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Tuesday, 30 August 2011

Online Tennis Games - Enhance Your Smashing Skills


Have you played an online tennis games. It's really good for developing skills in playing outdoor tennis. Such online games develop smashing skills and accuracy of aim in players. If you don't want to practice tennis at a gaming court or stadium, play it online. It could be a unique fun for you. Who knows after reading this article you may really get interested and start playing online tennis game. Practicing such sports on a live screen with a mouse and keyboard can enable players to become experts on real playing grounds. These are ball games in which two players are engaged against each other like playing a real tennis match.

The game provides virtual rackets or two virtual players between two online competitors. The players can also play a game with a computerized virtual player instead of playing with one another. Playing online tennis with a virtual player can help a person to develop diverse kind of strategies for smashing the ball. Most video tennis sports are attractive to play like real games seen on a playing field or game court. To play tennis online efficiently players should be acquainted with basic rules and play strategies. These online techniques can also be employed while playing a real match on the field. During a real practice session beginners make mistakes and distract their trainers from original playing techniques. Virtual tennis games provide live video clips to watch and learn them while playing online. Here are some guidelines and benefits about playing online tennis:-

1. Before starting your game read the instructions of the game. Get acquainted with all those keys and mouse that may be used while playing. Usually all gaming versions involve playing screen tennis using a mouse.

2. Go to practice play game and watch the video clips showing the techniques of smashing a tennis ball. Many games have facility for practice play. Players don't have fear to lose an online game due to wrong shots. They should practice well at such sessions before starting to play online with another competitor.

3. In case if you are acquainted with playing some special strokes of a tennis game, you can quickly grasp lessons of playing online. See what's new in a virtual practice and adopt that game technique.

4. One special thing of playing video tennis is money savings. If you practice real tennis from a professional trainer then you will have to spend dollars for learning from him. Playing virtual tennis doesn't cost you a penny and you will be able to master many special game techniques on the desktop screen.

5. A real tennis coach doesn't give specific feedback during practice sessions. Your skill is highlighted only during a real match. If you lose a real game then you realize your loopholes but it's too late by that time. Playing and practicing online tennis gives you a sharp feedback in the form of points and rankings same as seen in a real match.

6. While learning tennis online you can judge your playing skills faster rather than leaving the decision on viewers sitting on a real playground.








Online tennis game are more capable of training you to learn playing skills. These are the best means to master advanced techniques of hitting the tennis ball.


Monday, 29 August 2011

US Open 2011 Grand Slam Tennis Tournament Review

The US Open 2011 Grand Slam Tennis Tournament will start on 29th August, Hurricane permitting.

This year Novak Djokovic is the men's top seed and Caroline Wozniaki is the Women's top seed.

This could be an interesting men's Grand Slam tournament. Novak Djokovic has had a brilliant season so far and is definitely the player to beat. He did have to retire recently in a match with a painful shoulder so there could be a question over his fitness, especially in a long tennis tournament like the US Open.

Rafael Nadal is the second seed, but he appears to be going through a tough time at the moment. Nadal's confidence has taken a battering especially by Novak Djokovic beating him in several finals and Djokovic has now taken his throne.

The third seed is Roger Federer. Although it seems Federer is slowing down these days you can never write him off in a big Grand Slam. He did have a great French open tournament early this year. Maybe with a lot less pressure these days with more focus being on Djokovic and Nadal, Federer may be able to get near his best tennis again.

The Women's world number one and top US Open 2011 seed Caroline Wozniaki has just won the New Haven WTA title for the fourth successive season. Wozniaki has won six WTA titles this year but has yet to win a Grand Slam title. She did appear in the US Open 2009 final but was beaten by Kim Clijsters.

Vera Zvonareva is the second seed. Zvonareva was a US Open 2010 finalist and was also beaten by Kim Clijsters that year.

Third seed Maria Sharapova has been improving again this year. She was a finalist at this years Wimbledon and has won 2 titles this year. Sharapova has won the US Open before and always remains a threat when she's on her game.

Hopefully this year we will see another great US Open Grand Slam Tennis Tournament.

Preventing Tennis Elbow -- Stop the Pain Before It Starts


Tennis elbow is an affliction that many tennis players will face in their lives, either as a temporary pain or a chronic pain. Of course, the irony is that the majority of people who are faced with tennis elbow do not necessarily even play tennis! This article will provide you with some tips on how to prevent tennis elbow, regardless of why you might have it.

As a tennis player, you can expect that you might be afflicted with tennis elbow. Fortunately, there are some treatments that can cause a lot of relief. Of course, if you get tennis elbow, the most important thing that you can do is rest your arm.

However, nobody wants to get tennis elbow in the first place. So here are some tips on how to prevent tennis elbow:

· Stay in shape.

· Do not overwork your elbow - if you have not played tennis for a while, take it easy. It may take a few weeks before you can play the kind of game you used to play.

· Strengthen the muscles of your arm, then they can take away some of the stress that would normally befall your elbow. Be sure to strengthen your shoulder and upper back, too.

· Do not overuse your arm - repeated movements can injure your tendon. Try switching arms when possible. If you are practicing your serve, be sure to take a lot of breaks.

· When lifting things, keep your palm facing your body. Lifting things in this way does not cause as much strain on your tendons.

· Stretch before playing tennis or participating in any other activity that might cause pain.

· Use only equipment that is appropriate for your ability and your strength.

· Make sure that your technique is down - the better your technique, the less likely you are to injure yourself.

· Try out a counterforce brace. This kind of brace is worn below your elbow, and it distributes pressure throughout your whole arm, thereby easing the pressure on the tendon. Make sure that you do not allow it to cut off your circulation, though.

· If you do start to feel pain, stop doing whatever action causes the pain!

· Apply ice to where you felt pain.

· Take a lot of breaks.

Tennis elbow is something that nobody wants to get, but many of us will. Following some of these tips, though, can reduce your chances of getting tennis elbow.

One of the most important things that you can do to prevent tennis elbow is to listen to your body - if your body is aching, listen to it. Figure out why you ache - did you forget to stretch? Have you been repeating a single motion? Are you overusing your arm. Any of these reasons (and many more) can lead to tennis elbow.








Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and sports. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on tennis, please visit E-Tennis.


Wednesday, 10 August 2011

Tennis Games - Play It Online Now

Are you interested in playing Tennis? The answer will be most probably yes, because people love to play tennis or badminton in the evenings to refresh themselves. They won't be professional players but just as an entertainment. Tennis is played between two persons or two pairs in a tennis court.

This court will be divided into two parts by a net. A ball will be the main focus of the game. This ball will be hit by a tennis racket. It is even an Olympic sport! But after having day long working hours you won't be having any more energy to play it with a physical effort. So the best way for you will be to play Tennis online.

This online tennis playing will be an indoor game. You can sit at your desktop and by using the internet facility you can easily play the game. It will give a feel just like you play in an actual tennis court. It will make you nervous and give the right spirit of the game.

You can also get a chance to learn the rules of the tennis game. More over it will improve your concentration and skill to hit the ball at right timings. If it is played between two players then it is called singles. But if there are two pairs of players then it will be called as doubles.

As this game is much popular among the people now here are many online versions of tennis game. Some of them are like Free Squash, Chine Open, Twisted Tennis etc. you will be able two choose a player for you and can start playing an excited tennis match. This will be not only an entertainment but also will enable you to know about various advanced tennis techniques. Most of these online tennis games will provide instructions for playing the game and some other guide lines for playing shots.

Once you start playing tennis online you will find twisted tennis and free squash as most interesting. At the beginning you will have some difficulty to get the right playing method. But latter you will really enjoy the play. To start playing the game you have to know the usage of the keys. For serving the ball you can use space bar. Arrow keys will allow you to move forward, backward and to sides. Then hit the balls by moving to different directions. If you miss any shots then you will lose the point. The background and the animations of these games will give you amazing experience.

By encouraging your child to play these online tennis games you can develop an interest in hip towards this game. The techniques and accuracy he will get from this game may benefit the child to be a professional tennis player.








There are a lot of free Tennis Games that you can find on the internet. Click here to know more about Kids Games.

Sunday, 7 August 2011

Tennis Camps For Kids And Teens

Tennis is a fantastic sport in any season, but the summer is very special for this sport as it can be played outdoors while soaking up some sun rays. It is also a great sport to learn at a summer camp. When it comes to sports camps most people think of basketball, football, and cheerleading. Tennis camps are often overlooked. Tennis is a great sport to perfect your physical as well as mental skills. In Tennis camps you learn to play tennis. You will work on your individual strengths and weakness as an overall player. There are coaches and counselors to assist you. It is a fantastic way to improve as a tennis player and gather some valuable team player skills in the process. Tennis has become a very competitive sport and utilizing tennis camps is a great way to stay on top of this quickly growing sport. Tennis has become more popular over the past ten years and so has tennis camps. You learn to think quickly on your feet as you plan each specific move to throw off your component.

How to develop your hand movements and strength

In addition to gaining overall arms strength, agility, flexibility, you can also increase your endurance over time. The effect tennis camps have on players is amazing. They leave feeling more confident as a player. Whether they plan on competing at the local neighborhood courts or in the Wimbledon players truly benefit from tennis camps. For many children and teens camps that focus predominantly on sports such as tennis camps greatly improves self-esteem. By enrolling your family or self into a tennis camp you may be helping the beginning career of the next tennis star.

Doing your research

When selecting a tennis camp there are many tips and facts everyone should know. Tennis camps come in various types. Having a basic understanding of the type of tennis camps will make selection of the right camp for you easy. Tennis camps are available as residential camps, specialty camps, focused program camps, outdoor education camps, or family camps. Residential tennis camps have a variety of time periods ranging from several days to a few weeks. You should always discuss the accommodations with the camp director before you sign up for one of these camps. Accommodations as well as food service can be in many different forms from cabins and cafeteria to tents and catered food service.

Specialty tennis camps focus on programming placing special attention one particular area of the sport. Some specialty tennis camps are for players who have certain physical, mental, or developmental needs. Focused program tennis camps focus on rigid more structured activities in relation to tennis. Outdoor education centered tennis camps are often used as retreats for businesses and large groups of children and teens. Family tennis camps generally have activities set to accommodate the entire family of all ages all throughout the day. They also can operate seasonally or all year round depending on the particular camp. You should always do you research online before signing up for any particular tennis camp. Always select a type of tennis camp that best suits your needs that you are most comfortable with. Tennis camps are a great way to advance your game.








Michael Chase is a freelance writer for the Maine Golf and Tennis Camps in Belgrade Lakes Region of Maine. Fully immersing young people in tennis training at a reputable tennis camp is the best way to teach them the fundamentals or help them take their game to the next level.

Saturday, 6 August 2011

Help for Treating Tennis Elbow

Often you will hear of tennis players not able to play a match or stopping before the end of a game due to pain. Often it is an ankle injury, sometimes a sore tendon, a painful knee or a shoulder complaint. Funny how you hardly ever see a tennis player missing a match due to a tennis elbow complaint. The main reason is that tennis elbow is not as common amongst tennis players as most of us imagine. Suffering from this kind of pain is more likely the result of the poor use of a tool at work or at home, sometimes a gardening tool, maybe a hand saw, a wrench, even a computer mouse. Curiously most people looking for treatment haven't played a tennis match in their life. Any motion that repetitively stresses the forearm can result in tennis elbow pain. Another main reason tennis players rarely miss a game because of tennis elbow is that it is commonly easily dealt with using a combination of massages, exercises, stretches and periods of rest.

Tennis Elbow Remedies

Another thing to remember is that more than over ninety percent of tennis elbow injuries can usually be treated successfully without a surgeon. The usual treatments vary from home remedies to the use of injections and or surgery. To treat tennis elbow successfully however you first need to find the root cause. The cause is almost always, an activity of vigorous or repetitive nature that causes the tennis elbow to occur in the first place. When the cause is not identified correctly and the offending activity is repeated, even after successful treatment, the pain usually returns. However if the treatment isn't performed properly, the risk of chronic pain increases substantially which usually increases the likelihood of surgery being performed.

A word about steroid and cortisone treatments.

Conventional medicine commonly uses steroid or cortisone injections when treating tennis elbow symptoms. Let's not go into detail here on treating this ailment using such methods, other than to say that conventional medicine has achieved inconsistent results administering such treatments. Furthermore, conventional medicine has yet to establish a standard dosage for this treatment which is quite astounding considering that it is the primary treatment suggested by doctors when treating this injury. Of course whoever is seeking more information regarding this therapy should visit their doctor. If you have already been on such a treatment without success, there are alternative treatments we can focus on here.

Activity Modification.

The activity that causes tennis elbow may be an activity that is either rigorous or repetitive in nature. It is not very difficult for most people to identify the root activity on their own. Stopping this activity is the first step to begin the healing. This on its own however does not bring about quick results. Typically injuries like this take some time to develop and almost always need a similar amount of time to get better.

Tennis Elbow Exercises

Let's look at various types of massages, stretches and resistance activities commonly used to treat tennis elbow. As with all muscular injuries, it is important to stop the activity that has aggravated the injury. Tender and inflamed muscles should feel relaxed before any therapeutic exercises are attempted. If it's painful when performing these stretches or the exercises, you must stop immediately. Applying a Cross Friction Massage using the proper method can relieve discomfort at least temporarily, sometimes for good. This massage can be achieved with improved results using anti-inflammatory creams which allow for a deeper massage.

Beneficial Stretches

All stretches must be performed within your comfort range. Stretch aiming to utilise the full mobility of the elbow. If a stretch is uncomfortable or painful, the same stretch can be performed at less than full stretch so as not to be uncomfortable. Stretches can be more restricted in the earlier phases of rehabilitation however restrictive movements usually ease with time and repetition.

Deciding on a Tennis Elbow Brace

The main function of the brace is to assist the affected area for more effective healing. The most common tennis elbow braces are made from neoprene material which easy on the skin. Fitting is usually adjustable so as to be firm around the forearm. There are also some lesser known braces that have unique qualities. There are heat-retaining braces that improve blood circulation. There are straps that employ magnets, which are recognised for their ability to improve blood flow in the deep tissues. Magnetic braces are known to be particularly effective with inflammation. Epicondylitis clasps are a different type of brace which restrict certain movements and apply direct pressure to the affected area, thereby preventing the muscles from straining. Another type of brace is a cold therapy brace that utilizes various fluid filled sacks which are frozen in a freezer. This type is often worn when the pain is intense and helps reduce inflammation in the deep tissues. When choosing a brace it is important to check all available sizes to achieve a firm fit that is not restrictive yet.








For help with deciding on a tennis elbow brace, just visit the link where you can compare prices and view technical specifications. For performing cross friction massages, stretches and exercises you can learn more at www.Tennis-ElbowBrace.com.

Thursday, 4 August 2011

Tennis Elbow Cure?

Tennis elbow is the pain located on the outside of the elbow most commonly occurring when gripping. It is associated with playing tennis, but can affect activities from doing the house work to shaking hands with a friend. For many people, especially coaches or serious tennis players, tennis elbow can become the bane of your life. I know because I am a tennis coach who had a 12 month battle with tennis elbow and I would like to share my experience with you in the hope of helping other coaches or tennis fanatics overcome the injury.

Tennis elbow is an overuse injury - technically called lateral epicondyle - that affects the tendon on the outside of the elbow. For a tennis player it most commonly occurs due to the constant stress on the tendon from hitting 1000's upon 1000's of balls. This stress can be compounded by mistiming the ball, especially on the one handed backhand. Interestingly the incidence of tennis elbow is far less common in double handed backhands.

In my case it was caused by trialling a stiffer racket - so many of today's modern rackets and strings create a stiffer feel which can place extra stress on the elbow tendon. After just one hour the pain had become extreme and I was to endure it for over twelve months. As a full time tennis coach this was a less than ideal scenario.

With my income on the line I quickly had to get to work treating the problem. As a coach rest was not an option, but I was quickly on the internet - which has a huge amount of data on tennis elbow. In no particular order I undertook the following treatment program:

- Physiotherapy. Once a week massage and manipulation ran into $1000's of dollars over time.
- Anti inflammatory drugs. 3 times a day I took ibuprofen with a cup of green tea [which was highly recommended treatment also]
- Strengthening and stretching. 3 times a day I completed a routine which aimed to strengthen and stretch the forearm extensors and triceps surrounding the elbow joint.
- Elbow brace. I trialled several forms of elbow strap which were designed to take the stress away from the elbow tendon.
- Heat and ice. Three times a day I would ice the elbow then put a heat pack on to stimulate the healing process.
- Acupuncture. Once no progress was achieved with physio I took a course of acupuncture each week.
- Rest. After several months of frustration I set aside 1 month where I would play no tennis.
- Changing racket and string combination.

Despite my best efforts I was experiencing no improvement and the injury was in fact deteriorating.

Various invasive procedures like injecting cortisone were the next option, but this procedure had very weak evidence of success. Using my favorite research tool the internet I turned up a procedure which was achieving promising results called an "autologous blood injection." This involves drawing blood from your body and re-injecting into the elbow. The injection is made under CT scan so that it is made at exactly the right point on the elbow tendon.

The theory is that when blood is taken from the body it reacts by releasing its healing agents. When that blood is then re injected into the injured elbow tendon it will speed the healing process. Tendons are notoriously slow healers as they don't have the blood flow that muscles enjoy. The autologous blood injection gives the tendon the "kick along" it needs. The research on the blood injections showed promising results, although often patients need 2 - 3 injections to fully resolve the problem.

I was prepared to try it. The first step was to visit a sports physician who scheduled a scan on my elbow. Sure enough the scan showed a significant tear in the elbow tendon. Next the injection was organized to be performed by a very well regarded surgeon under CT scan. While a local anesthetic was administered the procedure was very painful. This pain however was short lived, and I was quite comfortable 1 - 2 hours after the injection.

The first week I completely rested the arm in a sling to give the procedure the best chance of success. After two weeks the tennis elbow appeared to have gone. For the first time in twelve months I was able to play and coach without pain - I would estimate it has been a 90% recovery and a fantastic result.

Clearly each case of tennis elbow is different - and sufferers should consult their physio and sports physician to get the best possible diagnosis and treatment. My particular injury was a tendonosis, which is a degenerative problem and therefore a candidate for the autologous blood injection. Tendonitis might be treated by more traditional methods.

What I would recommend is that chronic sufferers of tennis elbow consider the autologous blood injection with their doctor if they can't shake the injury. It worked for me after one injection. The pain and frustration of tennis elbow was ruining my tennis career, the blood injection was nothing short of a miracle for which I am very grateful.








By Rufus Keown
Club Professional Coach
Co-founder http://www.globaltenniscoaching.com
The global website for tennis coaches and players with 1000's of tennis drills, tennis articles, tennis tips and tennis lesson plans.