Tennis Thoughts Q&A's

Questions and Answers about Tennis

Venus vs. Bondarenko - Wimbledon

Andy Roddick Amazing Point

Amazing!

Head Airflow 5 and CrossBow Technology

Ever wonder what Cross Bow technology actually means? On impact of the tennis ball, the bridge flexes independently from the racket absorbing the energy of the ball. Upon follow through, the bridge releases the energy it absorbed and shoots it into the hit, kind of like a spring or a bow. How ironic, right? Anyway, this technology up and coming and Head has developed rackets that can harness the energy of the ball as well as offer maximum control over the ball so you can place it wherever you want.

For example, the Head Airflow line, which was developed for women, offers this technology. The Head Airflow 5 in particular is an extremely solid racket that has three main components manufactured for women. Balance, light-weight power, and ergonomic grip.

The traditional racket is usually head heavy, however, the Head Airflow 5 has relocated a lot of the weight around the bridge offering a lighter weight head for increased maneuverability.

When it comes to tennis, the terms "light-weight" and "power" don't necessarily walk hand in hand. However, when it comes to the Head Airflow 5, these two words go together spaghetti and meatballs or like Roger Federer and Wimbledon. Regardless, women tend to prefer a lightweight racket that can still get the job done and hit that game winning smash and this racket certainly can do just that thanks to the new balance.

An ergonomic grip is the final component of this racket. It goes without saying that a woman's hand is different than a mans. This grip was developed to be thin at the top and thick towards the bottom to fit a woman's hand reducing twist and torque as well as strain on the arm.

So ladies, when you think you are stuck in a mans world, think again because there are definitely people looking out for you. So settle for that bulky and heavy mens racket no more. Head's Airflow 5 is here to save the day along with a few of its closest friends.

Tennis Training Program: Improving Your Cardo and Sprinting

Every tennis enthusiast knows that tennis is a mental game and one too many mistakes can put any player over the edge. How does this relate to fitness though? It is often said that a strong body starts with a strong mind and this is a philosophy that can carry you far,especially in the game of tennis. Once you are into the match and start feeling those muscles burn, the first thing to go is your mind and as we all know, the key to winning a match very often comes down to the strength in mind. Whether your playing for fun or for the title of Wimbledon, the goal of this article is to help you keep your body strong so that your mind can stay focused on that big game winning smash.In an average match time on the court can vary from 30 minutes to three hours meaning you need to be prepared for any situation. Tennis is a unique sport that involves short bursts of energy as well as the endurance and strength to last the length of the match. This article is focusing on sprinting and cardiovascular training. Below are examples of some exercises to improve these areas.

• Shuttle Sprints: from baseline to serving box and back, then up to the net and back. You can repeat this with either no rest or short rest. This will improve your pivoting and short distance bursts. Compete with a partner to push yourself even further. Try sets of five at first and improve each session by two sets.
• Ball Retrieval: Place a number of balls across the court, sprint to each one pick it up, return it to the baseline and continue until all balls are recovered. Try timing yourself. This is a good exercise to do as a coach as well.
• Figure 8: Start at one corner of the baseline and sprint to the net along the sideline. Once you reach the net, shuffle across the net until you reach the opposite sideline. Shuffle around the net going back towards the sideline you originally sprinted down. Proceed to sprint towards the baseline and shuffle across it, sprint down the other sideline and shuffle across the net as you did before toward the starting baseline.Once your reach the baseline, shuffle across it to the same corner that you started in to form a square version of a "figure 8".

Now that you have a some base knowledge of how to get into shape, the hardest part will be to go out and work! Find a partner to work out with so you can stay motivated and don't be afraid to start small when it comes to sprinting. Time yourself in order to track improvement as well. Dothese sprints 3-4 times per week rotated with weight training sessions.Remember that the key to becoming a good player lies in the link between physical fitness and strength in mind.

Easy Tennis Rules to Understand

The Game of Tennis is very easy to understand and quick to learn. It's a great game to go outside and get exercise with friends and family. I have listed the rules in easy steps to follow.

• Step 1: The opponents stand on opposite sides of the court and the player who starts the point is called the server. The player who stands opposite from them is called the receiver.
• Step 2: The right to serve, receive and choose your side is usually by a flip of a coin or a spin of your racket. Once the server is chosen then the reciever gets to choose what side of the court they want to start at.
• Step 3: When the server starts they need to be beind the baseline which is the furthest line back from the net. They will start on the deuce side of the court between the single lines when playing singles and when playing doubles they also can stand within the doubles lines.
• Step 4: When it comes to keeping track of the points and which side to stand on, all the even points are played on the deuce side and the odd numbers are played on the advantage side. When serving you must start from the deuce side and serve the ball into the receivers service box on the deuce side. Same goes for the advantage side to advantage box.
• Step 5: If the server misses the target two times in a row then they lose the point. When the ball hits the net and lands in the correct service box then they get to reserve it. If the ball hits the net and doesn't go into the correct service box the the server loses that serve. When your servering and your foot lands on the baseline before you hit the ball then that is called a fault and the receiver takes the point.
• Step 6: The receiver is able to stand wherever they would like but before you are aloud to make contact you must let the ball bounce once then you are able to return the ball to the server. When the server is attempting to serve the ball to you and their first serve doesn't make it in the correct box then they are given their second chance "second serve" to get it in the correct box. If the reciever hits the ball before it bounces then the server gets to take the point.
• Step 7: The server always needs to call the score out loud to the reciever so they can clearly hear it and the server says their score first then the recievers score.
• Step 8: Now its time to keep score! If the server wins the first point then they recive a score of 15. Which counts as the first point that was played. You always start with the score of Love-Love which means zero. The second point is called 30 and third point is called 40. If the score is 40-40 (deuce-even side), this means that the game is tied and needs a "tie-breaker." In order for the tiebreaker to work and you win the game you must win both points in a row, so therefore the deuce point and the the advantage point (ad. in). Advantage In- means if the server wins that point then they have won that game. Advantage Out- means the receiver won the point and the server must serve deuce again until either the reciever or server wins both points.
• Step 9: Games equal 1 and there are a total of 6 games in 1 set and 3 sets in 1 match. The first to win 6 games by two wins the first set. The first to win 2 sets wins the match. If the score is 6-6 you must do a tie-breaker game. This scoring is a little different than a morna game but still easy to follow:
• Step 10: The tie-breaker game: This is scored by one's. The first team to score 7 points and wins by two wins the set. The tiebreaker continues until one side wins so it could end up being 13-11, or 10-8, etc.
• Step 11: A let in tennis is called when a ball is rolled onto the court in which you are playing a point. Always remember a ball that lands on the line is good and still in play.