The disposable polypropylene shoe covers protect carpets and floors. Fitting shoes up to size 10, these covers are made of polypropylene non woven fabric and will help protect floors and carpets during painting and other construction work. Economical and disposable, this 100-pack includes 50 pairs of blue shoe covers.Price: $14.00
What was once a lowly game that people thought of only as a leisure activity in the basement is now one of the major events in the world of sports. Thanks to the hordes of aficionados for table tennis, the indoor sport has become more popular than ever attracting millions of players and spectators. It may be surprising, but table tennis has become a great game in its own right and more people are being able to witness its excitement through table tennis DVDs.
The notable popularity of table tennis stems from the sports' easy game and its very affordable equipment. Practically anyone with normal limbs can play table tennis and have fun paddling for hours. It is a good form of exercise that does not really require players to tire their bodies out. It is also very fun to watch as the ball bounces from one side to the other in a very speedy succession of movements. Ping Pong is a good spectator sport whether with a live game or through table tennis DVDs.
The game also requires not much of a setting and it indeed the ideal indoor sport. The limited space upon which it can be held also makes it ideal to be filmed on DVD or other video formats. You would not need to go to a large space or buy expensive materials to play table tennis. All you need is a table, a net, some paddles and balls. Capturing this setting in a video camera is also quite easy as the all the movements that are happening can be confined in a smaller space as compared to basketball, baseball, or football. The camera can practically just stand still and capture every action at every moment.
But do not underestimate the excitement that table tennis can bring to its spectators and players. True that it is practically just a game where in a ball is being bounced from one side of the court to another. But, it is also quite game of complicated moves, of exciting turns, jumps and maneuvers that are incomparable to other sports. Simply hitting the ball is not enough in table tennis. Professional players make each hit as artistically as possible. Watching good table tennis players is like seeing professional performers in a unique kind of performing arts. Table tennis combines the excitement of racquet sports and the flair or finesse of dance and gymnastics. And this is something that can be magnificently captured on DVDs.
Learning table tennis is also now quite easy with the help of table tennis DVDs. Not all people can afford to hire a professional trainer, and most people would think that table tennis is too easy a game to hire a trainer. But if you really want to have an edge over your friends when the ping pong game is set up, it really pays to be armed with moves that most people cannot even imagine. This is something that a table tennis DVD can give you. Affordable lessons that are as convenient as the game of table tennis itself.
There is a wide array of table tennis DVDs that are out in the market. There are DVDs of the greatest games you would ever watch. And of course there are DVDs of great table tennis lessons that can bring out the professional ping pong player in you. What is good about these DVDs is that they are filmed by the world's greatest table tennis athletes. You can watch both current and previous champions reveal the secrets that made them exceptional with their paddles. You can learn, step-by-step, how to do those daring moves from the top spins to the back spins, from the deadly smash to other good defenses. You can learn all these right in your own home.
Table tennis DVDs are now widely available through the internet. You can choose from the vast collection of table tennis videos all over the world at very affordable prices. The DVDs can even be delivered to your house for minimal costs.
Table tennis DVDs are indeed valuable for table tennis aficionados like you. So go ahead and order your video and see how soon you turn into the table tennis player you have long wanted to be.
Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information on table tennis, also called ping pong, checkout his recommended websites.
There are so many millions of people who play tennis everyday throughout the world. They play in public parks, country clubs, private tennis courts, and anything in between (i.e. against a wall).
Tennis is the only sport I know that begins with love and is a sport for a lifetime. I remember the great Sugar Daddy, Bobby Riggs who said in one of the many tennis clinics he taught, "Tennis is a sport you can play from cradle to grave."
Why do people enjoy playing tennis? I believe because it is a classy sport. It is a sport you can play for as short as 15 minutes or as long as 3 to 5 hours, it all depends on your ability level and motivation. I was fortunate enough to play professional tennis. I had a world ranking in the ATP Tennis of 662 in singles and 457 in doubles. I had wins over players ranked in the top 200 in singles in the world and wins over players ranked in the top 50 in doubles.
In this article, I want to provide you with the three secrets to playing your best tennis. Of course, there are more than three secrets, but three secrets are enough to help you play better tennis.
First, there is no substitute to practicing, practicing, over and over and over again. Practice is the seed to building confidence! When you practice in addition to playing tennis regularly, you will feel a sense of accomplishment, you will feel that you deserve to win because you know for yourself that you have been investing the time to improve your game. So, practice at least two to three hours extra a week if you are a club tennis player. If you are a tournament player you should practice at least 15 hours a week, which equals to 3 hours a day, 5 days a week.
Second, visualize yourself hitting the tennis ball perfectly. Imagine yourself in the movie screen of your mind that you are moving side to side, running forward and backward, hitting each ball with perfect accuracy. Visualize your forehand, backhand ground strokes being hit over the net with 3 to 5 feet clearance. Picture every stroke you hit with perfect ball control. See each of your tennis strokes, feel each tennis stroke, and experience each and every tennis stroke you hit with confidence. Repeat this each time pre and post tennis game or match. By so doing, you are training your mind or inner game to manifest itself in your outer game or physical game. Tennis is a mind game once you have learned all the fundamentals of each tennis stroke.
Third, watch the big players or your favorite tennis pro on the ATP or WTA tour and copy their tennis style. Watch YouTube videos or television footage of your favorite player over and over again until you emulate their movements. One of my favorite players to watch when I was playing competitive tennis was John McEnroe (USA) and Guillermo Villas (Argentina). I use to watch McEnroe's serve and literally copy his serve. I would watch Villas hit his ground strokes over and over again until I was mirroring Guillermo Villas' ground strokes. It was usually after watching these great tennis players in a grand slam event that I mirrored their mannerisms. After all, why event the wheel, copy what the big players do and do the same. Of course, as your tennis game matures, you will begin to develop your own style and preferences.
So, there you are the three secrets you want to know to playing your best tennis! Remember, there is no substitute to practicing each and every day in addition to playing regularly tennis matches. Begin today if you do not already do so; visualize yourself hitting the tennis ball with each and every tennis stroke perfectly until you are confident in your mind and in your heart that you can execute it with ease and confidence. And, finally, do not reinvent the wheel, copy the tennis players on the tennis tour by watching their tennis until can have someone say on the side line, "Hey, that person hits the ball like Roger Federer or Maria Sharapova." Before you know it you will be winning your club tournaments and filling your shelves with trophies.
To learn more about me: Dr. Macavinta.
Want to learn how to play tennis better? Go visit my FREE Online Tennis Lessons and become a member of my Online Tennis Club. Tell others if you like what you find. Go to: Join DMACTennis.com it's FREE [http://DMACTennis.com].
Platform: WINDOWS 98/ME/2000/XP Publisher: MUMBO JUMBO Packaging: RETAIL BOX Rating: EVERYONE Includes 2 Polar Bear Games: Polar Bowler and Polar Golfer.Polar Bowler:Join the coolest group of characters to ever hit the lanes from some Arctic fun. Polar Bowler has crazy action and loads of friendly characters straight from the Arctic North. You control the action as you steer Polar Bowler around obstacles and watch him plunge head first into the pins. Test your skills and bring y our friends. Multiplayer mode will provide you with hours of excitement to last though those looong Arctic nights.FeaturesThe funniest and most entertaining bowling game yetUse arcade-style power-ups to multiply your score and knock down pinsSteer your Arctic buddy around obstacles while collecting power-ups7 challenging lanes and 6 characters to choose from4 player can compete to find out who is the champion of Polar BowlerPolar Golfer:Fore! this is the coolest golfing game you will ever encounter. Choose from 8 of the wildest golfers to ever hit the links. Now you really can "be the ball" as you steer and slide the ball from the tee to the hole. Fly through bonus rings for a boost of power a free stroke or more points to help you take the championship. Play against the computer or challenge up to four of your friends. This game is a hole in one for fun!Features:Control the ball in mid-airPlay 18 challenging holes at the Polar Country ClubScoop up bonus points and shoot insane distances with Power RingsChoose from 8 different outlandish charactersCompete with up to 4 players to become the Polar Golfer championSystem Requirements: Windows 98/2000/ME/XPPentium 650 MHz or better128 MB RAMDirectX 7 or later3D Hardware Accelerated Video Card with 16MB RAMPrice: $19.99
This article goes into the basics of tennis for beginners. What are the first things you have to do when starting to play tennis? At what age should you begin? And what's the best tennis racquet to begin with?
To start, one of the best ways of learning to play tennis is to use your body's natural abilities. If you do this the right way, you will build up thousands of natural muscle connections. It will ensure that you can keep on developing and never run into a dead end along the way.
First Steps to Take
Three things are crucial to me when it comes to tennis for beginners:
Step 1 - In case you have never had previous tennis coaching, then find yourself a tennis coach who can teach you the fundamentals. Only when you have learned the basics of tennis, you can move on to more advanced stuff.
Step 2 - This is about really delving into tennis through reading, watching tennis games, and practicing tennis as much as you possibly can. My favorite motto is "sleep, drink, eat tennis".
Step 3 - Now it's time to learn specific baseline tactics and other tennis drills for beginners. The goal should be to develop as quickly as you possibly can. Your focus should be to win - playing tennis is not the same as hitting balls!
When to Start?
What is the best age to start playing tennis? The answer to this question really depends on your goals. If you really want to become part of the top 100 tennis players in the world, then you should start as young as possible. Remember that a famous tennis player like Andre Agassi picked up a tennis racquet before he could even walk. Boris Becker won Wimbledon at the age of 17, and Rafael Nadal was winning professional tournaments at age 16. One exception is Vince Spadea, but even he started playing tennis at the grand old age of 14.
The reason for this, is that young children can effortlessly develop their coordination just like young children can learn any language without effort.
However, don't let these sobering facts stop you from starting to play tennis. Even if you don't become a top 100 tennis player, tennis is still an excellent way to develop mental strength and fitness. And don't forget that for talented amateurs, Europe has leagues that pay you to represent their club. Also, many tennis players who don't make it to the top, still get good paying jobs as tennis coaches.
Your First Tennis Racquet
When you buy your first tennis racquet, it doesn't have to be a professional racquet. But unless you are particularly light or young, it should be an adult racquet. If you weigh under 80 pounds, you should go for a junior racquet, meaning any racquet under 27 inches.
Particularly, you should try to avoid the following:
Racquets with a head size under 100 square inches. Racquets with a larger head size make it easier to hit the ball and such racquets also give the player more power as they have a larger sweet spot.
"Head light racquets" that have their weight based in the handle, as they are particularly meant for advanced players and not for beginners.
Racquets that start to weigh in at under 280 pounds. Very light racquets are meant for players who are very light themselves. However, once you start off with a very light racquet, it is typically hard to change to a proper one later. So it's better never to start with a light racquet in the first place.
Aluminium racquets for beginners are the cheapest and can already be bought for $30 to $70. As you advance, you can switch to a graphite racquet which are available in the $80 to $330 price range.
Max Gregor is the editor of How-2-Tennis.com, a complete information resource for beginning and advanced tennis players. Find more about tennis terminology at his site.
Game Set Murder.Product InformationIn today's world of professional women's tennis the competition is cut-throat. Now it seems that the elimination of opponents takes place both on and off the courts! Elena Kusarova was tennis' up-and-coming "It Girl" - that is until she was mysteriously found dead on the locker room floor just before the start of the U.S. Open. Step into the world of the hit TV series follow the trail of clues find the killer and bring the perp to justice. Team up with detectives Lennie Briscoe and Ed Green to hunt down the murderer and then join Assistant D.A. Serena Southerlyn to lock down a guilty verdict.Sure tennis is big business but we bet you never saw a match like this. Your game begins when 20-year-old tennis star Elena Kusarova shows up dead on the locker room floor the week before the start of the U.S. Open. Work along with detectives Lennie Briscoe and Ed Green to piece together the clues and make an arrest. Once you have a suspect in custody you'll build your case with Assistant District Attorney Serena Southerlyn and try to convince the jury to return a guilty verdict. With a more user-friendly interface increased interactivity twice as many puzzles and more characters and locations you'll really feel like you're part of the "Law & Order" team.Interrogate suspects follow the evidence and build a case to nail the killer!Product FeaturesYou are Detective Robert Goren an elite member of NYPD’s Major case squadwhose razor-sharp instincts and powers of deduction have helped you earn areputation as a top-notch investigator. Now you will be put to the ultimate testas you scour the crime scenes to collect evidence interview witnesses to builda criminal profile and apply psychological interrogation techniques to solvethe most challenging homicide cases of your career. Celebrity voiceovers from Law & Order: Criminal Intent stars Vincent D'Onofrio (Det. Goren) and Jamey Sheridan (Capt. Deakins) Four all-new murder casesPrice: $19.99
Just one year ago, Beth McCaskill, a Gainesville, Georgia competitive tennis player
began brainstorming ideas on how to grow the businesses that keep Georgia tennis
topping the charts nationally. With so many national companies advertising and selling
tennis essentials online, Georgia businesses fight for their share of the retail market.
Georgia has more competitive tennis players than ANY other state in the U.S. The
tennis clubs in Georgia have the best pros and facilities in the U.S. and need to reap
some reward. There had to be a way to connect the Georgia tennis community with all
the tennis-related businesses and facilities in Georgia. There was also a need to assist
the tennis clubs in bringing these tennis players to their courts.
The web site features monthly newsletters and informative articles including audio from
Luke Jensen (Georgia resident French Open Doubles Title Holder) and 'Juniors Corner'
by collegiate player Brooke Nord. Other key features include maps to all Georgia tennis
clubs and stores (over 2400), weather, featured events and tournaments, tennis club
web-page links, tennis club event calendars and international professional tennis news.
Photographs taken at statewide junior tournaments will also be highlighted.
"Why should Georgia tennis players be purchasing online when Georgia tennis stores
have everything the internet offers and more right here in our own backyards?" says
McCaskill. "Now our players can easily know everything that's available at ALL the
facilities in Georgia." One Atlanta tennis store owner phoned McCaskill saying "Your
web site is just what we needed, let's go!"
Tennis Players Network, which started as a twinkle in a tennis lover's eye, has now
grown over 123% in a short period of time. In a message to McCaskill, one University
coach writes "Let's put our tennis team on the map!" Atlanta club pro wrote "Thanks for
growing tennis, and giving us this opportunity."
"No, I am not an internet mogul," jokes McCaskill, "but I am delighted and proud to have
created a way to connect Georgia businesses to the tennis community. Tennis in
Georgia is tremendous compared to the other states with over 121,000 players, and
people work hard to make it that way. NO dollars should be leaving our state and going
to national or international companies. When Georgia businesses tap into the Georgia
tennis 'family' I will say that my job is a success!"
http://www.TennisPlayersNetwork.com
Contact: Beth McCaskill
Phone: 678-622-3708
Email: BethMcCaskill@TennisPlayersNetwork.com
URL: http://www.TennisPlayersNetwork.com
Affiliates earn 50% monthly recurring revenue! Extremely high customer satisfaction and loyalty. We teach people the game of tennis using cutting edge Hd video online.
This Microsoft Kinect Sports Video Game allows anyone to become the next star of the living room, and it's fun no matter how fit you are. Add your style to any of the six action-packed games - Soccer, Volleyball, Track & Field, Bowling, Table Tennis or Boxing with full body play. Kinect Sports includes a wide variety of fun game modes for solo, cooperative and competitive play with levels to encourage and challenge players of all ages and skill. Sports Party mode allows you to compete against a friend, rally a whole room full of players into teams, with everyone jumping in and out to catch a breath, or bring your team to victory. Any way you play you will unlock new content and thrills.Price: $49.99
The rules for tennis are basic and simple. Before you begin playing tennis, make sure you understand the rules and the equipment that's required. Now that we have that out of the way, let's go over the basic rules for playing tennis.
Rules of Tennis
The basic rules for playing tennis are really simple. One of the players serve, or hits, the ball from one corner of an area that's marked, also known as a court, that's divided in half by a net that is three feet tall (about 1 meter). The goal of the opposite player is to return the tennis ball.
It should bounce only once, aiming for the other player not to be able to return it. When this is done correctly, you have scored, which means if the other player isn't able to return the ball without bouncing it once, you'll get a point.
Official tennis rules
The overall goal in tennis is to gain enough points to win games, sets, and matches. The highest score out of 3 tennis games are known as sets for women. And in men games, it's out of 5. A player only wins a set if he or she leads by at least two games.
Officials
Officials are only needed during professional tournaments. The official keeps an eye on the lines to call where or not the ball is in. The senior empire calls score, can overrule other judges, and is in a very high chair on one end of the tennis court.
There's a match referee, who sits in the stands, and is consulted if there's a major conflict during the match. If you dispute with any of the judges, you could lose a point and possibly be disqualified from the tournament
Scoring
Score keeping is part of the basic rules for playing tennis. When a player hasn't scored, it's called love. And when a player does score, it doesn't increase by single digits, it begins at 15, then go up to 30, and then 40. I'll give you an example. Let's say player 1 scores. And player 2 hasn't scored yet. Well, the score now is 15-love.
Whenever the score climbs to 40-40, it's known as a deuce. And the next person to score 2 more points wins. But let's say a player scores one point after a deuce, which is known as an advantage server or receiver, and they end up losing the next point, the score goes back to deuce. From time to time, some players agree to do away with that rule.
Equipment
A regulation size tennis court is part of the basic rules for tennis. A regulation size tennis court is 78 feet long (23.78 m). It also has a net dividing the middle of the court in half. The line where you serve is marked at 21 feet.
Next is the tennis rackets. The usual size for tennis rackets used in tournaments are 11 1/2 inches wide and 32 inches long. After that is the tennis balls. They come in different colors, however the official tennis ball for tournaments must be white or yellow.
Singles
Another basic rule for playing tennis includes playing one on one. The server, or first person to hit the tennis ball, is chosen by spinning a racket or tossing a coin. The person who wins can elect to give the other player the choice of whether or not they want to serve, choose which end they want to serve, or they can pass their option to the other player. And from there, the other player can choose which end they want to play and if they prefer to serve. The person who is able to serve is changed each game, making it a fair match.
Doubles
Serving is alternated from player to player and from team to team. It's done this way so that each of the players can serve every 4th game. It's traditional for partners to stand beside each, however, they can stand anywhere, regardless if they're serving or receiving.
Penalties
Here are some penalties that are also in the basic rules for playing tennis. They can result in points being lost. The penalties are:
1. Catching the tennis ball or carrying it in your tennis racket is against the rules.
2. Throwing your racket or any other kind of abuse.
3. If the tennis ball is carried by a person, with the exception of the racket, or if it hits a player's clothing, then it's against the rules.
4. If you touch the net, posts, your opponent, or any official, it's against the rules.
5. Hitting the tennis ball more than once before it has crossed the net.
These are the basic rules for playing tennis. Now that you know the rules, go out there and have fun.
For more information on how to play tennis, go to my blog http://www.how-to-play-tennis-like-a-pro.blogspot.com This information has helped many people like you, so if you want to really elevate your game and learn how to play like the pros, go to my blog now.
The most comprehensive publication on men's tennis ever written. 43 full seasons (1968-2010). 658 players in 1227 fascinating stories. More than 4000 pages. Approximately 150.000 scores. Information available nowhere else.
Resin case with a resin strap. Fixed bezel. Digital dial. Month-date-day. Quartz movement. Scratch resistant mineral crystal. Tang clasp. Water resistant at 100 meters/ 330 feet. Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, calendar, 100 hour chronograph with lap and split, 2 mode countdown timer, alarm with 5 minute backup. indiglo nightlight. Additional Info: heart rate monitor strap is 30 meters/ 100 feet water resistant. Timex Ironman Road Trainer Mens Heart Rate Monitor T5K212.Price: $109.95
There are many female tennis stars around the world who have won the hearts of millions of people. The list is simply never ending, but still you can spot few female tennis players that have left special mark on the game. The history of tennis is not clear but the major grand slam events gave birth to famous female tennis stars.
The female players were included in prestigious Wimbledon in 1884. But the start of 20th century was the real period when female tennis stars began to leave their impact on the game. The four grand slam tournaments Australian open, French open, Wimbledon, and U.S. open allowed many women to prove their talent in tennis. American female tennis stars Elisabeth Moore and Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman won many U.S. championship titles in early part of 20th century. Molla Mallory created history by winning eight titles from 1915. Suzanne Lenglen of France and Helen Wills Moody of the United States were the rising female tennis stars, and Moody created records by winning eight Wimbledon titles, seven U.S. championship titles, and four French championship titles.
The dominant female tennis stars in 1940s included Pauline Betz who won four U.S. championships and Louise Brough who won four Wimbledon titles. Maureen Connolly dominated tennis by winning the grand slam in 1953. Althea Gibson won both U.S. and Wimbledon titles in 1957 to become the first black woman player in history of tennis. The female tennis stars in 1960s included Maria Bueno from Brazil, Margaret Smith Court from England, and Billie Jean King from the United States.
The start of 1970 gave birth to one of the real legend in female tennis stars. Martina Navratilova from Czech Republic ruled the tennis world from 1970-1990. The only player to compete with Martina was the American Chris Evert who managed to won seven French opens and six U.S. opens in her entire career. The games between these two female tennis stars were the most intense games in history of women tennis. Martina Navratilova, a left-handed player was declared as the greatest tennis player of all times. She won 18 grand slam single titles, 31 grand slam womens doubles titles, and 10 grand slam mixed doubles titles.
Martina was unstoppable until the arrival of another legend Steffi Graf. Steffi, from West Germany is still considered to be the one of the hottest female tennis stars of all time. Steffi Graf ruled hearts of millions of people around the world by winning 22 grand slam titles. She also won a gold medal in 1988 Olympics and became the first tennis player to hold No.1 spot for a record of 377 weeks. Many other great female tennis stars such as Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario of Spain, were over-shadowed by this great legend, Steffi Graf. The injury in 1992 allowed Monica Seles to enter the exciting world of tennis. Monica Seles from America also managed to won nine grand slam titles in her entire career.
The 21st century was regarded as a new beginning in female tennis stars. The quality of play was raised and many hot tennis beauties entered the world of tennis. You can now easily enjoy the true combination of beautiful game and beautiful girls. The competition became tough and not a single player was allowed to stay on the No.1 spot for long time. Martina Hingis from Switzerland, Maria Sharapova from Russia, Daniela Hantuchova from Slovakia, Elena Dementieva from Russia, Anna Kournikova, Jelena Dokic, Jennifer Capriati, Kim Clijsters, Lindsay Davenport, Sania Mirza from India, Maria Kirilenko, Anastasia Myskina, etc. and above all the black beauties William sisters Serena and Venus are the most beautiful and eligible female tennis stars in history of tennis.
Candis Reade is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about Female Tennis Stars [http://mytennisnow.info/female-tennis-stars/], please visit My Tennis Now [http://mytennisnow.info/] for current articles and discussions.
If you have not been the sporty or athletic type but are keen to take up a sport as part of your goal to adopt a healthier lifestyle, tennis is a wonderful game to pick up.
Tennis can be played according to the players' preference - slow and steady for beginners, or fast and furious for advanced players and professionals.
Tennis is also one of the few sports that uses most of the muscles on your body, which means you get a very good overall workout, and it's great for your cardio.
For these reasons, tennis is ideal as a beginners' sport, even for those who have never been active in sports.
Tennis is also a very sociable game. It takes at least two to play tennis, just like it takes two to tango. You can chit chat with your partner in between sets. Unless you're in a competitive match, you can even trade jokes during the game!
For even more fun, when you're more confident in your game, you can invite an additional two players to make it a "doubles".
What do you need?
A tennis racquet
A pair of tennis shoes (or track shoes)
Some tennis balls
A tennis court
And a partner!
What you need to know?
Here are some of the things you need to know before getting on the court.
1. How to hold the tennis racquet
Assuming you're right handed, hold the tennis racquet on your left hand. Then open up the palm of your right hand, put it against the racquet handle, and slide it down to the grip and grip it.
2. Swings
There are several basic tennis swings that beginners need to learn, but the 2 most basic are the following:
a. forehand (position of your racquet is similar to an open palm on your right hand facing the net)
b. backhand (your right hand will be across your body with the back of your hand facing the net)
You can play a game just using these two swings as a start.
3. The Tennis Court
If you're playing Singles (2 players), the "in" area of the court is demarcated by the two inner vertical lines running from one baseline to the other.
If you're playing Doubles (4 players), then you will be using all the areas within the two outer vertical lines.
The ball is always served from behind the Baseline, the horizontal lines at the back of the court.
First Time on the Court
Now that you have the necessary equipment, some basic knowledge and a partner, you're now ready to get on the court.
When you get to the court, start with some stretching exercises, either alone or together with your partner. As tennis uses the muscles in your legs and arms, be sure to include some stretching exercises that target these muscles.
Once you've completed the stretching exercises, you can warm up effectively by playing "mini-tennis" for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. This means you and your partner will be standing just behind the service boxes, and start hitting the ball to one another slowly and steadily.
After the warm up, you can now move back to the baseline to start playing a game.
As this is your first tennis game, do not get hung up on the rules of the games or the proper swinging techniques. Just hit the ball to one another. Try to keep your ball within the court, so it'll be easier for you and your partner to return the ball to each other.
The main objective for your first game is to have fun, before deciding on whether this is the sport for you. And the more times you hit the ball, the more fun you will have!
Nora Yu is a tennis enthusiast who has been playing the game for more than 5 years. For more tennis tips, visit [http://www.TennisVideoLessons.net]
While you are a talented tennis player and you doing well on any type of court, your tennis shoes might play an equally critical role in winning you crucial matches. Many professional tennis players will tell you that tennis is all about maintaining your balance while you swing.
A good pair of tennis shoes will help you strike a perfect balance between the control of your shots and power. Hence, you should buy tennis footwear that perfectly matches not only with the anatomy of your feet but also with the surface you play on. That is why professional players use different tennis shoes on different tennis court surfaces such as hard, clay, grass and carpet.
Buying the right tennis footwear is crucial to your winning games. Ill-fitting shoes can result in blisters and even ankle & knee pain. Worst of all, they will fail you in your game. Hence, follow these tips on how to buy your tennis footwear which will be in sync of your feet and help you play your best tennis.
Know Your Foot Type:
You can visit a podiatrist to know your feet type or figure it out yourself at home too. For instance, if the impression of wet feet shows a crescent-shaped foot print with little of no footmark made by your arch, you have a supinated foot. Usually, your shoes tend to wear down faster on the lateral side than your big toe. Moreover, supinated feet are wider and require tennis shoes that offer additional room in the forefoot and toe box. Additionally, you should look for tennis footwear that can provide extra cushioning to compensate for the high arches.
You have pronated feet if your foot impression shows that it`s completely filled in. Due to your flat foot, your shoes tend to wear out before the lateral part. You tennis footwear should give you extra support. Find a pair that has additional stability on the medial side or go for shoes with a mid-cut model.
You have neutral feet if your footprint impression shows a moderate amount or arch. This is most versatile and ergonomically efficient toot type. This being the most coveted foot type, you can play tennis in almost any shoes.
Understand The Shoes Anatomy:
After knowing your foot type, try to understand the footwear`s anatomy. Try different pairs to see that you feel comfortable at the upper against the top of your foot. Also, make sure your shoes have a durable toecap especially if you tend to drag your toe while you serve. Moreover, you should put special emphasis on extra material along the medial portion of the upper if you have a habit of hitting your forehand from an open stance.
While checking the insole of your tennis shoes, make sure it provides extra cushioning as it is the part where foot rests on. If you are one of those players who are fiercely aggressive on court and give their shoes a good pounding, the midsole of your tennis shoes will wear down faster and you will soon feel the need chuck out those pair and go for a new pair of tennis shoes.
The outsole affects the traction especially when you play on the clay or hard court. Those who play mostly on the hard court should look for tennis shoes with outsoles with a wide variation in the design to get the best traction.
Weigh You Options:
Ideally, you would like your tennis shoes to be as light as possible. However, tennis footwear is usually heavier than other running shoes for the simple reason that tennis shoes have extra cushions and durable outsoles that add to the weight of tennis footwear. Buy two different pairs - one with a lighter weight and the other with a heaver weight. Practice with the heavier weight so that when you play real matches with the lighter tennis shoes, you will feel more comfortable to zip around the court.
Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for PoloMercantil
A tennis shirt is actually what most people are referring to when they say "polo shirt" or "golf shirt." These are a type of t-shirt that has a collar, two or three buttons down the front slit, and two side slits on the bottom. They often come with a chest pocket and made from such fine fabrics as; knitted pique cotton, merino wool, and silk.
Rene Lacoste, a 7-time tennis Grand Slam winner from France, is credited as the first person to create the tennis shirt when he introduced his shirt design in 1929. The idea of creating the shirt came to Lacoste because the tennis apparel up to that time consisted of long-sleeved shirts, trousers and ties. The clothes worn by tennis players on the tennis court during the 19th and early 20th centuries were more appropriate for offices. Besides, the dress shirts worn on the courts were stiff and the ties heavy.
On the other hand, Lacoste's tennis shirt had a thick collar, was loose and non-starched, was made of pique cotton, had side slits at the bottom, and sported a longer shirt-tail. The thick collar, when turned up, provided protection to the neck so that the player didn't get sun burned.
What's interesting about Lacoste's tennis shirt was that polo players were already wearing shirts of the same design since the late 19th century. Back then, they wore long-sleeved shirts that had a button-down collar. These shirts were made of thick Oxford-cloth cotton. Even though the collar of this shirt-style was thick and didn't constantly flap from the wind, these polo shirts were still not comfortable nor were they convenient to wear. Thus, when polo players discovered Lacoste's shirt design during the 1930s, they didn't think twice about adopting his design for their polo shirt.
It didn't take long for tennis shirts and polo shirts to be synonymous. When the 1950s came around, polo shirts were regarded as formal tennis attire in the United States. Even tennis players were calling their attire "polo shirt". In reality, though, the "polo shirt" was actually first worn during a tennis game and not during a polo game.
The polo shirt reached its peak of popularity in 1967 when Ralph Lauren introduced his original clothing line aptly named Polo. Ralph Lauren's shirts weren't made for players to wear during polo games but the association of the polo shirt with the idea of leisure propelled his shirt into an instant hit with non-polo players.
Golf attire used to be formal, but in the 20th century, golf players started to wear less formal and more easygoing golf apparel. It wasn't just polo players who started adopting the tennis shirt as standard sports attire, but golf players as well. Today, you'll see most golf players wearing these shirts at tournaments. However, since golf is very different from tennis, the tennis shirts for golf players has to have a different cut design which differentiates the golf shirt from a tennis shirt.
Tennis shirts are so common today; they are worn by practically anyone whether they play sports or not. Men and women wear them regardless of occasion. Clothing companies typically have their own version of Lacoste's shirt. These shirts are the perfect attire for times when round-collar t-shirts are too informal and formal business wear is too overdressed. You'll find semi-professional people and those in the retail industry often wearing tennis shirts to work. In many workplace environments, these shirts are acceptable work attire as they're smart and casual.
Then in the 1990s, the tennis shirt became the standard attire (business informal/casual) in the high-tech industry. This eventually spread to other industries. Companies eventually started printing their logos on tennis shirts when they became the corporate apparel. This way, the shirts provide the ultimate casual work wear while setting corporate identity and uniformity among employees at the same time.
In sports, tennis shirts are the standard attire. Caddies, umpires, and sports announcers wear tennis shirts. The shirts are also commonly worn in schools both by teachers and students. In many schools, these shirts are actually the required uniform.
Tennis shirts are, above all, associated very closely with sports, so most tennis shirts come in light colors, with white being the most typical color. Aside from the color, the "tennis tail" is another feature of the shirt design. Tennis shirts typically have a back that is a few centimeters longer than the front of the shirt. This is actually an original design by Lacoste. The tennis tail is designed such that when a tennis player leans forward, the back of the shirt remains tucked in his shorts.
Tommy has a collection of Lacoste Polo shirts that he has worn for several years without the fabric looking worn or the colors becoming faded. At a reasonable price, he recommends Lacoste Polo shirts and for outdoor headwear, Lacoste hats. He even keeps the money he saves from buying online, at less expensive prices rather than in his local mall, in his Lacoste wallet.
You mean there's more than one way? Yes, there is; and yes, you really can beat a tennis player who is supposedly a 'better' tennis player than you are. Before I tell you how, though, I want you to imagine this:
Imagine that you could stop time at the exact moment that your opponent hit a tennis ball toward you. Would that be great, or really great? Let's see what we could discover about what our opponent is going to do and exploit if we could magically stop time. First, we could discover the following:
o We could tell where the ball was going; this would allow us to get into position, and once we were in perfect position, we could 'start time' again and hit an awesome shot, because we'd be ready for it.
o We could analyze our opponent's position on the court, and decide where we wanted to hit the ball - obviously, to a spot on the court that would make it difficult for our opponent to return the ball.
o We could see what type of spin was on the ball, and be ready for it.
o We could see where our opponent's body position is relative to the center of the baseline, and perhaps try to 'wrong-foot' our opponent.
There are all kinds of things you could do, and in this 'magical' scenario they would all help us to win a match. There is, however, one thing that this scenario would allow us to do is 'steal time'. What I mean by that is, even when you magically 'started' time again, the same number of seconds would continue to tick off, and we'd still have to properly execute the shots that all the above 'analysis' allowed us to be ready to hit.
There is, however, a way to steal time from you opponent. What I mean by 'stealing' time is giving your opponent less time to react than normal. If you and your opponent are both on the baseline, slugging ground strokes back and forth to each other, hitting the tennis ball at the peak of its bounce, the advantage will always go to the player with:
o More powerful & more accurate ground strokes
o Better movement
o Better physical conditioning
This is a given. Just watch a couple of early round matches on the slow red clay at the French Open and any doubts you may have will be swiftly removed. However, there is a way that the 'better' player can be beaten, if you can learn how to 'steal' the time they need to prepare for their next shot. There is one time-tested, match-proven, Grand Slam Tournament proven way to steal your opponent's time. The way to do it is to...drum roll please....ready?....hit the ball on the rise.
This is a sure-fire way to reduce your opponent's reaction time. Most players, however, back up when a tennis ball is hit deep into their court. Their logic is to get into position to hit the ball after it peaks, while the ball is traveling down, and into their 'wheelhouse' (approximately waist level). They are more comfortable doing this because:
o That's how they've been taught to do it, so they won't 'miss-hit' the tennis ball
o They've been fed thousands of tennis balls this way by their local tennis pro when they were first learning how to hit ground strokes.
o It's easier to hit the tennis ball on the 'way down' from the peak of it's bounce because the ball has slowed down, making it easier for the player to hit with their current level of hand-eye coordination.
o Since they've 'backed up' well behind the baseline to wait for the tennis ball to drop into their wheelhouse, the odds of hitting a ball 'long', past the opponent's baseline, decrease.
You could call all of the above reasons 'logical', but they won't help you beat a 'better' tennis player because of the following:
o Just getting the ball back over the net is not enough to beat a 'better' player.
o While you were 'backing up' behind the baseline waiting for the ball to fall into your wheelhouse to you could hit it, your opponent was recovering from their shot and moving back into position to get ready for your next shot. This will not help you to beat a 'better' player.
o Now that you're well behind the baseline when you hit your shot, it will take you extra time to get back into position for your opponent's next shot - and remember, they're already in position for your next shot (that's one of the reasons they're the 'better player')! This again will not help you to beat a 'better player'.
Fear not, however. If we stand our ground on or just behind the baseline (6-12") during ground stroke rallies and hit the ball on the rise, all of a sudden a world of possibilities opens up for us. If you make sure to stand your ground and don't back up, then what happens is the following: When you receive your opponent's shot, the ball will still be traveling through your wheelhouse, but it's traveling from the ground up, and it's moving faster than it would be if we let it reach its peak and start back down again. Here's how you benefit and your opponent suffers (Doom on them):
o Since you're now hitting the tennis ball as soon as it bounces up off the court, you are giving your opponent less time to react to your shot. (Tennis players are human beings, too; and most humans look for the 'easiest' way to do something, rather than the most 'efficient'. It's human nature; so most players, including so-called 'better' players than you wait for the tennis ball to bounce up and back down again before they hit it. Since this is the case, your opponent will not be used to playing people who hit the ball on the rise. They are not prepared for a tennis ball that comes back at them so quickly. This will help you to beat a 'better' tennis player).
o You are now in better position to react to you opponent's next shot, because your not six feet behind the baseline trying to get back into position; you're already there! Your 'better' opponent is used to hitting winners and forcing errors because again, most of the 'better' player opponents are behind the baseline waiting for the ball to drop into their wheelhouse. By being proactive and hitting the ball on the rise, you make your opponent work harder and harder to pull you out of position. This will help you to beat a 'better' tennis player.
To give you an idea of just how important hitting the ball on the rise is, and the dramatic results you can get by doing so, here's a list for you to look at. While not a complete list, here are some examples of former and current Men's Grand Slam Singles Tournament Winners who could - and did - consistently hit the ball on the rise:
Pete Sampras ( 7 Wimbledons, 5 U.S. Opens, 2 Australian Opens)
Roger Federer ( 5 Wimbledons, 4 U.S. Opens, 3 Australian Opens)
Jimmy Connors ( 5 U.S. Opens, 2 Wimbledons, 1 Australian Open)
Andre Agassi ( 4 Australian Opens, 2 U.S. Opens, 1 Wimbledon, 1 French Open)
In the last 33 years (since 1974), there have been 132 Men's Grand Slam Tournament Singles Winners, and the four men above account for a almost third of them. If you add the 20 combined Grand Slam Singles Runner-Up finishes they had, you're looking at 62 Grand Slam Singles Finals among those four players. That's almost HALF of the four yearly Grand Slam Singles Finals for a period of 33 years, shared by these four players - who all hit the ball on the rise. This statistic should open your eyes.
Why don't more players hit the tennis ball 'on the rise'? Simple answer: It takes practice, and timing, and faith, and persistence; in short, it takes work. But you can do it. Persistence is the key. If you can commit to it, and not rest until you get the results you want, you've won 90% of the battle; and a whole new - and better - game awaits you. There are several techniques I utilize when teaching my students the 'how' of hitting the ball on the rise that I do not have the space to fit into this article. Just remember that you don't have to get it perfect; just get it going. Start hitting the ball on the rise, and practice, practice, practice! Then watch that 'better' player wonder just why you're so hard to beat these days!
To Your Massive Tennis Success,
Coach Kyril
Kyril Popoff is a former NCAA Div1 All-Conference Tennis Player, Instructor, Coach and Author.
His books include THE TEN LAWS OF TENNIS SUCCESS and FOCUS & WIN: WHY YOUR TENNIS GAME ISN'T WHERE YOU WANT IT TO BE, & WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT!
You can sign up for Coach Kyril's Tennis Lessons, Tips & Tricks newsletter at: http://www.coachkyriltennis.com
It is strong, quick drying and may be applied to one surface.Price: $9.26
Reese 7012900 Solo Hitch