Team rynke er klar til å dra!
Lørdag 15 Juli 2006 setter Team rynke på nytt kursen mot Paris.
New til teamet i år er Venstres politiske talsmann, 35-årige Jens Rohde, som faktisk er en habil utøve sykkelen når den travle politiske livet ellers tillater det. Teamet er også i år den tidligere verdensmesteren sprinter Peder Pedersen, som er en lege som er en begravelse, en DR-programmet direktør, pensjonering caretakers, husmødre og så selvfølgelig noen topp-justerte "folk fra Rynkeby Foods.
rynker i ansiktet
Siden 2001 har den greid Team rynke å samle inn mer enn en halv million dollar i Children's Cancer Fund, som har som primære mål er å hjelpe cancer sufferers barn. Med presidenten, spesiallege, dr.. med Henrik Hertz 'egne ord, det er penger som virkelig gjør en forskjell.
Hvordan fjerne rynker ?
Igjen i år jeg kan følge med på omvisning på eller i forsikringsbeviset avis hver dag. Men Team rynke vil også være tett fulgt av Midtfyn Posten, Avis og Fyens fylket Fyens Stiftidende og mange flere.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Lobs and Tennis Backhand Lessons For Beginners
Lets first start to take a look at tennis lobs:
The most macho tennis players think that lobs are for girls!...indeed girls are smart and use it to win points and so should men. But why?
A few things a well played lob at the right moment can do for you:
- Give you time to reposition yourself on the court.
- Keep you in play instead of allowing your opponent a winning volley.
- Discourage your opponent from future incursions to the net.
- Stop your rival from getting too close to the net.
There are several ways to hit a lob in tennis and I will address three of them:
- The flat lob
- The topspin lob
- The backspin lob
Before I get into how you hit each of these strokes, I will give you a word of advice, 'keep it simple'. The cleaner and simpler your stroke production is,
the easier it will be to execute under pressure.
First the flat lob:
- You should play it, if the incoming ball bounces at waist level, has very little or no spin on it and allows you to drive/push with your racket
head open in a 45 degree angle in a clean upwards motion, with no spin, over your opponents head into the open box behind the service line.
Second the topspin lob:
- Use it, if the incoming ball has topspin on it (forward rotational spin). Since this ball generally bounces high it is easy for you to get under it
and lift this ball violently with your regular topspin forehand or backhand high above your opponents head and into the open court behind him.
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To practice this tip, i recommend that you take time out of your practice to do nothing but backhand shots. Try to improve your ability to judge the ball on the left side of your body and make sure that you keep both eyes on the ball at all times. This will drastically improve your shots.
Tip Two. The next thing that I want you to do is keep using the backhand shot. Do not avoid it just because it is your weaker shot. Players will see that you have a weak backhand and will always shoot for your weak side. Just keep using your backhand and use these shots as good practice. Don't talk yourself into thinking that the backhand is a bad part of your tennis game. You are only preparing yourself for a bad shot ahead of time. Just keep working on the backhand and you will get it in time. Don't avoid it in your game.
Tip Three. This may seem a little silly, but you need to talk to your backhand. Talk to it and coach it. Visualize your backhand shot and how you want it to turn out. You will have bad shots, but you want to make sure that you recognize the good shots that you make as well and keep improving. Shooting the backhand is kinda like a baby walking. Is the baby a bad walker..no. They just need practice to build their skills. The same applies here with the backhand. Keep practicing the backhand and you will be shooting more and more good shots before you know it.
The most macho tennis players think that lobs are for girls!...indeed girls are smart and use it to win points and so should men. But why?
A few things a well played lob at the right moment can do for you:
- Give you time to reposition yourself on the court.
- Keep you in play instead of allowing your opponent a winning volley.
- Discourage your opponent from future incursions to the net.
- Stop your rival from getting too close to the net.
There are several ways to hit a lob in tennis and I will address three of them:
- The flat lob
- The topspin lob
- The backspin lob
Before I get into how you hit each of these strokes, I will give you a word of advice, 'keep it simple'. The cleaner and simpler your stroke production is,
the easier it will be to execute under pressure.
First the flat lob:
- You should play it, if the incoming ball bounces at waist level, has very little or no spin on it and allows you to drive/push with your racket
head open in a 45 degree angle in a clean upwards motion, with no spin, over your opponents head into the open box behind the service line.
Second the topspin lob:
- Use it, if the incoming ball has topspin on it (forward rotational spin). Since this ball generally bounces high it is easy for you to get under it
and lift this ball violently with your regular topspin forehand or backhand high above your opponents head and into the open court behind him.
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Tennis Backhand Lessons For Beginners
To practice this tip, i recommend that you take time out of your practice to do nothing but backhand shots. Try to improve your ability to judge the ball on the left side of your body and make sure that you keep both eyes on the ball at all times. This will drastically improve your shots.
Tip Two. The next thing that I want you to do is keep using the backhand shot. Do not avoid it just because it is your weaker shot. Players will see that you have a weak backhand and will always shoot for your weak side. Just keep using your backhand and use these shots as good practice. Don't talk yourself into thinking that the backhand is a bad part of your tennis game. You are only preparing yourself for a bad shot ahead of time. Just keep working on the backhand and you will get it in time. Don't avoid it in your game.
Tip Three. This may seem a little silly, but you need to talk to your backhand. Talk to it and coach it. Visualize your backhand shot and how you want it to turn out. You will have bad shots, but you want to make sure that you recognize the good shots that you make as well and keep improving. Shooting the backhand is kinda like a baby walking. Is the baby a bad walker..no. They just need practice to build their skills. The same applies here with the backhand. Keep practicing the backhand and you will be shooting more and more good shots before you know it.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
French Open Tennis Preivew 2008
This years French Open will once again begin on a Sunday. May 25th is the start date and the schedule should see some top early matches on the two show courts of Philippe Chatrier and Suzanne Lenglen courts.
The French Open is always exciting to watch due to the fact that it allows many of the clay court specialists to excel and can often provide a challenge for many of the top ten players who struggle on the dirt. Andy Roddick is an example of a player who seems to struggle in Europe on the clay although he has proven himself on the clay courts by winning the U.S Clay court championships on a number of occasions. Unfortunately as shown recently Andy Roddick is having back trouble so that will appear to reduce his chances of producing some good results in this year's French open.
The question that most are asking is will Federer be able to win the French Open or will he follow the same path as a former great in Sampras who was unable to win the French Open. The title of being the greatest of all time surely can only be given to a player who has excelled in all four majors. Like most, I believe that Federer probably has his best chance of winning the French Open over the next two to three years before the next generation of players lead by Djokovic come through.
Rafael Nadal is still the man to beat on the men's side and undoubtedly looks forward to the clay court season to exert his dominance over the other players and gain those valuable points that will help him reach the number one position. Roger Federer has shown that he can beat Nadal on clay as displayed last year when he put an end to Nadal's 82-match unbeaten run on clay in Hamburg. Nadal has been the undisputed challenger to Federer in recent years but now Nadal has Djokovic behind him looking to take over the number one position.
Federer is on track to beat Sampras's record of 14 grand slam titles but like Sampras he will always feel a little disappointed if he never wins the French Open. Federer has recruited the help of one of the most well known and successful clay court coaches in Jose Higueras. Higueras who reached the semi finals of the French Open during his career and has also coached Michael Chang, Carlos Moya, Sergi Bruguera and Jim Courier in helping them win this clay court title. With Higueras by his side; Federer recently won the Estoril clay court tournament in Portugal which surely gave the Swiss champ a confidence boost before he heads to Roland Garros. The question will be can Federer beat Nadal who has had the best of him in the last three years at the French.
On the women's side all eyes will be on Maria Sharapova to see if she can come through on her least favourite surface. Her movement on the dirt has often been an issue with her constant struggle to have the required agility on the clay. If she can master the "slide" and court position recovery then her power will likely be too much for most fellow players. After her winning performance in this years' Australian Open she now is striving to add the French Open trophy to her U.S, Australian and Wimbledon grand slam trophies.
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Forbrukslån
The French Open is always exciting to watch due to the fact that it allows many of the clay court specialists to excel and can often provide a challenge for many of the top ten players who struggle on the dirt. Andy Roddick is an example of a player who seems to struggle in Europe on the clay although he has proven himself on the clay courts by winning the U.S Clay court championships on a number of occasions. Unfortunately as shown recently Andy Roddick is having back trouble so that will appear to reduce his chances of producing some good results in this year's French open.
The question that most are asking is will Federer be able to win the French Open or will he follow the same path as a former great in Sampras who was unable to win the French Open. The title of being the greatest of all time surely can only be given to a player who has excelled in all four majors. Like most, I believe that Federer probably has his best chance of winning the French Open over the next two to three years before the next generation of players lead by Djokovic come through.
Rafael Nadal is still the man to beat on the men's side and undoubtedly looks forward to the clay court season to exert his dominance over the other players and gain those valuable points that will help him reach the number one position. Roger Federer has shown that he can beat Nadal on clay as displayed last year when he put an end to Nadal's 82-match unbeaten run on clay in Hamburg. Nadal has been the undisputed challenger to Federer in recent years but now Nadal has Djokovic behind him looking to take over the number one position.
Federer is on track to beat Sampras's record of 14 grand slam titles but like Sampras he will always feel a little disappointed if he never wins the French Open. Federer has recruited the help of one of the most well known and successful clay court coaches in Jose Higueras. Higueras who reached the semi finals of the French Open during his career and has also coached Michael Chang, Carlos Moya, Sergi Bruguera and Jim Courier in helping them win this clay court title. With Higueras by his side; Federer recently won the Estoril clay court tournament in Portugal which surely gave the Swiss champ a confidence boost before he heads to Roland Garros. The question will be can Federer beat Nadal who has had the best of him in the last three years at the French.
On the women's side all eyes will be on Maria Sharapova to see if she can come through on her least favourite surface. Her movement on the dirt has often been an issue with her constant struggle to have the required agility on the clay. If she can master the "slide" and court position recovery then her power will likely be too much for most fellow players. After her winning performance in this years' Australian Open she now is striving to add the French Open trophy to her U.S, Australian and Wimbledon grand slam trophies.
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Forbrukslån
Monday, March 17, 2008
All about service in tennis!
Service is of course the opening stroke in tennis. It is how the ball is put to play. For many years ago the idea was that service should never be more than merely the beginning of a rally. Today the person with the fastest service in the world is Andy Roddick, wich has an impressive records of 245 mph. He`s service is clearly what makes him an extremely good tennis player. Later when the rise of American tennis and the advent of Dwight Davis and Holcombe Ward, service took on a new significance. These two men originated what is now known as the American Twist delivery.
From a mere formality, service became a point winner. Slowly it gained in importance, until Maurice E. M'Loughlin, the wonderful "California Comet," burst across the tennis sky with the first of those terrific cannon-ball deliveries that revolutionized the game, and caused the old-school players to send out hurry calls for a severe footfault rule or some way of stopping the threatened destruction of all ground strokes. M'Loughlin made service a great factor in the game. It remained for R. N. Williams to supply the antidote that has again put service in the normal position of mere importance, not omnipotence. Williams stood in on the delivery and took it on the rising bound.
Service must be speedy. Yet speed is not the be-all and end-all. Service must be accurate, reliable, and varied. It must be used with discretion and served with brains.
Any tall player has an advantage over a short one, in service. Given a man about 6 feet and allow him the 3 feet added by his reach, it has been proved by tests that should he deliver a service, perfectly flat, with no variation caused by twist or wind, that just cleared the net at its lowest point (3 feet in the centre), there is only a margin of 8 inches of the service court in which the ball can possibly fall; the remainder is below the net angle. Thus it is easy to see how important it is to use some form of twist to bring the ball into court. Not only must it go into court, but it must be sufficiently speedy that the receiver does not have an opportunity of an easy kill. It must also be placed so as to allow the server an advantage for his next return, admitting the receiver puts the ball in play.
Just as the first law of receiving is to, put the ball in play, so of service it is to cause the receiver to fall into error. Do not strive unduly for clean aces, but use your service to upset the ground strokes of your opponent.
Service should be hit from as high a point as the server can COMFORTABLY reach. To stretch unnecessarily is both wearing on the server and unproductive of results. Varied pace and varied speed is the keynote to a good service.
The slice service should be hit from a point above the right shoulder and as high as possible. The server should stand at about a forty-five degree angle to the baseline, with both feet firmly planted on the ground. Drop the weight back on the right foot and swing the racquet freely and easily behind the back. Toss the ball high enough into the air to ensure it passing through the desired hitting plane, and then start a slow shift of the weight forward, at the same time increasing the power of the swing forward as the racquet commences its upward flight to the ball. Just as the ball meets the racquet face the weight should be thrown forward and the full power of the swing smashed into the service. Let the ball strike the racquet INSIDE the face of the strings, with the racquet travelling directly towards the court. The angle of the racquet face will impart the twist necessary to bring the ball in court. The wrist should be somewhat flexible in service. If necessary lift the right foot and swing the whole body forward with the arm. Twist slightly to the right, using the left foot as a pivot. The general line of the racquet swing is from RIGHT to LEFT and always forward.
At this point and before I take up the other branches of serving, let me put in a warning against footfaulting. I can only say that a footfault is crossing or touching the line with either foot before the ball is delivered, or it is a jump or step. I am not going into a technical discussion of footfaults. It is unnecessary, and by placing your feet firmly before the service there is no need to footfault.
It is just as unfair to deliberately footfault as to miscall a ball, and it is wholly unnecessary. The average footfault is due to carelessness, over-anxiety, or ignorance of the rule. All players are offenders at times, but it can quickly be broken up.
From a mere formality, service became a point winner. Slowly it gained in importance, until Maurice E. M'Loughlin, the wonderful "California Comet," burst across the tennis sky with the first of those terrific cannon-ball deliveries that revolutionized the game, and caused the old-school players to send out hurry calls for a severe footfault rule or some way of stopping the threatened destruction of all ground strokes. M'Loughlin made service a great factor in the game. It remained for R. N. Williams to supply the antidote that has again put service in the normal position of mere importance, not omnipotence. Williams stood in on the delivery and took it on the rising bound.
Service must be speedy. Yet speed is not the be-all and end-all. Service must be accurate, reliable, and varied. It must be used with discretion and served with brains.
Any tall player has an advantage over a short one, in service. Given a man about 6 feet and allow him the 3 feet added by his reach, it has been proved by tests that should he deliver a service, perfectly flat, with no variation caused by twist or wind, that just cleared the net at its lowest point (3 feet in the centre), there is only a margin of 8 inches of the service court in which the ball can possibly fall; the remainder is below the net angle. Thus it is easy to see how important it is to use some form of twist to bring the ball into court. Not only must it go into court, but it must be sufficiently speedy that the receiver does not have an opportunity of an easy kill. It must also be placed so as to allow the server an advantage for his next return, admitting the receiver puts the ball in play.
Just as the first law of receiving is to, put the ball in play, so of service it is to cause the receiver to fall into error. Do not strive unduly for clean aces, but use your service to upset the ground strokes of your opponent.
Service should be hit from as high a point as the server can COMFORTABLY reach. To stretch unnecessarily is both wearing on the server and unproductive of results. Varied pace and varied speed is the keynote to a good service.
The slice service should be hit from a point above the right shoulder and as high as possible. The server should stand at about a forty-five degree angle to the baseline, with both feet firmly planted on the ground. Drop the weight back on the right foot and swing the racquet freely and easily behind the back. Toss the ball high enough into the air to ensure it passing through the desired hitting plane, and then start a slow shift of the weight forward, at the same time increasing the power of the swing forward as the racquet commences its upward flight to the ball. Just as the ball meets the racquet face the weight should be thrown forward and the full power of the swing smashed into the service. Let the ball strike the racquet INSIDE the face of the strings, with the racquet travelling directly towards the court. The angle of the racquet face will impart the twist necessary to bring the ball in court. The wrist should be somewhat flexible in service. If necessary lift the right foot and swing the whole body forward with the arm. Twist slightly to the right, using the left foot as a pivot. The general line of the racquet swing is from RIGHT to LEFT and always forward.
At this point and before I take up the other branches of serving, let me put in a warning against footfaulting. I can only say that a footfault is crossing or touching the line with either foot before the ball is delivered, or it is a jump or step. I am not going into a technical discussion of footfaults. It is unnecessary, and by placing your feet firmly before the service there is no need to footfault.
It is just as unfair to deliberately footfault as to miscall a ball, and it is wholly unnecessary. The average footfault is due to carelessness, over-anxiety, or ignorance of the rule. All players are offenders at times, but it can quickly be broken up.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
2 Legends of tennis: Roger Federer vs Pete Sampras
What a match by the two best tennis players of all time. I can only wish that I was there to witness this event live. Roger Federer will surely become the best of all time soon people. Mark my words, he`s got it all , and is basically a perfect overall tennis player. Watching Federer play makes me want to play tennis myself... tennis..what a great sport...
Thursday, March 6, 2008
A Recommended bowling site
Just wanted to share a great bowling site, were you will find great deals on bowling ball and shoes among other things. Here is the site, check it out. I know tennis is the best game, but bowling is great fun too!
All about footwork, grip, and strokes in tennis !
Footwork is weight control, and is very underestimated on how important it really is. Having correct body position for strokes are equally important. It is the beginning of every stroke. The next explainations are meant for right-hand players, and left-handers should simply reverse the feet.
Having the right racquet grip is a very essential part of stroke. A faulty grip will ruin the finest serving. It is a natural grip for a top forehand drive. It is inherently weak for the backhand, as the only natural shot is a chop stroke.
To acquire the forehand grip, hold the racquet with the edge of the frame towards the ground and the face perpendicular, the handle towards the body, and "shake hands" with it, just as if you were greeting a friend. The handle settled comfortably and naturally into the hand, the line of the arm, hand, and racquet are one. The swing brings the racquet head on a line with the arm, and the whole racquet is merely an extension of it.
The backhand grip is a quarter circle turn of hand on the handle, bringing the hand on top of the handle and the knuckles directly up. The shot travels ACROSS the wrist.
This is the best basis for a grip. I do not advocate learning this grip exactly, but model your natural grip as closely as possible on these lines without sacrificing your own comfort or individuality.
Having once settled the racquet in the hand, the next question is the position of the body and the order of developing strokes.
All tennis strokes, should be made with the body' at right angles to the net, with the shoulders lined up parallel to the line of flight of the ball. The weight should always travel forward. It should pass from the back foot to the front foot at the moment of striking the ball. Never allow the weight to be going away from the stroke. It is weight that determines the "pace" of a stroke; swing that, decides the "speed."
Let me explain the definitions of "speed" and "pace." "Speed" is the actual rate with which a ball travels through the air. "Pace" is the momentum with which it comes off the ground. Pace is weight. It is the "sting" the ball carries when it comes off the ground, giving the inexperienced or unsuspecting player a shock of force which the stroke in no way showed.
A great many players have both "speed" and "pace." Some shots may carry both.
The order of learning strokes should be:
1. The Drive. Fore and backhand. This is the foundation of all tennis, for you cannot build up a net attack unless you have the ground stroke to open the way. Nor can you meet a net attack successfully unless you can drive, as that is the only successful passing shot.
2. The Service.
3. The Volley and Overhead Smash.
4. The Chop or Half Volley and other incidental and ornamental strokes.
Having the right racquet grip is a very essential part of stroke. A faulty grip will ruin the finest serving. It is a natural grip for a top forehand drive. It is inherently weak for the backhand, as the only natural shot is a chop stroke.
To acquire the forehand grip, hold the racquet with the edge of the frame towards the ground and the face perpendicular, the handle towards the body, and "shake hands" with it, just as if you were greeting a friend. The handle settled comfortably and naturally into the hand, the line of the arm, hand, and racquet are one. The swing brings the racquet head on a line with the arm, and the whole racquet is merely an extension of it.
The backhand grip is a quarter circle turn of hand on the handle, bringing the hand on top of the handle and the knuckles directly up. The shot travels ACROSS the wrist.
This is the best basis for a grip. I do not advocate learning this grip exactly, but model your natural grip as closely as possible on these lines without sacrificing your own comfort or individuality.
Having once settled the racquet in the hand, the next question is the position of the body and the order of developing strokes.
All tennis strokes, should be made with the body' at right angles to the net, with the shoulders lined up parallel to the line of flight of the ball. The weight should always travel forward. It should pass from the back foot to the front foot at the moment of striking the ball. Never allow the weight to be going away from the stroke. It is weight that determines the "pace" of a stroke; swing that, decides the "speed."
Let me explain the definitions of "speed" and "pace." "Speed" is the actual rate with which a ball travels through the air. "Pace" is the momentum with which it comes off the ground. Pace is weight. It is the "sting" the ball carries when it comes off the ground, giving the inexperienced or unsuspecting player a shock of force which the stroke in no way showed.
A great many players have both "speed" and "pace." Some shots may carry both.
The order of learning strokes should be:
1. The Drive. Fore and backhand. This is the foundation of all tennis, for you cannot build up a net attack unless you have the ground stroke to open the way. Nor can you meet a net attack successfully unless you can drive, as that is the only successful passing shot.
2. The Service.
3. The Volley and Overhead Smash.
4. The Chop or Half Volley and other incidental and ornamental strokes.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
The general psychology of tennis
To really understand the game of tennis, and the psychology that lies behind it. It is necessary to understand the workings of your opponent's mind, and gauging the effect of your own game on his mental viewpoint, and understanding the mental effects resulting from the various external causes on your own mind. It is not possible to be a successful psychologist of others without first understanding your own mental processes. Therefore you must study the effect on yourself of the same happening under different circumstances. You should know that you react differently in different moods and under different conditions. Then you must understand that the effect on your game of the resulting irritation, pleasure, confusion, or whatever form your reaction takes. Does it increase your efficiency? If so, strive for it, but never give it to your opponent.
Does it deprive you of concentration? If so, either remove the cause, or if that is not possible strive to ignore it. Once you have judged accurately your own reaction to conditions, study your opponents, to decide their temperaments. Like temperaments react similarly, and you may judge men of your own type by yourself. Opposite temperaments you must seek to compare with people whose reactions you know.
Everyone who can control his own mental processes stands an excellent chance of reading those of another, for the human mind works along definite lines of thought, and can be studied. One can only control one's, mental processes after carefully analyzing them.
The physical appearance of a man is usually a pretty clear index to his type of mind. The stolid, easy-going man, who usually advocates the baseline game, does so because he hates to stir up his torpid mind to think out a safe method of reaching the net. There is the other type of baseline player, who prefers to remain on the back of the court while directing an attack intended to break up your game. He is a very dangerous player, and a deep, keen thinking antagonist. He achieves his results by mixing up his length and direction, and worrying you with the variety of his game. He is a good psychologist. The first type of player mentioned merely hits the ball with little idea of what he is doing, while the latter always has a definite plan and adheres to it. The hard-hitting, erratic, net-rushing player is a creature of impulse. There is no real system to his attack, no understanding of your game. He will make brilliant coups on the spur of the moment, largely by instinct; but there is no, mental power of consistent thinking. It is an interesting, fascinating type.
The dangerous man is the player who mixes his style from back to fore court at the direction of an ever-alert mind. This is the man to study and learn from. He is a player with a definite purpose. A player who has an answer to every query you propound him in your game. He is the most subtle antagonist in the world. He is of the school of Brookes. Second only to him is the man of dogged determination that sets his mind on one plan and adheres to it, bitterly, fiercely fighting to the end, with never a thought of change. He is the man whose psychology is easy to understand, but whose mental viewpoint is hard to upset, for he never allows himself to think of anything except the business at hand. This man is your Johnston or your Wilding. I respect the mental capacity of Brookes more, but I admire the tenacity of purpose of Johnston.
Pick out your type from your own mental processes, and then work out your game along the lines best suited to you.
When two men are, in the same class, as regards stroke equipment, the determining factor in any given match is the mental viewpoint. Luck, so-called, is often grasping the psychological value of a break in the game, and turning it to your own account.
We hear a great deal about the "shots we have made." Few realize the importance of the "shots we have missed." The science of missing shots is as important as that of making them, and at times a miss by an inch is of more value than a, return that is killed by your opponent.
Let me explain. A player drives you far out of court with an angle-shot. You run hard to it, and reaching, drive it hard and fast down the side-line, missing it by an inch. Your opponent is surprised and shaken, realizing that your shot might as well have gone in as out. He will expect you to try it again, and will not take the risk next time. He will try to play the ball, and may fall into error. You have thus taken some of your opponent's confidence, and increased his chance of error, all by a miss.
If you had merely popped back that return, and it had been killed, your opponent would have felt increasingly confident of your inability to get the ball out of his reach, while you would merely have been winded without result.
Let us suppose you made the shot down the sideline. It was a seemingly impossible get. First it amounts to TWO points in that it took one away from your opponent that should have been his and gave you one you ought never to have had. It also worries your opponent, as he feels he has thrown away a big chance.
The psychology of a tennis match is very interesting, but easily understandable. Both men start with equal chances. Once one man establishes a real lead, his confidence goes up, while his opponent worries, and his mental viewpoint becomes poor. The sole object of the first man is to hold his lead, thus holding his confidence. If the second player pulls even or draws ahead, the inevitable reaction occurs with even a greater contrast in psychology. There is the natural confidence of the leader now with the second man as well as that great stimulus of having turned seeming defeat into probable victory. The reverse in the case of the first player is apt to hopelessly destroy his game, and collapse follows.
Does it deprive you of concentration? If so, either remove the cause, or if that is not possible strive to ignore it. Once you have judged accurately your own reaction to conditions, study your opponents, to decide their temperaments. Like temperaments react similarly, and you may judge men of your own type by yourself. Opposite temperaments you must seek to compare with people whose reactions you know.
Everyone who can control his own mental processes stands an excellent chance of reading those of another, for the human mind works along definite lines of thought, and can be studied. One can only control one's, mental processes after carefully analyzing them.
The physical appearance of a man is usually a pretty clear index to his type of mind. The stolid, easy-going man, who usually advocates the baseline game, does so because he hates to stir up his torpid mind to think out a safe method of reaching the net. There is the other type of baseline player, who prefers to remain on the back of the court while directing an attack intended to break up your game. He is a very dangerous player, and a deep, keen thinking antagonist. He achieves his results by mixing up his length and direction, and worrying you with the variety of his game. He is a good psychologist. The first type of player mentioned merely hits the ball with little idea of what he is doing, while the latter always has a definite plan and adheres to it. The hard-hitting, erratic, net-rushing player is a creature of impulse. There is no real system to his attack, no understanding of your game. He will make brilliant coups on the spur of the moment, largely by instinct; but there is no, mental power of consistent thinking. It is an interesting, fascinating type.
The dangerous man is the player who mixes his style from back to fore court at the direction of an ever-alert mind. This is the man to study and learn from. He is a player with a definite purpose. A player who has an answer to every query you propound him in your game. He is the most subtle antagonist in the world. He is of the school of Brookes. Second only to him is the man of dogged determination that sets his mind on one plan and adheres to it, bitterly, fiercely fighting to the end, with never a thought of change. He is the man whose psychology is easy to understand, but whose mental viewpoint is hard to upset, for he never allows himself to think of anything except the business at hand. This man is your Johnston or your Wilding. I respect the mental capacity of Brookes more, but I admire the tenacity of purpose of Johnston.
Pick out your type from your own mental processes, and then work out your game along the lines best suited to you.
When two men are, in the same class, as regards stroke equipment, the determining factor in any given match is the mental viewpoint. Luck, so-called, is often grasping the psychological value of a break in the game, and turning it to your own account.
We hear a great deal about the "shots we have made." Few realize the importance of the "shots we have missed." The science of missing shots is as important as that of making them, and at times a miss by an inch is of more value than a, return that is killed by your opponent.
Let me explain. A player drives you far out of court with an angle-shot. You run hard to it, and reaching, drive it hard and fast down the side-line, missing it by an inch. Your opponent is surprised and shaken, realizing that your shot might as well have gone in as out. He will expect you to try it again, and will not take the risk next time. He will try to play the ball, and may fall into error. You have thus taken some of your opponent's confidence, and increased his chance of error, all by a miss.
If you had merely popped back that return, and it had been killed, your opponent would have felt increasingly confident of your inability to get the ball out of his reach, while you would merely have been winded without result.
Let us suppose you made the shot down the sideline. It was a seemingly impossible get. First it amounts to TWO points in that it took one away from your opponent that should have been his and gave you one you ought never to have had. It also worries your opponent, as he feels he has thrown away a big chance.
The psychology of a tennis match is very interesting, but easily understandable. Both men start with equal chances. Once one man establishes a real lead, his confidence goes up, while his opponent worries, and his mental viewpoint becomes poor. The sole object of the first man is to hold his lead, thus holding his confidence. If the second player pulls even or draws ahead, the inevitable reaction occurs with even a greater contrast in psychology. There is the natural confidence of the leader now with the second man as well as that great stimulus of having turned seeming defeat into probable victory. The reverse in the case of the first player is apt to hopelessly destroy his game, and collapse follows.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
First Tennis Lesson: All about chop, half volley, and court position
About the Chop stroke.
Let me begin to say welcome to this tennis blog, for both amateurs and moderate tennis players.
I hope you will find these pages useful! Enjoy your stay.
If you are wondering about what a chop stroke is, it is a shot where the angle towards the player and behind the racquet, made by the line of flight of the ball, and the racquet travelling down across it, is greater than 45 degrees and may be 90 degrees. The racquet face passes slightly outside the ball and down the side, chopping it, as a man chops wood. You will notice how the spin and curve is from right to left. You shold use a stiff wrist for this.
The slice shot merely reduced the angle mentioned from 45 degrees down to a very small one. The racquet face passes either inside or outside the ball, according to direction desired, while the stroke is mainly a wrist twist or slap. This slap imparts a decided skidding break to the ball, while a chop "drags" the ball off the ground without break.
The rules of footwork for both these shots should be the same as the drive, but because both are made with a short swing and more wrist play, without the need of weight, the rules of footwork may be more safely discarded and body position not so carefully considered.
Both these shots are essentially defensive, and are labour-saving devices when your opponent is on the baseline. A chop or slice is very hard to drive, and will break up any driving game.
It is not a shot to use against a volley, as it is too slow to pass and too high to cause any worry. It should be used to drop short, soft shots at the feet of the net man as he comes in. Do not strive to pass a net man with a chop or slice, except through a big opening.
The drop-shot is a very soft, sharply-angled chop stroke, played wholly with the wrist. It should drop within 3 to 5 feet of the net to be of any use. The racquet face passes around the outside of the ball and under it with a distinct "wrist turn." Do not swing the racquet from the shoulder in making a drop shot. The drop shot has no relation to a stop-volley. The drop shot is all wrist. The stop-volley has no wrist at all.
Use all your wrist shots, chop, slice, and drop, merely as an auxilliary to your orthodox game. They are intended to upset your opponent's game through the varied spin on the ball.
Next up is the half volley.
This shot requires more perfect timing, eyesight, and racquet work than any other, since its margin of safety is smallest and its manifold chances of mishaps numberless.
It is a pick-up. The ball meets the ground and racquet face at nearly the same moment, the ball bouncing off the ground, on the strings. This shot is a stiff-wrist, short swing, like a volley with no follow through. The racquet face travels along the ground with a slight tilt over the ball and towards the net, thus holding the ball low; the shot, like all others in tennis, should travel across the racquet face, along the short strings. The racquet face should always be slightly outside the ball.
The half volley is essentially a defensive stroke, since it should only be made as a last resort, when caught out of position by your opponent's shot. It is a desperate attempt to extricate yourself from a dangerous position without retreating. never deliberately half volley.
Court position is equally important.
Ever wondered how long a tennis court is? Probably not, but let me tell you anyways, it is 39 feet long from baseline to net. There are only two places in a tennis court that a tennis player should be to await the ball.
1. About 3 feet behind the baseline near the middle of the court, or
2. About 6 to 8 feet back from the net and almost opposite the ball.
The first is the place for all baseline players. The second is the net position.
If you are drawn out of these positions by a shot which you must return, do not remain at the point where you struck the ball, but attain one of the two positions mentioned as rapidly as possible.
The distance from the baseline to about 10, feet from the net may be considered as "no-man's-land" or "the blank." Never linger there, since a deep shot will catch you at your feet. After making your shot from the blank, as you must often do, retreat behind the baseline to await the return, so you may again come forward to meet the ball. If you are drawn in short and cannot retreat safely, continue all the way to the net position.
Never stand and watch your shot, for to do so simply means you are out of position for your next stroke. Strive to attain a position so that you always arrive at the spot the ball is going to before it actually arrives. Do your hard running while the ball is in the air, so you will not be hurried in your stroke after it bounces.
It is in learning to do this that natural anticipation plays a big role. Some players instinctively know where the next return is going and take position accordingly, while others will never sense it. It is to the latter class that I urge court position, and recommend always coming in from behind the baseline to meet the ball, since it is much easier to run forward than back.
Should you be caught at the net, with a short shot to your opponent, do not stand still and let him pass you at will, as he can easily do. Pick out the side where you think he will hit, and jump to, it suddenly as he swings. If you guess right, you win the point. If you are wrong, you are no worse off, since he would have beaten you anyway with his shot.
Your position should always strive to be such that you can cover the greatest possible area of court without sacrificing safety, since the straight shot is the surest, most dangerous, and must be covered. It is merely a question of how much more court than that immediately in front of the ball may be guarded.
A well-grounded knowledge of court position saves many points, to say nothing of much breath expended in long runs after hopeless shots.
Let me begin to say welcome to this tennis blog, for both amateurs and moderate tennis players.
I hope you will find these pages useful! Enjoy your stay.
If you are wondering about what a chop stroke is, it is a shot where the angle towards the player and behind the racquet, made by the line of flight of the ball, and the racquet travelling down across it, is greater than 45 degrees and may be 90 degrees. The racquet face passes slightly outside the ball and down the side, chopping it, as a man chops wood. You will notice how the spin and curve is from right to left. You shold use a stiff wrist for this.
The slice shot merely reduced the angle mentioned from 45 degrees down to a very small one. The racquet face passes either inside or outside the ball, according to direction desired, while the stroke is mainly a wrist twist or slap. This slap imparts a decided skidding break to the ball, while a chop "drags" the ball off the ground without break.
The rules of footwork for both these shots should be the same as the drive, but because both are made with a short swing and more wrist play, without the need of weight, the rules of footwork may be more safely discarded and body position not so carefully considered.
Both these shots are essentially defensive, and are labour-saving devices when your opponent is on the baseline. A chop or slice is very hard to drive, and will break up any driving game.
It is not a shot to use against a volley, as it is too slow to pass and too high to cause any worry. It should be used to drop short, soft shots at the feet of the net man as he comes in. Do not strive to pass a net man with a chop or slice, except through a big opening.
The drop-shot is a very soft, sharply-angled chop stroke, played wholly with the wrist. It should drop within 3 to 5 feet of the net to be of any use. The racquet face passes around the outside of the ball and under it with a distinct "wrist turn." Do not swing the racquet from the shoulder in making a drop shot. The drop shot has no relation to a stop-volley. The drop shot is all wrist. The stop-volley has no wrist at all.
Use all your wrist shots, chop, slice, and drop, merely as an auxilliary to your orthodox game. They are intended to upset your opponent's game through the varied spin on the ball.
Next up is the half volley.
This shot requires more perfect timing, eyesight, and racquet work than any other, since its margin of safety is smallest and its manifold chances of mishaps numberless.
It is a pick-up. The ball meets the ground and racquet face at nearly the same moment, the ball bouncing off the ground, on the strings. This shot is a stiff-wrist, short swing, like a volley with no follow through. The racquet face travels along the ground with a slight tilt over the ball and towards the net, thus holding the ball low; the shot, like all others in tennis, should travel across the racquet face, along the short strings. The racquet face should always be slightly outside the ball.
The half volley is essentially a defensive stroke, since it should only be made as a last resort, when caught out of position by your opponent's shot. It is a desperate attempt to extricate yourself from a dangerous position without retreating. never deliberately half volley.
Court position is equally important.
Ever wondered how long a tennis court is? Probably not, but let me tell you anyways, it is 39 feet long from baseline to net. There are only two places in a tennis court that a tennis player should be to await the ball.
1. About 3 feet behind the baseline near the middle of the court, or
2. About 6 to 8 feet back from the net and almost opposite the ball.
The first is the place for all baseline players. The second is the net position.
If you are drawn out of these positions by a shot which you must return, do not remain at the point where you struck the ball, but attain one of the two positions mentioned as rapidly as possible.
The distance from the baseline to about 10, feet from the net may be considered as "no-man's-land" or "the blank." Never linger there, since a deep shot will catch you at your feet. After making your shot from the blank, as you must often do, retreat behind the baseline to await the return, so you may again come forward to meet the ball. If you are drawn in short and cannot retreat safely, continue all the way to the net position.
Never stand and watch your shot, for to do so simply means you are out of position for your next stroke. Strive to attain a position so that you always arrive at the spot the ball is going to before it actually arrives. Do your hard running while the ball is in the air, so you will not be hurried in your stroke after it bounces.
It is in learning to do this that natural anticipation plays a big role. Some players instinctively know where the next return is going and take position accordingly, while others will never sense it. It is to the latter class that I urge court position, and recommend always coming in from behind the baseline to meet the ball, since it is much easier to run forward than back.
Should you be caught at the net, with a short shot to your opponent, do not stand still and let him pass you at will, as he can easily do. Pick out the side where you think he will hit, and jump to, it suddenly as he swings. If you guess right, you win the point. If you are wrong, you are no worse off, since he would have beaten you anyway with his shot.
Your position should always strive to be such that you can cover the greatest possible area of court without sacrificing safety, since the straight shot is the surest, most dangerous, and must be covered. It is merely a question of how much more court than that immediately in front of the ball may be guarded.
A well-grounded knowledge of court position saves many points, to say nothing of much breath expended in long runs after hopeless shots.
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