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Happy Saint Patrick's Day Good bye to that long winter! SPRING is here; well, in a couple days it is officially here… NOTE: We found a place for tennis players to get together and watch all the BIG tennis events, and we are kicking this Happy Hour Party with LOTS of give-a-ways! MARCH 25th - mark your calendars! (East Andrews in Buckhead). All the details are below in the newsletter: There are racquets to raffle, tickets to the tennis tournament in July, free league play, shirts and all sorts of fun stuff! A $5.00 recommended donation to Special Pops will be appreciated greatly~
Lots going on - lots of messed up courts after this winter too - so play with care!
p.s. First ALTA matches this week, right? SHOP LOCALLY! Buckhead's 1st Annual Racket Rally Happy Hour FUN FUN FUN: March 25th, come out for the first Tennis Players Network Happy Hour at East Andrews: It's time to start networking with other tennis players, eat, drink, win prizes, watch the Sony Ericsson Tournament on big screens, and give a couple bucks to Special Pops! MARCH 25th - come join us! Sam Crenshaw from 11 Alive will be there and we hope to get Tennis Channel to broadcast from there so it should be a great night! More details are coming, so until then, get out, stay hydrated, and buy locally…. Download the Flyer to Learn More » HIGH-TECH invites you to "HIT 4 HAITI Tennis Clinic" on Saturday, March 27 at 3:00pm.
Event: HIT 4 HAITI Tennis Clinic Download the Flyer to Learn More » RSVP Now! Celebrate St. Patty's Day at Tap Download the Flyer to Learn More » Well as simple as possible considering the ridiculous amount of frames that have glutted the market. The first thing I would suggest is, determine how much you want to spend. The racquet companies dump the latest and greatest technologies every year, there are tons of excellent frames available at very low prices. The only reason to spend 180.00 or more on a frame is if you must have a current or "in line" model. For example the Babolat Pure Storm GT is 179.00. The previous model the Pure Storm is 129.00. Only very experienced, advanced players would detect any noticeable differences between the two frames. There are many frames at even lower prices. Frames are generally divided into 3 categories: Game Improvement/Power: These frames are usually oversized 107 square inches or more, very light, very stiff, and head heavy. They also have very wide beams. They can also be up to 29" long but the normal length has come down in recent years. Tweeners: These frames are usually mid plus 95-102 square inches and between 10 and 11 ounces. They are also more flexible and control oriented than power frames. Players/Control: These frames are for advanced players. With head sizes between 90-100 square inches, a weight of 11.5 ounces or more, a head light balance, and thin flexible beams, these racquets do not offer much in the way of power. The players that use these racquets can provide the power. There are seemingly an unlimited amount of racquet technologies that transform mere racquets into magic light saber wand things. Go to the various racquet company websites and read what the idea is behind the different technologies. P.S. Don't believe everything you read. Try a frame that you think is right in your range and one that is on either side of that range. You may be surprised by what you actually end up choosing as your racquet. You should use the heaviest racquet that you can handle. A heavier frame is more stable; dampens more shock. This is all general information. No matter what a racquet company or a coach tells you, nothing matters except how the racquet feels in your hand or hands. You are the only one that will be playing playoff matches and finals with it. Good Luck! Eric Burke Calling all LADIES:
Mark your calendars!
This year we would like to Honor our Heroes - this is anyone in our tennis community who has had a diagnoses of breast cancer. Please e-mail Karen Rabb at krabb1@bellsouth.net if you or someone you know has battled this disease. PLEASE LIMIT THIS TO LADIES WHO PLAY TENNIS IN OUR NEGTA COMMUNITY ONLY. Your help with this project is very valuable and appreciated. If you are also interested in serving on this committee please let me know. Karen Rabb Atlanta Tennis Championships Information
Tickets
The Atlanta ATP tournament ran from 1986-2001 was played at the Atlanta Athletic Club, Johns Creek, Ga., from 1993 to 2001, in late April. From 1986 to 1999 it was called the AT&T Tennis Challenge. In 2000 it was named the Galleryfurniture.com Tennis Challenge and, in 2001, it was called the Verizon Tennis Challenge. Singles champions include former No. 1 players Andy Roddick (2001), Pete Sampras (1998) Andre Agassi (1989, 1991 and 1992) and John McEnroe (1985). In 2001 the tournament drew 75,097 fans, had a $400,000 purse and was telecast by FOX Sports Net to 114 countries. Increasing the LIFE in your game, while playing the GAME of your life. by: Debra Bobier, CYT, RYT Tennis is not an easy game on the body. Let's face it; your body takes a beating each time you are on the court. Tennis requires great speed and endurance along with short bursts of power and quick reflexes. At some point every player experiences an issue with injury prone joints like knees, ankles, shoulders, hips and wrists. Yoga can keep your body supple and flexible, the key to longevity, help minimize injuries, correct those you already have, and take your game up a notch as well. The Physical Aspect of Yoga: It is also a common practice for most tennis players, amateurs and professionals alike, to play the game with their muscles constantly tense. Yoga is the opposite. Muscles are trained to relax which allows for much faster reaction time, and less likelihood of injury. This power versus force approach has many players saying "I've never played better. And I can really get my body behind the ball, especially with my serve". In a game that is always throwing your body physically out of balance, the physical benefits of yoga are not just a luxury but a necessity. Most tennis players can't imagine a life without tennis, and want to continue playing for as long as they can. Yoga makes this possible by providing increased strength, stamina, balance and flexibility making you less prone to injury. You might not think that flexibility matters much but it is one of the most important things in Tennis. Look at all the twists and turns. Stops and starts. And, spinal arch while serving. Each posture in yoga is designed to recalibrate, balance, harmonize, rejuvenate and restore our muscles, joints and cells. As well as to remove the tension that is deeply embedded in these areas. So Yoga is extremely therapeutic. Whether you are able to do the most advanced postures is inconsequential. You do what you can and your practice is as personal and unique as the person doing it. You become so much stronger, and powerful. I work with a lot of triathletes that are in excellent condition. Yet after just one week of working with me each day, they are stronger, more powerful, more toned and flexible. And have increased focus, and concentration. Each Yoga movement is done slowly and with the breath so one might wonder how you could achieve these benefits. The postures are intense, and moving slowly is actually making you stronger so that when you are off the mat, you can move faster. And of course you are stronger and more powerful. Incorporating Yoga into any fitness program is a win-win. And while yoga will enhance any other fitness program you are involved in, nothing will enhance your yoga practice except your yoga practice. It's that different. Many yoga postures are not easy. In fact some are quite difficult, and many very intense. I recommend attending a yoga class regularly with a teacher that teaches Yang (masculine)Yoga or a more dynamic form like vinyasa flow, Ashtanga or Power Yoga. If you are in the Tampa Bay area and I am available, I would love to work with you. Or, any group you may be organizing for a tennis weekend retreat. You could also take advantage of my week long retreat in Magical Bali in June. This one week will change your body, mind, and spirit. Then you can spend your next week traveling around the island enjoying its magic and beautiful spirit of the Balinese people. Find all the details at www.yogabound.com/travel/bali_yoga_retreats.htm . Asana standing, seated and lying on the back are usually part of the class, with emphasis on Pranayama. Moving through the Asana with Breath is Moving Meditation. Some Yoga Postures That Are Good For Tennis:
Courtside Yogis:
The Mental Aspects of Yoga: But Yoga isn't just about power, or strokes, speed, or finesse. It is a place we play from where we feel no pressure. When we are playing in the Zone we can do no wrong. We know where the ball is going and we are already there. Each shot is solid, smooth and well placed. We are focused and at one with the ball, not distracted by anything or anyone, especially our own mental chatter. This is a place of pure "Bliss" and in the Yoga world we call this "Living in the Moment". This is accomplished through our Asana (postures) as well as Pranayama (breath work) practice. Pranayama, or breath control is the most important aspect of any Yoga Practice. Incorporating slow, deep rhythmic breathing relaxes the body and mind enabling us to ground, center, focus and stay in the present moment. It assists in silencing the inner chatter that can end up costing us the game. Research has shown that the discipline required for Yoga can take you to a state of Meditation. It releases endorphins, calms the mind, lowers blood pressure, and slows the nervous system. This is the place you want to be when you walk on, and off the court. There are many types of Pranayama but one technique is to simply exhale while executing a pose. Many instructors are now incorporating focus-building drills into their teachings like looking at the strings of your racket and focusing internally while using yoga breathing. Doing this while playing means more efficient and effective play as you are exerting less effort. People are not aware of their breath and don't realize that they breath with only 25% of their lung capacity. When we are stressed, the breath is the first thing to go. Becoming more aware of our breath is one of the most important things we can do. This greatly increases your strength, endurance and stamina by expanding lung capacity and facilitating controlled breathing. The centering and stillness of the mind that is created through your Yoga Practice also retrains the brain to think in terms of the here and now not winning the point, what the other team is doing, where they are, what is going to happen next. By focusing on where you are not where you want to be you can stay in control of the mental game of Tennis. The physical and mental benefits of yoga come with practice. A daily practice would be the ideal and offer quicker and greater benefits. And you don't need to allocate hours and hours to your practice. The bottom line: Yoga is attracting people from all walks of life especially those in highly stressful environments. Many of these people have a hard time sitting, standing and staying still. This is a liability of our North American work ethic which has immersed us in multi tasking, high speed, and a fanatical pursuit for success. The mind and body are vibrating with the reverberating echoes of the day's battles. TV, Radio, Cars, Traffic, etc. add to the crescendo so that silence and stillness scares the hell out of people. The unfamiliar environs of a yoga class where constraining suits are replaced by comfortable threads and the mantra to surrender instead of fighting, power versus force are common instructions, these people have found themselves destabilized by the lack of white noise, or more importantly, by the presence of undiluted silence. The process of stripping away society's conditioning has often proved to be too great a feat for some, resulting in the identification of yoga as ‘too freaky', ‘too quietly', or most laughably, ‘too easy'. There now exists a movement of millions attempting to relate to life's most basic principles, and in that same effort to relate comes the realization that we rarely end up where we originally envisioned ourselves…and so, the quest begins…to come back to ourselves…and to be our selves. Doubles Strategy - Pick the right partner What should you look for when choosing a doubles partner and had me reminiscing about partnerships I've had in the past; some successful others abject failures and why they turned out as they did. This is one of those tennis lessons especially for doubles players! I always looked for an accurate serve when choosing a doubles partner, notice I say accurate rather than powerful. Obviously, both are preferable but I have found that accuracy is the more important attribute. An accurate serve allows both yourself and your partner to plan the point easily with percentages in mind. One particular doubles strategy I had much success with was the body serve and the cross interception, this only consistently works if the server is accurate; should the ball deviate into the opponent's hit zone they have plenty of time to switch their shot. I would still use this play with servers who are less accurate, but I would ensure they crossed and stayed on the baseline, giving us the best chance of success should the returner read the move. We all know how vital the serve is in the modern game of tennis but an often-overlooked shot; especially in doubles is the return of serve. If you can make a high, percentage of returns success is becomes far more probable; there is nothing as satisfying for a server as seeing an opponent's return hit the bottom of the net or fly out the back. The returning player in doubles should be looking to play the ball back across the court 90% of the time, doing this increases percentages and avoids the high part of the net and the net-player. If an opponent is rushing the net after their serve - force them to play a volley and keep it low and at their feet. The first volley is a very tough shot, if an opponent is constantly being forced into playing it, as the match wears on mistakes will happen. Be sure to throw in a few cheeky returns up the line - this will keep the net-player on their toes. Keep them guessing or they will be constantly crossing and intercepting. Doubles strategy is simple but so often forgotten and winning at doubles can be achieved through a combination of hard work, solid doubles strategy and taking tennis lessons from the right people. I have found over the years that a partner's personality is crucial. It is sometimes the intangible traits of two potential partners and how they complement each other that make the difference. Winning at doubles usually comes down to which partnership gels best. Be sure to communicate between points because it is this that enables you both to strategize and maintain the same wavelength. It is of vital importance that both of you remain positive even when the going gets tough - avoid blaming each other or yourself. If communication breaks down your strategy will fall apart. Play to each other's strengths and encourage each other's weaknesses; this allows not of you to perform at your full potential. A final 'secret' tip I'll give is this; think about playing the more consistent player (in particular the most consistent returner of serve) on the advantage side of the court, this means the more solid player faces more of the 'big' points thus increasing your percentages of winning. Hope you enjoying these tennis lessons and are learning something; I look forward to welcoming you at my site at www.6-0tennis.com very soon, feel free to discuss this article there and add anything that comes to mind. Choosing a doubles partner needs to be thought out. If that is done properly then winning at doubles will come that much easier! ;o) Darren at www.6-0tennis.com is a former top 20 British player who traveled extensively on the professional tour for several years. He has trained and played against some of the most famous names in the industry and continues to help players of all ages and abilities reach their potential. He is a PTR Professional coach and holds the NLP Master Trainer certification. |
IN THIS ISSUE:
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Dear Friends,
Statia is a Dutch Island near St. Maarten in the Caribbean. Info about the island can be found at www.statiatourism.com. The picture is taken standing on our land looking toward the ocean. We have oodles of pictures. If you desire further info please email us at statiaisland@gmail.com. We would love to have you as neighbors. Diane & Ed Hooper statiaisland@gmail.com St. Simons
Tennis is one of the area's most popular sports. Sea Palms features professional events and collegiate championships, the Island Club is a hotbed of league and competitive play, Sea Island offers top-flight professional facilities and the King & Prince features four fine courts. Public play is available on hard courts at Mallory Park and Epworth Park. Jekyll Island's Tennis Center is among the best and other public courts are available on the mainland. Sea Palms Golf & Tennis Resort Ballard Park
Blythe Island
Epworth by the Sea
Epworth Park Howard Coffin Park Jekyll Island Tennis Center Capt. Wylly Road
Pete Poole, Pro.
King Park Northwood Estates Sea Palms Golf & Tennis Resort -
Tennis & Fitness Center
Selden Park The Sea Island Resort
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