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February 2, 2012

Tennis Racket

When I was a fairly young boy of about 10 years of age, my mother wanted me to learn tennis, so she bought me a tennis racquet for Christmas so that I might take up the hobby. There had been many options in terms of choosing a tennis racquet. My mother told me later and it had been quiteconfusing.

My mother had gone to a sports shop and chosen one racquet out of the three that I guess were in her price bracket at that time. But today, choosing a racquet can be a very hard job. Brands, materials, technologies – they all add to the difficulty of making a choice.

The various options one has today in a sports store can often be disconcerting. So what elements should be taken into account when picking a tennis racket?

To start with, focus on the grip size. Children would probably find that up to size four would suit them best while adults may go up to 4 and five-eighths of an inch in order to get a better grip of the tennis racquet.

The head size is also quite important when choosing your racquet. Probably women and children would prefer the head size to be smaller and offer more precision and would reject the larger head size tennis racquet which requires more strength although it provides more precision when hitting the ball.

The middle size is somewhere between 85 and 95 square inches and this is the one that suits the majority of players, whether amateur or professional. Novices are recommended to buy a larger-head tennis racket as they would not focus so much on precision but rather on the power that the racquet will supply to their hit.

Another factor to bear in mind is the flex quality of the tennis racquet. If the racquet is stiff you will almost certainly have more power when hitting the ball because the energy is not lost due to bending.

The more flexible racquet would not maintain the amount of energy the ball initially had before you hit it, but it would definitely offer greater control over the direction of the ball.

Professional and good amateur players prefer flexible racquets because they do not need to preserve the ball’s energy as they can hit the ball as hard as they require anyway. They would always be more interested in controlling the ball.

Of course, another factor related to this would be the material that the racquet is made of and the technology that has been used in its manufacture. These two elements should inform the buyer on how flexible or stiff the tennis racquet really is.

If you are a beginner tennis player or want to know more about the general psychology of tennis, just visit our website called Tennis Tips for Beginners

December 28, 2010

The History Of The Common Tennis Ball

A tennis ball is very distinct and are used by millions of children and adults all over the world for playing tennis, obviously, but many, many other less formal games as well. They are not merely the right size for tennis, presumably anyway at 2.7 inches or 6.7 centimetres in diameter, but they also fit neatly into a hand or a dog’s mouth. Consequently people use them for playing catch, for various games of softball like rounders and for throwing for the dog to bring back.

When I was a youngster, all tennis balls were white, but now you would be very hard pressed indeed to find a white one if, if indeed it is at all possible. These days, all tennis balls are day-glow colours like yellow, green and orange. Presumably this modification was carried out for the purpose of visibility on the TV screen.

The word ‘tennis’ comes from the French – ‘Tenez’ (pronounced ‘teney’), which meant ‘Take up Position’ or simply ‘Begin’. The origins of tennis were almost certainly more than a thousand years ago, when it was played by monks. The racquet or racket was the flat of the hand and the ball was wooden.

No-one is really certain whether the next innovation was to wear leather mitts or to modify the ball to leather, but whichever it was, there was obviously a move to make the game less painful. When the ball changed from being wooden, it was manufactured of animal skin, most often leather, sewn up with sinews and stuffed with anything that came to hand, such as straw, wool and hair – animal and human.

The point is that these early wooden and leather balls did not bounce, so the game was very different back then. Eventually, the monks began using ‘racquets’, but they looked more like bats than modern day tennis racquets.

In Disraeli’s book, “Sybil” (1845), the plot reveals how Lord Eugene De Vere was to travel to Hampton Court to play tennis, so the game was a familiar sport then, but it took until the late Nineteen Century for the game that we know today to become formalized by a set of rules. In 1874, Major Walter Wingfield was granted the patent for the rules and equipment of ‘lawn tennis’ and not much has altered since.

The next year tennis courts were established in the USA and then the game of tennis spread like wildfire. Wingfield laid down the rules of the game and the sort of apparatus to be used. The game has not changed much since then basically, but it has changed a lot nevertheless. The outline of the court is different now and science has been applied to the apparatus to improve it.

The original ball in the late Nineteenth Century was manufactured of solid rubber and so would have been quite weighty, but at least it did bounce which instantly made the game more interesting and more lively. A bouncing ball made tennis into a more interesting game to play and a more interesting game to watch. The rubber ball allowed tennis to be a spectator sport that crowds would pay to watch.

Contemporary tennis balls have a rubberized skin, which is about eighty percent rubber, filled with air and covered by a layer of ‘hairy’ felt. The felt is vital because it gives the surface of the ball more grip and can standardize the bounce as well. It also gives the ball a more predictable flight path even in the presence of wind.

The last aspect of contemporary tennis balls is the air inside. This can either be pressurized or non-pressurized. Pressurized balls give a better bounce whilst new, but they lose pressure over time and so are less consistent, whereas non-pressurized balls actually improve slightly with use, which is considered a benefit.

If you are a beginner tennis player or are interested in tennis balls and other tennis equipment, please go along to our website entitled Tennis Tips for Beginners

September 12, 2010

The French Open Championship

It is pretty unlikely that you will not have heard of the French Open tennis championship, because it is a competition which is an annual topic of conversation. In French the name of the competition is ‘Les Internationaux de France de Roland Garros’ or ‘Tournoi de Roland Garros’. This tournament, which lasts for roughly two weeks is held in Paris at the Roland Garros Stadium, from which it got its name.

The French Open is one of the most publicised and broadcast sports events in the whole world of sport and lots of VIP’s attend it. The attendees of the game are fanatics who await with baited breath every stroke, especially when there is a close battle between the two sides, doing their best to win. TV viewers actually get a feeling of being there live too.

The French Open tennis championship is the second on the annual round of the Grand Slam tournaments and its history stretches back to the year of 1891 when it was elevated to an international competition. In those days, it was called the ‘International Championship of Tennis of France’ or ‘Championat de France International de Tennis’ in French.

First of all, only players that were registered or licensed in France were permitted to participate in this competition, but things took a different turn in 1925, when the French open tennis tournament finally became accessible to international players. In 1912, the ground the players used was made of red brick dust. Actually the crushed brick was formed into red clay that covered the ground, which until then would have been a green lawn.

The public’s enthusiasm for the French Open tennis tournament held at the Roland Garros stadium, goes back to a competition fought between the Philadelphia Four (Rene Lacoste, Jean Borotra, Henri Cochet and Jacques Brugnon) who won the Davis Cup in 1927. It was the trigger of the desire in the French to defend their cup in future competitions. This new tournament was meant to bring back home the cup and was held at a stadium named after the World War I ace Roland Garros. The name has stuck since then.

The word ‘open’ was has been used since 1968, when the tournament was open to both amateurs and professionals alike who wanted to test their skills at tennis. Since then the French Open tennis tournament has also brought some novelties in terms of prizes.

Apart from the regular winners’ prizes, they also award a ‘Prix Orange’ for the most correct and press-friendly player, a ‘Prix Citron’ for the player with the strongest personality and a ‘Prix Burgeon’ for the one the best new-comer of the tennis year.

If you are a novice tennis player or want to know more about the general psychology of tennis, please go to our website called Tennis Tips for Beginners

categories: tennis,apparel,clothes,sport,fashion,recreation,enjoyment,health,fitness,hobbies,celebrities,wimbledon,outdoors,other

August 31, 2010

Tennis Attire

If you already take part in tennis, then I imagine that you already appreciate what tennis players wear, so this article is aimed at those individuals who wish for to procure tennis clothes for a dear one for a special occasion. After all, it is not as straightforward as it seems to buy sports garments for the participant of a sport you understand nothing about.

There is a certain image we are inclined to associate with a tennis player: white Polo shirt with shorts or skirt and similar shoes. They are fashionable and stylish, comfortable and classic at the same time. Items of tennis kit often signify a great deal to people who are not just sports fans. If the person you shop for is a tennis aficionado, tennis clothing becomes a fantastic gift that could also prove pretty affordable in spite of the rumors that it costs a fortune.

In case tennis clothes is something foreign to you, Google it over the Internet and you will be astonished to see how much information there is on hand. Very many forums will indirectly inform you about prices and deals going on at various retail shops and online merchants.

They will also present you with information as to which marques are thought the best, which are considered the least durable and reliable, which are affordable and which more than usually pricey .

What many tennis clothes users suggest is that you procure the sort of top or shirt that would make you feel most comfortable and that will permit the very wide angled movements that are peculiar to the performance of this sport. For instance, the shorter the sleeves of your tennis kit, the freer the swing during the game. Some purchase tennis attire also according to the season in which they intend to play. Still others go for the materials that can be worn in both warm and cold seasons.

They strongly believe that the tennis attire ought to keep them both warm and cool at the same time. As far as the t-shirts for men are concerned, you ought to know that most players speak of Polo shirts in very high terms, as the collar offers you some neck protection from the sun’s rays.

Guidelines about tennis apparel like that above are available on very many web sites. If you are not quite convinced what to go for when buying your friend a gift, then you can always inveigle him or her to have a discussion about his or her preferred sport. Using a little tact, you will definitely be able to direct the discussion to a connected topic that interests you, that is tennis clothing. Making it all look like idle conversation will not make him or her guess what you have in mind for the special occasion.

If you are a novice tennis player or want to know more about the general psychology of tennis, just visit our site called Tennis Tips for Beginners

categories: tennis,apparel,clothes,sport,fashion,recreation,enjoyment,health,fitness,hobbies,celebrities,wimbledon,outdoors,other

April 26, 2010

Basic Tennis Psychology (Part 1)

Tennis psychology is the same as understanding the workings of your opponent’s mind and gauging the effect of your own strategy on his/her mental viewpoint and also understanding the psychological effects resulting from the various external causes on your own mind.

However, it is also true that you no one can be a successful psychologist of others without first understanding his own psychology. Therefore, you must study the effect on yourself of the same thing occurring under different circumstances. This is because people react differently in different moods and under different conditions.

You must understand the effect on your game of the resulting irritation, pleasure, confusion, or whatever other form your reaction takes. Does it increase your efficiency? If so, strive for it, but never give it to your opponent. Does it deprive you of concentration? If so, either remove the reason, or if that is not possible, strive to ignore it.

Once you have correctly measured your own reaction to circumstances, observe your opponents in order to decide their temperaments. Like temperaments react similarly, and you can judge men of your own kind by yourself. Other temperaments you must seek to liken with those whose reactions you already know.

A person who can control his/her own mental processes has an great chance of reading those of someone else for the minds works along certain lines of thought and can be studied. One may only control one’s own mental processes after studying them meticulously.

A steady, phlegmatic baseline player is seldom a keen thinker. If he was he would not stay on the baseline. The physical appearance of a player is often a fairly clear indicator of his/her type of mind. The stolid, easy-going player, who usually advocates the baseline game, does so because he hates to stir up his/her slow mind to work out a safe method of reaching the net.

Then there is the other type of baseline player, who would prefer to stay at the back of the court while directing an attack intending to break up your game. He is a very dangerous player and a deep, quick thinking antagonist. He gets his/her results by mixing up his/her length and direction and worrying you with the variance of his/her game. This player is a good psychologist.

The first kind of tennis player mentioned above simply strikes the ball without much idea of what he is actually doing, while the latter always has a definite plan and sticks to it.

If you are a novice tennis player or want to know more about the general psychology of tennis, please go to our website called Tennis Tips for Beginners

categories: tennis,apparel,clothes,sport,fashion,recreation,enjoyment,health,fitness,hobbies,celebrities,wimbledon,outdoors,other

April 15, 2010

Tennis Fundamentals

I trust that this initial foray of mine into the world of writing will find a place with both novices and experts in the tennis world. I am trying to interest the student of the game by a somewhat prolonged discussion of match play, which I hope will cast a new light on the game of tennis.

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

It is vital always to wear tennis apparel when playing tennis. The question of selecting 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 standard makes 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 obtain the best results.

After you have acquired your racquet, make a firm resolve to use only quality tennis balls, as a regular bounce is a great aid to advancement, while a “dead” ball is no use at all. If you really want to succeed at tennis and advance rapidly, I strongly urge you to watch all the good tennis you can. Study the play of the leading players and try to copy their strokes. Read all the tennis instruction books you can find. They are a great help.

More tennis can be picked up off the court, in the study of theory, and in watching the best players in action, than can ever be learned in actual play. I do not advise miss opportunities to play tennis. Far from it. Play whenever possible, but strive when playing to put in practice the theories you have read or the strokes you have watched.

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

The brotherhood of the game is universal, for none but a good sportsman can succeed in the game for any long period of time. Tennis provides relaxation, excitement, exercise, and pure enjoyment to the person who is tied hard and fast to his job until late in the afternoon.

The following order of development produces the quickest and most lasting results: 1. Concentration on the game. 2. Keep the eye on the ball. 3. Foot-work and weight-control. 4. Strokes. 5. Court position. 6. Court generalship or match play. 7. Tennis psychology.

Concentration. Tennis is played primarily with the mind. The most perfect racquet technique invented will not be enough if the directing mind is wandering. There are many causes of a wandering mind in a tennis match. The main one is lack of interest in the game. No one should play tennis with any hope of real success unless he cares sufficiently about the game to be willing to do the spadework necessary to learn the game correctly.

Give it up at once unless you are willing to work hard. Conditions of play or the noises in the gallery often confuse and bewilder experienced match-players playing in new surroundings. Complete concentration on the matter in hand is the only remedy for an erring mind, and the quicker the lesson is learned the more rapid the improvement of the player.

The surest 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 collection of made and missed shots, and the man who misses the least is the ultimate winner.

If you are a beginner tennis player or are interested in tennis apparel, please go to our website called Tennis Tips for Beginners

categories: tennis,apparel,clothes,sport,fashion,recreation,enjoyment,health,fitness,hobbies,celebrities,wimbledon,outdoors,other

April 14, 2010

Tennis Psychology (Part 2)

The hard-hitting, erratic, net-rushing player is a person of impulse. There is no real system to his/her game, no understanding of your game. He will make brilliant coups on the spur of the moment, largely by instinct; but there is no, mental power of consistent thinking. It is an interesting sort of character.

The most unnerving 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 query you present him in your game. He is the most subtle opponent in the world of tennis. He is from the school of Brookes. Second only to him is the player of dogged determination that sets his/her mind on one plan and sticks to it, bitterly, fiercely fighting to the end, with no thought of changing.

He is the player whose psychology is rather easy to understand, but whose mental viewpoint is difficult to derail, for he never allows himself to think about anything except his game. This/her player is your Johnston or your Wilding. I respect the intelligence of Brookes more, but I admire the tenacity of purpose of Johnston.

Pick out your kind from your own mental processes, and then plan your game along the lines most 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 account. 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 important 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. Allow me to explain. A player drives you far out of court with an angle-shot. You run hard to it, and having reached it, you drive it hard and fast down the side-line, missing it by an inch. Your opponent is shocked and put off his stride, realizing that your shot might just as well have gone in as out. He will expect you to try it again and he will not take the risk next time. He will strive to play the ball, and may make an error. You have thus taken some of your opponent’s confidence, and increased his/her chance of error, all because of a miss.

If you had just tapped back that ball, and it had been killed, your opponent would have felt increasingly confident of your inability to get the ball out of his/her reach, while you would merely have been winded without result.

Let’s suppose that you had succeeded with that shot down the sideline. It was a seemingly impossible get. First it amounts to TWO points, because it stole one away from your opponent that should have been his/her and gave you one that you should never have had. Second it also worries your opponent, because he feels that he has lost a big opportunity.

The psychology involved in a tennis match is fascinating, but easily understood. Both men begin with equal opportunities. Once one player establishes a real lead, his/her confidence rises, while his/her opponent worries, and his/her mental standpoint becomes weaker. The only objective of the first player is to hold his/her lead, thereby holding his/her confidence.

If the second player pulls even or draws ahead, the inevitable reaction is an even greater contrast in psychology. There is the natural confidence of the leader, but coupled with the great stimulus of having turned a seemingly inevitable defeat into a probable victory. The situation of the other player is the reverse. He is apt to lose confidence and play worse. The breakdown of his game plan will be the result.

If you are fascinated by the psychology of tennis, you should go to our website entitled Tennis Tips for Beginners

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