Where You Can Play Tennis

There are numerous places that are all available to play tennis and most cities have several options that you can explore based upon your individual needs. Finding a suitable place to play is often based upon where you live, how long you have to devote to playing and what type of surface you are looking for in terms of the court. There are grass courts, clay, asphalt and even an indoor wooden court. You need to decide which type you are most interested in before you obviously make a final decision, but having several options available to you will make it much easier to find a good tennis court that you can use.

Local gym – this is a place where you can generally find at least one indoor tennis court. While not all gyms will have an outdoor tennis court you can generally schedule a game or two a week. In addition this is a great place to find a tennis instructor that is able to work with you to improve your technique if you are interested. One of the biggest benefits to using the court at the local gym is there is typically no additional charges to use the court, you just may need to reserve the court in advance for your use.

Country club – many country clubs offer several tennis courts for members. Golf and tennis sometimes go hand in hand and the majority of country clubs will offer several different tennis courts that you can use. One of the biggest advantages is this will allow you to play more often because you have a greater chance of finding an open court. However, the bad news is that you generally will need to pay a membership fee for the country club, which can run as much as several hundreds of dollars a month. Nevertheless, there is some good news, finding a very good and successful instructor at a country club is an almost guarantee.

City parks – many local cities are pushing residents to get into shape and as such they are opening more parks that offer sports facilities for the general public to use. The disadvantage here is that they tend to be very busy and sometimes have limited hours. Additionally, there usually is not a staff available so there is no way to actually reserve the court. You will have to hope when you arrive that it is empty. However, the biggest advantage is that they are almost always free, plus it gives you a great chance to get out and meet new people in the area around you. If you are looking for a tennis instructor it may be a bit difficult since most public tennis courts do not have a place where instructors can post a sign advertising their services.

Tennis clubs – if you are already fairly skilled at playing you may be able to look for a local tennis club in your area. This would allow you to play with other players who all have various skill levels. The benefits are that you can learn from the more advanced players, plus it is a great way to find out about local tournaments. The disadvantage is you may have to pay additional fees each month in order to use the court. You can however usually find a great instructor this way. As you go along you may notice that you need to reserve the court in advance, however most tennis clubs offer more than a single tennis court, which helps to reduce the congestion on the courts.

Finding a good tennis court is quite possible and of course larger cities will have even greater options to find the perfect court for your needs.

New Or Used Tennis Equipment?

If you are trying to get started in tennis you have no doubt discovered that many of the different pieces of equipment that are necessary are a bit expensive. However, if you are willing to purchase some equipment used you can save a lot of money. The problem becomes determining what you can really purchase used without putting yourself at risk for injury, or even potential frustration. Savings money should never be a greater priority so it is important to follow the advice that is listed here if you are considering buying any used equipment.

Tennis Racquets are a piece of equipment where being new or used generally does not matter. However, while it is ok to choose used from a price perspective without jeopardizing safety it is also important to realize that you need to know exactly what you are looking for in a tennis racquet before you ever buy one used. If you are trying to find a power racquet and end up buying a tweener then you have just wasted your money. However, if you are looking for a racquet and manage to find one that is a level up, such as looking for a power racquet and finding a tweener then you can purchase the higher level racquet and hang onto it for later on. It is still important to use the recommended racquet in the meantime however.

Tennis balls are one of the biggest expenses that people tend to have simply because they need to be replaced so often. Generally speaking it is best to avoid used balls unless you know for sure that they are not pressurized. If you suspect that the ball is a pressureless and it still has a suitable fuzzy felt surface then you may be able to save a few dollars. However, you should check to ensure that they are the right type, remember tennis balls come in Basic, Extra duty and high altitude models.

The tennis bag is another place where you can save some money and buy used. As long as you carefully check the bag you should make out fine picking up a used model. This will allow you to reap some huge financial benefits. Key things to check are the zippers, pockets, the straps and any hardware that the bag includes. You do not want anything that is damaged. Additionally, you need to ensure that the bag is the suitable size. You are not going to save any money at all if it is the wrong size for your needs. You will still ultimately purchase a new bag in the correct size so avoiding this hassle is best.

The final pieces of equipment that you can buy used without problems are the various tennis clothes that you pick out. This is a great way to get a good deal on the tennis clothes that you need. However, while clothing is fair game, shoes are off limits. Never purchase used tennis shoes. You do not know how the other person has worn them; you do not know if they are worn out and the chances of used tennis shoes have less lateral support is quite high. This increases your chances of injury ultimately. Take the money you saved from buying the other equipment used and make sure you put it onto a good pair of tennis shoes that fit you properly.

Improve Your Tennis Technique

One of the biggest problems that people have when learning how to play tennis is learning how to improve their technique. This can be done through practice and by learning what you are doing, but if you do not know what you are doing it can be very complicated to master the technique. If you have any doubts about what you are doing, then working to follow a few small tips will greatly improve your overall game and ensure that you are playing a much better game. However, having a good hitting technique is not the only thing that you will need in order to play a good game, but it will certainly help you.

Your first step is going to be the tried and true tip of practice and practice some more. If you never practice your technique then it is not going to improve no matter how many books you read or how many tutorial videos you watch. Learning how to improve your technique by reading some books and articles can be helpful, but you must take what you have learned and actually put it to use on the tennis court in order to actually reap the benefits that are available to you.

Your next concern should be making sure that you are using a tennis racquet that is appropriate for your skill level as well as physical size. If you are using the wrong racquet then no matter what you do there will be no way for you to hit the ball effectively. If you work very hard to ensure that you are hitting the ball then you are certain to ensure that you are making progress. A good appropriately sized racquet will make it much easier to hit the ball and ensure that you are able to play the best possible.

For actual tips, you want to always hold the racquet as if you were going to hit the ball with your palm for a forehand swing. This will allow you to easily get the grip on the racquet you need to connect squarely with the racquet. If you hit from the side your ball is likely to land in the alley and unless you are playing doubles this is not a god idea at all.

For a good backhand, you need to hold the racquet with either one hand or two depending on how you are most comfortable. If you do hold the racquet with two hands you need to ensure that you are not overlapping your hands as this will cause you to tilt the racquet slightly which will again hinder your technique and likely result in numerous balls that go out into the alley. You need to also ensure that you are not using a racquet that is too heavy; if you are, it will pull down either forward or backwards and make it difficult to get a good solid square connection to the ball.

Your stance is also going to be very important. If you are standing around casually slouching when the ball is coming at you and slowly yawning as you lift the racquet you are not going to get the impact that you need. You are likely to not care about your technique either. However, since you are reading this you are telling yourself that you do care about your technique, which means you care about your stance as well. Ensure that you are properly balancing the weight between your legs to get the best results possible.

The last step is to always ensure that you watch where the ball goes. If you are wrong about where the ball goes and are having to suddenly bolt across the tennis court to barely touch it with your racquet you are not going to have as good of a return as if you had anticipated exactly where the ball was going. The skill of always watching the ball will involve a bit of careful planning and practice both on the court and off in order to be truly successful at improving your technique.

Essentials for Your Tennis Bag

What you may not realize is that while having a great racquet will help you on the court, a good tennis bag will help you to do just as well off of the court. This is the primary reason why it is so important to have a tennis bag and will leave you wishing that you had a good bag on the days when you discover that you have forgotten an essential item. There are several things that you should keep in mind when you are picking out your tennis bag and if you are careful in your decision, you will have a bag that makes you very happy and lasts a long time.

You need to first ensure that you select a bag that is a good size for your needs. If you only need to carry a few things with you then an oversized bag will be a pain for you to deal with. However, if you need to carry a lot of equipment with you then it will be important to look for a bag that is much larger to ensure that you can carry everything that you need. If you just need a small bag then an oversized bag will just be a huge hassle that you will likely not take with you like you should. In order for your tennis bag to be effective, you need a bag that fits your needs without weighting you down.

If you are looking for a bag that will carry everything that you could possibly imagine and it is necessary to have it rather large in size then you will need to ensure that the bag that you select is constructed from very strong materials in order to ensure that it does not break. Many of the problems with cheaper bags is that they tend to break under the weight and pressure that a full bag will bring. You need to look for something that is reinforced and constructed with at least two layers of material in order to ensure that it will not tear up.

If you can use a much smaller bag then it is generally a good decision. This will allow you to carry fewer items with you, which reduces the amount of things that could be lost or stolen, plus it reduces the weight that you are carrying around to a level that you can comfortably handle. This can be a huge help when you are trying to ensure that you do not overweight your body.

The choice of color, brand and even style is something that you can decide upon based upon your personal preference; however ensuring that you have at least a shoulder strap on the bag will be a good idea so that you can comfortably carry the bag without hurting your hands. If you try to use a bag that only has hand straps you are going to be looking at a lot of weight and pressure on your hands, this is completely unnecessary and should be avoided at all costs before a game or even practice.

Picking the right bag will ensure that you are organized, as well as not hurting yourself carrying a bag around. However, if you are trying to pick out a bag that is bigger than you are then you are likely setting yourself up to be injured. Choose a bag that is small enough that you can reasonably carry it, in addition ensure that the bag has a padded shoulder strap so that you can protect your shoulder from enormous levels of strain. If you are unable to protect your shoulder then you are putting yourself at risk of an injury simply from carrying your bag, which will cause you several problems.

A great bag is essential, but choosing the right bag will be a process that generally takes a while to decide. In addition, you should avoid the idea of purchasing the cheapest bag that you can find. This will almost always result in increased amounts of frustration because the bag will break, rip, or even hurt you as you carry it. A good quality bag is well worth the price.

Improve Your Tennis Serve

There are a few quick and simple steps that you can do that will help you to dramatically increase your tennis score. However it is important to actually practice the steps rather than just read them. If you take the time to practice these quick steps you will see an almost immediate improvement in your tennis serve and you will notice that you entire game will improve overall.

The first thing that you need to do is to always relax your arm and your wrist. If you are tense, stressed out or easily excited you will notice that your arm will be quite tense. This will actually hinder your serve. Rather than acting like a wound up arm with more power, you will notice a definite decrease in the power that you have in your arm. This is the opposite effect from what you want. It is essential that you relax your arm and wrist. It is considered that as much as 20% of the power in your serve comes directly from the wrist, if your wrist is tight or tense you will lose as much as 15% of that power immediately. This is a huge hurt when you are trying to squeeze as much power as possible.

The next step is you need to practice your arm motion until you have a nice smooth and fluid movement. If your serve is jerky you are going to lose some of the power that you have gained by relaxing your arm and wrist. You need to practice this over and over again; however you should not practice this if you are overly tired. When you are over tired you will notice that your arm is much heavier and it is a lot harder to get the smooth and flowing movement that you really need in order to successfully serve the ball.

Jumping during your serve is also important. In fact this is one of the single most powerful movements that you can do in order to improve the overall power of your serve. If you are trying to really maximize your serve then you need to ensure that you are jumping as you serve. However, you also need to ensure that you are wearing a good pair of sturdy tennis shoes with plenty of cushion in the soles to protect your foot as you come down on impact with the court. This can provide a lot of relief to your knees as you land and will soften the blow to your body while still giving you the most power possible in your serve.

The final thing that you can do the most to maximize your serve is ensure that you are lining up your body with the service box that you are aiming for. If you are turning your body towards the stands or even the field across the way you are simply not going to be able to hit the service box like you need to in order to have a successful serve. This is something that is not negotiable; you need to aim the ball and to do that you need to turn your body in the direction of your target. This may take a bit of practice but if you practice your body facing you will see that it gets much easier over time and your serve improves dramatically.

Tennis Camp - A Wise Investment?

If your child is training to be the next great tennis player then you may be wondering if a few weeks at a tennis camp is a good idea. The plain facts of the matter are that each child is different. What is best for one child may not be best for another, but some general guidelines will usually be quite helpful in deciding if sports camp is a good idea. Making a good decision can mean encouraging your child, making the wrong decision could turn your child against tennis for life and may be potentially devastating so always proceed with caution.

You need to first consider your child. If you have a child who is ready and determined to train for the Olympics for example then working towards finding a suitable tennis camp is a good idea. However, if your child merely enjoys tennis as a hobby then finding a tennis camp for much longer than a couple of hours a day may have the result of burning them out on the sport. Ensure that your child is participating at a reasonable level, this means if all year long your child is practicing tennis for a couple of hours each day that perhaps a few weeks off in the summer will be good for them.

You should also carefully look for the perfect camp. Never choose the first camp that you find. You want to look around and see what the focus of each camp is, whom the instructors are, what type of safety precautions they provide and you should also ask how they screen the staff. It is especially important to be cautious now with so many horrible adults gaining access to children. You need to know that your child is safe if you send them to camp.

Additionally you need to compare the costs of the camp with what you are getting. If the camp costs more than several months’ worth of lessons you need to be assured that they are going to have plenty of time to work on their skills. If all they are doing is sitting around a campfire singing and dancing then there are better uses for the money. However, if you are looking for just a fun camp and they also offer some tennis classes then this would be much more acceptable. A camp that is geared specifically towards tennis needs to provide some good reasons why your child should attend in order to really earn your business.

One of the last things that you need to consider is your own personal schedule. If you are planning another family trip at the same time then perhaps skipping the summer tennis camp is a wise idea. Spending time with the family is much more important than getting a few extra hours of tennis practice worked in. Take the time as a family to get away from everything and then allow your child to pick back up on classes when you return.

This will work wonders towards giving your child a much needed break, allow your family to bond and help everyone ensure that they have time for some other activities as well other than those they engage in all of the time on a normal daily basis. Work to make time for a few family activities and you should see your child improve on the court.

What Tennis Equipment Will You Need?

Of course there are the basics such as the balls but what are some of the other pieces of equipment that are needed in order to play effectively? Having the necessary tools of the trade is always essential in order to be successful and tennis is no exception. Having the right equipment can mean the difference between being able to play successfully or not being able to play because you do not have something that you need.

The first piece of equipment and what often comes to people’s mind first when they hear the word tennis is the tennis balls. It is important to ensure that you are purchasing the correct tennis balls. If you choose the wrong balls then you could have a huge problem with a lack of performance. However, knowing that balls come in several different types is important information to ensure that have exactly what you need.

Of course a racquet is important as well. Depending upon your exact skill level the type of racquet that you need may vary. If you are just starting to learn tennis expect to need to purchase at least two or three different racquets while you are learning as you move along the various skill levels. This will allow you to move up in skill level as you improve in your overall technique.

A good pair of tennis shoes is also essential. You need something that fits correctly, provides the right support for your foot, has plenty of lateral support built in and is designed to last. Simply walking into a store and buying the first pair of tennis shoes that you see will almost always result in a bad fit. You need to be prepared to spend some time really looking around to find the best shoes for your needs. If you are having difficulty selecting the right shoes talk to a professional at the store to get some advice based upon your needs and foot type.

Tennis bags are also essential. This will allow you to carefully store all of your things into a single bag. Going to practice is not like you are going on a miniature vacation so you do not need to take along numerous little suitcases. Instead you can take along a single tennis bag that holds all of your necessary equipment.

Other things that are nice to have include small towels, wristbands, a headband and even a hat or visor to help keep the sun out of your eyes. These things combined with some good sunscreen will work to ensure that you are comfortable out on the court and off the court. If you do not have everything that you need then you can generally pick them up at virtually any sports store that is available. Never try to use equipment that is worn out, broken or that does not suit your needs based upon your skill level. This means if you need to use a power racquet you should not attempt to use a control racquet.

As far as tennis apparel goes, different places have different rules. Some require solid colored outfits while others have no problems with colors and patterns. Check with your local tennis club, instructor or anyone else similar to see exactly what is required for where you plan to play at. This will ensure that you are always appropriately dressed for their needs and requirements.

Two Most Important Elements of Tennis

If you are going to be any good at tennis there are two major things that you really need to know. Once you have mastered these things you are looking at a much easier time trying to play. However, if you are not playing as well as you should be, going back and taking some lessons in improving your skills as well as technique may be necessary. The primary basis of tennis is to obviously bounce the ball back and forth across the center net, but actually ensuring that the ball goes where you want it to is going to involve some careful consideration to ensure that you are training yourself properly.

The first major thing you need to be aware of is you always need to be ready for the hit. This means you cannot turn around and wave to your best friend or blow your special honey a kiss while you wait for the ball to come to you. You need to focus on the ball and the exact location of the ball in relation to your racquet. If you look away, lose your concentration or just lose the ball then you are not going to have a very good hit. While not all hits need to be overly powerful it is important to ensure that you are making a conscious effort to get it over the net with each and every shot you take.

If you are not prepared to hit the ball either mentally or physically you are not going to play a good game at all. You are going to practically hand the game to your opponent. Ensuring that you are ready for the ball is not as difficult as you may think, but it is very much worth your time to ensure that you are prepped and ready to go. Never waste time looking around at the crowd or trying to adjust your hair or clothes, they can wait – just ensure you focus on the ball.

The second thing that you always need to keep in mind is follow through. If you are unsure about your follow through then you need to ensure that you practice it until you have it down cold. A good effective follow through is a great way to help minimize some of the inexperience that you may have with playing tennis. Of course the professionals are going to have a good follow through, but you can as well if you practice.

Some of the things to keep in mind is the exact manner in which you are holding the racquet. You also need to ensure that you rotate your shoulder correctly. Not only will this help you improve your follow through, it will also reduce your risk of injury and ensure that you are able to have the power that you need in your follow through to put the ball exactly where you want. You should also remember your stance. This is one of the times when your stance will be the most important.

A poorly executed stance will result in a horrible follow through almost each and every time. However, taking the time to finish up your follow through by keeping a good stance will go a very long way to ensure that your game is at top-notch level. Never be afraid to ask for help in your follow through if you need it.

Choosing the Perfect Racquet

In tennis, it is essential that you have the right racquet according to your skill level as well as playing style. If you have the wrong racquet, you will likely have problems with improving your game and really ensuring that you can play the best game possible. A good racquet should help you improve slowly, while a poorly matching racquet can cause you problems with playing, much less improving. If you are working with a good coach, they should be able to give you some tips on selecting the perfect racquet for your individual needs, however in the meantime there are some basic guidelines that you can follow to help you until you get the best advice from your coach.

If you are just an occasional player or if you look to start playing it would be a wise decision to purchase what is called a power racquet. This is a racquet that is designed to give more control and support in how the racquet is handled. This works perfectly for those with just beginning skills because it helps to compensate for the lack of skills that you have currently. By providing a much larger head, you have a much greater area that you can hit the ball with. This is very important for those who are not always the most accurate with their swings. In addition, a power racquet provides a much heavier head, which is effective in helping to give more actual power when you are swinging the racquet; this allows greater force to hit the ball, which will provide a much stronger return.

The next racquet that is good for intermediate players is called a tweener racquet. This tends to be much lighter than a power racquet and it provides you with a choice of a large or a small head to allow you to move between the two depending upon your exact skill level as well as how well you can play. If your accuracy is good you can use a smaller head, if you are still working to hone your accuracy skills then a larger head will be a good idea even with this racquet style. The good news about tweener racquets is that they are much longer than a power racquet. This will allow you to learn more control as well as power from your own strength and skills, rather than just what the racquet provides you with.

Your next step up the ladder is called a control racquet. These are typically much heavier and provide a much smaller head size than a power racquet and many of the tweener racquets. Before you move onto a control racquet, you need to have some fairly basic skills established first. A control racquet will generally allow you to have more control during your game, but at the same time, you are losing some of the power that a power racquet game you to start with. This makes it highly important that you are capable of providing enough power in your swing to handle the ball appropriately. If you are not strong enough to handle it without a power racquet then you will need to avoid a control racquet for a little while.

If you are just starting to play tennis you should always seek the advice of your coach before you actually purchase a racquet. If you have been playing a while then you should wait until your coach tells you to change to a new racquet. This will allow you to use the racquet that is best suited to your particular skill level. While your skill level does come into play, it is also important to ensure that you pick out a racquet that is appropriate for you based upon your size, for example someone who is only 3 or 4 feet tall would need a shorter racquet than someone who is taller. Always take your time selecting a racquet to ensure that you are using the most appropriate racquet possible.

Best exercises for Tennis

As you can imagine, tennis is a very strenuous sport that requires a lot of energy as well as a really good physical condition in order to play successfully. This does not mean that you need to be a professional athlete to play well though. Of course the professionals have a physical trainer to help them, but you can achieve some of the same benefits by simply ensuring that you are doing exercises that will help you improve your game. How long you devote to exercise depends entirely on you, but you will be very glad you invested the time.

Running is one of the best things you can do. Whether you run at a full run or you choose to just jog does not matter as much. However the fact that you are running is phenomenal. If you stop and think a lot of tennis involves running back and forth across the court. If you have the energy to do this and do it without running out of breath then you are well onto the right track to ensure that you are in good physical shape. Running from one end of the court to the other and losing your breath in between will make it much harder for you to successfully play.

You are also going to need to work on strengthening your abdominal muscles. Having a good strong core with toned abs will help you achieve a powerful swing. While you do not need washboard abs you do need to ensure that you can control your abdominal muscles while you are playing. This means you are going to have to resort to some sit-ups and crunches to ensure that your stomach muscles are toned.

The muscles in your back cannot be ignored either. Using various workout equipment you can generally tone these in just a few minutes a day or however often you work out. Taking some small weights and focusing heavily upon repetitions rather than the actual weight amount is quite helpful in order to improve your overall back strength. Remember, many of the racquets that are used are quite heavy, so having the strength to lift them is important.

The arms and legs need to be toned as well. To do this some leg curls, arm curls and a bit of lifting weights can help. Once again you need to focus on repetitions since this is going to help you greatly while you are playing. The pure muscle mass is not as important as the ability to maintain your energy and strength during a match. You should strive to work towards higher numbers of reps regardless of which workout method you chose rather than pushing to bench press 300 pounds.

The final thing you need to work at is stretching. If you are doing proper stretches before any workout and before actually playing you are going to ensure that your muscles are in top shape. This will allow you to be a little bit looser in your playing without always being injured if you step slightly wrong. If your muscles are able to bend, flex and stretch without tearing or pulling immediately you will be able to avoid a lot of injuries. Make sure that you are always stretching as part of any exercise routine that you engage in to make sure your muscles are in top condition.

Tennis For Children

Parents are always looking for a good sport for their child and more and more parents are starting to turn to tennis as the perfect sport for their child. The benefits of tennis go far beyond simply learning good sportsmanship skills, it also goes deep into learning good skills in terms of eye coordination and even hand eye coordination just to mention a few. Deciding if tennis is the right sport for your child is sometimes easy and at other times a bit more complicated, but you should always take a cue from your child as you make the final decision.

The first step should be deciding if your child enjoys playing with large groups of people such as with football or soccer or if they prefer to play solo sports. While tennis is not so much a solo sport you are playing against another three people, rather than an entire field like many team sports involves. If your child does not like the idea of playing by themselves then tennis may not be the best match for them.

Children should also feel comfortable having a ball flying at them at high speeds. While nobody really sets out to walk onto the tennis court and be hit in the head with a ball, it is a possibility that is entirely possible to happen. If your child is quite shy they may not be comfortable with this idea, however if they are not easily intimidated then you may not have any problems with your child being upset over this. Many children take this as the perfect time to get started really improving their skills and technique in order to protect themselves from the ball.

You should also look at the benefits that tennis can provide. It is a great form of exercise that allows your child to move around the tennis court a very great deal thus providing them with plenty of exercise. At the same time, it is also possible to practice improved hand eye coordination, teamwork skills and even learn how to make quick decisions as a split second. A child who has issues making a decision is generally not cut out for tennis, however a child that is able to just jump in and make a fast decision will generally do very well at tennis.

Another good benefit of tennis is the ability to practice on their own. While many sports need a child to interact with numerous other people in order to actually practice a solid wall, tennis ball and racquet can allow your child to easily practice almost anywhere, even at your home. This allows your child to have the time to practice that they need which can be a huge help if you are looking for the best sport possible that will not potentially damage your property.

For parents who are looking for a competition sport tennis makes a wonderful choice, you can choose just how many or how few competitions you are comfortable with your child participating in and ultimately they can even play in the Olympics or as a professional if they are skilled enough when they get older. This can allow you to consider that tennis is a great sport because it has a serious future ahead that is very much possible for virtually anyone to learn.

Vital Mind Control Techniques for Tennis

Unlike what I am sure you are thinking we are not going to set out to perform voodoo on our opponent, nor are we going to try to control them through some ancient form of telepathy. Rather the goal is to improve how you approach each game from a mental standpoint so that you can be much more successful. This means that you should approach each and every game with a successful and positive attitude in order to truly find success on the tennis court.

The first thing that you always need to do is ensure that you get plenty of sleep before a match. While the idea of staying up late to practice may sound great, you will be causing yourself problems with actually paying attention at the game itself. This is not a wise decision. In order to remain calm and follow a well-developed playing strategy you need to ensure that you have gotten the rest that you need. Someone who is tired is not going to be as mentally sharp as someone who has gotten a good 8 hours of good sleep.

Stay as calm as possible before the match. While matches are exciting and it is easy to get all wound up in the excitement you need to try to detach yourself as much as possible. People who are overly excited make mistakes; they get nervous they practically give the game to their opponent. This is rather sad honestly, because most people do not set out with this idea in mind, rather they set out with the idea of being able to beat their opponent and end up leaving the tennis court sorely disappointed. If you keep your excitement under wraps until you are done playing you will find that you have a much easier time concentrating on the court and are therefore able to really focus on playing the best possible and keeping your eyes on the ball successfully.

You should also ensure that you are not taking any kind of medication before a game that will make you groggy. This is a huge problem for some players more than others. If you have allergies of some form, you may discover that your allergy medication makes you a bit sluggish and groggy. This is a potential problem and there are a few things that you can do to correct it. Your first choice is to wait until after the game to take the medication if your allergies will allow it. However if you have bad allergies then your only other real option is to talk to your doctor and see if they can prescribe something that will not make you groggy.

Always look your opponent in the eye with a confident nature whenever possible. This will have your opponent literally freaking out on their side of the net because you will look like you know exactly what you are doing and are about to cream them. This can be really scary for someone, especially if you are playing against someone who has not developed their skills fully yet. If you are able to pull this off you can have your opponent making some small mistakes before they have even had a chance to return your serve. It is important to remember that you cannot just stand and stare at your opponent for the entire game, you must actually watch the ball, but between serves, a few good self-confident looks can be quite useful.

The primary focus of tennis may be bouncing the ball back and forth across the court but you are going to have to learn how to control your mind in order to effectively play. If you allow yourself to be easily distracted, you will find that you are prone to numerous small mistakes that would not occur if you were not nervous. Nevertheless, learning to hide the fact that you are nervous will take some time and practice, yet it is entirely possible to do if you work at it.

Picking the Right Tennis Instructor for Your Child

As you can imagine there are numerous considerations that you should take into account if you are trying to select a suitable tennis instructor for a child. What is suitable for an adult is not always the best match for a child and this can sometimes be a very difficult difference to distinguish. What you determine as the first criteria is obviously someone who is skilled and talented as a player themselves, yet there are other criteria that should be considered as well.

Some of this criteria should include someone who is willing to offer up generous amounts of praise to your child. While of course some criticism is necessary in order to actually improve you do not want an instructor that only criticizes your child. Look for someone who also gives honest praise. If they are simply dolling out praise just to make parents happy, you want an instructor who is handing out praise because it is deserved. This will also go to show an instructor that pays close attention to the activities and behavior of the students as well which shows that they are highly attentive to the needs of your child.

Your next criteria should be an instructor who has patience with children who struggle to grasp the concepts set forth for them. You need an instructor who is willing to work with your child whether they catch on perfectly after the first lesson or it takes then 20 lessons to learn how to swing the racquet without hitting someone. The kind of continuity that this offers your child is very important and ensures that they will be able to really grow and learn with the same instructor and it also shows that an instructor is capable of adapting their teaching style based upon your child’s particular needs.

For children one of the key things to look for is an instructor who places the highest priority on having fun. Of course producing star tennis players is great, but an instructor who is more concerned with his next Olympic entry than having fun is likely to drive away the hobby players, which is where most children fall in the spectrum of players. Once your child grows older if they want to train for the Olympics then a different coach may be necessary but young children need to first have fun and improve their skills before moving onto worrying about being the best in the world.

As a good rule of thumb, you need an instructor who places a highly emphasized level on mastering all of the basics before moving onto advanced techniques. What good does it do to sign your child up to 10 tournaments if they are unable to even properly swing the racquet? You need to ensure that the instructor is willing to spend time on the basics until they are firmly mastered. If they insist upon moving your child along without the basics fully mastered then you need to find a new coach. Your child should never be pushed to a level that is beyond their capabilities for the time being. They may suddenly have a breakthrough and rapidly advance, but the lessons need to follow their own individual skill levels.

Your final consideration should be finding an instructor that is certified. This goes to help prove that they are capable of playing themselves. It also allows you to feel comfortable knowing that they have to adhere to a specific set of rules and guidelines in order to actually be certified. Many instructors that are lesser quality will not want to bother with the requirements to be certified, so this works as a very effective method to help weed out the instructors that are not as suitable for your needs. Always ask about certification before you ask any other questions about their teaching style or even prices. Without a certification, you do not want to work with them, and you should never send your child to them.

Avoiding Tennis Elbow

If you have ever heard anyone talk about tennis elbow then you surely know that it is not a pleasant situation. It can be rather painful and it is quite possible to do a lot of work to help prevent the injury. However, if you do not treat your body nicely you are putting yourself at a much greater risk for the injury as well as others. This is something that you should work hard to avoid, after all tennis elbow can cause serious pain that is not just whisked away with a heating pad.

You are first going to want to focus on prevention and in this spirit; it means that you need to ensure that you are getting the rest you need between playing. This means there is no reason that you should go out and play a 4-hour tournament then turn around and practice for another 2 hours. No matter what you think, this is not a wise idea. Rather a better idea would be taking the day off after you have finished the tournament so that you can give your arm the rest that it needs.

Take some time to get into good physical shape. This includes ensuring that you strengthen your arms and back. If you ensure that your arms and back are in good physical condition you will have the muscle strength built up that will help you to prevent the injury. However, failing to make sure you are in good physical condition can make you exceptionally vulnerable to problems. If you have problems with getting into good muscular shape, you should talk to your instructor or coach if you have one. If you do not then turn to the internet to help you develop a good exercise routine that will effectively allow you to strengthen these essential muscles.

For those who do not play tennis for hours a day it is important to pace yourself. This means no playing for four weeks does not give you the right to run out and play for 4 hours straight suddenly. You should play for much shorter periods after you have had a long period of time away from the court. Your arm is abused in the process of playing tennis and suddenly jumping in with both feet will put you at risk of wearing it out badly. Instead, play much easier on your body and work to get back to the game that you prefer to play. Remember, pushing yourself to achieve the results that you want may seem like a great idea, but pushing too hard will leave you with an injury.

Always stretch before you start playing a game or even practice. In addition, you should stretch after you are done playing as well. This will allow you to keep the muscles surrounding the tendon as supple as possible. Often tense muscles can help factor into a tendon injury and will have you in pain quite quickly if you forget to stretch one day. A few minutes of stretching can go a very long way towards keeping you in good shape and injury free.

The last major consideration that you should take into account is you need to avoid continuously repetitive movements that drag on forever. If you are practicing a swing or a serve then that is wonderful but at the same time, you need to ensure that you stop on occasion to take a break. This will be quite helpful in working with you to avoid injury. If you are overworking your muscles without a break, you are putting yourself heavily at risk of an injury and you are not likely to enjoy the results. Taking care of your body is the primary thing that you need to be concerned with, not trying to stress over practicing your serve for another two hours straight. The time you spend on the court will be much more effective with a few small breaks sprinkled into the day.

Tennis Injuries

There are several things that you need to be well aware of as you consider how you are playing tennis. The body is susceptible to so many different potential injuries in the process of playing tennis that it is very important to be careful about how you play so that you can avoid as many injuries as possible. Yet even the most careful player will likely have an injury at some point in time. Learning to avoid most injuries and also learning which are most common will give you the advantage in a fast treatment, which will ultimately lead to a quick healing process.

Of course true to the name tennis elbow tends to be a very common injury. This is an injury that occurs to the upper arm on the inside close to the elbow itself. This tends to create problems with the way that you use your arm overall and if you are not careful you can badly injure your arm even further. The best for of prevention for tennis elbow is some rest as well as ensure that you are stretching thoroughly both before and after any time that you play. Even if you are only playing for a short period of time while you practice a good stretch is still useful to avoid injury.

Another highly common problem is tendinitis. There are several different types that tend to strike at tennis players and they include shoulder tendinitis, rotator cuff tendinitis, Achilles tendinitis and even wrist tendinitis. Tendinitis itself is defined as inflammation of the tendons. This means that for each area where tendinitis can occur for a tennis player that the tendons have become inflamed, irritated or even swollen. The exact amount of time it takes for tendinitis to heal generally varies greatly but it can be anywhere from a couple of days to several weeks.

Another highly common problem is osteoarthritis that occurs in the knee. Because of the huge amount of impact that occurs to the knees it is very important to ensure that they are as strong as possible as well as the shoes that you wearing are very strong. If you wear shoes without proper cushioning and do not take good care of your knees then you are at a much higher risk for osteoarthritis.

The biggest thing that you need to always keep in mind is that most tennis injuries are either acute or cumulative. This means that either they occur over time due to being over used or they occur suddenly due to trauma. Regardless of the exact type of injury taking the precautions necessary to ensure that you are wearing the appropriate safety equipment will go a very long way to ensure that you avoid as many injuries as possible.

It is also a wise idea to look into finding a good sports medicine doctor that you can work with in the event that you get an acute injury such as a torn rotator cuff, shoulder separation or even an Achilles tendon rupture. Taking proper care of injuries quickly is very important so knowing exactly who you will see if an injury occurs is a very wise decision to have worked out that will help you ensure that you stay as safe and healthy as possible no matter how long you play tennis.

Sports Medicine Concerns In Tennis

Many people do not realize that beyond the initial beginnings of tennis that the sport can actually be very dangerous. Yet at the same time even those who do realize that it is dangerous often do not realize just how important it is to have a good sports medicine doctor that you work with. Most tennis injuries are caused specifically by the sport itself, which makes the need to have a sports medicine doctor quite large. If you are playing tennis at an advanced level or even professionally or semi-professionally you must have a good sports medicine doctor. Those players who are on the lower levels can typically avoid using a sports medicine doctor; however it is still a wise decision to have a doctor.

If you are injured for any reason due to playing a sport, which includes tennis seeing a good sports medicine doctor can often speed up your recovery time greatly. While you may not realize it, taking the time and effort to find a good doctor can ensure that you are not sitting around in pain struggling to find a doctor that can see you after you have been injured. Being able to simply call someone up to take care of your needs is very important, however waiting until after you are injured is a recipe for disaster, especially since not all doctors take new patients at all times.

You should take your time selecting a good sports medicine doctor. With the list of acute injuries for tennis being rather large it is important to ensure that you are working with someone that you trust. You also need to ensure that your doctor is highly experienced in sports medicine and is readily available in the event that you have a problem. For example, if it would take two weeks for you to get an appointment with your chosen sports medicine doctor it would be a very wise decision to search for a new doctor that could see you sooner.

In addition to helping you stay healthy by treating your injuries a good sports medicine doctor should be able to help you prevent injuries as well. They should be able to recommend specific exercises and safety equipment that will help you to avoid being injured. If you are working with a doctor that barely wants to ever talk to you then again you need to find a new doctor. Sports medicine doctors are typically quite hands on, however there are some that are just not as hands on in their treatment methods. Typically a hands on doctor will give you much better results.

If you do not already have a sports medicine doctor picked out you should consider talking to your coach or instructor to see whom they recommend. Most coaches are fairly well aware of which sports medicine doctors are good and which are not as effective at treating tennis injuries. You may also discover that simply by taking the advice of your coach that you find the absolute best sports medicine doctor that is in the area.

Remember, one of the biggest keys to preventing injuries is prevention itself. If you want to avoid being injured it is important that you establish a good working relationship with your sports medicine doctor before you are injured. This will allow them to help you in prevention, and help you treat the injuries themselves much faster when they do occur.

The Secret to Winning Matches

The goal is obviously to win when you are playing tennis, after all who really steps out onto the court with the goal of losing a match? If you are like most typical players you need all the help you can get to win some games because you may find yourself up against a player who seems to cream you the split second you serve the ball and has you feeling as if there is no way possible for you to really stand a chance at winning. Yet a few strategies can help you really ensure that you can win, but they all involve paying attention to your opponent so it will require you to watch your opponent and study how they play.

Your first step is obviously going to be serving the ball successfully. If you cannot serve the ball successfully you are going to start out continuously behind and find the entire process rather frustrating. However, if you are able to serve the ball successfully you will be starting off on a very good footing. If you think that your serve is weak then always practice it continuously until you get the power, speed and accuracy for your serve that you want.

Your next step should be learning how to play from the baseline. This is a strategy that is mostly seen in professional tennis but think about it – if it works for the professionals then it should work for you as well! Ensure that you always hit the ball deep so that you have plenty of time to return to your baseline with each hit, if you are hitting the ball shallow, you are going to be losing precious moments that would give you the upper hand when it is your turn to return the serve.

The next goal that you should have is watching your opponent. Most players tend to have a specific way that they always hit the ball. If you watch and discover what this is, you will be able to start anticipating the movements and actions of your opponent before they even occur. This can be a huge help to you, but it will involve a lot of practice to fine tune this skill. Once you have mastered the skill though, you can expect to see the number of games that you are winning improve.

You also want to ensure that your opponent is hitting as many balls as possible, especially in the beginning. You may be curious about why this matters; after all, if they miss you score a point. Nevertheless, consider if they are managing to hit all of your shots that they are likely running around their end of the court like a mad person. After a little while, this is going to get incredibly tiring. You want your opponent to start getting tired in order to take advantage of them. If they are fully alert and energetic, they are going to be more likely to watch you and how you are playing. If they are tired, they are not going to be as concerned with watching you and instead focus on the ball, or anything else that catches their eye.

Just as you are studying the playing style of your opponent, they are probably studying you. This means you cannot serve the ball the exact same way each time, you cannot return the ball the exact same way each time and you cannot play the same way for all of your games. Someone will be using the same strategy as you and they will tear you up on the court if you do this. Instead, you need to ensure that you are shaking things up at times. Pull out a new serve technique, try to hit the ball shallow when you usually go deep or even just move around the court a bit. This will allow you to really throw your opponent off so that they cannot read you quite as easily as you are trying to read them. Remember, it is a sport and winning is a great feeling.