that you can do however regardless of what you do
you won't be able to add any speed to your serve unless you have the
correct form and know what you are doing.<br />
<br />
Firstly you will want to
make sure that you are in control of your shot. You don't want to add
speed to a shot that you can't even keep in, you will want to make sure
that you can easily control it and place it in various corners of the
court to be a trouble to your opponent otherwise it is going to be
worthless which is not what you want.<br />
<br />
Once you have got the control under control the next thing you can do is learn how to add more speed into it.<br />
<br />
<strong>Put the ball further in front</strong><br />
<br />
You
will want to toss the ball slightly further in front so that you are
moving your body more into the shot, with your body weight behind this
you increase the power and the speed of your shot but you will want to
make sure that you follow through as this can add more power and it also
gets you into a position where you are ready for the return that may
come back.<br />
<br />
<strong>Don't spin the ball</strong><br />
<br />
Many people
add spin to put off their opponents but by doing this you are slowing
the ball down. If you are finding the spin to be ineffective then don't
use the spin and instead replace it with speed that you can place in the
main 3 areas of the court (down the middle, wide and at the body of
your opponent).<br />
<br />
<strong>Rotate yourself</strong><br />
<br />
Most power
will come from the coil and the rotation of your shoulders and your
waist. The serve is a full body process and you will want to make sure
that you use your while body for this as it can help contribute to the
speed and power of the shot.<br />
<br />
<strong>A heavier racquet</strong><br />
<br />
You
can purchase a heavier racquet which can add more power to your shot
however you need to realize that a heavier racquet is going to put your
arm under a lot of pressure as you aren't going to be used to the weight
of it. You can also buy lead strips that you can add to your racquet
making it heavier to a weight that you can actually keep controlled
(make sure that you evenly distribute the weight).<br />
<br />
<strong>Hitting down the middle</strong><br />
<br />
If
you hit the ball down the middle, the ball essentially doesn't have to
travel a huge distance meaning that you will have a faster and more
powerful serve than trying to aim the ball over at the wide areas of the
court.<br />
<br />
You don't need tennis serve exercises to increase the
speed of your serve, all you need to do is know what things you can do
to increase the speed such as the ones that are shown above but there
are many various things that you can as well.<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/tennis-serve-exercises" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tennis serve exercises</a>
are important however to keep you healthy and also to keep your
strength up in the game but there are alternatives you can go through if
you know how (such as shown above). If you want to make your serve more
deadly then something you can do is <a href="http://fix-my-serve.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">check out this blog</a> where you can find more information on the serve and how you can improve it.<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-37811618064895248962015-06-13T06:22:00.000-07:002015-06-13T06:22:00.057-07:00Marco Bitran: Improve Tennis Serve - The Advantages and Disadvantages of Your 4 Serves<div id="article-content">
<em>By
<a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Junior_Pswarai" rel="author" title="EzineArticles Expert Author Junior Pswarai">Junior Pswarai</a></em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em><span class="author-divider"></span></em>If you want to improve your tennis serve then you are going to
have to be able to hit the 4 different types of serves, each one with
its advantages and each one which can cause your opponents problems if
you are able to use them properly, keeping you in control of the game
and your opponent off rhythm and always on the defense.<br />
<br />
You need
to learn how to effectively hit these strokes so that when the time is
right you can pull a different one out of the bag keeping your opponent
on their toes.<br />
<br />
The 4 main shots you can use are the kick, top
spin, flat and the slice. There is no better one out of them as they
have their advantages and they also have their disadvantages but knowing
when to use them can make you very troublesome for your opponent. By
knowing this you will know when to mix them up in the game.<br />
<br />
<strong>Flat Service</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Advantages - </strong>The
flat serve is a fast and powerful shot that you can do which if placed
correctly can win you points. This is the main one that many beginners
use as they can't add spin on the ball yet but it is very effective is
you know where to place it.<br />
<br />
<strong>Disadvantages - </strong>This
is a very easy one for your opponent to hit back as it is just straight
forward so you will need to make sure that you can control it and place
it in paces that are hard for them to adjust to and return.<br />
<br />
<strong>Topspin</strong><br />
<br />
By
hitting the ball from the bottom to the top on the service you can
create a load of spin on the ball which can be very tricky for your
opponent to return.<br />
<br />
<strong>Advantages - </strong>when performed
correctly your opponent will find it hard to return and with the spin
added it can make their return poor. It also gives you enough time to
make it over to the net if they do end up returning allowing you to
create a strong volley.<br />
<br />
<strong>Disadvantages - </strong>It is easy to tell when spin is coming and the effectiveness will be lost if the opponent attacks the ball off the rise.<br />
<br />
<strong>Slice</strong><br />
<br />
Brushing the ball from the right can create the slice which can be hard for an opponent to get to and return.<br />
<br />
<strong>Advantages - </strong>Depending
on which way you slice you can either make the ball move away or
towards the opponents body which can put them in an awkward position
where they have to readjust or go off court to reach it allow you and
open court to smash a volley in.<br />
<br />
<strong>Disadvantages - </strong>many
people use this shot now and it is becoming one that people are used to
returning now so not one to use frequently on the court.<br />
<br />
<strong>The Kick</strong><br />
<br />
Just like a topspin you want to hit this from the bottom to the top (at an angle) and if done correctly can be trouble.<br />
<br />
<strong>Advantage - </strong>When
the ball hits the ground it travels in the opposite direction when it
bounces off the ground confusing the opponent as the ball travels away
or towards them in an instant and putting them into uncomfortable
positions.<br />
<br />
<strong>Disadvantages - </strong>It's hard to learn and
perform and without enough experience performing this can put your
opponent in a good position to make a return.<br />
<br />
If you want to
improve your tennis serve then understanding these 4 serves will be
beneficial for you as you will know their advantages so you will know
which one to play to mix up the game and throw your opponent off.<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
There are plenty of ways to <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/improve-tennis-serve-now" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">improve tennis serve</a>,
exercises, drills, and things such as learning more about the serve can
make you a deadly opponent from the service line. If you want to make
your serve more deadly then something you can do is <a href="http://fix-my-serve.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">check out this blog</a> where you can find more information on the serve and how you can improve it.<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-59437787787372288862015-06-12T06:19:00.001-07:002015-06-12T06:19:52.132-07:00Marco Bitran: Perfect Tennis Serve - Tactics For Beginners<div id="article-content">
<em>By
<a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Junior_Pswarai" rel="author" title="EzineArticles Expert Author Junior Pswarai">Junior Pswarai</a></em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em><span class="author-divider"></span></em>When it comes down to creating the perfect tennis serve beginners
will find this to be very frustrating. There are many things to get
right such as the form and then the power and then you have to think
about the spin, placement etc. Things like this can be very confusing
and if they aren't done properly can make a weak serve, however for a
beginner the main thing you will want to think about would be to get a
high ratio of serves in (preferably first ones) instead of out.<br />
<br />
The
reason why you want to try and make sure that you get the first one in
is that that is what your opponent is expecting. Have you noticed how in
some games at the first try the opponent might stand behind the
baseline? They are preparing for that first shot to cause them trouble,
they are giving themselves enough space. However if you ruin the first
one then they are going to expect you to do it again and they will move
closer so that they can prepare play on the aggressive which is
something that you're going to want to avoid from happening as a
beginner to the game.<br />
<br />
Some things to keep in mind as a beginner
would be the placement that you are going with. Placement is vital, with
the correct placement you can cause trouble for your opponent, after a
few strokes you will be able to understand which side is their weaker
side and which is their stronger and this already will start to give you
the advantage.<br />
<br />
However, don't always aim at the weak side of your
opponent, if you are consistently going for their weaker side then they
will adapt to this and end up putting you on the defensive, you will
want to keep it mixed up and mysterious so you keep them from getting
used to one area of the court.<br />
<br />
Another thing to consider with
placement is how deep you are going to put it. The deeper that you go
the harder it is going to be for your opponent to attack the ball and it
also gives you enough time to get into a good position that will
therefore allow you to go and volley the ball and get the point.<br />
<br />
Many
beginners like to think about just creating a powerful shot which can
be deadly for an opponent but chances are as a beginner you won't be
able to control a powerful shot and you may find that you are instead
creating more trouble for yourself without any control. The first thing
that you want to learn is control and placement and then over time you
will want to start learning how to add more power and then move adding
more strokes such as the slice and the kick which are going to be great
to add to your arsenal of serves.<br />
<br />
In conclusion, as a beginner to
create the perfect tennis serve you just really want to be able to place
it into the opponents weak side and their stronger side occasionally
too to keep them guessing and the deeper you can get it the more time
you can get into position to attack the ball.<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
There are many other things to consider with a <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/perfect-tennis-serve" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">perfect tennis serve</a>;
power, different types of serves, the placement of the ball and these
can all be done with the right information as well. If you want to make
your serve more deadly then something you can do is <a href="http://fix-my-serve.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">check out this blog</a> where you can find more information on the serve and how you can improve it.<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-26855671771612461252015-06-11T08:19:00.000-07:002015-06-11T08:19:00.079-07:00Marco Bitran: Improve Tennis Serve - How To Serve When You're Playing Doubles<div id="article-content">
<em>By
<a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Junior_Pswarai" rel="author" title="EzineArticles Expert Author Junior Pswarai">Junior Pswarai</a></em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em><span class="author-divider"></span></em>One of the times when you are going to need to improve your
tennis serve is when you are playing doubles.<br />
<br />
There are many things you
can do that can put your opponents off rhythm but there also things that
you can do that can end up putting yourself and your partner in trouble
during the game so you need to make sure that your serves are smart.<br />
<br />
What
you need to do is watch your opponent firstly and see how they react to
different placements of the ball, you will notice that there will be a
weaker side that they face and some areas you will need to avoid as it
will be their stronger side that they can simply just smash back at you
and your partner which is the last thing that you'll want to happen as
this could put the both of you on the defensive.<br />
<br />
Sending a ball <strong>out wide</strong>
is normally every opponent's weakest point as it means they have to
stretch and reach out into a position that could be uncomfortable for
them causing a sloppy return that can easily be volleyed back at them
for the point. However, the disadvantage of this during double is that
the ball can easily be stolen by the net man and hit at an angle that
could be a problem for you and your partner. This is a risky shot but
could end out being advantageous if you can manage to get it past the
net man and make their partner stretch into an uncomfortable position
for it.<br />
<br />
Another option is to try and aim the ball at your <strong>opponents body</strong>
as this will make them have to move their body out of the way and into a
position that allows them to return and in the time it takes them to do
this your partner has the time to get into a position for an easy
volley. Make sure you have control over the ball when you launch it as
you don't want it moving around uncontrollably but this is a very
effective place to position the ball even if it isn't as fancy as the
aces it still will cause your opponents trouble and could cause them to
become off rhythm.<br />
<br />
There are plenty of other serves you can do you
just have to keep in mind how your opponent will react for example if
they are tall then maybe they will be able to return the wide ball with
ease or maybe they would find it harder due to the fact that they are
going to have to move quickly to get to that area. However maybe tall
players will find it harder when you aim at the body because they have
more to move out of the way than shorter players will.<br />
<br />
Things like
this have to be kept in mind so you know how to mix it all up and keep
your opponents on their toes, remember that you can slow down your usual
rocket stroke and add a load of spin to confuse them.<br />
<br />
To sum it
up, if you want to improve your tennis serve when playing double then
you're going to wake to learn how your opponents react to different
serves and use that against them and not only that but you will also
want to communicate with your partner so they know where they should be
and where the ball will be.<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
Knowing things like this can be very effective is you want to <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/improve-tennis-serve-now" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">improve tennis serve</a>, you just need to know more about the serve. If you want to make your serve more deadly then something you can do is <a href="http://fix-my-serve.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">check out this blog</a> where you can find more information on the serve and how you can improve it.<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-5767816370249447312015-06-10T08:17:00.000-07:002015-06-10T08:17:00.176-07:00Marco Bitran: Off Court Tennis Training For Young Players<div id="article-content">
<em>By
<a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Giselle_Martin" rel="author" title="EzineArticles Expert Author Giselle Martin">Giselle Martin</a></em><br />
<br />
It is always recommended for young players from the age of 8
years and up, to do a thorough fitness assessment and postural analysis
to determine their height, weight, flexibility, physical strengths and
weaknesses. It also gives them the ability to look back in subsequent
years and see areas they have improved on, track their growth and
development etc. After the assessments a tennis program should be
designed to target certain areas such as strength, speed, cardio
vascular endurance, flexibility etc.<br />
<br />
If tennis is the main sport
of a young player, then training away from tennis should be structured
to help gain benefits for tennis, this is what we call specific tennis
training.<br />
<br />
Tennis Training programs should take into account the
movement dynamics e.g. high speed, agility and power endurance and
dimensions of tennis e.g. lateral, forward, backward, up and down,
rotational etc.<br />
<br />
Strength is the foundation for development in
all-young players. Increases in muscle strength will help to improve
movement, power, endurance, injury prevention, co ordination and
confidence. There have been 100s of times I have had a coach or parent
tell me their young player needs to move quicker or have more power.
Doing power and agility exercises will help to a degree, but without a
solid strength base benefits will be minimal.<br />
<br />
Examples of strength exercises for tennis are;<br />
<br />
1. <strong>Body weight</strong>: (push ups, squats, planks, lunges etc.)<br />
<br />
2. <strong>Suspension training</strong>:
It is highly recommend for young players and has many benefits and very
low risk for injuries. We use suspension training with the majority of
our young players and get great results in strength, balance and co
ordination.<br />
<br />
3. <strong>Resistance band training</strong>:
Resistance bands have been around for decades and are a great way to
work certain muscle groups in the body. They are commonly used for
rehabilitation from injuries, injury prevention and to challenge the
musculoskeletal system (muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments) to
promote muscle strength. Resistance bands are low cost and are good to
travel with.<br />
<br />
4. <strong>Muscle loading</strong>: It is using
weight (dumbbells, weight plates, barbells, machines etc.) to challenge
the musculoskeletal system. This form of training has huge benefits for
athletes, but for younger athletes it can be very dangerous,
particularly on the joints of the body. It is hard for a coach or parent
to know when a child should start lifting weights. Research tells us,
this form of training should be avoided until the age of 16. In most
cases it would be accurate, however we need to take into account the
body type, physical maturity and natural strength of young athletes
before determining when to start their strength program. Obviously
working with a specific tennis conditioning trainer will help make that
decision. A tennis conditioning trainer should start all players off by
lifting no more than 5% of their body weight for upper body exercises
and 5%-10% for lower body exercises. Until you have seen a trained
professional avoid using weight training for players under the age of 16
years.<br />
<br />
As important as strength is, it is also necessary to look
at other areas of training for tennis to help boost a young players
development. Cardio vascular endurance (running, swimming etc. )
Anaerobic cardio vascular training (agility) flexibility (stretching),
co ordination and core stability should also be targeted and structured
into the off court tennis training plan.<br />
<br />
Young players should be
encouraged to participate in a range of structured sports (soccer,
basketball, netball, gymnastics, swimming etc.) and also fun
unstructured exercise/play. Participating in other sports (e.g.
Basketball, soccer) away from tennis will often give young players an
increase in cardio vascular endurance, co ordination and strength.<br />
<br />
It
is best to consult a qualified tennis conditioning trainer to help
structure a plan for off court tennis training. Getting them to work in
with the coach is highly recommended, as the coach will have some
knowledge on areas of strength and weakness.<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
We provide fitness <a href="http://tennisfitness.com/tennis-fitness-training-and-programing/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">training for tennis</a> players of all levels. We offer tennis specific exercises and <a href="http://tennisfitness.com/online-tennis-programs/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">online tennis programs</a> that are proven to improve footwork, speed, agility, core, power and strength.<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-50893720321977349362015-06-09T08:14:00.000-07:002015-06-09T08:14:29.134-07:00Marco Bitran: Tennis For Fitness<div id="article-content">
<i>By
<a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Shem_Ouma" rel="author" title="EzineArticles Expert Author Shem Ouma">Shem Ouma</a></i><br />
<br />The flab around your waistline makes you so much conscious about
your looks while dressing for a party.<br />
<br />
You feel out of breath when you
go for the stairs instead of the elevator. It's difficult for you to
keep pace with your young toddler while taking him to his school; you
soon start panting. You don't feel motivated running on a treadmill in
the comfort of your home. Binging is your hobby and something you can
never forgo. And you envy your neighbor's chiseled athletic body. You
have tried everything; you feel enthusiastic at the beginning but all
your gusto and motivation turn bland with time. You might be feeling a
sense of ennui in doing something with a vague purpose of being fit and
that too you're not sure if that would work. The end product is despair.<br />
<br />
For
all those fitness admirers who are victims of lack of motivation,
'cardio tennis' is a new hope. A one of its kind regime, it offers all
the goodies of fitness in the way haute cuisine offers exquisite
delicacies to a gourmet. A sport with a fun value as much high as its
value in fitness, it serves as a complete package for aspiring fitness
freaks. It comprises of a variety of engaging activities which are all
devised for one purpose-keeping you fit and agile.<br />
<br />
Color Blind<br />
<br />
This
is a warm up activity which urges your nervous system to respond
quickly. Two color balls are thrown towards you and the deliverer says
aloud a color he wants you to pick first without a bounce and then the
other after it bounces once.<br />
<br />
Invasion<br />
<br />
This utterly enjoyable
activity which is done without the help of racquets or balls gets you
warmed up before you know. Invading the other team's service box, trying
to tag one of them without being tagged yourself, you have to escape.
It is fun and you use wit too at the same time while escaping.<br />
<br />
Spanish Drill<br />
<br />
This
calorie burning drill will have you sprinting in a figure eight
formation. Fast-paced and challenging, this drill is sure to take a toll
on the pouches of fat.<br />
<br />
Red Rover<br />
<br />
A high-energy tennis-based
cardio, it puts your forehand and net skills to test. Sprinting across
the baseline to retrieve a running forehand, you have to try passing a
shot or a lob to win a point for your team.<br />
<br />
Triples<br />
<br />
Competitive
spirit at its peak can be experienced with three versus three all court
play-based activity. Both the teams face each other on opposite ends in
a triangular formation, rotating positions after each point ends.<br />
<br />
This
is really engaging and gets you hooked.<br />
<br />
Noodle Whacking<br />
<br />
A
warm up activity where you tap others with a soft foam pool noodles
below their knees. It calls you out for being a sport and sets your
heart pumping as well<br />
<br />
The focus is on burning more calories than
you consume in a fun and engaging way. It employs innovative ways to
make you lose flab and keep fit. Like the heart rate monitor being used
for tracking the progress of a player and this simultaneously enables
the coaches to manage the group according to different fitness level.<br />
<br />
For the purpose of making workout more effective music tracks have been
made an essential part of the game as it's been proven that people work
33 percent harder with a 15 percent increase in their endurance if they
train with music.<br />
<br />
Taking out best fun parts from the game and
integrating them with cardio practices is what cardio tennis is all
about. Those under-motivated fitness lovers can cling to it if they wish
to sport that sexy look oozing with confidence not to forget the new
socializing platform you'll be getting when playing with others.</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
Learn to play like a pro with <a href="http://www.tenniscoaching.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tennis coaching</a> classes. To have more information on the same, click <a href="http://www.tenniscoaching.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-47318615755751632662015-06-08T08:24:00.000-07:002015-06-08T08:24:00.065-07:00Marco Bitran: Athletes And Anxiety - The Life Of A Low Level Tennis Professional Final Chapter<div id="article-content">
We met a few college seniors and they were headed to a house
party nearby and we decided to tag along.<br />
<br />
We met many drunk party
animals that night, and although we were all having a good time mingling
with each other, in the back of my mind I was trying to answer a few
very important questions: How would we be able to finish our trip with
the amount of money we had? Where would I find a second or third tennis
racquet in case I broke a tennis string in a match? Also, where the hell
are we going to stay?<br />
<br />
One of the questions were answered quickly
because apparently it was common for other drunken university students
to pass out at the house they were partying at, so we took the
opportunity and found some space and went to sleep. Now if this was
later on in my life when I struggled with panic and anxiety disorders,
my body would quickly let me know that I was in trouble. If you think
that the next day after drinking alcohol was bad think again, the fear
of recurring physical sensations of anxiety and the experiences of the
morning of your hangover can greatly add to the possibility of having
multiple hangovers and panic attacks in the coming days, and they are
not fun I can tell you from experience. But back when I didn't have the
fear of physical sensations of anxiety that led to my diagnosis of
having health anxiety I was OK, I just had a massive headache, I was a
little dehydrated, but I was OK.<br />
<br />
After sharing stories about how
great each of our nights were and how crappy we were feeling we needed
to come up with a plan, my two buddies were quickly becoming home sick
and lost the motivation to continue playing tennis tournaments and
roughing it out the way we were doing. I couldn't blame them, it takes
true tennis warriors mentally to consistently do what we were doing for a
long period, and many low level professional tennis players do just
that in the hopes of one day breaking through. My friends had enough
money to catch a bus back to Canada and later on that day they decided
to end their journey.<br />
<br />
Now I was on my own and confused. If I went
back now I would have felt like this whole journey was a failure, and I
reminded myself that one day I would have a family, a steady job etc.,
and I would be looking back at these experiences and great memories no
matter how difficult things were at the moment. So I continued on in my
tennis journey alone. I asked each tournament director in each
tournament if it was OK to sleep in my van in the parking lot during
tennis tournaments and was allowed each time. I eventually was able to
bring in some money through stringing other players' tennis racquets and
it got me through all the way to the end of my six-week tennis journey
in California.<br />
<br />
It wasn't the most successful trip result wise and
there were no big victories or ATP points earned, but it was a great
success to me because when things got tough I could have easily gave up
and went back home, but I kept at it. The lessons that these experiences
have taught me are priceless and can't be taught by anyone, only
experienced and understood. I returned home a winner in my books and
looked forward to the next tennis adventure. But little did I know 6
years of debilitating panic and anxiety would ruin my life soon...<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
Dennis Simsek (also known as the anxious athlete) is the founder
of the popular end the anxiety audio program that has helped many
overcome their anxiety disorder related issues naturally. Visit <a href="http://www.anxietykey.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.anxietykey.com</a> and follow the anxious athlete blog for your daily dose of inspirational, as well as the best anxiety support online.<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-63102262269023497242015-06-07T08:21:00.000-07:002015-06-07T08:21:00.051-07:00Marco Bitran: Athletes And Anxiety - The Life Of A Low Level Tennis Professional Living The Dream Part 3<div id="article-content">
I had to have another practice session that day to get over what
had happened so I worked my tail off and practiced for a good two hours,
but no prize money in this event meant I needed to be even more stingy
with my money. My other two friends also lost in the first round, so all
in all it wasn't the best day of tennis for us.<br />
<br />
As it got closer to the
evening we needed to make a decision about a place to stay. We had a
few friends who lived in Southern California but they didn't have enough
room to help out all three of us, so that wasn't an option anymore. We
couldn't come up with any ideas on trying to get free accommodation at
that time so we did the next best thing we could think of a hostel. We
searched the internet and ran into a hostel in Santa<br />
<br />
Barbara not too far
from the beach or our public tennis courts we were practicing on. What a
catch, we thought! A private room for the three of us cost about $70
per night that we all shared, and one of us had to sleep on the floor,
which wasn't too uncomfortable actually. We calculated how much money we
would spend in the next week if we stayed at the hostel and we came to
the conclusion that we had to make some extra money, or else our tennis
trip would be cut short. We felt like kings in our new private dorm
room: we had fresh towels, a kitchen nearby, pool tables and all in a
prime location, we loved it!<br />
<br />
Another week of tennis training went
by at Santa Barbara, and the next tennis tournament was approaching
quickly. It was in a city named Chico and up in the Northern part of
California. So we moved out of our luxurious hostel and continued to do
our best to find free accommodation somehow, because with our food
almost completely running out, the price of gas and oil changes for the
van, tournament entry fees, and any necessary tennis gear that we needed
such as new tennis balls to practice with we knew we had to cut some
expenses.<br />
<br />
The worst part about it was that both of my shoes had
huge holes on the bottoms, which were wearing out my socks every time I
was training on a tennis court. I did my best to cover up the holes with
what's called "shoe goo" which forms a protective outer layer over the
hole, but even that was no match for the constant pounding on the hard
courts.<br />
<br />
I was put in the qualifying round in the tournament in
Chico because if you don't have a high enough ATP tennis ranking, you
have to work through at least three gruelling rounds in the United
States just to get into the main event. My first two rounds were a
breeze; I was playing well and my body was feeling great. My third round
opponent was another collegiate player. I got off to a flying start and
took the first set in 40 minutes. A tendency I had was to relax too
much when a match was going in my favour too easily, so of course I let
my foot off the pedal and my eyes started to wander around the facility.
Bad move. My American opponent came back and won the second set by 7
games to 5. At this point I became very tight, because when you are so
in control of a match and loosen up too much, your opponent can easily
build up lots of momentum, which he did. He started to grow in
confidence and had an answer to every shot I threw at him and I
eventually lost the match 6 to 4 in the third set.<br />
<br />
I proceeded to
find a sturdy tree after the match and break two out of my three
racquets out of frustration, to the enjoyment of everyone watching. I
was so angry with myself for letting my opponent back in the match and
an opportunity to get into the main event of the tournament passed me
by. In the past if an opponent was too good and blew me off the tennis
court completely convincingly I was OK with it, but when a professional
tennis match was decided by just a few important points and my mental
toughness was the result of the loss, I was really hard on myself.<br />
<br />
That
night after we all were out of the tournament earlier than expected
again and our moral down, we decided to have a night out. We bought a
large case of the cheapest beer we could find, found a parking lot near
the tennis facility and drank until we were numb. At that point I had
one racquet left in my bag for the rest of the trip, $150 in my pocket
and one small case of shoe goo left for my beat up tennis shoes. We got
out of the van and started walking towards the nearby university campus
hoping that there was a party somewhere that was free and we could get
in. We were in luck...<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
Dennis Simsek (also known as the anxious athlete) is the founder
of the popular end the anxiety audio program that has helped many
overcome their anxiety disorder related issues naturally. This is not a
'quick fix' solution but a proven strategy that in time will guarantee
your natural recovery from anxiety related issues.<br />
<br />
Visit <a href="http://www.anxietyend.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.anxietyend.com</a> now to listen to a sample.<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-25289554717127905932015-06-06T08:17:00.000-07:002015-06-06T08:17:00.085-07:00Marco Bitran: Athletes And Anxiety - The Life Of A Low Level Tennis Professional Living The Dream Part 2<div id="article-content">
The dangers of negative and stressful imagery can leave you
feeling awful. There is the opposite to that which comes in the form of
positive imagery. As I've learned, visualization powers your ability to
rediscover your inner resources and refuel your outer expressions when
stress is on the rise. The most powerful way I found to do my
visualization sessions was through help from others as guided
visualization, just like the process I was about to do on the beach
through my headphones. This way you are directed by an experienced
professional on what images to bring to mind and how your breathing
should be in order to bring about perfect balance in mind and body.<br />
<br />
Anxiety
sufferers have a difficult time doing any kind of meditation, and
visualization sessions strictly on their own because the sensitized
nerves that we have are always on high alert, so it's important at least
in the first month to use GUIDED visualization. The idea here is to
take full control over your mind rather than let it control you, and in
my past experiences with visualization I've learned that the effects it
had the next day on how I played my tennis match was incredible. During
my pre anxiety disorder days, I had used mental imagery but completely
gave up the habit during the six years of anxiety struggles I had. It
stopped the negative voices in my head for just a few minutes each night
so I could find space to direct my mind wherever I wanted to go and to
concentrate on specific thoughts and images such as in my case hitting
perfect forehands, backhands, and coming out as a winner after my match
the following day.<br />
<br />
With consistent visualization you learn to be
gentle with yourself and compassionate, to understand and accept the
uniqueness of you in this world and to recognize that the only pressure
you feel is the pressure you put on yourself. When that pressure is
gone, your true nature will reveal itself in time. After a great
visualization session, I was able to get the rest I needed in order to
play my match.<br />
<br />
"Wake up," someone said. "WAKE UP!" We were woken
up by beach patrol and they weren't too happy with us, I tried to
explain our situation but they didn't want to hear any of it; in fact,
they told us that if they found us sleeping on the beach again that we
would be in big trouble. I didn't want to find out what kind of trouble
so we gathered up our stuff, threw everything in the van and decided to
handle the sleeping situation later on.<br />
<br />
We decided that the food
we packed wouldn't give us the fuel we needed to carry us through our
matches and the rest of the day, so as we were driving down the street
we ran into a beautiful sight, a couple of golden arches staring right
at us. Nothing beats a McDonald's breakfast, right? It's amazing how
grateful a person can be when you are on such a limited budget as we
were. My $4 pancake and sausage breakfast was a well-deserved feast it
seemed.<br />
<br />
We finished up our breakfast and headed over to the site
to check in our names before our matches. I was drawn up against a big
hitting collegiate player. When you run into a division 1 tennis player
that plays university tennis you better be ready for a battle, through
the extremely competitive schedule that these guys are put through they
come out with the most determined mindsets and will compete until the
last point. But I didn't mind, at this level there are no easy matches
and you have to earn each victory no matter who you play.<br />
<br />
I felt
well prepared before the match, and couldn't tell if I should be worried
that this guy was a well-oiled athletic machine or happy cause he was
going to tire himself out from doing more than 20 sprints before
starting the match, with his eyes firmly glued on me in between every
sprint.<br />
<br />
The match got underway. We split the first two sets and
were headed into the third set. Because of many line call disputes, we
got a referee to sit and watch our final set so there wouldn't be any
bad line calls on crucial points. I was extremely frustrated at the way I
was serving throughout the match, and I knew that if I had just served a
little better this match would have been over and in my favour an hour
ago. As the score reached 3 games to 1 for him, I reached my boiling
point. After a missed serve by me and a return by my opponent,I swung at
the incoming ball with what felt like was one of my hardest forehands
I've ever hit. It was cleanly struck and it was headed straight to where
the chair umpire was sitting. To this day I still remember how that
ball whizzed two inches away from the face of the referee, and if it had
hit him I knew I might have been in deep deep trouble. The following
words came out of the referee's mouth: "Disqualification Mr Simsek for
ball abuse." I was kicked out of the match. I didn't really know what to
say. I knew I had a moment of weakness and my anger got the best of me
for the first time in a long time.<br />
<br />
As I walked off the court
shaking from what I had just done, I made myself a promise to never let
my anger take over my reactions to something. What if that poor guy got
hit? That would have haunted me forever. You live you learn... on to the
next battle.<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
Dennis Simsek (also known as the anxious athlete) is the founder
of the popular end the anxiety audio program that has helped many
overcome their anxiety disorder related issues naturally. This is not a
'quick fix' solution but a proven strategy that in time will guarantee
your natural recovery from anxiety related issues.<br />
<br />
Visit <a href="http://www.anxietyend.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.anxietyend.com</a> now to listen to a sample.<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-12146797064707676342015-06-05T08:14:00.000-07:002015-06-05T08:14:00.203-07:00Marco Bitran: Athletes And Anxiety - The Life Of A Low Level Tennis Professional Living The Dream Part 1<div id="article-content">
In the world of professional tennis, everyone sees the glamorous
lives of the top 50 players in the world on TV and live during
tournaments. But they usually never get to see the thousands of other
professional level players struggling at the bottom of the table like
myself fighting for each and every ATP tennis point they can get, just
so they can continue living the dream and maybe one day play on the ATP
circuit.<br />
<br />
The futures tour mainly consists of players ranked
between 500 and somewhere around 2000 on the ATP tour, then comes the
challenger level players who are in the range of 150 to 500 roughly.
Then if you can bare the years of struggle and grind and are successful
at the lower levels then comes the ATP level.<br />
<br />
My whole tennis
career has mainly been in the futures level of tennis with the very
occasional "wild card" (a free pass for lower level players to compete
in higher level tournaments) into a challenger event. I was able to play
these pro events because I was successful in other prize money events
that anyone could enter, which made me enough money to get from one
tournament to the next... barely! Mix playing with a little coaching and
stringing other players' tennis racquets and I was doing OK-financially
anyway.<br />
<br />
But playing high level tennis week after week left me
emotionally fatigued, spiritually fatigued, mentally fatigued and caused
great muscular fatigue. So after some time I knew I had to start taking
care of the different kinds of fatigue I was feeling in the form of
implementing tension eliminators, or else I would have a very short
playing career, and absolutely no coaching career afterwards.<br />
<br />
At
the age of 25 (just a year before my 6 year battle with an anxiety
disorder), I got a few friends together to hit the road in my rickety
van to play as many tennis tournaments we could afford to, and to see if
I could hang with other pro tennis players. As we all made the drive
from Vancouver, British Columbia, to California we decided to "wing it"
and didn't book any housing during these tournaments. The three of us
had around $600 for a month and a half and that had to cover everything
from our entry fees into tournaments, to gas money, to food and
accommodation. Well we quickly realized, something... we didn't bring
enough money.<br />
<br />
We had a racquet stringer in case the other players needed
their racquets strung up but other than that we had no other way of
bringing in any cash flow.<br />
<br />
Our faith was left in the two "money"
tournaments that we all entered to get us through this trip to play the
four futures tennis tournaments. Many of the futures players don't
really stick around past their mid-20s in the futures circuit and
quickly find jobs instead of continuing the constant grind of the low
level tours but we were different, we were determined! We had incredible
work ethic!<br />
<br />
If there was one thing that the three of us agreed on
it was that we had to have free accommodation or we weren't going to
have a chance to play these tournaments. We slept on the beach, yep we
all decided that the only way we would be able to afford this trip was
to sleep on the beach because it was free, it was cozy, and it was
somewhere warm and private. All the things a tennis player needs to
bring out the best in him during practice and competition.<br />
<br />
The
morning after we arrived in California we quickly rubbed the sand off of
us, took a shower next to the beach, and rushed off to find some public
tennis courts so we could get a practice in. The van was running well
and we had packed some 30 cent noodles (that we ate raw) to get us by
for about a week. We found some courts in southern California in a place
called Ventura and lucky for us there was a hill right next to the
courts so we could get some hard-core fitness in as well (hills are a
tennis players best friend). The practice went great and the sprints up
the hill were just what we needed to stay physically and mentally sharp.
Things were going great and we were all in good spirits. We found a
beautiful park nearby and got the racquet stringer out to string a few
of the broken strings on our tennis racquets.<br />
<br />
As we were finishing
up we saw a sign on the side of the road that said "29 cent tacos."
Perfect timing! We were all getting a little sick of eating the crap we
packed so we all decided we needed some real food (if you could call it
that) and at 29 cents we couldn't pass it up. We parked the van and all
got out and ordered four tacos each. After we were done eating we were
still hungry and decided to have a few more so we ordered six more each.
We were stuffed and even though it was only noon we decided we wouldn't
spend any more money on food until the next day because we needed every
penny on this trip.<br />
<br />
As we were resting back home (or a different
part of the beach) on the Santa Barbara beach, I felt like I was getting
sick. I blamed my nausea and vomiting on the tacos and asked the other
guys how they were feeling; surprisingly they were fine. I skipped the
afternoon practice session that we had planned and took it easy instead,
trying to recover for the next day because our first tournament was
coming up. I started feeling better towards the night, and as I laid my
head down to sleep with my buddies nearby, I started my nightly ritual
anytime I had a match the next day: mental imagery...<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
Dennis Simsek (also known as the anxious athlete) is the founder
of the popular end the anxiety audio program that has helped many
overcome their anxiety disorder related issues naturally. This is not a
'quick fix' solution but a proven strategy that in time will guarantee
your natural recovery from anxiety related issues.<br />
<br />
Visit <a href="http://www.anxietyend.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.anxietyend.com</a> now to listen to a sample.<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-71544058301024677932015-06-04T08:10:00.000-07:002015-06-04T08:10:00.410-07:00Marco Bitran: The Key Mental Training, Mindset or Toughness Technique for Tennis - Acceptance<div id="article-content">
Acceptance. What is its significance for tennis? What has it meant for me in the context of playing my game?<br />
<br />
Ten
years ago I took a class that changed my life in many ways, not the
least of which was the application of one of its lessons into my tennis
game. I often think of tennis as a microcosm of life; one reason why I'm
as addicted as to the sport as I am. The lesson I learned was that
acceptance is the key to having a successful and often winning
experience with my tennis game.<br />
<br />
In the class I worked through a
process in which I created a possibility for the way I live my life. I
created the possibility of being accepting-- a way of being in which I
accepted the opinions and beliefs of others and their lifestyles, and
most importantly, I accepted myself and who I am. Being accepting is a
way I continue to live my life every day that I can. It's a way of
presenting myself, of talking to others, of relating to them with no
judgment.<br />
<br />
I apply this mentality to the tennis court every time I
get out there to play, whether I'm hitting for fun with a friend or
competing in a match against an opponent. I face each match up with an
open mind to accept whatever state of mind either myself or my opponent
comes to the match with that night. I do not resist anything the moment I
step onto the court to warm up with the first friendly balls back and
forth over the net.<br />
<br />
I think to myself-- I'm going to have a fun time
with my opponent and my match tonight.<br />
<br />
Now, you may be thinking,
"Oh, come on. You may be able to control yourself and your thoughts, but
you can't control your opponent's. Sure, you can have fun if your
opponent is having fun, but if he or she isn't, well then I'm not sure
how much fun you'll have either". I disagree with this thought and this
is why. If I go out onto the court from the get-go with an attitude of
acceptance, that attitude can't help but rub off on and turn into fun
for my opponent. Okay, it's possible, but rarely, in all the competitive
matches I've played, have I walked off the court at the end of a match
with an opponent who had no fun.<br />
<br />
So, how does fun come from
acceptance? If I approach my opponent with no judgment in my own mind of
who or what she is or is not, then it becomes unlikely that she will
judge me. Of course, people judge each other all the time, so I guess
it's possible that she could think, "I don't like what you're wearing"
or "I don't like the way you hit the ball" or "I don't like you shout
the score" or some other similar judgment. However, if I think of my
opponent simply as the person she is that day-angry, happy, excited,
anxious, critical, serious, competitive, I do not let it affect me. Who
she is that day is who she is that day (which may be what she's like
everyday, for all I know), but what's important to me in that moment is
to realize that I am fine with however she is. If I am out there having
fun because I'm playing a game I absolutely love, then her own reasons
for being out there that night do not matter to me. And, believe it or
not, more often than not, if I approach my match and my opponent with an
accepting attitude, my opponent starts to have fun with me, whether or
not she started out angry, anxious or serious at the beginning of the
match.<br />
<br />
I can't say that every match I've played over the years has
been fun or has resulted in a win, but I believe wholeheartedly in the
positive power of acceptance. I will never forget a comment one opponent
made to me a few years back the minute we shook hands after a match.
She said, even as the one in defeat that night, "I haven't had that much
fun playing a tennis match in a long time. Thank you."<br />
<br />
Her
comment of appreciation that night touched me more than any other
comment I've ever received from an opponent. I truly do love this game
and there is nothing that has made it more enjoyable for me than playing
with others who are enjoying it too. The power of acceptance is great.
My class of ten years ago gave me a gift I will carry to my dying day.<br />
<br />
My
recommendation to anyone who is as avid a player as I am is to bring
acceptance with you each and every time you get out on the court before a
match. It will keep the spark and fun alive for you for years to come.
And, it just may surprise you with a new winning streak. Enjoy!<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
* * *<br />
<br />
Kim Riley- Tennis Blogger.<br />
<br />
Hi everyone! I'm just starting
up a new blog about tennis mental strategies- one that asks for your
input. As an evaluator by training, I've decided to start a conversation
and have a few questions for those of you avid players out there who
are always interested in gaining more insight about handling the mental
challenges of the game we love. Click on my blog and come join the
conversation.<br />
<br />
[http://tennismindsetonlinewithkim.com]<br />
<br />
Meet me in person and let's discuss together!<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-8445553155244435682015-06-03T08:06:00.001-07:002015-06-03T08:06:49.797-07:00Marco Bitran: Poetry In Motion: Flow On And Off The Tennis Court<div id="article-content">
<em>By
<a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Gail_Green" rel="author" title="EzineArticles Expert Author Gail Green">Gail Green</a></em><br />
<br />
After recently rewatching Roger Federer's win at Wimbledon, I was
inspired to ponder the commonalities between the champion's elegant
performance and that of great design. With some replay observation, I
came to the conclusion that the confluence of genius tennis and superior
architecture is best expressed by one word: FLOW.<br />
<br />
Federer's
glistening movements - serves, forehands, backhands, volleys, drop shots
- have as their basis a well-thought out strategy. In design, we call
these excellent tactics - a master plan. His movements are strategically
well conceived, and though they are executed at lighting speed, there
is a method to their sublime madness. As one room flows with form and
function upon the heels of the next, Federer's movements appear as
imaginatively daring and clever as a beautifully sculpted space. Both
the champion's execution and that of a fluidly designed home exhibit
FLOW, an apparently elegant, effortless grace and movement in a style
that appears to have always been.<br />
<br />
If comparisons be made, they
need to start with the Master Plan. With each set, each game, each shot,
Federer's inner game is drawn with intelligence and confidence. Like so
with a fluid architectural conception.<br />
<br />
That is, a good architect /
designer knows how to carve and manipulate square footage so that the
plan flows with balance, order and harmony, producing good energies - a
win. In essence, the keystone of all great design is the floor plan. How
a space flows from area to area dictates a design's overall success.
And, creating "flow" is an art. When Federer poises a shot, it is
apparent he has the following next several in mind.<br />
<br />
A great forehand
serve to one corner at a 45 degree angle will often precipitate a
magnificent cross-court shot on the opposite side. If one were to plot
plan his movements, one would see interesting intersections of angled
corners, with almost precision like octagonal movements. When Federer
aims down the line, the walls are aplomb, creating perfect balance order
and symmetry of form.<br />
<br />
Well designed spaces are transformative.
Like a great serve, the visual aspect is merely the first point of
impact or contact. Spaces that exhibit well-composed plans achieve the
same effect: they feel natural, as though they have always been. So,
too, with Mr. Federer's movements which seem most times effortless.
These spaces move in ingenious ways, providing a flow that is both
welcoming and rational. It is an elegant, magisterial feel, both on and
off the court!<br />
<br />
I suspect that of any area, the entry foyer is the
"serve" of the home. It sets the tone and feeling of the entire space.
It is both the first and last impression the homeowner receives of his
habitation. And, it is here where one is made to feel either welcomed or
disoriented, depending on the overall success and feeling which the
foyer evokes. It is, in essence, the prelude for what is to come. So,
too, with Federer's serve, which is, for all intents and purposes, the
one shot over which he has complete control and, thus, the one that sets
the pace of his game. Should it be an Ace, it is a winner! Should the
foyer create the right effect, it, too, is the architect's most powerful
weapon. Entries express a largesse of space; they are the starting
point from which all the other rooms circulate and radiate. The toss,
creating a perfectly timed serve, is the artistic hand with which the
foyer is sculpted. With a twist of the wrist or hand, a stroke is made
that wins or misses. It is completely within Federer's hand (and genius)
as to whether his ball makes a perfect landing or strikes out into the
net or beyond. Like the serve, the entry Foyer orchestrates the tone and
feeling of the home / game;<br />
<br />
It is the creator's and tennis player's
most potent shot.<br />
<br />
In terms of proper flow, on and off the court,
both Federer and architect are aware of where they are positioned. There
is an intuitive awareness as to how far back behind the base line or up
at the net, he needs to be. Like so, with the well intentioned home. In
proceeding from room to room, it feels just so, as though you know
where you should be at any given moment. Fed's gliding movements on
court much resemble this fluid interaction between spaces. Should he
find himself in "no-man's land," Federer will be disoriented, as he has
been pushed into a precipitous area of the court from which a loss will
likely occur. And, if the homeowner finds himself confronted with a
series of boxes and doors that are illogically placed and off-balance,
this awkward arrangement of rooms will create a similar disharmony.<br />
<br />
For
general flow of space a comparison can be made with the cross-court
shot. It expresses the general flow of a space in that it is the most
natural shot to made on court. As the safest shot, with the net at its
lowest point, it is the easiest one to make. Like walking down a hallway
with rooms following rooms enfillade, it expresses a natural
progression of movement. Federer's agile and graceful cross-court
backhands and forehands seem to glide past his opponents. His motion is
so agile that, with the flick of his wrist, his uncanny intuitiveness
for placement lands him a winner. Ingenious, yes, brilliant forethought,
for sure.<br />
<br />
The down the line show is a different matter. Here, one
encounters the unexpected. Federer's opponents are oftentimes daunted
by his unexpected perfectly positioned down the line shotmaking. It is a
riskier more difficult, precision shot, catching the opponent by
surprise. Using this lower percentage shot, Fed is able to pull his
adversary off course, enacting an effective change of direction, and
thus executing a winning point.<br />
<br />
For the architect who creates spaces
that angle, twist, and turn, he is taking his homeowner on a magical
visual journey around arcs and rotundas. And, then, suddenly out of the
rabbit hole, appears the delightful surprise - a sublime visual of
either landscape or crafty architectural detail (like a niche).<br />
<br />
Federer's
dominant style and quiet confidence is matched by the creative master
architect who whips up with elegant grace his visual sculptures. With a
sense of composure and assurance, the tennis champion plots and plans
his moves as though in a consummate chess game. The dignity and class
that both Federer and the master architect bring to their game is
exemplary. Never doubting their abilities, both forge on creating their
own masterpieces as though locked into combat with themselves rather
than with opponents. Problem solvers par excellente, they are able to
analyze the situation in a widened perspective, executing one shot /
stroke at a time.<br />
<br />
Agile at both base line and net play, Federer
exhibits exceptional versatility of play. With the designer, the ability
to both see the whole picture while zoning in on the details,
illustrates a mobility of movement, as well.<br />
<br />
In addition, that attention
to detail, creating twists and turns of visual delight and surprise, is
equally masterful in the tennis champ's inside-out shots, where the
unexpected creates the perfect finale.<br />
<br />
Attention to detail in
design is the finishing flourish to a beautiful space. It illustrates an
intelligence of thought and respect for the wit and genius of
architecture. Choice of finishes and materials, down to the smallest
details, like the niche or reveal, show the true artistry of the master
builder. For Federer, this attention to detail comes in the form of
backhand drop shot volleys that are electrically charged, landing in
perfectly poised places. His backhand smash, half-volley, are twists of
the wrist that seem to be magnetically charged, attracting the right
spot. Curves, bows, bays, ovoids are shapes that play with circulatory
patterns, easing the homeowner's fluid path throughout the home.
Similarly, Federer's gliding footwork illuminates his agility in
traversing the court. Ballet like steps transport him easily from net to
baseline.<br />
<br />
The endgame is a composition of manicured movements.
For Federer, the match is a series of excellent shotmaking, carefully
thought out and executed. For the designer, the space is the result of
artistic creativity brought from thought to realization in a series of
visionary schemes. The alignment of Federer's fluidity on court with
that of the architect who humanistically understand's and executes great
design is culminated, for both, through flow.<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
For Federer, the match is a series of excellent shotmaking,
carefully thought out and executed. For the designer, the space is the
result of artistic creativity brought from thought to realization in a
series of visionary schemes. The alignment of Federer's fluidity on
court with that of the architect who humanistically understands and
executes great design is culminated, for both, through flow. If you
would like your home to exhibit wonderful flow and circulation, please
look at our work at <a href="http://www.gailgreeninteriors.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.GailGreenInteriors.com</a><br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-83506363945321309492015-05-30T04:42:00.000-07:002015-05-30T04:42:00.093-07:00Marco Bitran: Placement and Positioning<div id="article-content">
<em>By
<a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Salem_A_Brasseur" rel="author" title="EzineArticles Expert Author Salem A Brasseur">Salem A Brasseur</a><span class="author-divider"></span></em><br />
<em><span class="author-divider"><br /></span></em>When you hit a ball, your whole body is positioned to accomplish
your shorts. The more efficiently that your feet are positioned for a
return, the better you perform to effectuate the right shots. I find
that playing sports like soccer helps to increase footwork skills.
Another idea which might seem to "girly" for boys would be ballet. Roger
Federer did not take ballet but people tend to think he is dancing on
the court.<br />
<br />
Like Roger Federer who is the world's dominant player,
who started by hitting forehands that looked different than any of the
other players and for top flexibility and variety in his forehand, all
you have to do is look Pete Sampras. The proper footwork stance can help
you cover more of the court, to recover quicker after shots, and to
help you quickly get ready for the next short.<br />
<br />
The best foot
stance for each shot will be different, because different factors are
involved, such as the grip, angle and pace of the ball, and each
player's court position. There are several feet positions that all
players use today: open, semi-open, neutral, closed, and open backhand
stance.<br />
<br />
1. Open Stance:<br />
<br />
For right handed players, you start
with a back swing, where you are rotating your shoulders and hips, about
90 degrees. Your weight must be shifted to the outside foot and remain
balanced for the follow through and recovery. In other words, the open
stance allows players to load up on the hip and explode into the shot,
producing forehand and backhand winners.<br />
<br />
2. Semi-Open Stance:<br />
<br />
For
right handed, forehand players, you must start your back swing by
rotating your upper body at the same time. Next, you must step to the
right with the right foot and also shift your weight to the right foot
also. This stance differs from the open stance because as a player, you
must step into the court with your left foot because it helps you keep a
firm foundation after you hit the ball. Your weight must stay on the
outside foot until your have completed your stroke. For left-handed
players, use your opposite feet.<br />
<br />
3. Neutral Stance:<br />
<br />
This
stance, everyone knows and likes, because you can use it for both a
forehand and a backhand shot. Plus, this is your staring point for all
foot positions. This stance is the one you see, nearly all players using
when they are pivoting side by side on the court. With the neutral
stance, you are preparing for the back swing by rotating your hips,
trunk, and shoulders. You also must step out with your right foot and
begin to shift your weight. After your right foot step out, you then
step forward with your left foot, toward the net to begin executing a
forward approach of your swing. Your weight must be kept on your front
foot until your stroke is complete through to the recovery. To finish
your execution, your right back foot will be brought forward and around
to maintain your strength and balance. For left handed players, do the
opposite.<br />
<br />
4. Closed Stance:<br />
<br />
This stance can be used for both
backhand shots and the forehand, but it is best used when you are
running down a ball or if you are forced wide. Where are your feet -
your left foot is your balanced, outside foot taking on all your weight,
because you have been caught off balance.<br />
<br />
5. Open Backhand Stance:<br />
<br />
When
you need a smooth swing, use this stance. Your weight should be placed
firmly on the left foot, with your shoulders turned before the ball
crosses the net. Remember to keep your eye on the ball until your stroke
is executed or else, you will lose power causing a miss hit.<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
Learn more about Tennis Elbow:<br /> <a href="http://tennismethod.blogspot.com/2015/05/tenniselbow-introduction-background.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://tennismethod.blogspot.com/2015/05/tenniselbow-introduction-background.html</a><br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-27057088079857879312015-05-29T03:35:00.000-07:002015-05-29T03:35:00.567-07:00Marco Bitran: Tennis Stretching<div id="article-content">
<em>By
<a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Salem_A_Brasseur" rel="author" title="EzineArticles Expert Author Salem A Brasseur">Salem A Brasseur</a></em><br />
<br />Q: Why is tennis such a noisy game?<br />
A: Because each player raises a racket<br />
<br />
I
enjoy playing tennis, but it is a sport, which is very demanding and
that requires flexibility, strength, endurance, and agility. In order to
play well at any level, exercise and stretching should be a part of
your routine. Tennis stretching exercises maximizes performance, while
also reducing your risk of injuries.<br />
<br />
The main muscle groups that are used consistently when we are playing, includes:<br />
• calf muscles
<br />• hips
<br />• quadriceps
<br />• upper arm and forearm
<br />• pectorals
<br />• rotator shoulder cuff muscles
<br />• trapezius<br />
<br />
Even though Roger Federer is considered a natural
tennis player, his #2 World Championship wins are not without an intense
work out. Stretching and workout exercises for tennis player are
different for a 19 year old, then a 30+ year old player. When you are
younger, you are building a strong body foundation, with exercises that
include dynamic and static stretching, cardio, weightlifting, and for
power, plyometrics. When you become an older tennis player, you are
concentrating more on a full body workout with specific attention to the
muscles and joints that are under constant stress.<br />
<br />
I find that
not stretching before playing not only gives me more pain afterwords but
I find that I'm very stiff and don't hit through the ball as well.
Also, I have noticed that even the simple tennis stretching routine has
improved my coordination, it will improve your blood circulation, and it
will give you better mental alertness.<br />
<br />
Do you have enough mental
alertness to get this joke?<br />
<br />
Q: What is a tennis players favorite city?<br />
A: Volley wood!<br />
<br />
When
you finish laughing, let's start your stretching routine by stretching
those wrists with rotation, stretch the chest with the reverse chest
stretch, then stretch your Achilles heels. To further prevent any
injuries, include lateral lunges, the cross shoulder stretch, and the
tennis elbow stretch. Remember, to stretch before and after every
practice and game. I want you to remain healthy when playing the "sport
of Kings." A regular stretching exercise gives you good posture, lowers
back pain, increases your muscle balance, that can lead to pulled
muscles.<br />
<br />
If you are like me and you play a lot of tennis, don't
forget to use ice as a part of your muscle and joint recovery treatment.
For 20 minutes, apply ice for about 20 minutes to reduce the
inflammation in your body that may be giving you trouble. Occasionally,
do the same to your wrist, shoulder and elbow - even if you don't feel
any pain. Doctors and trainers state that pain is a sign that the
inflammation has reached a high level, so use ice to bring it down
again, to keep us ready to play again.<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
Learn more about Tennis Elbow:<br /> <a href="http://tennismethod.blogspot.com/2015/05/tenniselbow-introduction-background.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://tennismethod.blogspot.com/2015/05/tenniselbow-introduction-background.html</a><br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-54808456937133736202015-05-28T03:32:00.000-07:002015-05-28T03:32:00.226-07:00Marco Bitran: Tennis Lateral Epicondylitis<div id="article-content">
<em>By
<a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Salem_A_Brasseur" rel="author" title="EzineArticles Expert Author Salem A Brasseur">Salem A Brasseur</a></em><br />
<br />
Introduction: Background<br />
<br />
Tennis elbow is a form of
tendinosis, which means that there is swelling and tenderness around the
small bony part of your elbow, which is known as the "lateral
epicondyle." The tendons around the elbow are designed to give the human
body an extension reach of the wrist and fingers. Tendon damage or
tendinosis is common in the elbow joint area and causes an internal
fluid to leak out. If not properly cared for, this condition can form
scar tissues, cause severe pain, and limits the movement of the joints.<br />
<br />
Causes:<br />
<br />
It
develops when the muscles and tendons of the forearm and the elbow
joint is strenuously overused. This condition occurs more prevalently in
men and women, between the ages of 30 to 60. Tennis players of all
levels, like top champions - Roger Federer and Rafeal Nadal have
experienced this condition, as has tennis players for years, which is
the origin of the name. It is believed to be caused by the continued
hitting of tennis balls, back and forth, up and down, causing tiny tears
in the forearm tendon that is attached at the elbow.<br />
<br />
However, anyone
can develop tennis elbow, especially if you are involved in other sports
that involves throwing and moving constantly, like golf and swimming.
Everyday activities can also cause tennis elbow, like typing, gardening,
plumbing, constructions, etc.<br />
<br />
Symptoms:<br />
<br />
The first symptom
of tennis elbow, naturally, is pain, which can last up to 12 weeks. This
pain is felt on the outside of your upper forearm and down your arm
towards the wrist. Tennis elbow pain can be felt when you bend, lift, or
turn your forearm and elbow, especially in simple activated like
writing, knitting or turning a door handle.<br />
<br />
Treatment:<br />
<br />
Tennis
elbow is treatable and will heal naturally if you give it a helping
hand, such as icing the elbow every couple of hours for several days,
until the pain is gone. Additional treatment aids, include:<br />
• physical therapy.
<br />• motion exercises to keep the muscles and tendons flexible and strengthened.
<br />• anti-inflammatory tablets like ibuprofen or aspirin.
<br />• medical help with painkillers or steroids to help ease swelling and pain.
<br />• elbow strap to protect the damaged tenons.<br />
<br />
Overall, 90% to
95% of people with tennis elbow will improve and recover. However, if
these techniques do not work, and your doctor detects a more serious
case of tennis elbow, then they will probably suggest surgery, which
requires the removal or repairing of damaged tendons.<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
Learn more about Tennis Turf Toe and Tennis Toe:<br /> <a href="http://tennismethod.blogspot.com/2015/05/turf-toe-and-tennis-toe-there-aretwenty_86.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://tennismethod.blogspot.com/2015/05/turf-toe-and-tennis-toe-there-aretwenty_86.html</a><br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-49615804933026894432015-05-27T03:30:00.000-07:002015-05-27T03:30:02.206-07:00Marco Bitran: Backhand Slice<div id="article-content">
<em>By
<a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Salem_A_Brasseur" rel="author" title="EzineArticles Expert Author Salem A Brasseur">Salem A Brasseur</a></em><br />
<br />
Quiet please...<br />
<br />
The players are about to begin grunting.<br />
<br />
Professional
tennis players like Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, as well as recreational
players like you and I, we enjoy using the slice backhand to set up an
approach shot, to slow down the ball while recovering from a defensive
position, or to handle a low bounce.<br />
<br />
The tennis backhand slice
technique, has been used for many years, going back to when there were
wooden racquets. Today, this stroke remains an effective technique, IF,
it is executed perfectly and if it is hit away from the opponent's
comfortable hitting area.<br />
<br />
In the past years of playing the sport I
find this shot ending up as a defensive shot most of the time because
of the short preparation and accuracy. As I have mentioned, Federer does a perfect example of this shot and there are some pros that
use a slice for their backhand.<br />
<br />
Federer is very effective at this
technique, because his opponents soon learn that they can't just push
the ball back in the court off the slice, or he will rebound on the next
ball and nail the forehand.<br />
<br />
On the professional circuit, it is
already known that Djokovic has one of the best backhand slices on
the court. Djokovic has a solid slice backhand, where the ball comes
off his racquet clean and extremely well executed.<br />
<br />
Let's take a
look at its application - most players use the backhand slice in a
baseline rally when they want to distract their opponent's rhythm. A
well placed backhand slice, can force your opponent to return a short
ball, to counteract low balls, to return the ball in a baseline rally or
if you are in a defensive zone.<br />
<br />
A slice backhand in tennis, is
guaranteed to slow the ball down and allow each player to get back in
the recovery position or as I say, "in the point." When we hit a rally
ball, its backspin slows the pace of the shot and keeps the ball low and
out of your opponent's strike zone.<br />
<br />
Also, when you're inside the
court, you can be more aggressive with the slice by driving a deep, low,
skidding shot, which you can take to net. It's also the spin that you
need to be successful with volleys and drop shots.<br />
<br />
See you on the court... !<br />
<br />
"I am not afraid of anyone but sometimes I'm afraid of myself. The mental part is very important." Justin Henin<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
Learn more about Tennis Forehand Techniques:<br /> <a href="http://tennismethod.blogspot.com/2015/05/forehand-techniques.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://tennismethod.blogspot.com/2015/05/forehand-techniques.html</a><br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-41418868311824403562015-05-26T05:22:00.000-07:002015-05-26T05:25:25.169-07:00Marco Bitran: Forehand Techniques<div id="article-content">
<i>By
<a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Salem_A_Brasseur" rel="author" title="EzineArticles Expert Author Salem A Brasseur">Salem A Brasseur</a></i><br />
<i></i><br />
<i><span class="author-divider"></span></i>Let's talk about tennis forehand techniques. I like to snap my
wrist a little more than usual on the swing in order to use less energy
thus giving me more for the rest of the match. I always make the mistake
of not pushing forward enough on the ball and apply too much top spin
(hitting the ball from under up). Your forehand should be a weapon and
not a weak spot.<br />
<br />
Take a look at the forehand techniques of the two
top world champions and a young tennis player who may fall in the same
tennis playing category as you and I - which means upcoming! Roger
Federer's has a wicked forehand, which is highlighted by his grip and
his impeccable playing technique. Novak Djokovic's forehand is
definitely a conversation among tennis fans and coaches. His forehand
style has similar styles like that of<br />
<br />
Federer, but his execution is by
far unique.<br />
<br />
Now, let's talk about Stanislas ("Stan") Wawrinka,
whose name may sound familiar because he was one of the 2008 top 10
Olympic players and he played doubles with Federer. Stan's present day
forehand is his weaker side. He hits with a semi-western grip and he
hits a pretty big ball off the side. He doesn't lack spin or velocity in
his forehand, his problem centers more in his consistency.<br />
<br />
We could talk all day about top tennis player forehand techniques, so instead, let's look at basic fundamentals:<br />
<br />
1.
Shoulder and Pivot: What is the first thing that professional tennis
players do when they hit a forehand? Yes, they pivot their outside foot,
then turn their shoulders sideways. This begins their racquet
take-back, while both hands remains and grips the racquet.<br />
<br />
2.
Racquet It Back Totally: Okay, when you have pivoted and turned your
shoulder, next you take your racquet back completely, using both
shoulders and your arms.<br />
<br />
3. Contact Swing: the third movement in
hitting a forehand is swing to contact, which means to push off on your
outside leg; rotate your body back toward the net; then drop your
racquet down slightly and quickly swing forward.<br />
<br />
4. Follow
Through: When you contact the ball, follow through to complete your
forehand. How? Simply extend out in the direction that you are hitting,
then bring your racquet across your body, but in a smooth, relaxed
motion - done!<br />
<br />
5. Swing: The last basic fundamental forehand
technique is the directional or path swing. The swing path involves how a
racquet travels, from the start of the motion to the end of the
following through. When you release the racquet with your other hand, it
should not stop moving, until we have completed our follow through
technique.<br />
<br />
Yes, there are different forehand grips that players of
all playing levels are familiar with. Do you know what they are? Okay, I
won't let you suffer - they include the "continental," the "Eastern,"
the "semi-Western," and the "Western." Let's keep practicing our
forehand techniques because it influences our top-spin and body
rotation, which can only improve our game. See you on the court!</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
Learn more about Tennis Strings:<br />
<a href="http://tennismethod.blogspot.com/2015/05/tennis-strings.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://tennismethod.blogspot.com/2015/05/tennis-strings.html</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-3068785735490763362015-05-21T03:10:00.000-07:002015-05-21T04:54:30.531-07:00Marco Bitran: Private Tennis Lessons Versus Classes<div id="article-content">
<i>By
<a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ron_Darien" rel="author" title="EzineArticles Expert Author Ron Darien">Ron Darien</a></i><br />
<br />
When someone thinks about playing tennis, the first thing that
comes to mind is tennis lessons or classes. The student is thinking
instruction and usually in the cheapest means possible. There are two
options for every new tennis student: take a beginner private tennis
lesson or join a tennis class for newbies.<br />
<br />
In a tennis class, the
student will travel to the club at the pre-set times and follow the
pre-set syllabus for the class. The pace of the class will be dictated
by the average progress in the class, and 70% of the time the student
will be sitting in line waiting to hit the ball. The amount of time
spent watching other students play will generally exceed the total
amount of personal playing time.<br />
<br />
In a private lesson, the student
is able to progress on their own time. The amount of hitting time is
maxed out, because the student doesn't have to wait for others to hit
the ball before they can be first in line. Additionally, other students
who may not be "getting it" will not be slowing down the learning
progress of the student.<br />
<br />
Tennis requires a lot of patience and
practice. It is vital that every student get as many hits on the ball as
possible. The more hits each student get, the better the student will
become. Unfortunately, the class setting does not provide the dial
amount of practice for a newbie without several sessions.<br />
<br />
Private
lessons typically cost more than classes. They can cost anywhere from
$30 per hour to $100 per hour. On the other hand, classes can cost
anywhere from $15-60 per hour.<br />
<br />
When looking at lessons, you also
want to make sure that the instructor not only has tennis playing
experience but also has tennis teaching experience. There are several
certification agencies such as: PTR and USPTA and USPA. Ask your
instructor if they have any of those certifications. Instructors
typically pay a fee, take a test, and then instruct in front of an
association professional to ensure their skills, effectiveness, and
professionalism.<br />
<br />
If you do the math, in order to get the same cost
per time hitting the ball, the class would have to ensure that at least
50% of the time, the student would be hitting the ball and have
individual attention. While the classes may be cheaper, the private
lessons are far more effective in getting beginners to master the basics
in a timely manner.</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
The owner is an instructor for <a href="http://www.tennispronow.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tennispronow.com</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-26850421957763938242015-05-20T03:51:00.000-07:002015-05-20T03:51:00.534-07:00Marco Bitran: Tennis Rules - A Scoring Overview For Beginners<div id="article-content">
While the average age of a professional tennis player is 27 years
old, tennis is a great life-long sport and one that can be picked up at
any age. There are many club players that play well into their 60's and
even 70's.<br />
<br />
While many club players will have played in high school
and/or college, there are a large number of club players that don't take
their first lesson until they reach their 30's or 40's.<br />
<br />
The
basics of tennis are pretty simple. One player serves the ball
diagonally across the court to their opponent inside the service box.
The goal of that player is to return the ball after only one bounce in
his court back across the net and inbounds. Play continues until one
player misses the ball or fails to hit it inbounds on his opponent's
side of the court.<br />
<br />
The server begins serving from the right side
of the court behind the baseline. He then alternates to the left side of
the center line for his second serve, and so on throughout the game.<br />
<br />
Often
the most confusing aspect for a tennis beginner is the scoring. There
are three types of scoring: Game, Set, and Match. Points add up to a
game, games add up to a set, and sets add up to a match.<br />
<br />
<strong>Game Scoring</strong><br />
<br />
Tennis
game scoring can sometimes confuse a beginner. Simply, the first person
to win 4 points wins the game. If you tie at 4 you must win by 2, no
matter how long it takes. However, tennis scoring is not tracked as 0,
1, 2, 3, 4, but rather has funny scoring names such as "Love" and
"Deuce". To break it down, tennis game scoring is as follows:<br />
<br />
Point 0 is called Love.
<br />Point 1 is called 15.
<br />Point 2 is called 30.
<br />Point 3 is called 40.
<br />Point 4 a game is over UNLESS it is tied,
<br />Tied games are called Deuce.
<br /><br />
Winning by one after a score has gone to Deuce is called Ad, short for Advantage.<br />
<br />
When
calling the score, the server's score is first. For example, if the
server is winning the game 3-1, the score is called as 40-15. If the
server is losing the game 1-2, the score is called as 15-30.<br />
<br />
The
scoring become a bit more complicated after a game is tied. So if the
game is tied 40-40, (i.e. each player has won 3 points each) the score
is called as "Deuce".<br />
<br />
When the game has gone to deuce and the
server wins the next point, the server has an advantage and the score is
called as "Ad In". On the other hand, if the opponent wins the next
point, he has the advantage and the next point is called as "Ad Out".<br />
<br />
This play continues until one player wins by two points to win the game.<br />
<br />
<strong>Set Scoring</strong><br />
<br />
Simply
put, the first person to win 6 games wins the set. Of course tennis
scoring is not that straight forward and you must win by 2 games. So if
the set is 5 games each, play will continue for at least 2 more games.
If the set is tied at 6 games each, then a tie-breaker will be played.
For example, set scores can be:<br />
<br />
6 to 0
<br />6 to 1
<br />6 to 2
<br />6 to 3
<br />6 to 4
<br />7 to 5 (must win by 2 games at 5 games each)
<br />7 to 6 (played a tiebreaker at 6 games each)<br />
<br />
A set-tiebreaker
is used when the players are tied at 6-6 in a set, to decide the winner
of the set. Unlike the usual scoring of 15, 30, 40, the points in a
tie-breaker as scored: zero, one, two, three, etc. The first player to
win seven points, provided that there is a margin of two points over
their opponent, wins the game and set.<br />
<br />
For example, a 7-6 does not
win the game, whereas an 8-6 does and this can continue until someone
wins by two. The most famous tie-breaker occurred in Wimbledon in 2010
during the Isner-Mahut match lasting more than 11 hours. John Isner won
with the final score of 70-68.<br />
<br />
A match is normally the best of three sets, meaning that the player to win two sets wins the match.<br />
<br />
This is a brief overview of tennis scoring and hope it will help the beginning learn to <em>"Love"</em> the game of tennis.<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
Jayne Drew is Managing Partner of Smashing Golf & Tennis.
Smashing is an exclusive ladies golf and tennis brand that Slims and
Shapes and is proudly manufactured in Chicago, USA. Smashing can be
found online at <a href="http://www.smashingonline.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.smashingonline.com</a> and readers can take 25% off with EZINE25 coupon code.<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09377874236032924390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52857439876580344.post-77329881908880781212015-05-19T03:47:00.000-07:002015-05-19T03:47:00.069-07:00Marco Bitran: The Fundamentals of the Doubles Tennis Matches<div id="article-content">
<em style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Expert Author Donald Finch" class="photo" src="http://ezinearticles.com/members/mem_pics/Donald-Finch_1527279.jpg" title="EzineArticles Expert Author Donald Finch" /> </em><br />
<br />
<em>By
<a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Donald_Finch" rel="author" title="EzineArticles Expert Author Donald Finch">Donald Finch</a></em><br />
<br />
There are a few techniques and rules that you need to follow to
play doubles tennis matches. The tennis match is either held between two
players or between the players in two pairs. If you wish to become an
expert in a doubles tennis match, then you have to know the tactics to
approach the match just like a professional. There is a huge difference
in psychology when you play doubles tennis match because you need to
deal with your opponent and your partner. This article will highlight on
a few important aspects of doubles tennis that you need to adopt to
secure good scores in a tennis match.<br />
<br />
<strong>Choose the right tennis partner </strong><br />
<br />
When
you wish to play this type of match, it is advisable that you should
find out a suitable partner. It does not mean that you should pick up an
expert player, but you should find a player who plays at your similar
level and who compliments the match. For instance, if you serve well
around the tennis net, but you do not return the serve in a perfect way,
then you should find out a suitable partner who helps you in this
matter.<br />
<br />
It is vital that you should select a partner who is
compatible with you and who also has a pleasant personality. If you are a
person who wants to dominate the other player, then you should find out
a partner who is open to your valuable suggestions and who will be
happy to follow you in all possible ways. Similarly, two tennis players
with timid personalities also are not desirable because there is no one
who can play the role of the decision maker. Selection of a suitable
partner for your personality as well as your match style seems to be
quite crucial.<br />
<br />
<strong>Play your first ball in the best possible way </strong><br />
<br />
One
of the important aspects of doubles tennis match is the way you play
your first ball. In this kind of match, the serving or returning
techniques seem to be crucial for your first rate tennis performance.
The way you play the first few balls will determine your fate.<br />
<br />
The
attitude of the player who returns the serve is equally important.
While returning the first serve, the returner may not seem to be highly
aggressive or even offensive. However, the thought procedure of the same
returner will effectively change when the returner receives the second
serve. The opponents seem to be quite dangerous when they return the
ball and they seem to become offensive.<br />
<br />
There is a pair of people
on your opposite side and there is hardly any involvement of a single
player. It makes the hitting procedure quite difficult and it often
leads to multiple mistakes and difficulties. The best idea is
neutralizing the opponent, thereby hitting the return when they are not
serving the ball. In this way, you can reduce the chance of free points
that you lose when you make careless mistakes and you can enhance your
opportunity to secure the point.<br />
</div>
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Euro School of tennis is one of the popular training institutes that offer effective <a href="http://www.euroschooloftennis.com/san-jose/home/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">youth tennis lessons Los Altos</a> for children and adults. If you wish to join <a href="http://www.euroschooloftennis.com/san-jose/san-jose-tennis-clinics/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">youth tennis programs in Cupertino</a> then also you must contact the institute. You can get quality training at affordable price rates.<br />
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