How can you tie in your favorite game to the beginning of a new year. I can simply by saying that I'll find a way to spend more time on tennis even if it means writing about it, and less time on the world and the problems that exist out there. Will others think less of me. Maybe, but should I care as long as somehow by teaching others the way of the racket and how to get joy from this game I am somehow improving the world. I am on balance increasing happiness out there simply by teaching those things I have learned to make the game more enjoyable.
Speaking of resolutions, I like this article that mentions Jimmy Connors as the example of how to change and how to face up to your opponent which is in this case your resolutions and your failure to follow through on them. The writer mentions a number of Connors quotes and how he will use them to improve his tennis and life. The one thing he resolved is that he will try to chase down every ball.
Anybody that played tennis with me knows that was my approach learned from the great Laver learned from the great Hopman and probably learned by Hopman by someone lost in tennis history. Regardless, we can resolve that while the whole world may be coming apart in so many ways there is one place where you can find a respite. It exists on a higher plane and truthfully to me going out on the court is much like changing dimensions where as a parallel universe I know the others exist but here on the court this is all that matters when occupying that space. It is a way of communing with your existence outside of the normal boundaries and instead facing only those laws that govern tennis, those physical laws.
Find your own way to get more than exercise from a sport and for me I have found it even when practicing solo, I can work towards my own precision and in so doing separate myself from those things that take away from enjoyment of life.
Happy New Year to everyone I know and those of you that share my love of this game.
Here is my Facebook Tennis Resolution to all of my friends.
Happy New Year.
Resolution: Learn to hit two serves from one toss. This may take a while and I'm pretty sure it's not legal.
I did learn to hit a left handed slice serve last year when my right shoulder was out for a while. Three years ago I learned that I could serve with my eyes closed. That comes in really handy when playing in the dark or blindfolded. You never know.
Monday, December 31, 2012
American Men's Tennis in Doubt
Who will show up to represent American Tennis in the future. So far, though we have some potentials, none have shown the results that will put the USA in a dominant position in tennis in the near future.
It is amazing that so many small countries in Eastern Europe are able to put out so many champions yet we are here in a dry spell. Our main asset appears to be tall guys with big serves that don't seem to want to practice.
It is amazing that so many small countries in Eastern Europe are able to put out so many champions yet we are here in a dry spell. Our main asset appears to be tall guys with big serves that don't seem to want to practice.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Tennis News
Art Larson died on December 7th, 2012. He was the number one player in 1950 when he won the United States National Championship and he was a top 10 player in the U.S. until his scooter accident in 1956, thus ending his tennis career.
Rafa is still trying to recover from his injuries. Though men's tennis is doing well even with his absence it will be great to see him on the court again. I want more matches between him his main rivals Djoker and the Fed. Come back soon Rafa.
Nadal pulls out of Aussie Open due to stomach bug. His bad luck continues.
Wawrinka is looking for another at Chennai. Almost every player has the favorite tournament where they play their best. This is his.
Umpire reinstated after she is cleared in the case where she was charged with killing her husband.
Andrea Jaeger goes to Newtown to offer support.
Photos from the exhibition season.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Tennis Comedy Headed to Fox
Well, the story is out that tennis will actually have a sitcom. Greg Daniels is bringing this show to Fox and hopefully it will be as successful as his series The Office.
This ranks much better than the periodic movie on the subject or one with tennis in the background. I don't know if I'll be able to enjoy it based on the short description of the storyline where a tennis pro/failure comes home and finds himself actually envious of his brother the bar owner for his so called carefree lifestyle and somehow he must prove himself to The Girl. Poor X tennis pro. Please.
Wow, how many of us would have suffered endless indignities to spend time on the tour even as an also ran somewhere between 50 and 500 in ranking. Anywhere in there makes you an exceptional player and the opportunity to play for a living even at subsistence level would have been a dream for many of us but the option didn't exist.
Now, if this guy comes to his senses he'll settle down and become a teaching pro with a great resume. He could make a decent living and share his supposed love of the sport with his students along with many great stories. I knew many tennis bums from the past that had the chance to play satellite tournaments had some wonderful experiences.
Some of us bypassed the competition for various reasons including injuries and lack of financial ability to do so and just went right into teaching it for a living. For us it never seemed like a step down, but I suppose for those players that had tasted the life of professional play it always seemed like a downgrade. It is somewhere close to the old football star selling cars in terms of falling from grace. In this case, it is all in the mind. Some of us love teaching.
Since it is tennis, I'll have to check out the show anyway and I hope you do the same.
This ranks much better than the periodic movie on the subject or one with tennis in the background. I don't know if I'll be able to enjoy it based on the short description of the storyline where a tennis pro/failure comes home and finds himself actually envious of his brother the bar owner for his so called carefree lifestyle and somehow he must prove himself to The Girl. Poor X tennis pro. Please.
Wow, how many of us would have suffered endless indignities to spend time on the tour even as an also ran somewhere between 50 and 500 in ranking. Anywhere in there makes you an exceptional player and the opportunity to play for a living even at subsistence level would have been a dream for many of us but the option didn't exist.
Now, if this guy comes to his senses he'll settle down and become a teaching pro with a great resume. He could make a decent living and share his supposed love of the sport with his students along with many great stories. I knew many tennis bums from the past that had the chance to play satellite tournaments had some wonderful experiences.
Some of us bypassed the competition for various reasons including injuries and lack of financial ability to do so and just went right into teaching it for a living. For us it never seemed like a step down, but I suppose for those players that had tasted the life of professional play it always seemed like a downgrade. It is somewhere close to the old football star selling cars in terms of falling from grace. In this case, it is all in the mind. Some of us love teaching.
Since it is tennis, I'll have to check out the show anyway and I hope you do the same.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Murray and Good Coaching
A good coach can make the difference in the performance of a player. One of the best examples is how quickly Murray has moved into the top tier of competition once he began to change his game with the assistance of his Coach Ivan Lendl.
For years I've observed Murray and wondered when he would become more aggressive since his defensive approach to play never seemed to get him to the final. In transition with great coaching he did eventually reach the finals and unfortunately came up against some of the best players ever to hold a racket. His recent results show that he has made it and can stay there with the proper effort.
To cap this off, he has suggested that he wants to continue working with Lendl as his coach for the next five years.
I hope so too since he will add to the outstanding level of play currently produced on the men's tour.
For years I've observed Murray and wondered when he would become more aggressive since his defensive approach to play never seemed to get him to the final. In transition with great coaching he did eventually reach the finals and unfortunately came up against some of the best players ever to hold a racket. His recent results show that he has made it and can stay there with the proper effort.
To cap this off, he has suggested that he wants to continue working with Lendl as his coach for the next five years.
I hope so too since he will add to the outstanding level of play currently produced on the men's tour.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
US Open Smart Move
US Open Adds a day to the schedule in 2013
The women's final will be on Sunday and the men's final will be on Monday.
Adding a day to the schedule to allow a day of rest for the final matches makes so much sense it makes you wonder why they took so long. It should make for better finals.
Murray is delighted to hear this decision.
The women's final will be on Sunday and the men's final will be on Monday.
Adding a day to the schedule to allow a day of rest for the final matches makes so much sense it makes you wonder why they took so long. It should make for better finals.
Murray is delighted to hear this decision.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Clijsters Retires Again
This time is it probably for good but Kim Clijsters made the announcement after a exhibition match win over Venus Williams.
Sorry to see you go Kim but you always gave an excellent match display for fans. Best of luck.
Sorry to see you go Kim but you always gave an excellent match display for fans. Best of luck.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Kinesiology Tape and Wrist Protection
Anyone with a muscle or tendon strain that doesn't take proactive measures to limit or prevent injuries is not long for the tennis court. I notice as I get older that the injuries are more often and the locations have changed.
I never used to get wrist injuries but I suppose that overuse and probably a change in technique to accomodate less mobility has shown me some new wrist weaknesses I never had before. I now have a ritual. I use kinesiology tape on my dominant wrist before I go to the courts. I also add a wrist wrap to lend support. This has almost completely eliminated injuries in this area and as an added bonus if I ever took to going with the wrist on any shot, it limits the range which is usually very good for a tennis player. Possibly the only place this could be a detriment is when serving.
I have tried the high end tapes and the low end athletic tape.
My new preference is 3BTAPE as found on Amazon.com
I also like the McDavid Wrist Wrap as an overwrap after taping. It looks like a wrist band so you don't have students or opponents thinking you have an injury to protect. It offers great support washes easily.
I never used to get wrist injuries but I suppose that overuse and probably a change in technique to accomodate less mobility has shown me some new wrist weaknesses I never had before. I now have a ritual. I use kinesiology tape on my dominant wrist before I go to the courts. I also add a wrist wrap to lend support. This has almost completely eliminated injuries in this area and as an added bonus if I ever took to going with the wrist on any shot, it limits the range which is usually very good for a tennis player. Possibly the only place this could be a detriment is when serving.
I have tried the high end tapes and the low end athletic tape.
My new preference is 3BTAPE as found on Amazon.com
I also like the McDavid Wrist Wrap as an overwrap after taping. It looks like a wrist band so you don't have students or opponents thinking you have an injury to protect. It offers great support washes easily.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Condolences to Rod Laver
Mary Laver, the wife of Rod Laver dies at 84.
It is good to hear that they had a full and happy life together. We wish him well in this difficult time.
It is good to hear that they had a full and happy life together. We wish him well in this difficult time.
Become A Dog
As I think about the years I spent learning tennis I'll have to say that one memory never leaves me and that is a story I heard about training under Harry Hopman. Many of his students took to heart the idea that in training you should chase down every ball whether in or out and play it. In that frame fo mind you'd never stand still and watch a ball go past you without at least trying for it.
Think about what in nature follows such a simple rule. Most any dog you teach to fetch will happily chase any ball you throw for them long past when you can't throw the ball any longer or until you lose interest. They are obsessed with chasing down balls, frisbees, and whatever else you send outward for them to run after.
Follow this rule when you train especially if you are young and you'll find that you will be fleet of foot, and rarely will a ball pass out of your reach that wasn't a great placement or just plain luck. Your conditioning will improve and you will force your opponent to hit better shots and therefore draw more errors from them.
Think of yourself as a dog in training. Who knows, you may come back as one someday and be thankful that you trained well in your past life as a tennis player. You'll fetch better than ever and love doing it.
Think about what in nature follows such a simple rule. Most any dog you teach to fetch will happily chase any ball you throw for them long past when you can't throw the ball any longer or until you lose interest. They are obsessed with chasing down balls, frisbees, and whatever else you send outward for them to run after.
Follow this rule when you train especially if you are young and you'll find that you will be fleet of foot, and rarely will a ball pass out of your reach that wasn't a great placement or just plain luck. Your conditioning will improve and you will force your opponent to hit better shots and therefore draw more errors from them.
Think of yourself as a dog in training. Who knows, you may come back as one someday and be thankful that you trained well in your past life as a tennis player. You'll fetch better than ever and love doing it.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
In Memoriam to Margaret Osborne Dupont
http://msn.foxsports.com/tennis/story/margaret-osborne-dupont-united-states-legend-dies-age-94-102512
Tennis great Margaret Osborne Dupont is another name lost to many even in the tennis world but her devotion to the sport and her achievements stand as testament to her skill and determination on the tennis court. She holds a record of 25 grand slam titles at the U.S. Open.
To learn more about her I have added a link to her Wikipedia page.
Tennis great Margaret Osborne Dupont is another name lost to many even in the tennis world but her devotion to the sport and her achievements stand as testament to her skill and determination on the tennis court. She holds a record of 25 grand slam titles at the U.S. Open.
To learn more about her I have added a link to her Wikipedia page.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
The Unit Turn For Forehands
If you want to develop a great forehand your first step is to develop a successful unit turn for every stroke. Follow the steps below.
From Ready Position.
When you determine that it is a forehand you immediately pivot while turning your shoulder and bringing your racket back.
We call it a unit turn because it is one motion where the racket doesn't solo and go back first. Avoid pulling the racket back alone. The purpose of this for a straight backswing is to maintain a synchronized movement between the shoulder and racket arm.
Once you've positioned yourself for the ball the only thing necessary to complete a stroke it to unwind the shoulder turn with a synchronized weight transfer back to the front foot.
Now, you can make it more involved and complicated than this especially if you're trying to crush the ball, but for a solid stroke you can simply and precisely get the job done with a unit turn back and a unti turn forward.
Here is a great video by Rick Macci to give you a demonstration of how it should look at the highest levels. TennisResources.com
From Ready Position.
When you determine that it is a forehand you immediately pivot while turning your shoulder and bringing your racket back.
We call it a unit turn because it is one motion where the racket doesn't solo and go back first. Avoid pulling the racket back alone. The purpose of this for a straight backswing is to maintain a synchronized movement between the shoulder and racket arm.
Once you've positioned yourself for the ball the only thing necessary to complete a stroke it to unwind the shoulder turn with a synchronized weight transfer back to the front foot.
Now, you can make it more involved and complicated than this especially if you're trying to crush the ball, but for a solid stroke you can simply and precisely get the job done with a unit turn back and a unti turn forward.
Here is a great video by Rick Macci to give you a demonstration of how it should look at the highest levels. TennisResources.com
Monday, July 9, 2012
Federer - Return of the King
Fed is the King of grass much as Rafa is the King of clay. With Nol'e no longer in full control of things and Rafa seemingly vulnerable it is the perfect time for the King of tennis to regain his crown if only for a time. There are always more coming up from behind but this is sweet for those of us that have come to near worship Fed for his artistry on the court. It doesn't hurt that he is a likable guy that appears to have no rough edges and is a good family man too. He is the perfect model for tennis as it was and should always remain.
I hope he has more good years ahead so that those of us in our selfish way can see tennis as it might be played by those not subject to the normal rules of human architecture and physics.
As for his future, even those of us among his strongest contingent began to doubt his ability to hold back the younger titans in waiting coming up. I was hopeful he'd grab one more but after seeing him play yesterday I do believe he has improved his game again. His backhand is stronger and he's taken a few hints from the past when Ken Rosewall used his chip backhand to attack and sliced it to break up the rhythm.
He's improvised shots that I've never seen before. One was a ball that Fed attempted to run around to hit his inside out forehand but the ball was moving so fast that it was going into his body. Murray seeing this held back at the baseline and watched in disbelief as Fed performed a peel the orange slice forehand on an angle that I didn't know was possible from that position in the court. I went out last night and tried it and figure he must have some battery powered spin inducing device in his racket to get the action needed. What he created was a perfect angled drop shot from the baseline as he was moving backward. I knew it wasn't an accident after he did it again later though I really was sure it was intentional the first time since he wasn't rushed in the execution of the shot even though he was jammed. Damn he's good.
If we had to put up one person to play a match on grass for the future of planet earth against space aliens to avoid a devastating intergalactic war, I'd chose Fed. He's the best we have and ever have seen and that I admit as someone who idolized Rod Laver as the perfect tennis player in both skill and demeanor since I was a child.
Thanks Roger for giving us more years to enjoy.
Long Live the King of Tennis
I hope he has more good years ahead so that those of us in our selfish way can see tennis as it might be played by those not subject to the normal rules of human architecture and physics.
As for his future, even those of us among his strongest contingent began to doubt his ability to hold back the younger titans in waiting coming up. I was hopeful he'd grab one more but after seeing him play yesterday I do believe he has improved his game again. His backhand is stronger and he's taken a few hints from the past when Ken Rosewall used his chip backhand to attack and sliced it to break up the rhythm.
He's improvised shots that I've never seen before. One was a ball that Fed attempted to run around to hit his inside out forehand but the ball was moving so fast that it was going into his body. Murray seeing this held back at the baseline and watched in disbelief as Fed performed a peel the orange slice forehand on an angle that I didn't know was possible from that position in the court. I went out last night and tried it and figure he must have some battery powered spin inducing device in his racket to get the action needed. What he created was a perfect angled drop shot from the baseline as he was moving backward. I knew it wasn't an accident after he did it again later though I really was sure it was intentional the first time since he wasn't rushed in the execution of the shot even though he was jammed. Damn he's good.
If we had to put up one person to play a match on grass for the future of planet earth against space aliens to avoid a devastating intergalactic war, I'd chose Fed. He's the best we have and ever have seen and that I admit as someone who idolized Rod Laver as the perfect tennis player in both skill and demeanor since I was a child.
Thanks Roger for giving us more years to enjoy.
Long Live the King of Tennis
Friday, July 6, 2012
Federer and Murray in the Final at Wimbledon
I'm partial to Fed but I'm happy to see Murray get a shot at the championship. Getting past Tsonga into the final seemed like a struggle of confidence more than one of skill for Murray. He wanted to go backwards and shriek and growl rather than fight. I think Lendl has helped him immensely and it's proven by his arrival in the final. He has an obstacle named Federer who won't go quietly and may roll over him if he's not careful. I wish them both a great match but I prefer to see Fed set a new record as his likely last Grand Slam Championship win. Call me selfish, but I want to be able to say I did watch him go where no one has ever gone in tennis and it seems unlikely anyone else will again. Good luck Federer.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Stop the Grunts
It's about time they got to this to improve the image of women's tennis. The loud grunting from some players is a tool for gaming your opponent and becomes clear when the volume increases when you get into trouble in a match. Some players are silent and hit the ball just as hard. So, whether an acquired habit or an emotional release, the use of the grunt as it exists is now getting serious attention in women's tennis and I would love to see this applied to the men's side of the tour as well.
Check out the story on this website.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/06/27/quiet-at-us-open-wta-plans-crackdown-on-excessive-grunting/
Check out the story on this website.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/06/27/quiet-at-us-open-wta-plans-crackdown-on-excessive-grunting/
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Rafa Gets His Stolen Watch Back
Not exactly a tennis article but it's nice to know Rafa won't be on the hook for a watch worth over $300K. No matter who you are, you can't count on not losing your valuables while staying in a room.
Stolen Watch Found
Stolen Watch Found
Monday, June 11, 2012
Rafa Retains his Crown as King of Clay
He's amazing to watch as he runs down every ball humanly possible and a few I'm not sure are within the reach of mortals. The fourth set is the one where we can see Rafa has no interest in losing his title. The score is 5 all and he pulls off an ace to get up 30 love. The struggle continues with Novak not letting up but finally Rafa takes the game to go up 6 to 5 in the fourth. It's now 30 all and the pressure is on. Rafa attacks with a forehand and is now at match point, Djokovic hits a double fault from 30 serving 40 and Rafa takes the crown. Novak sits in disappointment while Rafa climbs to the stands to share the victory with his family.
The score is now 7 French Open Championships for Nadal surpassing Borg's 6.
Tennis fans are blessed to have Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer competing against each other in this amazing era of tennis.
The score is now 7 French Open Championships for Nadal surpassing Borg's 6.
Tennis fans are blessed to have Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer competing against each other in this amazing era of tennis.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Nadal: King of Clay
French Open Men's Final 2012: The match is rain delayed and is scheduled tomorrow. Nadal had steamrolled through the first two sets and rain delays and intermittent rain frustrated his style of play. If I had to bet, I'll put my chips on Rafa to complete the win.
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