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String Tighter for Control!
Question:
I need more power. Should I have my racket strung tighter?
As a general rule of thumb - string tighter for more control (if you use topspin), looser for
more power.
(Rhetorical) question:
OK. How do I get more power and more control?!
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Improve without leaving your armchair!
Question:
Can you learn from watching tennis on TV?
Yes, you can learn a great deal!
Just a bit of advice, though - unless you're just watching for enjoyment, avoid following the ball
and getting emotionally involved in the game. Instead, watch the players! Better still, watch just one of the players!
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Cheating! Moi?
Question:
I wasn't sure about a call and suggested we replay the point. My opponent accused me of cheating.
Was he right?
Well, I'd regard it as unsporting of you, at the very least!
Most of us play tennis without the benefit of an umpire and linespeople, so line calling is
often a bone of contention. Actually, it needn't be if players stuck to the following basic
sporting code:
You are responsible for calling your opponent's shots. Make your calls loud, clear and immediate
and always give your opponent the benefit of any doubt.
That's it! End of story! If you're not sure if your opponent's shot is in or not, it is!
I could write a lot more on this subject, but I'm not going to - it's best to keep it clear
and unambiguous (like your calls should be)!
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Phew! Change those socks!
Question:
How can I avoid blisters on my feet?
Put a couple of extra pairs of socks in your bag!
Blisters often occur when your socks get sweaty. Your feet start sliding around in your shoes.
Change your socks during your match and you should avoid this. It'll make you feel better and
fresher too. Oh, and don't forget to take the wet ones out of your bag when you get home!
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Tailored rackets
Question:
I'm returning to tennis after a 10 year break. How do I pick from all these new rackets?
Yes, confusing, isn't it. I suppose in one sense, you've never had it so good! Since titanium
was introduced, there has been a much greater diversity of racket types. Manufacturers are
now looking to match rackets not just to the customer's playing standard, but also to his
or her playing style. You can get rackets that are suitable for advanced serve-volleyers,
intermediate aggressive baseliners, etc, etc.
Your best move is to go along to a specialist retailer - choose one who offers an in-store
stringing service, because they're more likely to know their stuff! - describe your playing
level and your style of play and try out 2 or 3 of the rackets the retailer recommends.
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I'm winning - it's quarter past!
Question:
Please explain the tennis scoring system
If you win your first point, your score is 15. Win a second point and your score is 30. Third
point - 40. If you win a fourth point, the game is yours, unless you and your opponent have won
three points - in this case, the score is known as deuce and you must win by two clear points.
If you win the point at deuce, the score is called advantage to you and you must win the next
point to win the game, otherwise the score reverts to deuce.
The historical origins of the 15, 30, 40 and so on are believed to be derived from the presence
of a clock face at the end of the court. A quarter move of the appropriate hand was made
after each point, with the score being called as 15, 30, or 45 as the case might be. When the
hand moved to 60, making the complete circuit, that was game.
Winning six games wins a set; except that you must win by a margin of two games. Players change
ends when the total number of games is an odd number (e.g. 1-0, 2-1, 3-2). The tie-break
system of scoring is often adopted to decide a set which reaches six games all.
A match can be best of 3 sets (you need to win 2 sets to win the match) or best of 5 sets (you
need to win 3 sets to win the match).
In a tie-break, the player who first wins seven points wins the game and the set, provided there
is a margin of at least two points. If the score reaches six points all, the tie-break continues
until the two point margin is achieved. Numerical scoring is used (e.g. 1-0, 2-0, 2-1, 3-1, etc).
The player whose turn it is to serve serves the first point (from the right side of the court).
The other player serves the second point (from the left) and the third point (from the right).
Each player then serves alternately for two consecutive points (first from the left and then
from the right). Players change ends after every six points (and at the conclusion of the
tie-break). The first game of the next set is served by the player who did not start the
tie-break.
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Another dimension!
Question:
What are the dimensions of an official tennis court?
The Tennis court is marked with white lines to indicate its dimensions and service areas.
The court is 78 feet (23.8 metres) long, divided into two equal sides by a net standing 3 feet
(0.9 metres) high at the centre of the court.
For singles, the court is 27 feet (8.2 metres) wide. For doubles, the width is increased to 36
feet (11 metres) by the addition of two alleys 4.5 feet (1.4 metres) wide along the two longer
sides.
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Getting on the ladder
Question:
How do I become a professional tennis player?
So you�re a serious competitor. You�ve got a high national rating and you�re prepared to
commit to the physical and mental conditioning required to compete as a professional athlete.
You can finance the cost of travel and accommodation, etc, while you set off on your quest
for those first ranking points. What do you do?
Juniors:
Contact your National Association (e.g. here in Britain it would be the LTA) for
details of junior ITF tournaments taking place in your country (or abroad, if appropriate).
Results from these tournaments are fed into a computer at the ITF�s administrative
headquarters in London to produce the junior world rankings for singles and doubles.
Tournaments are graded according to the strength of entry, with more points being awarded for
the major championships. To be eligible for a year-end ranking, you are required to compete in
six events, three of which must be foreign and three of which must be of Group A status.
Click here to visit the ITF's website for juniors
Seniors:
Contact your National Association (e.g. here in Britain it would be the LTA) for
details of Satellite Circuits and Futures tournaments. These will be your first taste of
international competition. Futures are one-off tournaments. A Satellite Circuit is a
tournament structure consisting of 4 tournaments - three "normal" tournaments followed by a
"masters". During the first three tournaments, you earn circuit points which determine
acceptance into the "masters".
If you are successful in the Satellites and Futures, you acquire computer ranking points and
may qualify to enter Challenger tournaments. These are also one-off tournaments like the
Futures, but the prize money is greater.
Click here to visit the ITF�s website
I sincerely wish you the very best of luck!
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Get a grip!
Question:
How do I know which grip size I need?
Holding an eastern forehand grip (the "shake-hands" grip), you should be able to fit the
index finger of your other hand in the space between your fingertips and your palm (as in the
photo).
If the finger doesn't fit, try a bigger grip. If it fits, but there's space to wriggle your
finger, try a racket with a smaller grip, because you won't get such a good wrist snap on your
serves. Using the wrong grip size leads to overuse of the muscles in your forearm and this in
turn can lead to tennis elbow problems.
If you've already bought the racket and the grip is a bit too small, you can use an overgrip
to get round the problem (literally). If it's too large - sorry, can't help you!
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Getting heavy!
Question:
Are heavy rackets better than light ones?
You pick up a racket in a shop. It looks good. Some of the top pros use it. It's made of
graphite or titanium and, boy, it feels light! You think it'll be really comfortable - easy to
swing. You've simply got to have it!
A couple of weeks later, you've got tennis elbow and you can't play any more!
If you want to avoid tennis elbow, avoid light, stiff, head-heavy rackets! Light racquets place
less weight behind the shot and you have to swing faster to get more power. Pay no attention
to the sales pitch - weight is not a bad thing. You need weight to return a heavy shot. You
need weight when you're stretched and you haven't got time for a long swing. You might be able
to swing a light racket faster (when you've got the time), but swing speed is not the be all
and end all. A racket's mass is as important as its speed.
Two other things that are worth bearing in mind. Firstly, heavier rackets vibrate less. Secondly,
despite appearances, the top pros are NOT using the same racket as you're going to pick up in the
store. Invariably, they'll be using a heavier model. The Head Ti Radical that Andre Agassi uses
weighs over 13 ounces - actually 2.5 ounces heavier than the one in the store!
Look for a head-light racket (balance point closer to the hand than the midpoint of the racket's
length) with adequate mass.
By the way, if there's a particular racket you like and it's too light and it's head-heavy,
you can compensate by applying lead tape under the grip.
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Rest is best!
Question:
What can I do about tennis elbow?
Tennis Elbow, or to give it it's scientific name, Lateral Epicondylitis,
is a painful condition affecting the outer part of the elbow, making it
tender to the point where even lifting a cup of tea can cause pain to
radiate down the arm. It's similar to Golfer's Elbow which affects the
inside of the elbow and nearly half of all tennis players are afflicted
with it at some time or another. It can be caused by many different things including
heavy lifting and poor technique (typically the backhand) and when you get it, it
typically lasts for 6 to 12 weeks, but it may be as little as 3 weeks, or as long as
several years.
Here's the scientific explanation of what Tennis Elbow really is. The
initial damage consists of tiny tears in the connective tissue that holds the muscles
to the bone. The tissue becomes prone to repeated tearing, causing the formation of
rough, granulated tissue and calcium deposits. It becomes irritated
and inflammation sets in, causing swelling. The resulting pressure
can cut off the blood flow and pinch the radial nerve, one of the
major nerves controlling muscles in the arm and hand.
Treatment starts with REST. Yes, sorry, that means not playing tennis
for a while! Tendons don't receive the same amount of oxygen and
blood as muscles do, so they heal more slowly. So be patient! Remember,
we're talking weeks, not days! When the pain does disappear, try
massaging the affected area. This should relieve stress and tension in
the muscles. And then finally, look up a physiotherapist and ask for
exercises to strengthen the area to prevent re-injury. A typical
strengthening exercise involves repeatedly bending your wrist with
your elbow cocked and your palm down - progressing gradually to the
use of hand weights.
There are physiotherapy treatments, including heat or ultrasound
therapy. Your doctor may also advise the use of anti-inflammatory
drugs and ordinary pain killers (analgesics), or, in really stubborn
cases, corticosteroid injections. These injections dramatically reduce
inflammation but cannot be used long-term because of potentially
damaging side effects.
When you start playing again, be sure to warm up your arm with gentle
stretching for at least 5 minutes. A useful exercise involves grasping
the top part of your fingers and gently but firmly pulling them back
towards your body. Keep your arm fully extended and your palm facing
outwards. And go easy with the tennis - don't overdo it! If you relapse
and develop severe pain, pack your arm in ice for 15 to 20 minutes and
see your doctor. If it goes ok, get a suitably qualified coach to check
out your technique.
You can buy a brace from a sports shop or pharmaceutical supplier. Fit
it around your forearm just below the elbow, but be careful not to cut
off circulation. Braces are effective only in so far as they restrict
the amount you can use your elbow.
The best way to relieve Tennis Elbow is to stop playing. The pain won't
go away completely unless you stop stressing the joint. Don't jeopardise
your chances of a complete recovery by going back on court too soon!
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Put on some weight!
Question:
Where do you put lead tape on a racket?
Adding lead tape to a racket increases its mass and therefore
enhances its potential power. However, it changes the balance and makes
it more difficult to manoeuvre (unless the tape is applied to the
handle). You also change the playing characteristics of the racket by
altering the shape and position of the sweet spot - it moves or
stretches towards the added weight. This can have the advantage of
making the racket head less prone to vibration and twisting when you
hit off-centre.
You can stick tape at any of the following places (using a clock-face
analogy):
12 o'clock
2 o'clock and 10 o'clock
3 o'clock and 9 o'clock
4 o'clock and 8 o'clock
6 o'clock
the handle (under the grip)
The closer you go towards the tip of the racket, the more power you
acquire at the expense of manoeuverability. If your objective is to
add mass without unduly affecting the playing characteristics of the
racket, consider applying tape at or below the balance-point (i.e. at
6 o'clock and/or the handle).
Experiment to find out what suits your style of game.
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Thus spoke Zarathustra!
Question:
My game is going nowhere. Should I change my coach?
I thought it was about time we had a bit of culture here in the Cave,
so check out the quotations by Friedrich Nietzsche! Come on, when
was the last time you found existential philosophy in a tennis
coaching article? Has it got anything to do with tennis? Well, no. And there
again, maybe. I mean, what's the use of philosophy if we don't try and make
it contemporary and relevant? So, at the risk of turning Nietzsche into
kitsch, here we go:
First of all, you don't say why you pin the blame for your lack of progress
on your coach. I know that when things go wrong, it's natural enough to go
looking for scapegoats, but are you sure you're not just reacting emotionally
to a defeat or two? Consider all the pros and cons, be sure your expectations
are realistic and don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.
If you haven't already done so, you should get together with your
coach and discuss your concerns and maybe, just maybe, you'll get something
positive out of that meeting.
"During the journey we commonly forget its goal. Almost every profession is
chosen as a means to an end but continued as an end in itself. Forgetting
our objectives is the most frequent act of stupidity." (Nietzsche)
If, after your discussions, you still feel that you and your coach cannot
agree on objectives or cannot agree on a strategy for achieving them, you've got
to find the courage to make the change.
Players have all kinds of different relationships with their coaches.
A coach can be a teacher, guru, psychologist, god, strategist, manager,
friend, mentor, motivator, role-model, scout, counsellor or bag-carrier - or
any combination of those roles. Severing the relationship can therefore
amount to anything from a minor adjustment to a major trauma.
So yes, you should be aware there may be an emotional price to pay, but my
advice is to reason as dispassionately as possible. Be objective and work out
what's best for you and for your tennis. A good coach will understand and respect
your decision.
"One repays a teacher badly if one always remains nothing but a pupil ... Now
I bid you lose me and find yourselves." (Nietzsche)
Sometimes the coach must be satisfied with just sowing the seeds of ideas. And
sometimes he must then retreat and let the player grow. Of course, that's what
I'm doing deep in this cave of questions. If anything develops from the seeds I
scatter, if any of them are taken out to flourish in the light of day, I won't
know about it.
"There are no facts, only interpretations." (Nietzsche)
I once overheard a pupil telling someone that he simply "filtered out
what he wanted" from my coaching. It upset me a little at the time.
But after I thought about it, it made perfect sense. It was squad coaching,
which cannot be tailored to meet the needs of each individual anyway, so my pupil
was not guilty of being disloyal or disrespectful. He was simply being pragmatic.
He was right - the individual must determine things for himself or herself. I
encourage everyone who visits the Question Cave to do the same - filter what you
need and leave the rest. Some seeds will grow in your garden and some won't.
It's the same when a pupil terminates a coaching arrangement - the coach shouldn't
feel he or she has suddenly become a bad coach. It just means the pupil needs to
harness his or her energies to a different guiding force.
So, if you decide on a parting of the ways, both you and your coach should value what
you've achieved together and move on without bitterness, without rancour.
And always recognise the contribution he or she has made to your development.
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Mixed troubles!
Question:
Should I partner my boyfriend in mixed doubles?
Good relationships are nourished and sustained by the cultivation of shared interests
and shared experiences. There's no reason at all why involvement in a sport
should be excluded from this. And yet I feel curiously uneasy when I'm asked if
I fully endorse the idea of playing mixed doubles with a spouse/partner/boyfriend/girlfriend.
Whether the experience is an enjoyable one or an anxiety-filled one is largely
determined by the competitiveness of the tennis. If the outcome of the match is
of little significance to both of you, there's no problem. You should be able to
relax and have some fun out there. But serious competition ups the ante and
introduces psychological dynamics that can be difficult to handle.
In normal circumstances, good players can aspire to control their physiological and
psychological arousal levels when they compete, but the techniques involved can be as
much use as a chocolate teapot when you throw the emotional sensitivities of a relationship
into the mix. Then things can get kind of volatile.
Friends of ours will attest that my wife and I have succumbed to these pressures like most
couples. I shamefully confess that I have contributed my fair share of the doleful
expressions and dark mutterings that so often typify these ill-advised arrangements!
And I therefore subscribe to the unwritten law which states that husbands and wives should
not partner each other in competition unless they first undertake - in writing - never
to give or take offence, or bicker, or sulk, etc, etc.
Yes, by all means join the same club as your spouse/partner/boyfriend/girlfriend. Play
at the same tournaments. Be on the same teams. Your relationship can thrive on the
camaraderie that a sport like tennis can offer, but, unless you're two of those rare souls
who can always smile through any amount of tension, DON'T PLAY ON THE SAME COURT!
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