Health: Longevity Secrets - 10 Ways to Live Longer - Intermittent Fasting

Secrets of Longevity

Intermittent Fasting Key to Health

Living longer and having a better quality of life are two elements of a healthy lifestyle outcome.  As it turns out it may be helpful in this goal to simply apply intermittent fasting to your diet regimen.


10 Most powerful antibiotics known to man

Many of these you may be familiar with but there are a few that I didn't know about or consider.   It can't hurt to know this.

Diet and Health, Fasting and workouts, Protein in Tennis, antioxidants safety

Fasting before Workouts


Protein in Tennis

Antioxidant supplements can be dangerous


Everything You need to know about intermittent fasting
This gives you a good description of what you need to know to get started on a path to healthy fasting.

Golden Match: Winner wins all of the points - Rare

Golden Match in DOHA

You would think that the other player would at least try to grab a point by going for aces to avoid this outcome.  I guess that it's possible that a non-ranked player could be so outplayed by the other player for this to happen but it seems that there must be something else to this story. 

Update:  Watch the Video and you'll understand why he couldn't win a point.  This must have been a college dare or something and he had the money to throw at it.  Sad!

Worst Player ever to play professionally?

Worst Tennis Match in History?

We could all be pros if this is the standard.  Shady?

Worst Player Ever to play a Pro Match?

Golden Match? Not a chance. Watch the video and you'll know it was shady. Most of us played better tennis three weeks into learning the game as kids. I'm heading to DOHA next year to play pro tennis arthritis and all. LOL

Top Tennis Players of the Decade

Men's - Novak

Women's - Serena

Vaccines: The Flu is deadly

There is a lot of argument about whether to get a vaccine or not but I'm one who gets one every year without fail.  I do this because the last time I had the Flu I thought it was going to finish me and that was many years ago. 

Here are some stats for Flu Deaths.

Health: Human Lifespan

Human Lifespan only 38 years

I can agree with this.  Very few people I know have gone through life without multiple life-saving outcomes due to antibiotics, surgery, or other treatments. 

Be happy that life is better now.

Add tennis for your health. 

Focus: Another way to achieve it.

Focus on your training requires sacrifices.   Here is a good and quick rundown of the benefits of not having a social life to distract you from success.   In tennis, you'll see this among the high achievers.


Social Isolation has benefits  - no social life

How to maintain Focus based on the methods used by Medieval Monks

How lack of discipline destroys tennis careers!

I can name you a long list of failures at the Professional level of Tennis.

First to me is Nastase who though he won many tournaments and matches could have probably won many more were it not for his antics.  His talent seemed unlimited.

Then comes Rios who fell to his demons before he actually won a slam but had already shown that he could dominate men's tennis after achieving number 1.

On the women's side, I see fewer examples but Capriotti comes to mind as a talent that was wasted for most of her career.  At least she proved that she had it later, much later, but all of that time was missed in between.

Now we have more on the men's tour who again have physical mastery of the game but lack the discipline to hold off their demons that invade their thoughts and come out in the form of bad behavior.  Some make excuses that tennis isn't important to them anyway so as a way for the ego to justify this failure pretend that it doesn't matter.  Think Kyrgios.  He has unbounded talent but lacks the discipline to hold his bad thoughts in check when faced with a challenge on the court.

Here is a comment by Ken Rosewall on the subject.  Rosewall was a master of the game and self-control and I never noticed anything but a gentleman on the court when he played no matter the outcome.  It's hard not a admire a person of such worth not only to our sport but to civilization.

Health: Coffee is good for you - another study

Coffee

A Lucky Time for Tennis Fans with Fed, Rafa, and Novak on the court at the same time

Best Generation in History

This is a lucky time for tennis fans.  We have three of the best ever to walk onto a tennis court facing each other regularly.  It's awesome for us. 

As a friend of mine pointed out, each on their own could be the GOAT based on numbers were it not for the other two taking wins from them in finals. 

Maybe the best is yet to come. 

Does Surface Slam Mean Anything?

Grand Slam Records - Laver versus Rafa on the surface judgment

Twitter Viewpoint - Huge Achievement

Meanwhile, we slice and dice records to make our favorites look good.   

This is amazing but doesn't consider that when Laver won two calendar year grand slams (all 4 events) there weren't any hard courts in those events. He did win the first and the last almost a decade apart. #RodLaver #SurfaceSlam

When this is all said and done it will come down to who eventually or at least temporarily holds the most total slams since they've now treated calendar year slams as just an incident that occurred rather than an amazing accomplishment. In that specific measure, Laver stands alone.

For the moment Federer holds the total record of slam events but Rafa and Novak are chasing him closely. I'd give it another five years for a clear call on the GOAT.

Woz Retiring

Caroline Wozniacki is retiring from Pro Tennis Competition 😪

Shock - NYPost

Announces Final Tournament - Express

Australian Open Final Tournament - "isn't a goodbye" 

Wants to start family💖

Arthritis not primary reason😞

We wish her well.

Match of the Decade: Novak VS Fed Wimbledon 2019

Tennis.com

Is Novak Headed for GOAT Status? Ask Yolita

Here is a chart and argument put forth by Yolita that not only is Novak the most dominant player of the past decade but that he may already be close to achieving Greatest of All Time Status in Tennis, the GOAT.  It's generally agreed though that to have that status you need to have the most number of Grand Slam wins which is currently held by Roger Federer.  As has been proven multiple times before it is a record that can be surpassed since at some stage players must retire.  Federer seems be winning fewer and fewer major events while Djokovic and Nadal hold astounding numbers of wins over the past decade.  Looking at the stats in this time frame it is hard to argue against Yolita on this score.  Here is her well organized chart.

The numbers say it all


Here is the link to the original Tweet where this chart is found.   Yolita

Health: Live near the Ocean

It's good for your well being.

It's hard to argue against beach time.

Health: Flu Season Starts Early

Flu Season

The expected severity of this particular strain isn't as bad toward the elderly but instead will be more severe toward children and young adults.

If you have health issues it's generally recommended to get the vaccine to help you survive a bad flu. 

I get a vaccine every year since having the flu twenty five years ago and thinking that I was dying.  It hurt and my recovery was slow.  Since then I've been hit with colds and possibly the flu but never as severely as that one. 

Play it safe and rely on science and a vaccine. 

Pickleball - is it the new thing in racket sports? What about Padel?

When are you going to try it?

Clay Court Pickleball

This sport appears to be the one that seniors love because of the reduced amount of court coverage needed as well as a lower threshold for skill to compete.   Experienced tennis players should find the game easy to learn.  Most well accomplished tennis players tend to say that once their mobility goes away is when they'll take up Pickleball. 

Court Dimensions - Having your own court should be considerably less expensive since the court dimensions are considerably less than a tennis court.

What about Padel?

Another racket sport that has been around since 1969 is Padel.  It is played similarly to tennis but on a smaller court.

Here is some information on the sport of Padel.

Rules of Padel

What will happen to Tennis?

Tennis isn't going away but it now has some follow on sports that may lend to the overall popularity of racket sports.  If this occurs then it is likely so much better for tennis players in general though it may cause problems between tennis players and pickleballers when it comes to court space.  It's happened in other sports so it could easily happen here.  The smart thing would be for communities to make sure there are enough of both kinds of courts to serve the public demand.  One way of doing that would be to build lots of tennis courts and add pickleball lines on at least half of the tennis courts though I can see where eventually it will be done with all of them.

Don Budge and his Signature Racket

Here is an old Don Budge Signature racket.  These date back to the 1940's since Budge had his big run of Grand Slam events in the 1930's.  He was the first player to win all four slams in a calendar year and thus set a standard for judging players as the G.O,A.T.  (greatest of all time.)  Up until Laver completed two of these Calendar year Grand Slam wins of all four events he could have arguably been called the GOAT.  Now of course they call whichever player has the most total wins the GOAT. That is currently Federer but Nadal seems to be chasing that record depending on when both retire and who wins a few more in the meantime.  Novak is also chasing the numbers as well so we'll see how things end up.

Don Budge remains a top name in the history of tennis and his one handed backhand was legendary for  its effectiveness.

For more detailed information on Don Budge here is a link to his WIKI Page

You can see this racket was barely used.




With a Current Value around $10 plus shipping costs add $10 minimum.  To own one you'll have to part with at least $20 as of 11/2019 unless you find one at a yard sale for a a few dollars.  Most are not in great shape so if you find a very good condition one it should fetch more depending on how old it is.  This model comes from the 1940s.  Some later versions may have been produced into the 1950s.

Nadal Displays his Soccer Skills

He's good.

This also shows how well coordinated he is along with his ability to judge spatial relationships throughout his body.  So rather than just eye hand coordination he has a 360 sense of position and can perfectly judge locations and velocities.  It shows on his court sense and judgement of balls coming at him.

String Sensistive Rackets

I can't make an overly stiff frame soft enough with a change of strings to make me like the frame. The same goes for a flexible frame that cannot be changed enough by string tension or type to stop that trampoline effect. Maybe a frame that has all of the mid range attributes of moderate head light balance, and flex combined with weight to allow you to choose it's best characteristic with the right string and tension is the ideal and could be seen as string sensitive. Or taken the other way, a stiff and powerful frame can be ruined with rotgut string at the wrong tension just as a sponge bucket frame can be made to lose all feel with the wrong tension and poly.

The best answer is to experiment and test different frames that augment and compliment your game taking into account any predisposition toward injuries you may have. You can always change the characteristics of weight and balance but changing racket flexibility doesn't happen. You can loosen strings to reduce shock but at some point it will alter your stroke results and may require a change of approach which at that point might be best to consider a change of rackets.

Tennis Coaching in the Future: Work Smarter, Play Better

Work Smarter

This article stays in generalities mostly and avoids details but the point is that teaching must adapt.

Memes for Tennis: When your opponent has had enough of playing,

Enough of Playing

Tennis Journalism

Peter Bodo on the State of Tennis Journalism

I've been reading Peter Bodo's writings since he began publishing and he clearly knows his trade.  The one thing that I've witnessed and participated in is the rise of free tennis journalism thanks to the Internet.  It is more hands off since players can't have relationships with thousands of writers.  The cost of travel to follow the players can't be covered by most since they don't have an expense account courtesy of a publication.  Tennis reporting has become more distributed in terms of both quality and direction but on average I'd say that we've all benefited from the huge increase in information found regarding tennis players, the tour, instruction, and coaching.

Before you waited once a month for your Tennis Magazine and that was it unless you read the USTA publications related to amateur competition.  There is a Tennis Industry magazine that existed for a long time but only club owners usually saw these since they were the market for the products advertised there.

On average I'd say we're all better off with the state of things in Tennis Journalism.  Having Bodo out there to keep up the standard of knowledge and excellence gives the competition something to aim toward.

Tennis Equipment Costs - It's a bargain

I'm guessing at these prices based on memory but here is a representation of how to value your tennis gear.

Late 1970's Corolla $2k, Stan Smith Shoes $12-15, Jack Kramer Racket $20-25. Current price Corolla $20k, Newest Endorsed Shoes $60-130, Newest Endorsed Racket approx. $200. Everything went up 10x since mid 70's as the dollar went down in value.

The quality has improved generally along with the technology so I'd say we're good on most things. Don't buy the latest frame and when you find a frame you love pick up a dozen of them when they are being discontinued. You can always get your money back on Ebay if you switch out.

Pick shoes that work for you and avoid the logos with endorsements that add cost. If you are hard on shoes get and apply shoe-goo at Wal-M and wear those shoes when practicing and not playing or teaching.

Clothing, well that's your call but the modern fabrics are so much better at surviving stains, wear, and maintaining color that if you get the top quality stuff and wash cold you'll have it for years.

No matter what you think the value versus cost of tennis equipment right now is as good as it has ever been. Just don't think that you can buy skill with fancy equipment. Do the deep and repetitive spending on training, instruction , and competition whenever possible.


Addendum: Everything went up but tennis balls. I think they were $2 a can in 1960 and haven't seemed to budge since then. Spend your money on new tennis balls and laugh.

Health: Happiness as Social Glue

Happiness

Spread it around and smile more often.  It really does help others and yourself. 

Winning and Success in Tennis

If I had a kid that showed up for lessons and didn't seem to care or try and then while asking the kid about it the kid said, "It's not all about winning."

Here is how I would handle it. First background and then the answer.

I had a teacher tell me in 9th grade that it's not all about winning. She was a nice lady but didn't agree with a paper that I wrote on competition. I forget the details including the grade but remember that I essentially said that it's all about winning. Now let me move the clock forward 50 years. I still think that it's all about winning. Now though, I tell students that it is how you define winning and success that give you the most benefit and ability to move forward. Of course we want to win by the score if possible, but to even be on the playing field is a win if you are improving, learning, and competing. I only left the court unhappy after a loss if I let myself down for some reason.

Think of the future

Sometimes surviving to fight another day can be a win especially if you're in a life and death circumstance like cancer or war. I think almost tennis player would agree that to come up short against Rafa in a final anywhere at any time would be a win. I'd take it. Call me number two or three. " I'm good." The fact that I could honestly say that I was in his league or at least was there to be crushed by him would still mean I was better than 99%+ of all the other players out there. This would be especially true if I took games off of him since he doesn't give away gift points or games to anyone that I've seen. If could walk around saying that I met Rafa, Fed, or Novak on the court for a match and wasn't leaving in a wheelchair or on a stretcher and had taken some points, games or even a set would make me feel like winner. If you can't say that, well I suggest looking closely at how you measure success which is another way to say winning.

Set Your Own Definitions of Success and Winning

I made it through 40+ years of teaching a sport that I love though I never played professionally. I don't consider myself anything but a winner since I came out of the other side with a lifetime of pleasure on the court, a solid income, respect from those who wanted to learn tennis, and am able to share some lessons to others like this.

So when you hear, Winning isn't everything, it's how you play the game." I'd add , no it's how well you play the game. Well enough to call it winning. To quote Vince, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." Then go about defining it for yourself so you can claim success and a win by the standard you set and not those set by others including misguided teachers. Even on the court a score loss can be a win for the future.

What I'd say to the kid.

I'd tell the kid that his teachers must not understand winning and the if they never talked about how to define it or how to measure success then they needed to study the concept further. Otherwise, they are setting up anyone in this competitive world to have their delusions crushed. Did the teachers not chase a win by getting their credentials to become teachers and if they hadn't they wouldn't be there parroting such a false truism since credentials are everything in the realm of Education.


2 Mental Shifts Highly Successful People Make
This is good reading with some concise information.

Margaret Court: All time Grand Slam Winner - Treat me like Laver

Court - wants equal treatment        (She has a point.)

You can be erased from history if your views don't conform.  What does that say about the state of  freedom of thought in the West.

Health: Can Cancer be Contagious

Contagious Cancer Spread by Human Activity

ATP Forehand

So what is the ATP Forehand?

Here is a good primer online that I came across. 

ATP Forehand

As the discussion of wrist lag indicates if you want reliability and precision then you might best consider what has been a standard take-back for a long time.  Rules about keeping the swing on the hitting side of the body are standard for all good and effective forehand strokes. 

Another concern is when you reach wrist-lock.  This is ideally between the forward part of the swing and the contact point.  In many cases and especially from older styles is remained firm from beginning of the backswing to the finish, (follow through).

Tennis Coaching and Teaching - Avoiding Misunderstandings

How a Tennis Coach or Instructor Interacts With Students Can Make all the Difference

Your Personality

First off we all have a template of behavior formed by our upbringing and sometimes that is helpful in teaching and other times it must be overcome.

Self Assessment

Here is how I see my own actions over four plus decades of teaching:

For me, looking back at my early teaching compared to now I was a hard case drill sergeant and I didn't care who was on the other side of the net, they all needed to work. It was probably because I was raised in a military family where discipline was everything. I've softened up a lot and now think happily of my last twenty years of teaching where I just loved being out on the court with anyone else who wanted to be there.

You can adapt and change

To me if we aren't all laughing at least part of the time I wasn't doing it right. As for exposure to varied groups of people, my last post retirement gig was teaching at a college where I had exchange students from all over the world including Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and South and Central America. Treating everyone with respect worked well and I can say that everything came down to careful communication to avoid misunderstandings. If you're smiling, laughing, and people see in your manner and behavior that you are genuinely happy to have them out there with you there never seems to be a problem.

Focus on the Job - Teaching Tennis

Focus on getting the job done of teaching tennis rather than taking sides in the current social issues. That to me is how it should be handled.

Health: Increasing Oral Cancer Rates

Cancer Rates - Oral Record High

Teaching Ratios - Group to Private for a tennis pro

3 to 1 ratio of groups to private lessons

That's my recommendation. In the early days where I taught I learned that groups paid the best even when you consider the amount of time needed to organize them. In those times we paid a flat rate for the court no matter if it was a group or private. I focused on groups and that ratio if managed well was probably 75% groups with the remainder private lessons. It was much more lucrative but then I was also willing to spend Sunday evenings making calls to schedule more groups.

Group Size

I stayed with max 6 students per instructor and if we had enough sign-ups and space we'd run 3 or 4 courts at a time. The idea that a pro would get paid the same rate for a groups versus private is great for the club but bad for the pro unless he's already well compensated with a salary. There is little incentive to organize and run groups if you can go with privates and receive the same pay.

Private Lesson Pros

Some pros went the other way and ignored groups and preferred to get paid to go out and hit. Not to be mean, but I looked at them as surfer dudes with no long term plan. A 40 hour week on the court is hard enough and will crush you physically over time so I'd be looking at 30-40 max and organize as many groups as you can and consider the privates gravy.

Burnout and How to Thrive

It's very easy to get burned out with a heavy teaching load so my focus would be on a mix between adults and juniors with varied categories of skills. More importantly, you'll notice that the Marquee named pro will often be the head pro and just cherry pick the advanced players and let the assistant pro's handle the beginner to intermediates and also pay them to either run or assist in the groups. Everyone has their place in the operation this way.

Health: Aspirin can fight Depression, CBD Snake Oil, Cannabis Mental Health Improvement Questioned, Protein, Foot Pain

Aspirin


CBD This generation's snake oil


Mental Health improvement from Cannabis - Studies show poor evidence


Narcissists Happier


What Protein Does for your Body - WebMD


Why your feet hurt - WebMD

Green Dot Balls for Players below 4.5 - one pro recommends

Green Dot Balls

Anything that helps players enjoy the game makes sense but I suspect this idea will never catch on among regular players since it will stigmatize those as needing training wheels.

Health: Alzheimer's Risk can be Reduced

A plan

Diet and exercise are the most obvious anyway so only the specifics of this article should be the focus. 

Fish oil, healthy fats, reduced blood sugar, and more exercise seem to be key. 

Doubles: Body Shots in Tennis during Net Play

Aiming for the body can be a legitimate target to force an error and not to necessarily hit your opponent.  It's usually their choice to turn and submit, face it,  or bail out and exit the court. I had a high school coach who was a college player at one time tell me to aim for the hip on the left, meaning actually the right hip which would always cause a difficult forehand volley response. 

Think of Safety and Drawing Errors

I never aimed high as in head shots or high chest. Generally you were trying to draw errors to either win the point outright or set up the next shot. I've told opponents more than once that if you can't handle the net you shouldn't be there. Of course if I were playing social doubles rather than some competitive match I'd generally just take it easy on them and come up with an alternative. 

A Generally Safe Approach

One thing I always counseled students to do is aim for the feet no matter where your opponent is on the court and you'll improve your chances of defending your position and it's a fair and safe way to be aggressive. That assumes you are in a position to reach their feet. If they're close to the net then that situation doesn't exist, but then a lob is easier to employ. This also may be because I've softened in my old age and don't want to hurt anyone.   

Why Go for the Feet 

A simple reason to go for the feet is that you will be driving the ball down and your opponent will be forced to angle the ball upward.  If you close on the net in this circumstance you'll often have a finishing shot available.

Tennis Teaching Certifications: Do they matter?

Yes they do but here is something to remember when it comes to getting someone into tennis.  Patience and a good demeanor in a beginning tennis coach goes a lot farther than a hard case high demand coaching approach.  Leave them with fun as the main memory from tennis classes.

Regarding Tennis Teaching Organizations and Certifications

They have raised training and skills standards over the decades to address any deficiencies in coaching that may exist. Consider the alternative where there is no certification available other than just high end coaching skills from elite organizations and you have no room for expanding the tennis community by offering coaches that can serve the recreational beginning tennis market. I remember as a kid at age 7 or earlier taking my first lessons from a county instructor who was a high school student. It was the only tennis instruction available back in the early 1960's where I lived and the cost was $5 for a series. This instructor got me started with nothing more than hitting with me and some basic advice and yet I remember him as a superb example of what I would like for a coach to get me into the sport. I'd love to thank him for getting me started. He had no certifications that I remember.

My Experience with the PTR

I think that the PTR does care about improvements to tennis teaching and qualifications. I've had many years of interactions with their members, trainers, and staff. I joined them a few years after they began the organization and took the TennisUniversity from Dennis Van Der Meer. To me, it's a superb organization. They have raised training and skills standards over the decades to address any deficiencies in coaching that may exist. Consider the alternative where there is no certification available other than just high end coaching skills from elite organizations and you have no room for expanding the tennis community by offering coaches that can serve the recreational beginning tennis market.

Retirement: Rest or Rust - Tennis may be the solution for both

Rest and Rust

The trick is to stay viable by doing things that keep you mentally and physically active.  Tennis has to be one of the best ways to stave off decline in both the physical and mental realm.  It offers protection from social Isolation along with physical activity and mental stimulation.

Stay on the court.

Tennis News: Fed Beats Mr.T in Basel, Fed Beats ADM in Basel for WIn

Fed Beats Mr. T

Fed Beats ADM  to win Basel

Murray Risks Severe Health Problems Says Physician - Cobalt Blood Poisoning

Murray Hip Surgery Risk

This doesn't sound good.  If he doesn't need the money he might consider just retiring for good and enjoying his health.  I know it's hard to take when you are used to being a star but there is more than just winning or competing.  This particular risk of blood poisoning is a serious concern.

Tilden: His Personal Collection Surfaces

Tilden

Though his personal life overshadowed his tennis career he was still a remarkable player so rather than removing him from tennis history just include the asterisk by his name as to why he has been intentionally forgotten.

Tennis Patience: Managing your mind - slow pokes

Why your brain hates slowpokes
Here is an article on the subject.

I came across this article online relating to our biological dislike of slow pokes and it seems to me that it applies to tennis players. I remember myself living in a world where speed was everything on the court and now know better. Back then it was net skimmers at top speed aiming for lines and I got the result I asked for which was a very inconsistent game. Some days I was hot and other days I could beat anyone. That was 50 years ago. Considering that problem, I trained myself first when young and later students to develop the ability to hit upwards of 100 shots in a row between two players as part of their forced discipline of learning concentration and patience. Of course we start at lower numbers but that is a goal. Power arrives naturally over time with this approach as part of the overall goal of becoming stingy on giving out points to your opponent. Repetitive drills can be useful in that regard.

Once you realize that you have have biology working against you in certain ways you can also then find a way to subvert it.  How does this apply to tennis.  In particular it is important that you learn to develop the reliable patience of a tennis player like Medvedev who drives other players crazy with his precision and perfect shot selection.  Move to the other end of the spectrum and you have Kygrios with a brilliant game and unlimited skills but no mental discipline to make his skills work for him.

Specifically, I suggest that you make patience part of your training when it comes to drills and in between points.  Make a mental effort not to be rushed to get to the end of the point and onto the next one.  Of course if you ever reach the stage where you have a clock on your with umpires you'll have to avoid the long dribbling before serving but beyond that learn to be focused on staying strategic in all of your play.

Drills:  do ball count drills for hitting with partners and see if you can combined reach 100 shots without error.  Eventually if you can do this to a specific location on the court you've achieved a high level of precision.  Then move up to varied drills that require cross court and down the line at whatever speed it takes to maintain reliability.  Rather than going for speed and hoping that reliability will arrive come in from the other direction and slowly build up your ability to hit out with the same level of consistency you had at a lower speed.

These are just ideas but as a coach and player I can remember myself losing because I was impatient with another player's pace.  Unless you can overcome that player with your placement or shot selection it then becomes important for you to become more patient than they are even if it means going against your game.  Think of that as another form of training so you can expand your boundaries of skill.

Diet: Western Diet

How the Western diet had derailed our evolution

Eating high fiber food closer to its original form is a good way to combat the risks to your health.

News: Nadal to #1 in November, White House Tennis, Rolex signs Andreescu, Tennis Prize Money Fight Looming

Rafa back to #1


Great News for Tennis - White House Takes Notice
White House Begins Construction of New Tennis Pavilion 

Private Donations Funding Pavilion

Andreescu signs with Rolex

Prize Money Fight Looming at Grand Slams

Medvedev - the new master of shot selection

He now admits that he has learned to play smart. His opponents say that he gives them nothing to work with and commits few errors.  It sounds as if he's arrived and will be the next entry into the dominant four to lock out most other competitors.

Daniil Medvedev - the rise and rise

Book Recommendation: Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin

I highly recommend this book for anyone hoping to improve their performance in any realm.

Reading through this book I agree with the author and the conclusions ring true while his analysis of what is important for success is observable.  This book is research based and is an excellent perspective for helping students and athletes understand how to achieve a high level of performance.  Success often comes down to hard work and focused practiced or what he calls deliberate practice.  Many great coaches know that to raise the game of a player it can often be helpful to pick a specific skill and then break down that skill into motions or very specific elements and practice and refine those while adjusting with feedback on performance.

If you want to learn a sport like tennis then the concepts found in this book can add a very useful perspective for improving performance.

This book should be on the shelf of any coach.

Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin

***** Five Stars

Diet: Chicken Production Questions for your health

$5 Chicken at Costco

So the question is how does this work in terms of healthy food.  Can you find better quality?   It's so hard to determine when it comes to this kind of product though I have noticed that organic chicken does seem to taste better without all of the added ingredients that go with Rotisserie Chicken.

As for taste, I've tried the Rotisserie Chicken at various food stores and yes it is wonderful, but is it wonderful for you.  I'd probably limit my intake and save it for those nights you choose carry out for dinner.

It's always best to prepare your own for cost and health, generally.

The Path to Expertise

Hopkins Study shows you a new approach to learning and mastery

This mirrors some of the ideas written on how learning by deliberate practice as outlined in the book Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin.

Use this approach to get yourself to the next level.  I suggest reading Colvin's book if you want to become an expert in any field and to make yourself an exceptional performer.  If you choose to accomplish this on the tennis court then you have an advantage of a large talent pool of coaches and teaching knowledge to get you there as well.  You have to do your part though.

4 Day Work Week - an Improvement

4 Days a week

To me this is an improvement.  Most people need a few extra hours each day to decompress from the daily grind and waste it at a bar or in front of a TV.  Why not just add a few extra hours to your day and come home exhausted enough to just rest and relax.  If this buys you an extra day of freedom each week I see it as a great tradeoff. 

Choose wisely what you'll do on your free days and I suggest finding some time for tennis somewhere in there.  If you have some other physical activity then do that but consider that tennis players tend to have better health and can stay active in their sport much longer than most.  It's also a social sport so you can balance your life out in more ways than a physical activity.

Choose Tennis

Courier: Making Tennis Better for Everyone

Courier

Sustainable Tennis Balls - Wilson new Technology

This is about time.  I've been wondering when they'd get around to improving tennis balls like they have rackets, shoes, and clothing.

It was so wasteful in so many ways.  The price on these may be justified if you get to use them longer without replacement so in this rare case of so called improvements it could be a WIN! WIN!

We'll see.  In the meantime at least they're trying.

Wilson Trinity Ball

Health, Stress, and Anxiety: 1 in 5 Nervous, Young are quitting jobs, Obesity,

1 in 5 in USA Nervous and ill with anxiety

Politics probably make this number as high as it is but also the drudgery of working jobs you don't like.


Young People quitting jobs


Obesity

Thoughts:

Limit what you eat in terms of bad food and quantity.  Drink more water.   Exercise - I suggest tennis.  Find work you like and can tolerate for the long term.

Andres Gimeno R.I.P.

Andres Gimeno  dies at 82.

French Open Winner

Life Lessons from Tennis: On the Court

Life lessons learned on the tennis court

The first order of business is to learn to enjoy the game so as a coach you should follow the path of least resistance to making students comfortable and criticism is not an ideal approach.

Make it fun for youngsters and adults alike.

Find ways to get students to look forward to another class both for their benefit and yours if you're the coach.

Life is Precious: Young Sports Journalist dies at 23

Carolina Lewis passes at age 23 - RIP

This sad story is another reminder to take every moment you have as precious and be thankful.  Condolences to her family for losing someone so young and full of hope is very difficult.

Health: Owning a dog increases lifespan, Vegetables, Space Meat

Dog Owners Live Longer

Combine the exercise you get from walking a dog to the companionship that comes with having a dog live with you and it's a great way to stay happy.


1 in 4 have never eaten vegetables

This can't be good.  Make sure you're not one of these people.


First meat grown in space lab 248 miles from earth

Soylent Beef or Space Meat or Brave New Hamburger

Does exercise help thinking: Sound Body Sound Mind

Sound Body Sound Mind

Smartphones are reason new players can't beat Fed

Smartphones

The inability to focus and the addiction to such a distraction may be part of it but in the end it comes down to talent.  They don't have it and if they do their heads aren't up to the task which has been around a long time.  The latest example is NK. 

Polypill for heart attack and stroke prevention

Poly Pill

This is a great concept for those facing heart attack and stroke risk especially if they have some underlying issues like high blood pressure and cholesterol worries.

Of course it will take much longer to have access to anything here in the USA but it is great to hear that international efforts at doing this are in progress.

Osaka - Lost her love of Tennis?

No fun since the Australian win

She needs to learn to step away from the fanfare and just get back to loving the game.    Ignore the media and find a way to not care.  Maybe she should spend some time with Fed so she can learn his secret of loving the game.

Fasting Cure - Regaining and Protecting Your Health

The Fasting Cure is No Fad

Read the article and you'll find a compilation of what recent research has confirmed and that is that your body needs rest from eating too, and not just exercise. 

This is a high value approach to maintaining your overall health.

Regretting LIfe Choices

4 our of ten adults regret their life choices.

If you go to the linked article it is a clear example that many people are unhappy with their decisions or the result of them.  Often we can't see ahead of us to know that what seems the proper choice is the worst thing for us in the long term.  How can we know?

One thing that keeps coming back to me is that most decisions made for financial reasons seem to drive me toward compromises or directions that move against my true nature.  It then reminds me that in competition in sports if you are a very competitive person and can't stand losing then you will be bound to get less joy out of your participation. 

So a for instance is tennis where you can often on any public court find someone who never wants to just rally or practice but wants to keep score.  That's all fine except that there are many times I just don't want the struggle or the sense of either domination, aggression, or helpless losing that can come with running up against someone playing better than you. 

Often for me it is players that are thirty years my junior and somehow they think they've accomplished something if they can somehow pull off a win.  Even on a practice court I ran up against a fellow teaching pro who had to prove himself superior in his serving.   He started complaining about my luck when I sliced a few wide serves on the line out of his reach for clean aces.  In one of his serves down the T I made a purposeful decision not to even move for it since my back was hurting bad and my arthritic hips wouldn't let me get it anyway.  He actually thought that I hadn't even been able to react and then came to gloating.  I knew that twenty plus years from now he'd either not be playing or facing the same decisions and if his ego let him understand it that I was simply choosing to not suffer and gain the most joy out of moments on the court.

As for regrets.  You have to have options to have regrets.  Do I regret that I never played professionally and instead took to teaching the sport?  No, because I never really had the option since a long list of reasons come to mind including injuries, lack of real coaching, and zero financial options to take that path.  I knew guys with the money backing them and even after many months over a course of years training at the best camps they would burn out and realize that it wasn't going to happen for them.  Most ended up in totally unrelated jobs.

Make the best decisions you can at the time with the knowledge at hand and if possible don't make them strictly for financial reasons but for your true nature and you'll most likely be happier for it.

Novak: Net Worth and his Grand Slams

Novak

Tennis News: French Open Odds - Rafa Predicted as Upset

Tennis Picks French Open

French Open Greenhouses

French

Golden Ace Tennis Racket - One of the Best Wood Graphite Composite Frames from the 80's

This is a new frame that is almost 40 years old.  It's going up for sale on Ebay along with some others.  If you are interested in buying one please contact me through tennis at brentherrick dot com.

I'm asking $60 for a New Pro Kennex Golden Ace with $11 shipping.

Here is the Ebay Listing  

Tennis News: Kyrgios, Tennis Resorts, Fed Perfect Body for Tennis, Italian Open,

Kyrgios Vents on Nadal

We know what is bad for tennis and it isn't Rafa.  If hotheads could be voted out of tennis like they vote people off the Island in Survivor we know who would be back in Australia teaching a whole new generation of players to act like fools.

Tennis Resorts Online


Fed Perfect Body for Tennis

It's hard to argue against.

Rafa and Pliskova win Italian Open

Greek Tennis

Lendl Racket Style from the 80's - War Club on the Tennis Court

Kneissl White Star

This is the type of racket Lendl used to bludgeon his opponents from the baseline.

Kneissl Returns

If you're interested in getting one of these I just put mine up for auction on Ebay.  Starting price $39.50









Ivan Lendl Wiki

Eating After 8pm - Death Wish

After 8pm Meals

Metabolic syndrome.  Well, it has taken them this long to figure this out, the experts.  Every decade and now every two years another FAD comes our way that is replaced by so called research.  Most people learned by experience that excess carbs added weight.  This is long time knowledge from observation and doctors going back to the 50's and 60's already had this tidbit though they often didn't pass it along to patients.  Now it appears that the best way to manage your food intake is to have a long time between dinner and breakfast and if you eat after 8pm and then go to bed by 9 or 10 then yes it will be a problem.  Also, it seems to matter what type of food you're eating.  It would be nice if they would settle on something rather than this moving target for how to live in a healthy fashion.

Gimelstob Resigns

Gimelstob

Italian Open: Fed Lodges Complaint, Rain

Fed - Courts slippery

Rain Wash Out

Kyrgios: Out of Control

Tantrum ends match

What is there to say but that he is proving that talent isn't everything.  It takes the right mental framework which he apparently lacks.

Big 3 Retirement - tennis after they retire - will it survive

Tennis Will Survive

Of course it will survive but will it have the luster of today's Men's game.  We have been in a Golden Era unlike any since the 70's when you had many holdovers from the Aussie domination of tennis in the 60's and then the American dominance combined with Borg that made for an amazing time in tennis.  It will survive but let's hope some great players are on the horizon.

Cancer Cure: Out of Control and Beyond the Confines of Modern Medicine, Cure in 10 Years

Cancer Cure

As with any cure stories I read them but only to look for direction in the way cures may develop.  Hopefully some real and sustaining cures will make most of what constitutes cancer treatment a relic of the past.

Cure in 10 Years

Best Wishes to Nicole Gibbs: Cancer Surgery

U.S. Tennis Pro Nicole Gibbs to undergo cancer surgery

We wish her well with a speedy recovery.

Tennis News: Whistleblower Spurned, Chang Home Sale, Medeveva, Roddick, Goolagong, Barty, Fognini, Rafa

Players Spurn Whistleblower

After exposing tennis crooks, spurned.

Chang Lists house for $8mil

Medvedev - how far can he go

Roddick Reflects on American Tennis

Goolagong Praises Barty

Barty Stars in Fed Cup

Fognini at Monte Carlo

Rafa - greatest competitor ever

Health: The risk of superbugs and antibiotic resistance

Superbugs - A major health risk

Tennis News: Souza Provisionally Suspended, Where have all the U.S. tournaments gone, Novak

Souza


U.S. Tournaments Gone


Osaka's Former Coach has new job


Novak Destroys Racket

Health: Massage Therapy Benefits

Massage Therapy

Becker on why Federer Cannot be the Greatest Ever - Then there's Novak

Becker on why Federer Cannot be the Greatest Ever

Of course what it appears he means is that an individual player's style may mean that someone could own him, somewhat like Nadal did for a long time.  How do you judge?

Grand slam wins counts would put Laver at the top with Two of all of the majors in one calendar year.  Then Don Budge who no one ever mentions with his monster backhand.

Total slam event wins would put Federer at the top for Men's.

Then to say without Nadal Federer would have had another five or more French opens ignores that Laver stayed out of the major slam events for almost a decade when he went professional to pay the bills in the Era before open tennis where it was okay to play professionally and play the once amateur events.  He may have added another calendar year slam to his total and surely would have added a bunch of slam event wins were it not for being deprived of the opportunity.

On the other hand, had most players not grown up in a town with no tennis instructors of any kind maybe one of them would have won them all.  We'll never know.  Speculation is all this is.  Use the numbers that exist to make an argument.

It seems that Becker is arguing that he would have made life tough for Fed.  Sorry, didn't happen.

Then there's Novak. 

He might get more support once Fed is out.

Health: Cell Tower Cancer Cluster, Vaccines, Best and worst foods for your liver

Cell Tower Risk

Vaccine Auto-immune risk

Best and Worst Foods for your Liver

Tennis News: Game of life, Pickleball, Bouchard Bored and Lonely

Game of Life - a game for life - Tennis

Pickleball going for tennis courts

Bouchard  - looking for a personal life with tennis on backburner

Nike Signs Osaka

Osaka 

Federer News: Tennis Outfits, Fed Chats Football,

We have awful looking tennis outfits

Del Potro Talks Football with Federer