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Archive for November, 2008

While playing tennis you will come to realize one of the most important things that in tennis there is no one exact way to play tennis, there are always options. This is what makes it even more interesting. There are no hell bent rules one has to adhere to. There are so many options and you are at your free will to pick the best for you.

Coming down to the actual tennis game, we can start off with the grip. They have an immense impact on the types of strokes you develop. Which grip could be the best for you? Read down and you shall know about it. It could be a forehand grip which would seem like a simple handshake with the racket. For this you have to technically turn your hand approximately a quarter circle counter-clockwise if you are right handed and the exact reverse if you are left handed. This grip is highly used to do the service.

Most popular among the strokes is the semi-western stroke where you hold the grip about a quarter turn further clockwise from the grip discussed above. This is the perfect grip for producing tremendous power and topspin.

Another way of holding the racket would be gripping it with knuckles pointing towards the ground. This is a good practice while playing on the clay courts. It is not that popular of a gripping practice because it inflicts serious restrictions on certain shots like the short and low balls. They become extremely difficult to corner.

Just as there are numerous ways to form a proper grip on your tennis racket there are various ways for the forehand practices, back hand shots, backhand slicing, the forehand volley, the lobs and various different shots. Talking about forehand and backhand shots, there are more options in backhand than in the forehand shots. There could be single handed backhands or double handed backhands.

Let’s start with Footwear. No matter what level of runner you are, don’t run in shoes that are too old. Poor footwear will cause pains not only in your feet, but throughout your whole body. The rule of thumb is 500 miles, or if you look at the side of your shoe where the foam is, and it’s wrinkly – you need new shoes. Some people suggest you rotate through 3 pairs of shoes so that you don’t get sore in anyone particular area. That may seem extreme, but the point is make sure your footwear is in good shape and is fitted by an expert at a running store.

Breathing. As mentioned above, you want to have good posture, and also relax your upper body. The goal here is to maximize your breathe intake, providing your muscles with the oxygen it needs for fuel. Belly breathing is a technique you will want to work on as you run. The idea is while you breathe in to push out your stomach, maximizing air intake. More on breathing.

Warm up and Cool down. Make sure you walk for a few minutes and then take 10 minutes minimum to stretch . Do the same at the end of your run. This is such as key element for performance and to reduce the risk of injury. Not only will stretching help with muscle aches, pains and strains, but it will greatly reduce the chances of tendon problems and even joint problems.

The program. The distance and speed at which you run is crucial for optimizing your training but also for your enjoyment and reducing risk of injury. Obviously, when you are a beginner, you should take it slow and with a short distance mapped out. The rule as a beginner, is if you are breathing heavy to walk for a bit. All you need is 15 to 20 minutes to get your heart rate up. No need to push it. As you advance, you can go faster at longer distances.