tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43048745932486101102024-03-18T19:54:44.388-07:00I HEART TENNIS!I HEART TENNIS! Just some insights into the sport I love, from both playing and watching for about 35 years. I have also been playing year-round for over 15 years when a move to sunny California enabled this. I have also coached high school tennis for 5 years and posted over 400 times to the Tennis Warehouse message boards. Finally, I also have a background in distance running, starting with cross country in high school and doing 10k's, half and full marathons from 1985-1993 primarily.paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-25820212625092481292013-09-06T11:13:00.000-07:002013-09-06T11:14:28.003-07:00A Tale of Two Faces<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wNVx0OSWa-g/UioT7469b9I/AAAAAAAAArY/Og85cokhV2A/s1600/ana+ivanovic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wNVx0OSWa-g/UioT7469b9I/AAAAAAAAArY/Og85cokhV2A/s320/ana+ivanovic.jpg" width="320" /></a>A few days ago, Ana Ivanovic lost her 4th round match at the US Open to Victoria (love to shriek) Azarenka. On multiple occasions, Azarenka played amazing drop shots, resulting generally in Ivanovic arriving a step late to make a decent shot. It happened twice in a single game. Ana's response? SHE SMILED both times! Yep. And Ivanovic lost a close, tight three set match. But she was IN the match!<br />
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About two days later, Andy Murray lost his quarterfinal match to Stanislas Warinka. On more occasions than I care to recall, Andy completely lost it, having more in common with a petulant 4 year old, than a world class athlete. It was embarrassing to watch. Oh yeah, he lost too. But he didn't lose, he sucked. He had as much chance of winning than I have of convincing Miley Cyrus to keep her clothes on.<br />
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In lots of sports, it helps to have a bad memory. You hit a bad putt, throw an interception, miss a volley, <b>fugetaboutit! To focus on the bad shot only helps your opponent. </b>But in Murray's case, he took it a step further. To add insult to insult, Murray would scream at himself even when Warinka would hit an amazing winner. A classy response would be <i>clapping</i> your own racquet, not a tantrum.<br />
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I guess the moral of the story is if you are going to lose, keep it classy. Ivanovic did and almost won. Murray didn't and got clobbered. And here's another thought, let's get a Kickstarter campaign going for Andy Murray so this millionaire can get him some psychological help. I'm serious.<br />
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paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-40580670081943265582013-08-16T11:28:00.001-07:002013-08-16T12:39:27.946-07:00Playing tennis, outside the box<strong><em>You hit the best junk, and I mean that as a compliment.</em></strong> My friend said that to me on the courts the other day. And he did mean it as a compliment. And why do I hit "junk"? Because variety of shots is a weapon. There is nothing worse than watching two juniors hitting long baseline rallies, no one getting close to the net for fear of getting passed. When you get off the baseline and take the ball early, amazing opportunities are available. <br />
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I never really watched Martina Hingis in her prime but she was alleged to see the court differently, and hit shots that no one else hit because she actually came in, or sometimes found out that "no man's land" still afforded some opportunities. <br />
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<a href="http://craphound.com/images/3514744358_7a045c2b96_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" ksa="true" src="http://craphound.com/images/3514744358_7a045c2b96_o.jpg" width="320" /></a>At my age and size, I can occasionally flatten out a ball (or two) and hit some groundies probably over 60mph. I would guess many of mine are less than 50. But when you move into the court and take the ball early, that 48mph approach into the corner, or right up the middle or hitting a 35mph slice into a corner for a clean winner actually happens. That was a common shot until the mid 70's when POWER became king and people forgot about finesse. Today grunting is common, touch - not so much.</div>
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I am THRILLED when I see a junior that can slice a backhand, not in desperation, but to change tactics and variety. I am also thrilled when I see it because it's so rare but I also know that this junior also knows how to play the power game, but smartly shifting gears and throw in some unorthodox shots to see how the opponent will handle it.</div>
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When I was coaching high school boys back in the 2005-2009 years, one of the first years a boy yelled at me and walked off the court because "nobody hits like you, you're not helping us prepare at all". What sin had I committed? When he pounded my backhand, I hit slices back to him which he generally hit wide or dumped into the net. True, most guys his age didn't hit that shot, but the top 100 players in the state absolutely hit that shot, to great effect.</div>
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Variety. It's a good thing. You wouldn't want to eat your favorite meal every day for a month would you? Spice up your tennis by moving into the court almost whenever possible. You will see angles you have never seen before and hit approach shots that will suprisingly go for winners because your opponents time will be cut short. Do it. Have some fun out there by trying out some new things, new shots, new strategy.</div>
paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-62604570097711008052012-12-02T22:20:00.002-08:002012-12-02T22:21:48.115-08:00My LOVE of Doubles!The first step in any good ol' 12 Step Group is to admit you have a problem and need help. It wasn't exactly like that but close when I spoke the immortal words about 2 weeks ago out on the court, <i>I like doubles MORE than singles! </i> I like it for several reasons. One is it's more social. I like the guys (and sometimes gals) I play with. I like them a lot. Second, it's more unpredictable. In singles, I know that I am going to hit (or try to) every ball that comes over the net. In doubles, it may be zero balls in a 20 ball rally, or it may be the 2nd, 6th, 8th, 10th. There is strategy also. When you are positioned at the net, you can use intuition or flat out guess and try and intercept a diagonal baseline rally. <br />
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Don't get me wrong. I still love singles, but the added unpredictability and the additional partners in doubles, (we rotate after each set) really set it apart from the singles game. paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-11163920352236250242012-06-22T21:14:00.001-07:002013-02-19T15:22:00.966-08:00The Classic Dilemma<br />
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Okay, summer is here - I think we established that factoid in the last post. And yesterday I am playing with my friend who can't seem to put most of his shots in. Today he's off by a lot, maybe 6 feet on most of his shots. We sit and talk. I look at his strings. They are all over the place and of course since I strung it myself in April, I can only blame myself. But he says both his racquets are strung way too loose and he has no control. He does use an oversized racquet. I think it's 27.75 inches and 110+ head size so with a 28mm beam, power is no problem. He wanted it strung at the low end because to string higher he has arm pain. The classic dilemma. We talked for a bit and I mentioned that the better strings, the multifilaments, while costing a lot more, have more power AND better control. They seem to "pocket" the ball.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PdjCzwkL1YI/T-VCSrsJ8mI/AAAAAAAAAn8/rhCXMqsDH4w/s1600/kle0081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PdjCzwkL1YI/T-VCSrsJ8mI/AAAAAAAAAn8/rhCXMqsDH4w/s1600/kle0081.jpg" /></a><b>There is another solution however.</b> Switch to a more flexible racquet. His beam of 28+mm tells me that he has stiffness to spare. And since the racquet is really big too, that may translate into a lighter than good for your arm sub 11 ounces. <br />
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This is a site I have referred many people to. <span style="color: blue;"> <a href="http://racquetresearch.com/">http://racquetresearch.com/</a> </span>. It starts off a bit technical but then explains in fairly basic layman terms why a heavy racquet is good and so is a flexible one compared to stiff. It's worth a read. If you have a sore arm problem, it may thank you.paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-87744410065483402532012-06-19T19:34:00.000-07:002013-02-19T15:25:08.432-08:00Welcome Back Summer!<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1oDx5OvHV2A/T-E2OyQ6AhI/AAAAAAAAAnw/6B9v7ZhFfVw/s1600/real-lawnchair.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1oDx5OvHV2A/T-E2OyQ6AhI/AAAAAAAAAnw/6B9v7ZhFfVw/s320/real-lawnchair.jpeg" width="320" /></a>It's that time of the year again! Summer! And while I get to play more now, I also play in hotter weather and I am snapping strings every two weeks now. Bummer. Good thing I string my own. And as I may have said in posts of long ago, strings act differently at 65 degrees than they do at 85. Therefore, I adjust my strings to about 2 - 4 pounds tighter to make up for the elasticity that seems to go with the hot weather. <br />
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What else do I adjust? I bring a FULL 2 liters now to drink. Rarely do I finish it all but have about once a week for the last 3 weeks shared some of my Cytomax brew with partners and opponents who did not plan ahead and run dry. <br />
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Finally, in addition to lathering on the sunscreen (30, or 50 SPF is my preferred range), I also do the popular if not nerdy thing and bring <b><i>LAWN CHAIRS</i></b> so we don't have to sit in full sun at changeovers and wonder why or why are we playing on such a hot day. A little breeze while sitting in the shade during a changeover is <i>almost </i>pleasant enough to help you forget that sitter you blew at the net a minute earlier. <br />
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Enjoy the summer hitting and let's be prepared out there!paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-39721497111848940182012-03-23T11:22:00.007-07:002012-03-23T13:46:31.796-07:00Serving in Doubles<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JriMDC_N7-4/T2zecp-RehI/AAAAAAAAAno/GfqQzhb2-xM/s1600/doubles-tennis-tactics.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 142px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723193810365807122" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JriMDC_N7-4/T2zecp-RehI/AAAAAAAAAno/GfqQzhb2-xM/s200/doubles-tennis-tactics.jpg" /></a><br /><div>I am not the only one. <span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>I serve differently in doubles than I do in singles. And I am not so sure this is a good thing.</strong></span></div><br /><div></div>I serve harder in singles than I do in doubles and I have noticed the same in others. If I miss the first serve in singles, no big deal. If however, I float a safe second serve, at say 70% in for doubles, my partner at the net might lose his neck- literally!<br /><div>I am willing to suffer the consequences more in singles for a weak 2nd serve but in doubles, I will pull back to 80-85% power on a first serve - not wanting to fear an aggressive second serve return. </div><br /><div>There are others however, that DO serve the same in singles as well as doubles. And these people also generally serve the same first and second serve. This explains why some of my friends in doubles who I partner with will have 6 to 8 double faults, in a set! I am not upset with them but feel bad for them as they probably feel lousy for letting me down.</div><br /><div>What's the secret? Not sure, I may have to query the Bryan Bros, tandem team extraordinaire! But for me, for now, I will continue to move my serves around the box, mixing flat and spin and work on beefing up my 2nd serve to a 75-80% power.</div><br /><div>So what about you? Do you have a different serve based on playing singles or doubles?</div>paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-39172530718609106852012-03-13T20:54:00.006-07:002012-03-13T21:29:18.502-07:00Two Handed Monica!<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CQyLiNmqDYE/T2AcxWg502I/AAAAAAAAAnQ/93duHaibwZI/s1600/monica%2Bseles.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 139px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CQyLiNmqDYE/T2AcxWg502I/AAAAAAAAAnQ/93duHaibwZI/s200/monica%2Bseles.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719603160943285090" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Remember Monica?</span><br />She was a terror on the court, hitting big off both sides, with 2 hands both sides! But actually when I googled photos of Seles, I found a variety of pictures of her actually hitting a number of shots with one hand. Though I think she preferred to hit with power the two-handed forehand and backhand, she would pull her hand off the racquet with some frequency when the shot necessitated it.<br /><br />I recall watching a match recently that Maria Sharapova played and the only time she didn't try and hit a two handed backhand was when someone hit very short to her, like a half volley or a drop shot to draw her in. With hard balls driven to her backhand side deep, she routinely chose not to be able to reach and make the shot- rather than pull one hand off the racquet and give herself the extra inches to make a play on the ball. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">There is stubborn, and there is <span style="font-style: italic;">shoot yourself in the foot stubborn. </span></span><br /><br />I noticed Agassi later in his career made it a habit of hitting the wide running forehand "chop shot", a desperation (defensive) forehand hack slice to save time when he couldn't get there and make a proper topspin forehand.<br /><br />I don't know. To me when you are in a defensive posture on the court, I think it's smart to <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">employ an attitude of whatever-it-takes. </span> When I go back to cover a lob over my head, it's sure more stylish to hit a one handed shot, but I take the granny free-throw dorky approach, and grip my racquet with two hands and hit it straight back over my head. Compared to the one-handed shot, this for me is much more successful, looks be damned.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-xrqYcQb1R-yvDB3Hsr4asg9uO3Ds3gzrAtjXTCYDh8AViSJSeyTEtnlxNqOED1RKRYnPR9Sz0We6NqvLpPbKgmTdEkwqdZ0NN14opZijfORJKrrvi21vAD2dHQJvQ1nukqPDnG9UNmI/s1600/Maria+Sharapova+reaching+out+to+hit+her+back+hand.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-xrqYcQb1R-yvDB3Hsr4asg9uO3Ds3gzrAtjXTCYDh8AViSJSeyTEtnlxNqOED1RKRYnPR9Sz0We6NqvLpPbKgmTdEkwqdZ0NN14opZijfORJKrrvi21vAD2dHQJvQ1nukqPDnG9UNmI/s200/Maria+Sharapova+reaching+out+to+hit+her+back+hand.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719603285953722706" border="0" /></a><br />So Maria, (Venus Williams) and others out there glued to the two handed backhand-- (which I personally hit 70% of the time in singles, and 95% of the time in doubles), free up the racquet and block the ball back with one hand when you can just barely get to it. Sure it won't be an offensive shot, but rather give yourself a chance, rather than lunging at the ball with two hands unsuccessfully, time after time.paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-52798013704349225352011-06-02T08:16:00.001-07:002013-02-19T15:30:25.570-08:00Oh Maria...<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VJvlizB_bxQ/Tee1L0NPUDI/AAAAAAAAAl8/9g16nK_2dzA/s1600/mariasharapova.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613654675137974322" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VJvlizB_bxQ/Tee1L0NPUDI/AAAAAAAAAl8/9g16nK_2dzA/s200/mariasharapova.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 191px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 136px;" /></a><br />
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Apparently Maria <em>Shriek</em>-a-pova isn't a big reader of my blog. If she had looked over this post from February--<span style="color: #3366ff;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://paul-ihearttennis.blogspot.com/2011/02/whats-worse-than-double-fault.html"><span style="color: #3366ff;"><strong>http://paul-ihearttennis.blogspot.com/2011/02/whats-worse-than-double-</strong></span></a><a href="http://paul-ihearttennis.blogspot.com/2011/02/whats-worse-than-double-fault.html">fault.html</a></div>
-- about <strong><span style="color: red;">double faulting</span></strong>, maybe she wouldn't be back to making wedding plans with her LA Laker Lover instead of playing in the Roland Garros finals.<br />
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Of the 10 double faults she had in two sets, 2 were particularly troubling. One was on a break point against her at 4-3 in the second set and the other was on match point. That's right, <span style="color: red;"><strong>Maria lost her Roland Garros semi-final match by double faulting on MATCH POINT.</strong></span> Here is what she had to say after the match: <em>“At times, I didn’t serve well, and was rushing more than maybe I had to, and maybe—considering the conditions—maybe I was just trying to go for too big of second serves, especially.”</em> Really Maria, ya think?</div>
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Granted, Li Na is an excellent returner, most of the women on the pro tour are. And look at Maria's serving speed average, 158 and 154Km per hr. For those of you who can't do the math in your head<em>-- including me--</em> that's 2.54 MPH slower on her second serve. <strong>What are you thinking Maria? On a windy day when you have already been broken on a double fault, after 9 double faults, you go for too much on your serve on MATCH POINT? </strong></div>
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But she's young, only 24. She'll have lots more time for weddings, and shrieks of delight and... frustration in her future.</div>
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And to you <strong>Li Na, you go girl!</strong><br />
<em>(are people still saying that?=)</em></div>
paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-83011418184622790812011-05-11T13:38:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:32:20.691-07:00Using Our Tennis Brain<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAg6krI5yGwGhA3yt8mUrYb7NYBcCLTkWT69K8AuCKOZQ4f-axxpOkLUMYrHU__Q2P3-toMmLMKyYU-fRROvp-7dzZ_03y1v0HXQ1RnfES8oZFhdkt45zWOWeNCY7wYogEFkVzKE3Dwxw/s320/Brain-clip-art.gif"><img style="WIDTH: 190px; HEIGHT: 130px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAg6krI5yGwGhA3yt8mUrYb7NYBcCLTkWT69K8AuCKOZQ4f-axxpOkLUMYrHU__Q2P3-toMmLMKyYU-fRROvp-7dzZ_03y1v0HXQ1RnfES8oZFhdkt45zWOWeNCY7wYogEFkVzKE3Dwxw/s320/Brain-clip-art.gif" /></a><br /><div>I am playing EPIC doubles yesterday with the guys. I double faulted - which is not my usual M.O. but you know, it happens. Then before my next serve I remembered my rule: GET THE NEXT SERVE IN. I did, but I watch lots of other players who after a double fault put a third serve OUT... then it's like a 50-50 with lots of players, half the time it's ANOTHER double fault or they get it in.</div><br /><div><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>What tennis rules do you have for yourself?</strong></span> <em>Don't overswing when trying to pass someone at the net? A well placed lob can be as good as a pass? </em></div><br /><div><strong>Our tennis brain can STORE this information but we need to retrieve it when needed and apply it. Make rules for yourself regarding your warm-up, second serve returns, or whatever has worked for you in the past that you think is important.</strong></div><br /><div>God gave us a brain not just so we can enjoy old <em>Everybody Loves Raymond</em> reruns, but also so we can learn from our mistakes and our successes. That's a good blue-print for tennis as well as life.</div>paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-79151326017351899892011-05-09T21:29:00.001-07:002011-06-02T10:08:28.338-07:00In Praise of Smallness: The Humble Dampener<div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k098RYoYoc8/TcjH_mIGDBI/AAAAAAAAAlc/aKuvmMv06R4/s1600/d3.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604949631642766354" style="WIDTH: 147px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 84px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k098RYoYoc8/TcjH_mIGDBI/AAAAAAAAAlc/aKuvmMv06R4/s200/d3.png" border="0" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KctFaFOUjR4/TcjH_dO-XyI/AAAAAAAAAlU/JHJS-GXfesc/s1600/d5.png"></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_okgZrn5wdY/TcjH_MdBMuI/AAAAAAAAAlM/VOrtVFyauNs/s1600/d4.png"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ii7fWGW569w/TcjH-6B5zUI/AAAAAAAAAlE/m4Xc5Mp0pNU/s1600/d2.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604949619805637954" style="WIDTH: 168px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 79px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ii7fWGW569w/TcjH-6B5zUI/AAAAAAAAAlE/m4Xc5Mp0pNU/s200/d2.png" border="0" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EukZNYMF8Ng/TcjJA3JdMDI/AAAAAAAAAlk/V2odi1rXitc/s1600/d7.png"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UMX_SN6IG4A/TcjK-4srHCI/AAAAAAAAAls/WNMQJBRiwiQ/s1600/d9.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604952917983042594" style="WIDTH: 122px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 84px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UMX_SN6IG4A/TcjK-4srHCI/AAAAAAAAAls/WNMQJBRiwiQ/s200/d9.png" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><p><br /><span style="color:#ffff99;"><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)"><strong>OMG</strong></span>! I cannot believe I am writing about this topic. But before I go further, there have been one (or more) of my previous posts about <em>not</em> sweating the racquets so much, and here I am<em> sweating the REALLY small stuff! </em>Having said that, I owe my tennis amigo Ian a thank you for the inspiration for this. He is all about finding the smallest-lightest dampener and for me, it's more about the size or length that matters <em><span style="color:#ffcccc;">(uh, we are still talking about DAMPENERS aren't we?!?).</span></em> I find that if using a poly hybrid (poly in mains, nylon in crosses), I can get by with as little as a rubber band and it feels/sounds fine. With full nylon as most of my racquet set-ups are, I need something the size of a dime to a quarter to do the trick, which impacts maybe two to three main strings and the bottom cross.<br /><br />And then there's my latest racquet condundrum- a Yonex RDIs 200. I strung it around midpoint in tension and it was hard for me to hit... too tight. Then I went 3 lbs lighter and with warmer weather upon us, I was launching balls from Griffith Park to just shy of my Burbank home! And then I found the right dampener. It had been maybe 5 years since I had used a "worm" style dampener that weaves in and out of the mains strings, contacting generally between 4 and 6 strings. And you know what? It helped control the power considerably and changed the sound from a very annoying metallic ping, back to the dull "thud" that I am use to.</span></p><br /><br /><p><span style="color:#ffff99;">A scientist friend of mine remarked recently at Indian Wells how quiet the balls sounded when coming off the racquets of the players. He then went on to say that sound is energy, implying that there wasn't a lot of wasted energy. If sound is indeed a form of energy or represents energy, then changing the sound (and feel) with a dampener does indeed change the power of a racquet - even though there are posts galore on message boards swearing that the use of a dampener is "all in ones head". And even if that were to be true, the mental edge or added confidence of playing with a dampener is still significant. So racquet techies, while I am not a fan of tricking out a racquet with lead tape to change it's playing characteristics, I am in favor of experimenting and finding the right dampener. While not as significant for ones tennis as losing 5 to 10 pounds or learning better technique, it does have its place in the tennis kingdom - albeit a very small niche.</span> </p>paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-16100819147913493512011-02-24T12:00:00.000-08:002011-02-24T14:16:19.085-08:00The Demo Dilemma<div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>In Praise of Balance and Swingweight</strong></span></div><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Om_AGzkpq1I/TWbRqvHtezI/AAAAAAAAAkU/GuyKLXhEiak/s1600/racquets.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 252px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 116px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577375720678456114" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Om_AGzkpq1I/TWbRqvHtezI/AAAAAAAAAkU/GuyKLXhEiak/s320/racquets.jpg" /></a>About every 15-18 months I like to demo some new tennis racquets. The four that I just returned to Tennis Warehouse (TW) were two from Prince and two from Yonex.</div><br /><div>The thing that irks me a bit is that when I first started demoing racquets perhaps 7-8 years ago from TW, they were all strung with a quality multifilament (high end nylon) like Tecnifibre NRG2 and they were strung at mid-point + 2 lbs. Today you get them and you are lucky if you can even identify 2 of the 4 strings. Forget about tension, there is no way of knowing because a lot of tennis-techies will cut out the existing strings and restring them with their favorite string at a tension they generally like to play.</div><br /><div>And as most of us already know, <em>string composition, from gut to nylon to polyester,</em> varies the feel greatly. Coupled with that, increasing or decreasing string tension can result in power and control for your style if strung correctly. </div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OnhtajdJzqA/TWbTNQ5CkrI/AAAAAAAAAk0/C3Rh6j5Y2Uk/s1600/balance.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 202px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 207px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577377413370909362" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OnhtajdJzqA/TWbTNQ5CkrI/AAAAAAAAAk0/C3Rh6j5Y2Uk/s320/balance.jpg" /></a><br /><div><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">So about the only thing you can demo when trying out a new racquet is the FEEL while swinging,</span></strong> volleying and serving. For instance, I found I could hit groundstrokes fine with the Prince XO3 but the swingweight and balance prevented me from serving well, especially when it came to a kickserve. Furthermore, demoing a racquet when you are fresh at the start of a hitting session often feels different when you are tired after 90+ minutes. The swingweight is more obvious to you when you are tired than when you are fresh. </div><br /><div>The size of the sweetspot and the power/control ratio can always be tweaked later when stringing for your preferences but if it it doesn't feel good-- balance and weightwise-- then no amounts of stringing and restringing are going to make it feel better. Of course there are those among us who use lead tape at various places to alter the playing characteristics, and I was one of those briefly 7 or so years ago, but that is a slippery slope-- always tweaking it, never satisfied. </div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j8Csps2ET8Y/TWbSmwAVDmI/AAAAAAAAAkk/vaKHNICiXMo/s1600/strings.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 237px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 124px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577376751708081762" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j8Csps2ET8Y/TWbSmwAVDmI/AAAAAAAAAkk/vaKHNICiXMo/s320/strings.jpg" /></a></div><div></div><div></div><div><strong></strong> </div><div><strong>To summarize, don't flip out and say that one racquet has too much or too little power when trying out a new stick.</strong> The stringing can greatly influence power level and control but you can correctly evaluate the balance and swingweight even before you hit a ball, just by going through the various strokes you will be playing in a match. That should be your primary guide in selecting a new racquet.</div></div></div></div></div></div>paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-24832535607274404492011-02-14T08:52:00.000-08:002011-05-10T10:22:46.921-07:00Playing Relaxed or Playing Tense...<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g8xAn7YngnA/TVlj0GeasSI/AAAAAAAAAj8/8QxYEgas4Kg/s1600/mental%2Btennis.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 155px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573595760590237986" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g8xAn7YngnA/TVlj0GeasSI/AAAAAAAAAj8/8QxYEgas4Kg/s200/mental%2Btennis.jpg" /></a> <br /><div><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">More on the MENTAL Side of Tennis</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong></strong></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Here an excerpt from a PGA Tour article about actor Bill Murray and his playing partner D.A. Points who had just won the Pebble Beach golf tournament yesterday. This is Bill Murray speaking:</div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><em><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#003300;"><strong>I think most people playing in a tournament, or in any enterprise, they just get too nervous, but staying loose, I mean, the best people in any profession, the whole thing is about being as relaxed as you can. Michael Jordon is all about being relaxed. He's the greatest there was and couldn't be more relaxed and great actors are the same way. There's almost no tension in them.</strong></span></em></div><br /><div><em></em></div><br /><br /><div>About 3 years ago I was playing in a tennis league and I recall feeling nervous as I played this guy in singles that I had never met before. Between the first two sets I recall trying to talk to him someone energetically about stringing as I sensed he (and I) were both a bit nervous, but he more so because it looked like he was playing poorly compared to his ability and this conversation would help break the tension. He said <em>"listen, I will talk to you about whatever after we are done but not right now, sorry."</em></div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>I continued to play fairly well and he continued to play poorly. Instead of relaxing and playing with a guy he was starting to get to know better, he played worse, against a stranger, a nameless opponent.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">When coaching, I would ask my players who were they more relaxed playing against: a </span></strong><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2CXTkQ7Wj50/TVlj_KIQXMI/AAAAAAAAAkE/KyTgMyD_wJw/s1600/relaxed%2Btennis.jpg"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 230px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 173px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573595950549589186" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2CXTkQ7Wj50/TVlj_KIQXMI/AAAAAAAAAkE/KyTgMyD_wJw/s320/relaxed%2Btennis.jpg" /></span></strong></a><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">teammate or a stranger?</span></strong> A teammate of course. So I put this suggestion out there: during changeovers, talk to the other guy - ask him about his school, how long he's been playing, what other sports he plays - get to know him a bit. This way you begin to develop a relationship and you will be more at ease, more relaxed. And that can lead to better tennis. It doesn't mean that you can't think and concentrate when thinking about a service return, but now it's will be returning a ball from a person you know, not from some scary stranger.</div>paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-33076044360818948342011-02-09T08:57:00.001-08:002011-02-14T08:52:48.737-08:00What's Worse Than a Double Fault?<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eGbrTBUW950/TVLKzmlazzI/AAAAAAAAAjs/yooo4CtETJo/s1600/tennis%2Banger.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 148px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571738676890357554" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eGbrTBUW950/TVLKzmlazzI/AAAAAAAAAjs/yooo4CtETJo/s200/tennis%2Banger.jpg" /></a> <div>In tennis, there aren't too many things than a double fault. But I can think of one (or two) and that is TWO DOUBLE FAULTS (DF) BACK TO BACK, or just one DF on break-point, set-point or the biggest nightmare, a DF on match-point.</div><br /><div></div><div>When I coached I would always remind guys that <span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>after a DF try EXTRA HARD to get the next serve in.</strong></span> If not, you have just served 3 balls out, what are the odds that the next one is going to go in? <strong><em>The psyche is a fragile thing and confidence in yourself needs to remain high.</em></strong> Don't put yourself in that uncomfortable position. It even happens in the pro game. It's called a meltdown, and it's ugly when it happens to them and ugly if it ever happens to you.</div><br /><div></div><div>So remember, if you double fault, the next serve, throw in a 75% hard serve, with some extra spin to safely make it over the net (like a second serve) and play the point. Keep your confidence high and <strong><em>don't put extra pressure on yourself</em></strong>. That's your opponents job, just as your job is to put pressure on them.</div>paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-13455498790821692332010-12-15T13:59:00.000-08:002011-02-16T13:54:32.955-08:00Learning From Others Mistakes<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eGbrTBUW950/TQlKcGfrQPI/AAAAAAAAAiE/H06pxV5SAJw/s1600/stupid01.gif"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 239px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551049862351110386" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eGbrTBUW950/TQlKcGfrQPI/AAAAAAAAAiE/H06pxV5SAJw/s320/stupid01.gif" /></a><br /><div><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>What a sight I saw yesterday!</strong></span> </div><div> </div><div>Oh why didn't I take a picture! <strong>So you will have to use your imagination. <span style="color:#ff0000;">Picture this:</span></strong> There is approximately18-20 feet between the baseline and the back fence. This guy (late teens or so) was on the court next to me using a ball machine to hit from. Of those 18 -20 feet behind the baseline, he camped out to hit forehands about 6 feet from the back fence, <strong>meaning he was a good <em>Andy Roddick</em> TWELVE to FOURTEEN feet behind the baseline to hit the ball! </strong>Apparently he as auditoning for the new "anti taking the ball early" tennis campaign that was all the rage in 1943.</div><br /><div></div><div>If that wasn't bad enough it appeared he was trying to break his strings, his racquet, and/or his arm. He swung at every ball with every ounce of energy. I wouldn't want to be his arm today, especially considering at least 25% of the balls were flat and bounced twice before he hit them.</div><div></div><br /><div><strong>I applaud him ONLY for</strong> setting up the machine to roll heavy topspin deep into the court, kicking balls up shoulder high after landing within a foot or two of the baseline - we should ALL learn to hit those balls better. But his solution, to get back as far as humanly possible is probably the worst way to play that ball-- see an earlier post here- <a href="http://paul-ihearttennis.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-to-do-about-those-pesky.html">http://paul-ihearttennis.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-to-do-about-those-pesky.html</a> for other suggestions on how to play these deep balls. </div><div></div><div>So we can learn from our own mistakes or the mistakes of others. Either way, it should lead to better, more consistent tennis.</div>paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-83157043516626408502010-10-25T12:10:00.000-07:002010-10-26T10:33:12.592-07:00So Basic, it's Revolutionary!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eGbrTBUW950/TMXgKmJei_I/AAAAAAAAAg8/qJv4IcJwP90/s1600/water.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 283px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eGbrTBUW950/TMXgKmJei_I/AAAAAAAAAg8/qJv4IcJwP90/s320/water.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532074189938134002" /></a>I play hockey. Once or twice a week I lace up my ice skates and play hockey against a bunch of other gray-hairs like myself. Skating kicks my ass. It's mainly <b>an</b>aerobic and I drip sweat every game, a lot. (What's the TENNIS CONNECTION? stay tuned).<div><br /></div><div>About a month ago I was feeling a bit hungry before a game and I had a Clif Bar and maybe 15 ounces of water to wash it down. Guess what? I skated great... very strong, good endurance. Coincidence? Maybe. Since then I have not had another Clif Bar 30 minutes before a game but I have had 15-20 ounces of water chugged (room temperature allows you to swallow faster) and then gone out to play at least 3 times.</div><div><br /></div><div>Last Tuesday afternoon I donated a whole unit of blood. Losing those precious red blood cells (that carry oxygen) usually means 2 weeks of hard(er) labor on the ice. I skated yesterday, 4 days post donation and again pre-hydrated and guess what? I felt good, felt strong, much better than usual being down some hemoglobin. I know your body replenishes the blood volume in less than a hour or two but the iron in your blood far less quickly.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>So the application for tennis?</b></span> We ALL drink during a match, duh! But some of our tennis matches are particularly hard with a lot of running and pressure. <b>Does it make sense to PRE-hydrate if we know we are going to have a particularly hard match? Yup.</b> The lack of hydrating also cost me a few excruciatingly painful days with kidney stones about 10 years ago, due to dehydration. Mild dehydration which happens before your body's thirst sensation, also leads to fatigue. This is well documented through treadmill running studies and is actually now common sense for most athletes. So drink up, <b>before - during- and after </b>your athletic contest or training.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Water. It's what's for dinner. </b></div><div>;)</div>paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-25852795100240194592010-09-30T19:35:00.000-07:002010-12-04T18:06:22.967-08:00Don't Assume...<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eGbrTBUW950/TKVZl8e2LQI/AAAAAAAAAgk/IsOcnXBQXYo/s1600/serve.bmp"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 162px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522919026465320194" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eGbrTBUW950/TKVZl8e2LQI/AAAAAAAAAgk/IsOcnXBQXYo/s200/serve.bmp" /></a><br /><div>I have played a few men in the last 2-3 weeks that are around 5'6" or 5'7". The assumption I have when playing someone a few inches shorter than I am is to stand closer to the baseline for a service return because hey, they aren't going to overpower me. <em>WRONG DUNLOP BREATH!</em> In the latest match with a smaller server I was continually late in swinging and couldn't switch my grip or make the adjustment until I went back to my usual return position, 6+ feet beyond the baseline.</div><div></div><br /><div>This allowed me to "swing away" unless I wanted on occasion to creep inside the baseline to chip back a return to vary the pace. </div><div></div><div>So remember, don't assume and underestimate your opponent, they just might surprise you and surprises on the court by your opponent are not usually going to be in your favor.</div>paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-1044498059387453352010-08-25T12:22:00.000-07:002010-12-04T19:39:36.059-08:00April 24 post REVISITED!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eGbrTBUW950/THVwiTHODdI/AAAAAAAAAgU/IUrJZ01_XzE/s1600/tennis-serve.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 126px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509433453706087890" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eGbrTBUW950/THVwiTHODdI/AAAAAAAAAgU/IUrJZ01_XzE/s200/tennis-serve.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Serving During a Tie-Breaker</div><div></div><br /><div>The other day my partner and I had clawed our way back from 4 games down in a set to get ourselves into a tie-breaker. My partner was serving during the tie-break at 8-9 (set point). He faulted on his first serve meaning that if the next serve didn't go in we would lose the set! How is that for pressure? </div><div></div><br /><div>Long story short-- he got the serve in and we won the set 11-9. But the point of this is DON'T PUT YOURSELF (AND YOUR PARTNER) IN THAT POSITION. <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Get the <em>FIRST SERVE IN</em> for ALL THE BIG POINTS</span></strong> - and being down SET POINT is a pretty big point! </div>paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-77768051652101687262010-07-28T13:50:00.000-07:002010-08-27T09:55:59.969-07:00Having A Weapon!<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eGbrTBUW950/TFGYujOfqBI/AAAAAAAAAf0/lZUeiZMGUkU/s1600/new_taliban_secret_weapon.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499344545493526546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 167px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eGbrTBUW950/TFGYujOfqBI/AAAAAAAAAf0/lZUeiZMGUkU/s200/new_taliban_secret_weapon.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong>The tennis weapons are</strong> generally a forehand, backhand or serve. When my friend recently played in a tournament, winning his first match and losing the second, he told me, <em>"I need a weapon."</em> I don't think he was asking me about guns, knives or a taser, but something he could do on the court to trouble his opponent.</div><br /><div></div><div><strong>Could great defense be a weapon? Consistancy? Mixing UP a serve that tops out at 75 mph?</strong> Yup. All of those can be weapons. I even quipped initially to him that "correct scorekeeping" could be a weapon because when you play people my age (50!) and I say to him while I'm serving, <strong>30 - all?</strong> he can reply, "No, LOVE 40!"</div><br /><div>QUICKNESS can also be a weapon as can TENACITY. An opponent who seemingly gets to EVERYTHING causes you to overhit or go for too much with that volley or overhead or try and finish a point too early.</div><div></div><div>We can't all have Roddick's serve, Rafa's quickness or Soderling's (flat) forehand, but can all become better at one thing and maybe even be known for it.</div>paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-75912996057553414462010-05-26T09:30:00.000-07:002010-07-29T13:15:31.755-07:00Paying Attention Out There!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwbHYEuTdzFcn9TnEkDv75uiJClpmWjEeQvwYHiboMHAyDKD7OVfWsu07f1HJZYJ-FTTMpM-zUFUrtT4XfyNPKyTYGzpjMUFr0VInf0vKe5VcgTTcUfUD0Uc_3d4maSdLCgxbti6fF8g/s1600/im_not_paying_attention_tshirt-p235966084203006483qw9y_400.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475628839673576290" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 255px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 191px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwbHYEuTdzFcn9TnEkDv75uiJClpmWjEeQvwYHiboMHAyDKD7OVfWsu07f1HJZYJ-FTTMpM-zUFUrtT4XfyNPKyTYGzpjMUFr0VInf0vKe5VcgTTcUfUD0Uc_3d4maSdLCgxbti6fF8g/s200/im_not_paying_attention_tshirt-p235966084203006483qw9y_400.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong>Two things.</strong></div><br /><div></div><div>I am playing the other day and it occurs to me that when I lose a game at love, it's generally 4 points in about 75 seconds. One and two ball rallies typify these games so guess what? When I am down at Love-40, I now try and just keep the ball in play and play a longer point. Since making this adjustment I have begun to win a higher percentage of these games, but it started with PAYING ATTENTION to my game and recognizing a pattern.</div><br /><div></div><div><strong>Numero dos.</strong> I played with a friend last week and I had never played him in singles before, only in doubles. I noticed that when serving on the <em>deuce court</em>, he would clobber his forehand return to me. BUT on the <em>AD court</em> he would actually prefer a backhand to return and would at times run around his forehand. There was something about the angle of the serve, or something else that wouldn't meet his eye about that forehand return that he didn't like. <strong>Knowing this led me to serve to him more effectively.</strong> So to reiterate and again remind readers, <em>"the</em> <em>unexamined tennis game is not worth playing."</em></div>paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-71008654161263607102010-04-24T22:14:00.000-07:002010-04-24T22:29:54.969-07:00Tie-Breaker Anyone?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8Mn1m3ktR9xYpYdjGjFIEBRkuM8H2A36xiZG8SJQV6pEJVXDZYcEYRrLsHNektw8UYKuBPe7BrOV-igiz_Qa4ayWBUL2E99dLFj7DHWDhIxJs6VeyxugZzk3MawgguLZjvR5Yyz_D2k/s1600/james-blake-06.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 134px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463942983848245506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8Mn1m3ktR9xYpYdjGjFIEBRkuM8H2A36xiZG8SJQV6pEJVXDZYcEYRrLsHNektw8UYKuBPe7BrOV-igiz_Qa4ayWBUL2E99dLFj7DHWDhIxJs6VeyxugZzk3MawgguLZjvR5Yyz_D2k/s200/james-blake-06.jpg" /></a><br /><div>After playing two sets with a friend today we then played two tie-breaks for fun. It had been maybe more than a month since I had played one and then months before that. As I was serving in the tie-break I was reminded that getting the first serve IN is even more important than during a regular game. </div><div></div><br /><div>Not getting the first serve in is basically risking a double fault. As everyone knows the first one to seven (by two) wins so giving a free point (or two) out of 7 is like burning money because it's wrinkled. Not good.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>So the next time you are in that situation and it's your serve, try for a 3/4's serve to your opponents backhand if possible. It's a safe, effective shot and you won't be throwing anything away.</div>paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-51439214400428420352010-04-20T20:12:00.000-07:002010-05-04T12:50:27.519-07:00And since we're on the subject of STRINGING...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIpviQsGFcTgAgyqThrCf-MSQj0XP28FeAzeZA-MuwvS16ukbdQE4YRrqN9m8fUJ35AqiA-aRoLo66G7oS-sS2CWw-U_cheuFlA7aUAUovLzX_L2pkwUpx5khOdUvFHYEZVO0cghj5rk/s1600/NRG16-1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462427089526553986" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIpviQsGFcTgAgyqThrCf-MSQj0XP28FeAzeZA-MuwvS16ukbdQE4YRrqN9m8fUJ35AqiA-aRoLo66G7oS-sS2CWw-U_cheuFlA7aUAUovLzX_L2pkwUpx5khOdUvFHYEZVO0cghj5rk/s200/NRG16-1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I have been stringing for maybe 5 to 6 years. I would guess I am coming up on 100 racquets already on two different machines. Of the approximate 100 racquets, I have strung my own maybe 60-70 times and the others for kids on the tennis team that I no longer coach.</div><br /><div></div><div>Currently I string two types of nylon in my own racquet. My current hybrid consists of Tecnifibre NRG2 in the mains (the vertical strings) and Prince Synthetic Gut with Duraflex (or PSGD for those "in the know") in the crosses- horizontal strings. I also string the shorter cross strings 2 lbs softer since the shorter the string the less elastic it is.</div><br /><div></div><div>Anyhow, I say all this because as I was demoing some new racquets from Tennis Warehouse I received 4 racquets and 2 of the four I could not identify what the strings were. It got me to thinking about these phantom strings and I decided that I would rather have unknown strings at the proper tension rather than my favorite strings strung too tight or too loose. In other words, the TENSION IS MORE IMPORTANT than the string but of course you can have the best of both worlds by having your favorite string AT the correct tension for your game, and the season (see post immediately before this one).</div><br /><div></div><div>When I moved out here from MN in '96, I was a casual (and weak) 4.0 player. My Head racquet was probably 28mm thick (beam) meaning at over an inch it was stiff and powerful. The trouble was I could never control the darn thing. So I cut out perfectly good strings and had it restrung at the stringers suggestion 4 lbs tighter. It was just cheap synthetic gut but do you know what? <em>All of a sudden the "suck" racquet was now a much easier, much more controllable tool</em>. Of course I overdid it later when I had it strung 4 lbs tighter again, learning that there is a happy medium and finding a good balance between power and control.</div><div></div><br /><div><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>So what's the lesson?</strong></span> Pay attention to your tension and even write it down. I do EVERYTIME I restring and keep that paper with my tennis gear so I can reflect on it each time I need to restring and make small adjustments or keep it just "as is". There is nothing worse than playing with a racquet that is strung too tight-- it has the sweetspot of a penny. Conversely, a racquet strung much too loose and it will be great for overheads (at the net) and not much else since you won't be able to place your power with any accuracy.</div>paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-16631591944633463192010-04-10T16:20:00.000-07:002010-11-26T16:46:14.094-08:00Stringing Different for Summer<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1W1HR_XWNDtoFOGanxfkBfo6jBy0V-wqSJ86yEbryptg5ep2_yNQFGQDGIOFx5aouxKGOaeYqWkKgzy7-9ll4V6luiZlbsZgb6WpwU-hYwHeQiMBDhFg-rcshAkj0l4dM76I_UGOUNA/s1600/string-5.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 204px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 174px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458653731071559138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1W1HR_XWNDtoFOGanxfkBfo6jBy0V-wqSJ86yEbryptg5ep2_yNQFGQDGIOFx5aouxKGOaeYqWkKgzy7-9ll4V6luiZlbsZgb6WpwU-hYwHeQiMBDhFg-rcshAkj0l4dM76I_UGOUNA/s320/string-5.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Hey Y'all, </div><br /><div></div><div>Why would someone string different for an average temp of 80 vs an average high of 65? Because <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">WARMER weather means more ELASTICITY in the strings and more power -- but less control.</span></strong> Usually stringing about 2 lbs TIGHTER in the Spring/Summer does the trick. </div><br /><div></div><div>So if now in the warmer weather you find more of your balls sailing long, time to adjust with your next stringing.</div>paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-56916184398693812252010-03-23T13:31:00.000-07:002010-10-26T10:37:07.725-07:00What to do about those pesky...<strong>HIGH KICKING BALLS to your BACKHAND? Y</strong>eah, good question. <span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>The absolute WORST thing to do in reponse is to back up</strong></span> and get yourself way off the court. Then your weak return will be shallow and your oppon<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIY6F8sJKVuUB7XMzPaV0lef3Vv1dc0G0C4irJ8jNJa1Bq421MQoq2jWbIAWx5aEg2gCbGSbMe9_lxwUhd00XgK0q-TWa_Gc_RZZGH5Vd7hjtGget8ViGODRgc1MH37b2UCui7zyUNQzw/s1600-h/IMG_4373.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 214px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451933682929849058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIY6F8sJKVuUB7XMzPaV0lef3Vv1dc0G0C4irJ8jNJa1Bq421MQoq2jWbIAWx5aEg2gCbGSbMe9_lxwUhd00XgK0q-TWa_Gc_RZZGH5Vd7hjtGget8ViGODRgc1MH37b2UCui7zyUNQzw/s320/IMG_4373.jpg" /></a>ent will be able to read WAR and PEACE in the int<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNX8_j_LyMIBO1qe0sd_KK9b33O7x6yv1wtoXS6XzxVkjDBOuUWKkxxgFA8tO1to8dMKhp-5bujTlYmjN5vI83b5YFwqDiiFvdsaR3az2P5beoZF7VqX5hb4fG6wGUipwI8OzPvmoWcLs/s1600-h/IMG_4373.jpg"></a>erim while they are readying themself for your ball.<br /><br />SO if that is the worst, <span style="color:#006600;"><strong>the BEST bet would be to MOVE IN</strong></span>- <b>before the topspin takes over</b> and it climbs above your shoulders. This way you can take it as a <strong>volley, or half volley. </strong>Another idea is when<strong> </strong>practicing, have someone hit 50 of them (high kicking backhands) to you while you <strong>hold your ground</strong> and <span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>LEARN to hit a ball ON THE RISE</strong></span>-- ala the <em>Nick Bolleteri - Andre Agassi school of thought.</em><br /><br />This is a hard shot for everyone but it becomes easier with practice. So pick one of those 3 styles mentioned above, or practice all three, until you get comfortable handling these difficult shots.paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-73902160797355786952010-03-12T13:58:00.000-08:002010-03-12T14:08:05.288-08:00Reading about...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-UF8vuiyk0MeF4lsJcIKzeRecBX82QZaItvkuhjPRZ6mx1ds8cdWjEyyMdIK9Dos9jmnCAUi1RFzwdhR460dfBeUbXWZGy1JImTa3OKUe6Gn9gXl97iWWf8amqPUVqEhVzmZBJJ65Hk/s1600-h/1026078-gf.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 135px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447872310992166050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-UF8vuiyk0MeF4lsJcIKzeRecBX82QZaItvkuhjPRZ6mx1ds8cdWjEyyMdIK9Dos9jmnCAUi1RFzwdhR460dfBeUbXWZGy1JImTa3OKUe6Gn9gXl97iWWf8amqPUVqEhVzmZBJJ65Hk/s200/1026078-gf.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Not exactly reading a "how to" book, but if you are an Agassi fan, as I once was and to a certain extent, still am, it's an interesting read that puts you into the locker room before a big match, what's going on, an inside look that I hadn't really read before.</div><div></div><br /><div>It's probably at your library, but reserve it since this 2009 book goes fast. </div><div></div><br /><div>Also, Sampras's book is there though I didn't see James Blake's book though I am told it too is a good read. </div><br /><div></div>paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304874593248610110.post-76527374302072158442010-02-17T13:56:00.000-08:002010-03-12T13:58:05.716-08:00A Contrarian Moment<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSpSRdPGZecgmybumC1oK65woMC6AA6jOfSPzvTls2BsYrxQ987tP84q3oa6gHGBLdC27wk9R8ZT3dpNd56Cw2Vq2Oy2qOeSzO83LMYx7QaVaYi9Qim7WkgyVYdlkdpHD-ABK8foOAxs/s1600-h/contrarian.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 232px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 243px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439345146168120930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSpSRdPGZecgmybumC1oK65woMC6AA6jOfSPzvTls2BsYrxQ987tP84q3oa6gHGBLdC27wk9R8ZT3dpNd56Cw2Vq2Oy2qOeSzO83LMYx7QaVaYi9Qim7WkgyVYdlkdpHD-ABK8foOAxs/s320/contrarian.jpg" /></a> <strong>I first heard the word contrarian</strong> maybe 20 years ago when I would follow the stock market with some interest. A contrarian would buy stock in a company when everyone else would be running for the exits. A contrarian acts contrary or against what would seem to be "common sense".<br /><div></div><br /><div>The <em>common sense</em> for most people on the tennis court is to win you have to hit the ball <strong>hard, harder or hardest.</strong></div><br /><div></div><div>The other day I was playing a good friend whose game I know well and once again he was attacking the net. His shot to me was mid-court to my backhand side. I generally loop the ball to his backhand with topspin so he has to volley UP or hit a half-volley. I have erred in the past hitting a hard line drive right at him but that usually results in an easy block volley putaway for him and I lose the point. </div><br /><div></div><div>-- Back to the point above. My opponent is at the net and instead of me looping the ball with topspin or hitting it hard, from my backhand side, <span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>I hit an angled 25 mph slice to his backhand side that would land at his feet-- </strong></span>knowing he would have to half volley. He can half volley "okay" and I would not do this against a doubles specialist or someone else who is gifted with short balls. So what happened? My opponent half volleyed weakly (as I expected or hoped) and I came in and won the point.</div><div></div><br /><div><span style="color:#ffffff;">It takes brains, instinct, and a contrarians appetite for risk taking to hit a ball softly to your opponent but sometimes it's exactly the right thing to do.</span></div>paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04212394553085982679noreply@blogger.com0