Thursday, June 24, 2010

An Athlete's Benefits Of Having Few Fans

By Ruben Dallak

August twelfth, 2009 was a beautiful, sunny Wednesday morning in Montreal. Since I worked at the Rogers Cup, I had access to the grounds and had specifically requested the day off so I could go check out all the players' warmups. It was indeed a rich schedule with the top ten competing throughout the day.

At 11 that day, a pal and I headed over toward Court 4 where the world's top ranked player, Roger Federer, was due to arrive at within 30 minutes. Already jam packed with about a few hundred people, there was barely any room to move.

As the time approached, the court was packed with fans who eagerly waited to get a glimpse of the Swiss Maestro. With the sun soaring at 35 degrees celsius, we watched him loosen up and start hitting balls. To be truthful, it was fairly boring and was supposed to go on for 2 hours.

So, slowly, we squeeze outside the crowd and come to an open spot. I glance up at Court four on the far side to see a tall, lanky competitor dressed in a pink Nike T-shirt and white shorts pounding a few balls. I look closer and indeed realized it was Juan Martin Del Potro.

As he arrived at the exit gate, there were 6 fans waiting for him to have his signature and he did sign. As he wrote on my picture and proceeded to my friend, I said "I wish you the best of luck in your competition today."

Del Potro turned to me and had a giant smile on his face and insisted "Thank you so much for your support." He seemed like he was very pleased about what I had said to him.

As he won the US Open this week, the irony of this situation just entered my thoughts. The fact that essentially not a soul was present to root for him and Federer had a ton of people. Every now and then, it is better to be left alone than to be persistently followed.

Del Potro played a marvelous match this week and is completely worthy of his championship. Great job!

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Wednesday, June 23, 2010

World Top 6: Can Svetlana Kuznetsova Reach The World Number 1?

By Paul Stubbs

Svetlana Aleksandrovna Kuznetsova was born on June 27, 1985 in Russia. She is a Russian professional player. She won the US Open (2004) and also the 2009 French Open Singles Title defeating Elena Dementieva and Dinara Safina. She was also the Runner-up in Singles at the 2006 French Open and the 2007 US Open, both to the Belgian player Justine Henin. As of May 17, 2010, she ranked World No. 6.

Kuznetsova undergone her training in the Sanchez-Casal Academy in Spain and she was trained by Emilio Sanchez and Stefan Ortega together with other coaches in the academy. But her major coaching relationship was with Stefan Ortega who was a familiar face in her player's box and assisted her play. But after a series of depressing outcomes in the finals Kuznetsova's ended her relationship with Sanchez-Casal Academy and transferred to Moscow as the advice of Tennis Maestro Roger Federer and continued to be coached by a Russian coach Olga Morozova.

Kuznetsova is definitely an all-around tennis player as she has adapted her game to all surfaces. Her play is seen with her great serve and her heavy forehand. Kuznetsova's serve is aided by her strong physique, and she's often considered to be one of many strongest athletes on the Tour along with the Williams' sisters. Many tennis experts say that her powerful inside-out forehand is among the best in the women's play. She's competent at hitting winners of both wings. Her volleys are very effective, and she's capable of producing deft touch.

Kuznetsova began playing in tournaments in the ITF Circuit, winning her very first of title in the circuit in April 2001. Her very first performances in the main draws of tournaments in the main WTA Tour were at the Madrid Open in May of that year and at the Waikoloa Championships in Hawaii losing in the second round on both occasions.

Her last competition prior to the French Open was the 2010 Madrid Open, where she lose in the first round to Shahar Pe'er. Being the defending champion in the French Open (2010), Kuznetsova is the 6th seed. She conquered Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 6-1 during the first round and will face Andrea Petkovic in the second round.

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Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Choosing A New Tennis Racket

By James Walke

Are you a Rafael Nadal or Andy Roddick fan? If you're, it is quite probable you know that both these players use Babolat racquets. And in case you are into the game yourself and have always dreamed of slinging the ball over the net with a powerful shot like your favorite star you might consider buying a Babolat racquet. However, the number of racquets introduced to the industry by the French sports' goods manufacturer can bewilder even a pro. So where do you turn if you are stumped by the variety offered on the shelf? The best would be to consult a player but that doesn't meet the reach of the majority of us. Thus, the easiest and best way to select your bat would be to read Babolat tennis racquet reviews, which are easily available over theInternet.

Babolat offers a variety of racquets for players of all skill levels. The company has a junior range for beginners, a recreational range, an intermediate line followed by racquets for advanced and professional players. However, Babolat tennis racquet reviews are generally available for the advanced and expert segments as these racquets are more expensive and people buying them would like to get the maximum affordable, which in this instance means an improved game.

In this review we will take a look at three racquets. Let's take a sneak peak at Babolat AeroPro Drive first. This racquet made famous by its user Rafael, can help add the X factor to your game you will find many playing for very sometime as well as hope to turn pro. Weighing nearly 11 ounce, this lightweight racquet will give you all the control and manoeuvrability that you've always desired. The unmatched head velocity and spin that this bat will add to your game will certainly make heads turn to your side as your opponent fails to equal your powerful forehand and backhand strokes.

Next is the 27in Babolat Pure Drive. Important for any real performer, at 11 ounce this racquet produces good rate and provides excellent stability and control. A 100 sq. in head makes sure that you collect the ball and send it spinning across to your opponent. Effective for slice shots, the racquet has been strung at 50-57 pounds and the tension can be increased to 65 pounds for better control. Great manoeuvrability and great performance.

And finally the Babolat Pure Drive Plus, the model used by Andy Roddick. This piece gives you more power, making your game easier. The 1/2 inch extra length added to Pure Drive forces players using Pure Drive Plus to adjust to swinging the bat earlier. However, the control, the spin and extra power on serves gives Pure Drive Plus four or five stars on five.

Thus, I would advice all tennis aficionados to undergo some Babolat tennis racquet reviews prior to deciding to hit the sport products store towards you to pick the right tennis racquet on your own

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Saturday, June 19, 2010

Choosing The Right Head Tennis Racquet

By Kathy Jhones

You will be able to choose and buy your Head Tennis Racquet if and only if you have an expertise in the field of tennis. You will have to learn the nuances of the game and the shortfalls if you go in for a low end Head Tennis Racquet. The task of selecting a prefect tennis racquet is more challenging. Different types of tennis racquets are being manufactured suiting different type of players and their needs.

They come out in different cost prices and different shapes. When you consider buying a Head Tennis Racquet you need to follow certain guidelines to select the best one like being accurate on determining the head size, grip size, and flex. Apart you need to analyze your capacity of playing and your mode of play. The bigger head size is more convenient for beginners and intermediate players as it supports powerful shots. The thick wooden frames produce more power than the thin ones.

Larger head sizes are very much recommended for intermediate players of tennis. Beginners usually have more powerful shots upon using large head tennis racquets. Thicker frames deliver more power also rather than the thinner one. More control over the racquet is benefited when using the thinner-framed ones although this variant delivers lesser power. Beginners would have to use the racquets with thinner frames since beginner players needed more control over the racquet than power.

Although less in power, thin wood frames provides better control of the racquet. Beginners prefer using the thin ones because they themselves can generate the needed power in making a shot and that they need more of the grip and control. A typical tennis racquet head size ranges from 85 to 105 square inches grouped into three, the mid, mid-plus and the oversize. Certain tendencies can be observed when a player has chosen to use and inappropriate type of racquet, oftentimes careful selection is needed. Going to play with a larger than appropriate head size may result in losing control over the shots where smaller heads may lead to failure with those spin shots that requires to be perfect. You may consult and seek the advice of your coach or the store owner when choosing the proper grip and head size.

Flex is the ability of your tennis racquet to accept and counter the relative bends and tilts made while at the middle of the action. Long swing shot deliverers should definitely go for the more flexible ones while the short deliverer should go otherwise. Another important consideration in choosing a suitable Head Tennis Racquet is the measurement in terms of the weight and length of the tennis racquet. The usual measurement of each tennis racquet is usually at 27 inches in length.

Alternatively, you may acquire a longer tennis racquet for more power and an extended reach. More power is expected from heavier racquets weighing between 9.8 to 11 ounces and is much more stable. Weights of less than 9.5 ounces gives more control but less power. Modifying these factors is at your discretion. Finally, it is always recommended to compare various racquets, various sizes and features. Trying out those racquets on the market shelves should be of great help. This can be done to arrive at the best choice.

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Saturday, June 12, 2010

World Number 8: Will Agnieszka Radwanska Make It To The World Number 1?

By Paul Stubbs

Agnieszka Roma Radwanska is a rising female tennis professional player from Poland. She was born on March 6, 1989 to father, Robert, who was also her coach and mother, Marta. Her younger sibling, Urszula Radwańska is another accomplished tennis player in her own right, a multiple Grandslam Tournament Winner on the Junior Level and the Top-rated Junior for the year 2007 in the ITF standings. Agnieszka started playing tennis at age 4, when her dad presented the lady to the sport. She also spent her childhood years playing at Gronau, Germany where her dad performed as a club professional.

Agnieszka became professional in 2005 but she competed her first event on ITF on 2004. She won one Singles and also Doubles Title in ITF Circuit and in that particular year she turned pro. Her first year playing Tennis on Tour in the year 2006 was quite impressive as she got into the Quarterfinals in main debut at Warsaw. Her second breakthrough for that season was when she got into 4R in Wimbledon. By the end of the season, she has moved up completely towards Top 54.

The year 2007 was yet another breakthrough success for Agnieszka when she grabbed her first Tour Singles Title at Stockholm. She also conquered three top Ten Titles at the moment. Agnieszka reached her second career ITF Circuit Singles Title at $100 ITF/Biella-ITA. Throughout the earlier part of 2007, she has already entered into the (January 29), Top 40 (May 28), and Top 30 (September 10).

Agnieszka is 5'8" in height and competes right-handed with a two-handed backhand strokes. She wields a Babolat racket and wears Nike Air Max Breathe Free II shoes. She has obtained the "Tour Newcomer of the Year Award" on her 2006 achievements, that was given to her in March 2007.

At present, she won 4 ATP Titles without any Grand Slam Title. However, she has won a Juniors Title at 2005 Wimbledon and at 2006 Roland Garros.

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Friday, June 11, 2010

Recently Renounced Top 4: Will The Serbian Professional Tennis Player Gain Her Ranking As World Top 1 Once Again?

By Paul Stubbs

Jelena Jankovic was born February 28, 1985, in Belgrade, Serbia. She is one of the Top Female Tennis Players worldwide and former World's Top One. She was introduced to tennis by her elder brother and fitness coach Marko at the age of 9. Her mom, Snezana, travels internationally with her and was really a big influence on her tennis career.

Jankovic won her first Junior National Title at the age of 11. Right after such success, she was sent to Florida where she entered Nick Bollettieri's Training Academy.

Being a Junior, she won the 2001 Australian Open thus becoming the Junior World's Number One Junior Tennis Player. In 2001, she started to play in the WTA Tour. She then became a professional tennis Player in 2002. Jankovic has reached the Singles Final from the US Open (2008), the Singles Semi-finals of the Australian Open (2008) and the French Open (2007, 2008). In 2007, she conquered the Wimbledon Mixed Doubles Title with British partner Jamie Murray.

She was ranked the World's Number One tennis player for 17 consecutive weeks until she was overtaken by Serena Williams on February 2, 2009. Before the season ends, she was recognized World Number One in 2008, the very first tennis player in the entire history of the WTA Tour to have such accomplishments without winning just one Grand Slam Title.

Jankovic has downplayed her inability to conquer a Single Grand Slam Tournament stating that there are lot of players who have won Grand Slam Competitions but only six women have ended the season as World's Number One. However, she cannot be recognized to be the best player if she is not able to win several Grand Slam Tournaments in her tennis career.

Although Jelena possesses extraordinary ground strokes, she doesn't have a serve which could bail her out of tight spots. Her emotional outburst causes the lady to lose points. She is easily distracted on court. Also, she doesn't take defeat too seriously which is a good characteristic in terms of sportsmanship but may reduce her need to go full-scale to win matches. We will have to wait and see if Jelena Jankovic is able to win some Grand Slam Competitions during tennis career.

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Thursday, June 10, 2010

Gift Experiences For The Sports Lover

By Matt Greene

Are you looking for a gift with a sporting difference? Fed up of buying sports gear that goes out of fashion before the season is over? Why not get back to grass roots and take in a sports related gift experience instead? Treat sports supporters to tours of their favourite sporting venues. With fantastic gift experiences such as these, you can take fans back to where their passion for their particular sport first began.

Soccer Stadium Tours

The ultimate gift for any football fan would be to visit the hallowed turf of their favourite football club. Football Stadium Tours give behind the scenes access to some of the top clubs such as Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool FC. You can learn about the history of the club, but more importantly you get to visit the dressing rooms and walk down the players' tunnel!

Lord's Cricket Ground Ultimate Tour

If football isn't your game, then may be a tour of the legendary Lord's Cricket Ground would be more your sort of thing. It's enough to excite any keen fan of cricket, that's for certain. Walk in the footsteps of cricketing legends, like Boycott, Botham and Willis; visit the museum, the players dressing rooms and the Long Room. Hows-zat for a gift experience! The MCC Lords Cricket Ground tour would be a perfect birthday gift idea for the cricket lover in your life.

Wimbledon Tennis Experience

Wimbledon - The jewel in the tennis world's crown is yours to be discovered. You can take an extensive tour of the legendary SW19, including areas that are out of bounds even for tournament ticket holders, but don't worry; no umpire will call you out for a foot fault! Or serve an ace with centre court tickets for a day's play, during what is regarded as the highlight on any tennis players/fans circuit.

A Round Of Golf

Now this is more like it - a round of golf. You can pick from top courses around the UK and the Republic of Ireland and there are golf experiences to suit all skill levels. You can learn how to swing a golf club, book a lesson with a Pro, or simply take to the fairways with your friends.

This year: don't give a lame, unexciting gift when you could give the sports lover in your life an experience to remember instead.

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Wednesday, June 9, 2010

When Should I Restring My Tennis Racket

By Jeremy Edwards

Your level and style of play will dictate how often you need to restring your tennis racket. Tennis professionals or elite college players will restring more often than junior competitors or social players. They play and practice a lot, and hit furious topspin with tremendous power for long periods. Juniors and social players tend to practice and play less with a lot less vigour.

Restringing for most juniors and social players occurs when they break a string. Neglected strings wear away with each contact and eventually become so thin they break on contact with the ball.

For the professionals and elite college players the main reason for a restrings lies in their quest for perfection and need for consistent performance. Due to their construction, tennis strings lose their tension overtime. This loss of tension tends to reduce the stiffness of your racket string bed and inadvertently increase its power. An increase in power may lead to more errors. Not what your average or top professional wants or needs when doing battle.

A Tennis professional or elite college player, will usually have their rackets restrung before every practice and match. Many professionals will have as many as twenty rackets freshly strung ready for practice and play. Venus Williams of the USA has been known to have up to 10 freshly strung rackets, available for practice alone.

Restrings can cost you as much as $85 and as little as $20. The pros and college players will generally have a sponsor, but for social players and juniors the cost can quickly mount up. The cost has to be weighed up against the extra consistency you get from fresh strings.

In summary, it would be best to restring before every practice or match, but the cost will generally determine how often you should restring. If you can afford it, go for it, your game will benefit.

If you don't have unlimited funds, consider buying your own tennis stringing machine and some reasonable quality string. Stringing is easy to learn and can be a bit of fun. You can save heaps stringing your own rackets.

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Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Dinara Safina (World Number 9): Will She Make It To The World Top 1?

By Paul Stubbs

Dinara Safina, a Russian professional tennis player was given birth in Moscow on April 27, 1986. She is actually the younger sister of a similar tennis player and previous World's Number 1 Marat Safin. She is coached by Glen Schaap, former coach of Petrova. Her mother, Rauza Islanova was previously her coach when she was younger. Her dad was the Director for the Spartak Tennis Club in Moscow.

On July 29, 2002 she appeared into The Top 100. She also received her very first WTA Title in Sopot, defeating Nagyova and becoming the ever youngest Tour Champion in four years and first qualifier to grab the title in three years. On the same year, she defeated a top-notch 20 player Silvia Farina Elia who had previously been seeded 14, the very first time in Moscow, at the age of 16. On July 14, 2003, she broke on the top 50. She won her another WTA Title over Katarina Srebotnik in Palermo. In that particular year, she hit the fourth round on the 2003 US Open and also reached the Quarterfinals in Doha, Sopot & Shanghai. She defeated the defending champion Magdalena Maleeva in Russia.

For the 2004 Australian Open, Safina upset Amanda Coetzer of South Africa before being defeated by Kim Clijsters of Belgium. For the very first time, she finished the season in the Top 50 and reached third career final at Luxembourg where she lost against Alicia Molik. She won her exemplary Singles Title at Paris Indoors beating Amelie Mauresmo. Paired with Dementieva, she won the decisive doubles rubber in the Fed Cup Finals in 2005. She stunned the World Number 1 Sharapova within the QF of the 2005 Kremlin Cup winning 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.

In the 2007 Australian Open, she achieved the Tier I in Rome Final by defeating Top Ten Tennis Players Kim Clijsters, Elena Dementieva and Kuznetsova, but was also defeated then by resurgent Martina Hingis 6-2, 7-5. In the 2006 French Open, she reached the Quarterfinals for the first time in her tennis career. During the fourth round, she defeated number four seed Sharapova 7-5, 2-6, 7-5. In the third set, she trailed 1-5 but managed to drag the upset of almost 21/2 hours of play. To start the grass season, following her excellent execution on clay, she reached her very first Grass Court Final on the Ordina Open, but got lost to Krajicek 6-3, 6-4.

In her first tournament of 2007, she fought her way to the finals of a Tier III Tournament at Gold Coast, Australia. She defeated the number one-seeded Martina Hingis in that final 6-3 3-6 7-5 on her first WTA Tour Title since May of 2005. This win also saw her rise into the World's Top Ten Tennis Player in Women's Division.

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Friday, June 4, 2010

Buying A Table Tennis Table

By Paul J Bucannon

This article is for new or intermediate Table Tennis players who are buying a new table tennis table or wish to upgrade, we will be talking about what you need to look for when buying a table tennis table.

Remember they want your cash!

All of the vendors will be trying to convince you that their table is the best thing for you! So you must get it clear in your mind exactly what you need from a new table. Not many people have unlimited funds so you must choose wisely, ask yourself do you want to enter national comps or play for fun with your mates in the basement.

Is this your Families First Table Tennis Table.

If you want all members of the family to enjoy table tennis it might be a good idea to buy a cheaper table first. All young families will tend to give their first table tennis table a tough time, so if you buy a cheaper table to start off, then if you have a budding world champion in the family. You can upgrade to a more professional model later.

Permanent Vs Fold Flat Table Tennis Tables.

Unless you are absolutely sure you will want to leave your table permanently set-up i would strongly suggest you purchase a Folding Table Tennis Table, they should be very easy to set-up and fold away. Always check to see if it can be operated by one person? Rollers are a great feature, and make the table very easy to use. Roller tables should also be fitted with brakes to stop the table moving around during play.

To be honest even if you decide that the table can be permanently set-up, a foldaway table is still a very good idea, as circumstances can change, maybe a new addition to the family needs the room or you want to move house and no longer have the space. This is obviously a high value item and you must consider all factors.

How thick is a good table?

Tables that are used for competitions are always 25mm or 1 inch thick and are quite expensive for most users. I think most people will be perfectly happy with a good quality 19mm table. I'm sure even Olympic champions didn't start on top spec competition standard tables so consider all the options first. Manufacturers like Stiga make marvellous tables, so unless you can find a 25mm table at an irresistable price, this would be my recommendation.

When you are playing competitions it makes sense to practice on a table of the same standard as your competetors, so now is a good time to upgrade.

Don't just look at the playing surface.

Make sure that the table you buy is of a good quality all round, paying particular attention to the support legs. A good feature built into a lot of tables is leg levellers. Outdoor Table Tennis is great fun so leg levellers are very useful here. Make sure your table top is precisely 76cm from the floor. Equally crucial to the overall quality are the small things like the net fittings etc.

All these small points add up and you deserve to get a good quality product for your money. These days good quality and value for money are important and if you follow these points I'm sure you will find a great table

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Monday, May 31, 2010

The Psychology Of Tennis (Part 2)

By Gail Jones

The hard-hitting, unpredictable, net-rushing tennis-player is a creature of impulse. There is no real strategy to his/her attack, no comprehension of your game. He will make brilliant coups at the drop of a hat, mostly by instinct; but there is no, mental power of consistent thinking. It is an interesting sort of character.

The most dangerous player is the one who mixes his/her style from back to fore court at the direction of an ever-alert mind. This/her is the player to study and learn from. He is a player with a definite purpose. A player who has an answer to every problem you present him in your game. He is the most subtle antagonist in the world of tennis. He is from the school of Brookes. Second only to him is the player of slavish determination that fixes his/her mind on one plan and adheres to it, bitterly, fiercely fighting to the end, with never a thought of changing.

He is the player whose psychology is fairly easy to work out, but whose mental standpoint is hard to derail, because he never allows himself to think of anything but his game. This/her player is your Johnston or your Wilding. I respect the mental capacity of Brookes more, but I admire the tenacity of purpose of Johnston.

Choose your type from your own mental processes, and then plan your game along the lines best suited to you. When two men are in the same class as regards stroke and equipment, the determining factor in any given match is the mental standpoint. Luck, so-called, is often seizing the psychological advantage of a break in the game, and turning it to your own advantage. We hear a great deal about the "shots players have made." Few realize the importance of the "shots players have missed."

The psychology of missing shots is just as vital as that of making them, and at times a miss by an inch is of more value than a return that is killed by your opponent. Let me explain. A player drives you far out of court with an angle-shot. You run hard to it, and getting there, drive it hard and fast down the side-line, missing it by an inch. Your opponent is surprised and shaken, realizing that your shot might just as well have gone in as out. He will expect you to attempt it again and he will not take the risk next time. He will try to play the ball, and may fall into error. You have thus taken some of your opponent's confidence, and increased his/her chance of error: all this by a miss.

If you had just tapped back that ball, and it had been killed, your opponent would have felt even more confident of your inability to get the ball out of his/her reach, while you would merely have been winded for no reason.

Let's just say that you made the shot down the sideline. It was a seemingly impossible get. First it amounts to TWO points in that it took one away from your opponent that should have been his/her and gave you one you ought never to have had. Second it also worries your opponent, as he thinks that he has thrown away a big chance.

The psychology of a tennis match is very interesting, but easily understood. Both men begin with equal chances. Once one player establishes a real lead, his/her confidence goes up, while his/her opponent worries, and his/her mental viewpoint becomes weaker. The sole aim of the first player is to hold his/her lead, thus holding his/her confidence.

If the second player pulls even or pulls ahead, the inevitable reaction is an even greater contrast in psychology of the players. First, there is the natural confidence of the leader of the game, but it is boosted by the great stimulus of having turned a seemingly inevitable defeat into a probable victory. The case of the other player is the reverse. He is likely to lose confidence and play worse. The breakdown of his game plan will be the result.

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Friday, May 28, 2010

Tennis Practice Drills For Permanent Game Improvement

By Jeremy Edwards

Good habits are enhanced by more court time. Permanent habits are created by practice, but they are not always perfect habits. The drills suggested below are a guide for perfect yet systematic practice of your ground strokes using a hitting partner or ball machine to feed you balls.

Any of your ground stokes can be practised systematically by following the suggested directions in the order of consistency, control, spin and speed.

Tennis is a game of error management, winners simply make less errors than losers. Treat your errors as critical feed back rather than condemnation and your systematic practice with these drills will reduce them dramatically.

From the baseline corner of the court have your machine, or practice partner feed as though a cross court rally is in progress. Try to keep the speed of the feeding at your normal level of play.

1.Consistency - 20 strokes in a row, over the net, relatively deep and in court.

2.Control - set 2m by 2m target with some cones deep in the opposite corner from your ball machine/ball feeder, then attempt to hit the target with 20 consecutive shots.

3.Spin - Pick a particular stroke and hit it every ball as you count to 20 for both consistency and control by hitting to or near a target at the opposite corner to the feed.

4.Power - 20 consecutive strokes with a little extra spin and stroke speed to your target.

Your strengths and weaknesses will be exposed by this method giving you the feed back you need to start working on perfecting your strokes. Monitor errors, initially with reference to consistency, then control, then spin and finally power.

I often see players attempt to practice these skills in reverse order, but spin, control and consistency are needed ahead of power. So temper your power until you have your strokes under control.

The results of this kind of practice can be seen on any tennis video of a top 10 ATP or WTA player.

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Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Tennis Camps Can Help Kids Build Character

By Stephen Daniels



It's no secret that sports like tennis are an important part of a healthy lifestyle for kids. Attending a summer tennis camp can be an excellent way for a child to learn the sport or improve the skills they already have. Participating in sports not only keeps kids in shape. It also helps to teach them valuable real-world skills such as teamwork and leadership. It can also help them to gain some valuable life experience and come away with more maturity than when they arrived.

Going to camp can do wonders for improving a child's organizational and leadership skills. At a summer sports camp, the child is taught that their actions directly affect not only those around them, but themselves as well. Kids are taught to behave responsibly and hold their peers to the same expectations. Through problem-solving exercises, kids learn that they must support and trust those around them in order to be successful as a team.

Usually, tennis camp consists of concentrating on the sport in the mornings and afternoons, followed by evening activities that can vary from chess to fishing. These activities allow the kids to clear their heads and take their minds out of the sport they've been practicing throughout the day. They also help them to step out of their comfort zones and try something new. For instance, teaching chess to someone who has only played tennis their whole life can make a world of difference. Activities such as capture the flag and other competitive games also help foster teamwork and leadership roles among the children.

Because summer tennis camps vary in their offerings, those who are interested in attending should know what to expect. Most camps are sleep-away, meaning that the children do not go home at the end of the night. Kids generally sleep in cabins with counselors who oversee their safety. Camps can last for various durations, but they usually range from 10-20 days per session. Meals are usually provided, although some camps may ask you to provide your child with food during their stay.

Parent-child communication is extremely important; if you are thinking about signing your kid up for summer tennis camp, be sure that he or she is comfortable with the idea first. But if they decide to go, they will no doubt leave with teamwork and leadership skills that they may not have had when they arrived. The skills they acquire will leave a lasting impact on the way they interact with others for years to come.

Reproduction permitted only when all active hyperlinks are included. 2010 All rights reserved.

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Sunday, May 23, 2010

How To Choose A Tennis Racket

By Tomas Walke

For anyone playing a sport it is important to have good equipment, that is comfortable to use and suits the person well. In a sport such as tennis, where the racket plays such a large part, the choice of equipment is very important.

A racket definitely influences your performance whilst playing tennis. When choosing a racket it is important to know what suits your body and playing style, otherwise you may feel uncomfortable whilst playing. Choosing a racket can be a little stressful, especially given the prices, as you will not want to make a poor choice. The choice is made easier if you know a few tricks.

Playing style, ability level and the specifications of the racket are the main things to consider when looking to purchase a new tennis racket. A basic, affordable but all purpose racket is ideal for beginner players. You don't want to make the mistake of purchasing an expensive racket whilst you can't get the most out of it. For intermediate players you should consider a racket that suits your style of play. Advanced players will most likely want to choose a composite racket, which combines strength and power with being lightweight.

The length of the racket is an important consideration, especially if you are a smaller player. Having the right racket length will be important to your comfort. Racket head size is also important. A racket with a larger head will give you additional power, whilst a smaller one can give you more control.

The final thing you should take into consideration is the weight of the racket. The weight will influence both power and control. For new players a well balanced, fairly lightweight racket is recommended.

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Saturday, May 22, 2010

Lift Your Respite With A Massage Chair

By Joel Lammers

I don't know about you, but after a long day my feet hurt. Perhaps, it is the leather shoes that I wore and the constant standing. Whatever the cause, my feet need some relief. It feels great to take my feet out of my shoes. They can now start to stretch out a little bit. But, what I really look forward is a wonderful foot reflexology massage from my massage chair.

Massage chairs are a great way to receive many different therapeutic treatments. They are specifically designed for comfort and relaxation. Every detail of the massage has been thought through to bring you the most relaxing and relieving experience.

Relaxation is an important element of receiving any massage. Typically, soft music is played to help to soothe you and help you release the tension being held in your body. This tension is what typically causes stiffness.

Music is extensively used in massage therapy. It is used to relax and quiet the mind. If your mind ruminates on its problems, then the body does not relax. MP3 players with headphones come with the best massage chairs to provide the proper relaxation environment.

Massage chairs have incorporated the most prominent and important massage treatments. Massage techniques such as shiatsu, acupressure, deep tissue and Swedish are available in the programs of massage chairs. These massage chairs use sophisticated software to run many different elements of the massage chair in parallel.

Many massage chairs offer shiatsu massage. A number of different technologies are coordinated to reproduce an effective shiatsu massage. Whether it is using airbags to provide compression or the deep tissue relief of increase in pressure and kneading, a massage chair offers all of these.

A very relieving massage technique is compression massage. This uses gentle squeezing, holding and releasing to relieve tension and muscles. Massage chairs use airbags driven by an air compressor to provide a realistic compression massage.

One of the most important elements of the body for relaxation is your feet. The feet take the majority of our weight throughout the day. There are over 7200 nerve endings located just on the soles of our feet. A reflexology massage from your massage chair is a great way to soothe and relieve your tired and aching feet.

The manufacturers of massage chairs have incorporated a number of different movements for bodily relief. The use of stretching, elongating and pushing and pulling are used to soothe tight muscles. A variety of mechanical devices have been developed to accomplish these movements.

Stretching systems have now been integrated in many of the top massage chairs. Stretching is an excellent way to release tension. They pulling and stretching of muscles helps to restore flexibility.

Another important therapy introduced in many massage chairs is heat. Heat therapy is commonly used to relieve pain, reduce swelling and to enhance blood flow. Just the comfort of heat is very soothing and of itself.

There are quite a variety of therapeutic massage treatments available in today's massage chairs. Whether it is heat, music therapy or stretching, many new technologies have been integrated into massage chairs. These are available on demand 24 hours a day.

Massage chairs are the most practical way to get frequent massage therapy. They are available to use on demand. Pinpoint exactly the type of relief you need with the many different therapies offered by massage chairs.

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Saturday, May 15, 2010

We All Take Pleasure In Athletics And Games Entertainment

By Joe H. Walker

There are immeasurable reasons as to why the modern world loves sporting activities. Men and women love physical activities with a passion whether taking part themselves or watching the other people play.

People today are always improving and changing and the basic instinct is the survival of the fittest and sports allow them to try their luck and endurance with sports. People try and better theirselves and enjoy competing with by themself as much as others. Individuals nature is such that it needs to triumph over others whether by exhausting work, luck or wit.

Almost everyone wants to exceed in life. Sports are one way of obtaining something in one area of their lives either by backing a winning team or excelling themselves. It's a brief satisfaction yet the loss is not as bad as they know that the competition goes on and it would be a matter of time and tough work before they do one day win.

Humans are social by nature. Sports is literally another way for them to get hooked up with others like themselves. Helping a team would advance team spirit and brings them closer. The number of forums on the internet presents the need for people to discuss each tiny detail of a game or a sports idol. Just like any other entertainment people love their idols and discussing them.

Most people turn to multiple forms of entertainment to find adventure in their lives or to avoid their everyday realities. They can break free from the daily humdrum and for a while focus on some thing they truly enjoy bringing them laughter and fun in those few hours of a match. The hope that they will win or their team will win gives them something to look forward to in their lives.

Personal computer game builders have realized that people today enjoy succeeding or at least trying to win and they would keep trying sometimes frantically to achieve that momentary satisfaction of having won something. People enjoy being competitive consequently this is the reason that most computer games are also sports based. They enjoy defeating their competitors and feeling better than others.

The challenge of a game is what lures a large number of people to sports. They enjoy making the effort until they win and games including computer games are created to challenge people in your head as well as physically. They want to win until they have prevailed in defeating everything in their way.

People follow the lives of their sport icons in the exact same way as they would look towards super stars. They are in amazement of what they have accomplished physically in games crossing boundaries through physical persistence and skill. They try and seek perfection in others that may be absent in them.

Seeing as the beginning of the world till today sports has dominated in terms of activities and it will continue to do so. People today will continue to idolize their most enjoyable teams or sports icon who in their own right are celebrities. We will continue to throng arenas to watch a live match up or sit at set times to cheer on their teams from the ease and comfort of their homes.

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Saturday, May 8, 2010

Fast Weight Loss Program - Facts

By A W Stevens

There really is no such thing as a fast weight loss program. Chances are if you lose weight in a short period of time it is just water weight. It will come back and probable a few extra pounds to boot.

To lose weight effectively and for a long time you will need to change your eating habits. You will also need to start an exercise program.

As far as exercise if you want to do something more energetic like tennis or running that would be great but if you want more of a low impact exercise program that is fine to.

Going for a brisk walk is a good low impact exercise. If you do not want to go outside park a tread mill in front of the T.V. and watch your favorite program while you walk.

I try to get my exercise out of the way early in the day, the longer I put it off the more reasons I think of not to do it.

I have been using a program for a while called "Strip That Fat". It is working well for me, It reminds that big brother is watching. Well sort of, If I do not stick with the program I do not lose the recommended amount of weight that week.

The bottom line is that they know when I do not stick to the program.

They help you pick out five meals a day. This stops you from feeling hungry at midday, it also kicks the metabolism into gear. you need fuel to burn stored fat so starvation diets just do not work.

Their is no magic pill or formula that is just going to make the extra weight disappear. It is going to take a good consistent effort to make the pounds disappear.

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Friday, May 7, 2010

Rafael Nadal Biography - He Took The World Of Tennis By Storm

By Gery Lermann

Rafael Nadal Parera, nicknamed "Rafa" has taken the tennis world by storm during the past five years. He has fast made his way through the professional tennis circuit and has had a phenomenal streak of wins. This Rafael Nadal biography, takes a very brief look at just what this young man has managed to accomplish in such a short space of time.

Rafa is now ranked as the second best singles tennis player world-wide. He has had sixty consecutive tennis wins on the clay-courts and as winning streaks go, this is quite remarkable.

Rafa was born in the town of Manacor on the Island of Mallorca, on the 3rd June 1986. He is no newcomer to sporting achievement as his family has another well known sporting personality in its midst. His uncle was a professional football player for FC Barcelona for many years and he was only 15 when he turned professional.

This young man was also only the tender age of 15 when he won his first ATP in Mallorca. The person he played to win this title was Ramon Delgado, and this win ensured that Rafa became the 9th player in an ATP during the "Open" era to win the Championship before he was 16 years of age. The following year he was ranked in the top 100 best tennis players in the world and was the second youngest player to achieve this remarkable feat.

Making a debut at Wimbledon aged 16 years in 2003, he managed to reach the 3rd round. No tennis player since Boris Becker had done this. His meteoric rise to fame continued and by 2005 saw him ranked the 5th best tennis singles player, making him the youngest player to make it into the top ten since Andrei Medvedev.

He is perhaps best known for being the winner of the French Open on four consecutive occasions. Pete Sampras won the US Open aged 19 and Rafa was the first teenager to achieve this again. He is also the arch opponent of Roger Federer, fourth youngest Roland Garros champion, as well as the 7th player in the history of the Grand Slam era to win one of these competitions on their first appearance.

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Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Women's Tennis And Its Famous Players

By Patricia Holmes

The sport of women's tennis has evolved dramatically over the last 30 or so years, and it just seems to be getting more and more competitive each year.

Not only are women stronger than they were, but they also seem faster and more agile than previously. We have seen some great players over he years in women's tennis. Here are my top 7 women players of the last 30 or so years.

7. Venus Williams, her achievements in her Grand Slams and her Wimbledon wins just go to show what an immense talent this woman is, and with her rivalry with her sister Serena this woman just seems to grow each year.

6. Justine Henin, still only 27 years of age, Justine at her peak was a match for both of the Williams sisters, but she retired at the peak of her career, and only now has started to make a comeback. Let's just hope she can recreate her previous form.

5. Monica Seles, Monica was an awesome prospect, and after winning 9 Grand slams at an early age she was tipped to become one of the all time great women players; but after she was stabbed in an incident, Monica failed to reproduce her best Tennis, and subsequently seems to have faded from the spotlight.

4. Chris Evert; Chris managed to win 18 Grand slams and many majors in her long illustrious career; she was most prominent in the late Seventies and early Eighties.

3. Serena Williams: another powerhouse Tennis player, Serena can go toe to toe with any women's player around today, a real force to be reckoned with in today's tennis.

2. Martina Navratilova: a long and distinguished career gives Martina the proud record of 18 grand slams to her name, as well as many other major triumphs, Martina just seemed to be around forever.

1. Steffi Graf, I think that the fact that Steffi had won an amazing 22 career Grand slams just gave her the edge over Martina for the top spot. This girl would be a match for anybody on her day, but as I said earlier this is just my opinion.

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Friday, April 30, 2010

Brunswick Forest Provides Many Amenities in a Coastal Setting

By Hubert Miles

Situated along the North Carolina coastline, Brunswick Forest offers 11 beautiful neighborhoods built among 4,500 acres. This private community in scenic Wilmington, North Carolina, offers it's residents many luxury amenities.

This master planned community has something for everyone, even budget conscious home buyers. These single family and town homes are easy to care for leaving you more time to enjoy the communities natural surroundings. The neighborhoods offer privacy without keeping the small town southern charm.

Tennis players and golfers will enjoy the tennis complex and the Cape Fear National 27 hole golf course. The Fitness and Wellness Center offers state of the art fitness equipment or venture outside and enjoy the walking and biking paths and trails that meander through the communities wetlands and woodlands. The River Center allows residents access to the Cape Fear River and Intracoastal Waterway through a series of inlets and coves which are great for kayaking and canoing. Enjoy a picnic or walk through the community Garden Center.

The course was designed by Tim Cate. Cate used the majestic woodlands as the backdrop for his championship golf creation. Eventually it is planned for the Cape Fear National to become a private membership golf club. Homeowners enjoy membership to the communities amenity centers.

Active adults will enjoy over 100 miles of walking and biking paths and trails winding through Brunswick Forest. These paths wind throughout the forest and other breathtaking views of the creeks and wetlands.

The River Club at Town Creek offers a great location for fishing, kayaking, and canoing. The center features a screened pavilion which is great for holding cookouts and a grand outdoor fireplace. The observance deck that looks out on Town Creek and there's a boardwalk and bridge extending to a floating dock in the creek. The center also offers boat storage and canoes, kayaks, and fishing tackle available for rental or purchase.

The Fitness and Wellness Center has a lot to offer the residents of the community. The centerpiece of the community is it's indoor and outdoor resort style swimming pools complete with poolside grill and six hard-surface tennis courts. The center also features a steam room, massage rooms, sauna, whirlpool, and mens and womens dressing rooms. The aerobics and exercise rooms help you stay fit.

Accessible to residents via the area bike paths, the Villages is a commercial area inside Brunswick Forest that offers restaurants, retail stores, medical and professional services.

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Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Will The Winner Of The Women's Singles 2010 Wimbledon Be A Certain Danish Beauty?

By Andreas Stubbs

Caroline Wozniacki came to be in Denmark upon 11/07/90 and is presently ranked # 2 in the entire world. She's currently claimed seven WTA tour events and also lost in the 2009 US open final.

Wozniacki started out 2010 by having an exhibition competition inside Hong Kong in which she lost 2 singles games for Team Europe yet picked up two mixed doubles together with Stefan Edberg. Her first WTA competition offered a first round loss in three sets to Li Na in Sydney.

The lady was seeded 4th while in the Aussie Open, her very first top-8 seed inside a Grand Slam. She dropped to Li Na of China within the 4th round, 6-4, 6-3, a rematch of her 1st round loss in the Medibank International. In spite of her 4th round departure, Wozniacki accomplished her professional high ranking of No.3.

As the second seed at the actual BNP Paribas Open, Wozniacki got to the final, where the lady ended up being overcome by Jelena Jankovic, 6-2 6-4. Regardless of that, the girl's position in the finals secured a brand new professional high rank of World No. 2.

In the Sony Ericsson Open inside Miami, Wozniacki was defeated within the quarterfinals to Justine Henin 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4.

Her next competition ended up being the MPS Group Championships inside Florida, where she eased to the semi-finals. Once in the semi-finals, she was matched with Elena Vesnina and battled back from 1-6, 3-5, to win the match and progress to the final, 1-6, 7-6(4), 6-4. Within Wozniacki's 2nd final of the year, she defeated Olga Govortsova, 6-2, 7-5, as well as rescued set point within the 2nd set.

Wozniacki's subsequent tournament had been the Family Circle Cup. Seeded number one, she achieved the semi-finals in which she retired versus Vera Zvonareva. She was down 4-2 to Zvonareva when she turned her ankle chasing after the short ball, plummeting to the tennis court and, in tears, she got it bound up. The actual tape did not help, though: she quit a few points later.

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Monday, April 26, 2010

Choosing a Summer Tennis Camp for Your Teen

By Stephen Daniels

Tennis stars don't just happen: their success is the result of years of hard work that starts at a young age. Teen players who show a natural talent for the sport benefit from coaching at an early age. Not only do they learn the fundamentals of the sport, but coaching and preparation teaches them the concepts of practice and focus they will need to excel at the sport.

If your son or daughter is a budding professional athlete, you might want to consider sending him/her to a tennis summer camp this year. Many young people enjoy going to summer camps that are focused on something that they are passionate about; not only does it ensure that they will be challenged and enjoy themselves every day, but they will also enjoy the camaraderie of being around others their own age with the same interests.

Summer tennis camps can either be overnight or day programs. There is no right choice between the two -- only a choice that is right for you and your teen. Overnight programs will be more immersive experiences, but will require your teen to stay away from home for up to a few weeks. Day programs are frequently less expensive but might offer less individual instruction per day.

If you are thinking about an overnight tennis camp for your son or daughter, you'll want to consider elements outside of the sport. Even the most serious youth player can get burned out from playing tennis for hours every day. Check and see what other types of activities are offered. Do players get to take a break and do other fun activities like hiking, camping or evening social dances? You want the experience to be fun for your teen in addition to improving their game.

Don't be afraid to ask questions of the camp staff. Find out what age groups the students are paired with, and if there will be other players at their age and skill level. If your son or daughter needs extra instruction in certain elements of tennis, make sure the staff know about that and can give them the type of one-on-one attention they need. You can also find out what types of surfaces the facility uses for its courts -- tennis camps for teens can be a great chance to expose younger players to surfaces such as grass and clay for the first time.

Reproduction permitted only when all active hyperlinks are included. 2010 All Rights Reserved.

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Sunday, April 25, 2010

Tennis Elbow No More!

By Bruce Lipsky, MS

The discomfort and nagging pain from tennis elbow can have a tremendous effect on your daily activities. For most individuals who are suffering with this injury, even grasping a coffee cup in the A.M. can be an extremely painful and difficult task to perform.

If you truly want to defeat this debilitating injury, there are 3 simple tennis elbow exercises you can perform to help increase the range of motion, decrease stiffness, improve mobility and strength of your injured muscles and tendons.

Tennis Elbow Exercises 1 - Wrist Extension For this exercise, you will again need the can of soup or a 1 liter of soda. Place a soup can or 1 liter of soda in your hand with palm facing downwards toward the floor. Support your forearm at the edge of a table or on your knee so that only your hand can move. Let the wrist down slowly go past parallel to almost 90 degrees with your forearm and then slowly come back up to parallel with the floor.

Tennis Elbow Exercises 2 - Forearm Pronation/Supination For this exercise, I recommend you use a hammer, wrench, something that you can get a nice grip on. Once you have something in your hand with forearm supported by the arm of a chair, your knee or coffee table. Rotate hand to palm down position, return to start position (hammer perpendicular to floor), rotate to palm up position, repeat. To increase or decrease the resistance, try moving your hand farther away or closer towards the head of the hammer. In other words, if you are grasping the hammer at the very end of the handle and the head of the hammer is the furthest away from your hand, then this will be the most challenging and greatest resistance for you

Tennis Elbow Exercises 3 - Finger Extension Interweave a thick rubber band around all five fingers. Keeping your elbow as straight as possible [but if you feel pain when you completely straighten your arm only straighten as far as you can without pain], try to straighten and spread your fingers outwards as if you were going to catch a softball. Hold for three seconds, then let your fingers relax naturally; do not close your hand completely. For added resistance, use a second rubber band. Repeat for 25 repetitions for 3 sets.

If you are serious about dissolving your elbow pain and want to get rid of this stubborn injury for good, I recommend you check out the internet's number one resource for tennis elbow treatment, where you will learn five simple techniques to eliminate your elbow pain in as little as 72 hours and completely cure it within 30 days!

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Saturday, April 24, 2010

Rafael Nadal - The New Tennis Star

By Edward Pagan

Sometimes known as 'Rafa,' Rafael Nadal is a local of Spain who has made a huge impact in the world of tennis.

Born June three, 1986 in Manacor, Mallorca, Rafael Nadal is the boy of Sebastian and Ana Maria Nadal. His sister, Maria Isabel, is five years younger than Rafael and is his only sibling.

Standing 6'1' and weighing 178 lbs, Rafael Nadal turned into a professional tennis player in 2001 after having played since four years old. Fans shouldn't let this young age trick them as Rafael Nadal nabbed his first championship at just eight years old.

Under the guidance and teaching of Toni Nadal, his uncle, Rafael Nadal started learning how to play tennis extraordinarily early in life as is evident from his early championship.

Toni, who remains Rafael's coach, is a particularly crucial part of this kid's success.

In 2005, he won 11 titles and also captured recognition as the 'Most Improved Player' for 2005 as named by the ATP.

In June 2006, Rafael Nadal won his second Roland Garros crown and also scored his hundredth claycourt career victory.

That same month, Rafael Nadal turned 20 and stopped his teen years with great success. It was during these years that Rafael Nadal won 16 career titles, which tied the record for the most titles won by a teenager.

Even though Rafael Nadal is right-handed, he plays left-handed and produces a backhand using both. As with many top sportsmen in their sport, Rafael Nadal is managed by IMG and is frequently found in Nike clothes.

Fans who would like to ask a signed photograph or simply send Rafael Nadal their best wishes are entreated to do so in care of his pro association.

It is usually recommended that fans not send any item that they cannot afford to lose, for example prized possessions and/or limited edition collectibles.

As with all mailed autograph requests, there's no guarantee of an answer.

Depending on the athlete's schedule, autographs may be authentic, secretarial, pre-printed or not possible to provide. Patience is the key to requesting autographs by mail, particularly when you are talking about an athlete as popular as Rafael Nadal.

Depending on the athlete's schedule, autographs might be authentic, secretarial, pre-printed or maybe most unlikely to provide. Patience is the key to asking for autographs by mail, especially when you are talking about an athlete as popular as Rafael Nadal.

Rafael Nadal ATP Tennis 201 ATP Blvd. Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082.

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Thursday, April 15, 2010

Tips For Tennis Elbow Sufferers

By Bruce Lipsky, MS

If you suffer from tennis elbow then finding the right treatment methods is critical and essential for a complete recovery.

The following is a list of the top 5 treatment methods that have been proven to work together to cure and treat it.

Tennis elbow treatment and rehabillitation should be understood as if you have a soft tissue injury and therefore the treatment methods listed below follow a specific process which is they are numbered one through five.

Method #1The first and probably the most important method of treatment has to be rest. Rest is essential for any injury and it is essential if you plan on using any other methods to treat your tennis elbow symptoms.

Method #2The second method which is very effective in the treatment of elbow pain is to use ice. Any doctor will tell you to keep ice on your muscle injury or tendon injury as this will help to reduce the swelling, easy the pain, and help to reduce inflammation. This in turn also helps to speed up healing.

Method #3The third method is to use compression. You can get specific wraps that can be placed around your wrist and arm and this is another method that can be used to keep the swelling to a minimum and prevent any further damage to the muscles and tendons. Compression also helps to keep everything in place.

Method #4The fourth treatment method is elevation. If you can try to keep your arm elevated above heart level it will help to prevent further swelling and help to reduce pain. Swelling is often caused when there is too much blood in the site of the injury and by elevating your arm you will be reducing the amount of blood in this area.

Method #5If none of the above treatment methods are working and your symptoms are getting much worse, then you need to see your family doctor as you may have something more serious going on - like a broken bone. You will need to have a specialist look at your injury and correctly diagnose that you are suffering from tennis elbow.

Your medical professional will also determine what course of treatment is necessary for you. Once you begin to feel improvement and your symptoms lessen, thenyou can then take matters into your own hands and start to practice some of the tennis elbow exercises that are available, on a daily basis. You will need to start our simple but in time you will be able to increase the resistance that you use in these exercises.

You should never rush the resistance when doing tennis elbow exercises as this can make matters worse. You need to make sure that your muscles and tendons are ready.

That's the top 5 tennis elbow treatment methods that you can use. There is one more thing that should be discussed and that is whether you are taking pain relief medication. If so, then you should make sure that you are taking something that includes an anti-inflammatory to help keep the swelling down.

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Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Tennis Fundamentals

By Gail Jones

I trust that this, my initial dissertation on the fundamentals of tennis, will be found useful by both novices and experts alike in the tennis world. I am trying to arouse interest in the student of the game of tennis by a somewhat lengthy discussion of match play, which I trust will shed a new light on the game of tennis.

I will address the beginner in my opening article and speak of certain things which are second nature to the experienced tennis player. The best tennis equipment is not a lot of use for the novice even if he really is trying to improve. Nevertheless, one has to purchase good quality; it is a saving eventually, as high quality goods far outlasts poor quality gear.

It is vital always to wear tennis apparel when playing tennis. The question of choosing a tennis racquet is a much more serious decision. I do not like to force a certain make of racquet upon any player, since all the famous brands are of excellent quality. However, the weight, balance, and size of the handle are the really important considerations when choosing a racquet frame, while good stringing is essential to get the best results.

After having acquired your racquet, make a firm decision to buy only good tennis balls, as a regular bounce is a great aid to advancement, while a "dead" ball is of no use at all. If you really want to advance at tennis and progress rapidly, I strongly advise you to see all the good tennis you can. Study the play of the best players and strive to copy their play. Read all the tennis instruction manuals you can get your hands on. They are a great assistance.

Much more tennis can be picked up off the tennis court in the study of theory and in watching the top players in play, than can ever be learned in one's own actual play. I do not mean that you should miss opportunities to play tennis, far from it. Play tennis whenever possible, but strive when playing to put into practice the theories you have read about or the strokes you have seen.

Never let yourself become discouraged by lack of progress. The method of playing some stroke you have worked on for weeks unsuccessfully, will suddenly come to you when least expected. Good tennis players are the product of very hard work. Very few players are born geniuses at the game. Tennis is a game that pays you dividends all your life. A tennis racquet is a letter of introduction in any city.

The fellowship of tennis is universal, for none but a fit sportsman can succeed in the game for any lengthy period of time. Tennis provides relaxation, excitement, exercise, and pure enjoyment to the player who is bound fast to his job until late afternoon.

The order of development that produces the quickest and most lasting results is: a. Concentration on the game. b. Keep the eye on the ball. c. Foot-work and weight-control. d. Strokes. e. Court position. f. Court generalship or match play. g. Tennis psychology.

Concentration. Tennis is played first with the mind. The most perfect racquet technique in the world will not be enough if the playing mind is wandering. There are many reasons for a distracted mind in a tennis match. The main one is lack of interest in the game. No one should play tennis with any expectation of real success unless he cares sufficiently about the game to be willing to do the practice necessary to learn the game correctly.

Pack it in immediately unless you are willing to work very hard. The weather, conditions of play or the noises in the gallery usually confuse even experienced match-players playing in new surroundings. Total concentration on the game is the only cure for a wandering mind, and the sooner that lesson is learned the more rapid the advancement of the player.

The best way to keep a match in mind is to play for every set, every game in the set, every point in the game and, finally, every shot in the point. A set is merely a conglomeration of made and missed shots, and the man who misses the least is the ultimate victor.

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Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Tennis As An Activity That Has Entertained Many Over The Years

By Ben McGraw

Tennis seems to have changed a lot over the years. The style of play is a lot different to what it used to be like and the racquets have changed a lot too, I suppose a lot of the change seemed to occur around about the Eighties.

Let's just take a look back at some of the great players of the Eighties; not necessarily the best players of the Decade, but still some of the well known players.

The 1980's has to be synonymous with undoubtedly the greatest ever player to have graced the Tennis courts, that is until his retirement at an early age. This could only be the one and only Bjorn Borg.

One of the great serve and volley players of the Eighties was funnily enough another great Swedish player, Stefan Edberg. He just seemed to be able to serve and volley with ease, and this was a talent that took him to the world's number one by the late Eighties.

But not every great talent on the circuit at that time was Swedish, as a young German seemed to come to the fore in the Eighties, a certain Boris Becker. He won quite a few titles on the Tennis merry go round, but I suppose that he will always be remembered as the first teenager to win Wimbledon.

Ivan Lendl is the next person that I remember, as this Czech player had an amazing base line play. He was such a steady player, and he also won quite a few tournaments and a few grand slams as well.

I suppose the most memorable player of the Eighties had to be the American bad boy, John McEnroe. Not only was he a brilliant player at singles but he was a mean doubles player as well, and when things did not go all his own way, he always used to shout at the line judges "you cannot be serious, the ball was in!" - unforgettable and fun.

All of these played a major contribution to Tennis in the Eighties, along with many others, but when I think of Eighties Tennis, these are the ones I remember the most.

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Monday, April 12, 2010

Could Wimbledon 2010 Verify Roger Federer To Become The Greatest Player Of All Time.

By Andreas Stubbs

Novak Djokovic is # 2 worldwide and is the chosen for many to hold the number one place in the foreseeable future. Djokovic was given birth to in Zvecan Srbija Serbia on 22/05/87 he also possesses 2 youthful siblings who will be anticipated to join him within the pro tennis circuit.

Starting up from four years old he ended up being spotted by Jelana Gencic that Yugoslavian tennis star who quickly announced he was a significant talent for the future, he obviously was proven correct as he started his international vocation at the tender age of 14. Djokovic achieved junior game titles at the European Championships at doubles, single and team.

Novak Djokovic dwells in Monte Carlo and is at present trained by the highly gifted American Todd Martin who the majority of us will certainly remember as being a highly rated US player, Djokovic is likewise acknowledged for his impersonations of some other players either past as well as current and definitely appears to possess the talent regarding it, his variation of John McEnroe is particularly well valued and has delivered considerable amusement.

Offensive baseline approaches are generally prominent within his playing model; however Djokovic is definitely an all court participant together with several formidable weaponry in his armoury. Even though his backhand is the preferred stroke he is persistently good on both sides of the tennis court.

His groundstrokes are wonderful and count as 1 of his main advantages, along with the at times terrifying first service which is generally hit with good speed, extremely flat however with no little bounce. His 2nd serve is normally heavily sliced and though it's not a heavy point scorer it's no less beneficial as it usually results in an offensive baseline stroke. His disguised back hand drop shot features enough back spin to result in his opponents to rush their own stroke.

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Sunday, April 11, 2010

Advices for Selecting the Best Table Tennis Conversion Top

By Macy Black

There is an activity that can brighten up your days of boredom. Table tennis or more generally called ping pong is a great way to initiate fun for the whole family. Given that it asks for very little experience and ability it is attractive and can be practiced by children as well as elder folks.

To engage in the funny game of table tennis you will need some essential gear. Shopping for a designated ping pong table is usually very expensive. Hence, if bare fun is the only thing that you had in mind than this may not be your cup of tea. An idea that you might want to think about is purchasing a butterfly table tennis conversion top.

Table tennis conversion tops are made to fit on top of a table, regardless if it's a pool table or a kitchen table. This way, you're not wasting excessive space in your household, plus these tops are usually less costly than full sized ping pong tables. Conversion tops are usually designed to fit standard pool table dimensions which are approximately 7 to 8 feet long.

Although some of the table tennis conversion tops are adaptable in length and can adapt to various table dimensions, it is much better to take dimensions of your existing table and to purchase a conversion top that will be an exact fit. That way you are certain the top will not scratch the table underneath.

Purchasing an adaptable conversion top which can be converted to any table size is also a choice. However it is very impractical to store such a long top, unless you have a big storage space or a garage. This is why they generally arrive with a folding option. Be sure to ask the seller whether this functionality is available.

If you're interested in the cost of this product these are the facts. Paying anything less than $150 will get you a low quality top that will last very shortly. However getting a top for $200 or above can promise some peace of mind. It all depends on how much you plan to use it. If a periodic match with your kids is what you had in mind then there is no need to go overboard and spend more than $200.

If you are interested in what quality to aim for when shopping for a killerspin table tennis conversion top, there are a few noteworthy manufacturers out there. These include: Stiga, Kilpatrick, DMI, and Prince Sports. If you're definitive about quality Martin Kilpatrick is the foremost U.S. distributer of Butterfly table tennis gear and was the endorsed ball sponsor of the 2009 World Table Tennis Championships.

If you want to have fun with ping pong outside in your garden or a backyard you need to buy a butterfly table tennis conversion top that is weather proof. Remember to ask this at the store.

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Saturday, April 10, 2010

Table Tennis Covers - An Ideal System To Care For Your Table

By Peter Javer

Table tennis tables are kind of sport equipment which ask for extra attention and care. If you still did not cover your table it's just about time to do it. Dirt, dust and atmospheric conditions such as rain or hot temperature can hurt your table. With table tennis table cover you will secure and save your preferred place for fun.

Stiga is a Swedish business dedicated to first-class sport equipment which is well-sold everywhere in the World. Table tennis cover is a field where they are especially good at. Benefit of their covers is usage for both inside and outdoors. Given that the modern tables can be folded, the cover works both on folded and unfolded variants.

Butterfly is another global leader in this area of sport products and gear, so it is for table tennis cover. The main distributor for North America is Martin Kilpatrick. Nice stylish black cover with pink Butterfly logo and nylon handles will provide the complete protection of your table.

Beside these, there are a lot of other companies. Killerspin and Ketler are just a small number of which are also respectable in quality. Depending on the time you want to use your cover you'll have to make up between quality and durability. And it does not matter which model you select, since any cover is better than no cover at all.

Stiga T6940 is a cover for paddle. Even though there is a problem with the zipper, it's cheap and very practical thing to have. If you purchase Butterfly TC1000 you ought to take care of the edges when you put it on the table as it is easy to rip. Despite the fact that it needs to be a foot longer, with fast delivery it'll protect your table.

In order to move the regular tennis indoors, people in Victorian England in 19th century invented the ping pong. Initially, net was created out of books, lids of cigar boxes doubled as paddles and ball of string was used as a ball. By the time the game turned popular the engineering for its gear developed. Nowadays it's mostly played in UK, USA and Japan.

If you own a ping pong table, you know that it's an excellent way of enjoying this game with your friends. Table tennis cover will protect your table from all conditions and you can be certain that the table will last for years.

However, for all tennis table fans, and for individuals who have a table in the attic, this is a must-have product. It does not cost a fortune and it will provide an ample protection for your equipment.

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Friday, April 9, 2010

Wimbledon Is Definitely The Premier Grand Slam Tournament Within The Tennis Diary

By Andreas Stubbs

Wimbledon's tennis tournament is played out in a 2 week period in late June and early July, ending along with the ladies' and gentlemen's singles final, they are held on the 2nd Saturday and Sunday in that order, these are played out at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC).

The Wimbledon tennis tournament is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and it is usually thought of as just about the most esteemed. It had been first held within 1877 and has been performed in the All England Club within Wimbledon ever since. An important part of the 4 Grand Slam tennis tournaments, Wimbledon is actually the only grand slam tournament being performed upon grass, that's how a label lawn tennis was formed.

The fact that Wimbledon is performed on grass makes it really diverse compared to other Grand Slam tournaments and it's also for that reason considered really tough to win, defining it as a much revered accomplishment with regard to the globe's best competitors.

Contemplating who has won the highest number of Wimbledon championships overall, it is a tie between Billie Jean King during the '60s and '70s, along with Martina Navratilova from the '80s and '90s, the two of which winning twenty instances overall counting singles in addition to doubles tournaments individually.

In the women's singles, Martina Navratilova is actually clearly in advance, with nine total victories a simple fact which has been attributed to her 'serve and volley' model, which is uncommon among female players but very effective on Wimbledon's grass courts. From the men's singles, it is a tie among William Renshaw, who played in Wimbledon within the 19th century, along with Pete Sampras within the '90s, with each of them winning 7 times.

Plenty of people think this is not exactly comparable, as Renshaw had been the winner of a significantly smaller tournament.

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Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Might Britains Andy Murray Prove To Be The 1st British Man To Win Wimbledon Since Fred Perry.

By Andreas Stubbs

Britain's top rated men's tennis player right now is undoubtedly Andy Murray he's a proud Scot and was born 15/05/87 he's at present rated at number 3 in the world although he has recently been graded at # 2 through 17/08/09 to 31/08/09, and this offers Andy Murray the honour of being the highest rated British men's tennis player since Fred Perry.

Although he has yet to win a grand slam tennis competition Andy Murray has achieved two finals 1 within the US Open in 2008 and another which was the actual Aussie open this year, each of those instances he has been overcome through Roger Federer.

Defensive counter strike is the easiest way to explain his style of game, his fantastic groundstrokes, low mistake rate, anticipation and his uncanny capability to react to match predicaments and move in between strike as well as defence easily. Andy Murray usually likes to play from the baseline looking forward to his opponent to make an error, even though he is actually able to build enormous speed in his ground strokes causing his opponents to rush their strokes. His greatest artillery is without doubt his considerable 1st serve.

Murray is at his best upon quicker playing surfaces though through working very hard along with his group he's improved his strength and skill making him better on clay. This individual possesses a crew of fitness professionals who do the job in conjunction with his main coach Miles Maclagan.

The early success arrived upon hard tennis courts even though plenty of the earlier junior training came about on the clay-based courts of Barcelona and in fact Murray used to declare that he preferred the clay surface.

Andy Murray is fancied to be able to win Wimbledon in his career can 2010 possibly be the year that a Uk male once again will take the most desirable of championships.

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Sunday, April 4, 2010

Will Wimbledon This Year Show Roger Federer To Be The Actual Best Player Of Them All.

By Andreas Stubbs

Roger Federer stands out as the number 1 rated tennis player on the globe, born in Switzerland 08/08/81 he's generally thought to be the optimum Tennis player ever to grace a tennis court. He's formerly been rated number one in the world for a total of 2 hundred and thirty seven days in a row which appears as a powerful all-time record.

Roger Federer retains the record for the most Grand slam titles ever before won by a male player of which holds on 16; he's the only participant that's still presently active to have captured the career Grand Slam.

Roger Federer accompanied by Andre Agassi are the only 2 male players within the history in the open years to have ended up victorious in all 4 of the grand slam competitions, this needless to say has been attained on 3 distinct surfaces that is lawn, hard courts and also clay making the actual accomplishment all the more impressive.

Federer was the very first tennis player in history to be able to appear within 22 Grand slam finals and has in fact reached at the minimum the semi-final connected with absolutely no less than the past twenty three Grand Slam tournaments which by itself is definitely an incredible record, which has taken six years.

One of the countless doubles victories has been within the 2008 Olympic Games when together with his compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka they procured the gold medal. That made certain that he received the world sportsman of the year for a 4th consecutive time, the title he had now kept since 2005.

Another of Federer's incredible records is actually attaining ten Grand Slam tournament finals consecutively in addition during the last 19 Grand Slam competitions Federer has been able to take part inside 18 of the actual finals. Combine this to the four ATP world tour finals plus the 16 ATP masters series tournaments he ought to really be viewed as the finest of players.

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