Finding the Best Tennis Ball Machine

Tennis Twist is undoubtedly the best value when looking to purchase tennis ball machines. This product is priced very reasonably at around $230, making it the most affordable tennis ball machine available by far. Despite being the lowest priced tennis machine, the Tennis Twist is also very light and battery operated, making it very transportable and it will fit in the backseat of any SUV. The Tennis Twist also supplies tennis balls at a constant rate providing great repetition that will make a practice session valuable. Whether you want to practice your backhand or just need someone to play with, this tennis machine will make you better at tennis. And because a tennis machine doesn't screw up, you don't have to worry about bad hits while practicing. You get to hit a consistent shot practicing your form for 28 repetitions to help structure your muscles and develop your mental discipline.

Unique Features of the Tennis Twist

Tennis Tutor wanted to design a lightweight machine and they were looking to create a cheap tennis ball machine that would provide basic features that would allow any skill level, basic to intermediate to advanced, to get a excellent and reliable experience. The distinctive spiral design automatically feeds the 28 tennis balls. The ball machine then lobs out a ball every 5 seconds giving you time to take the shot, evaluate it, and recover in time for the next ball. The best way to use the unit is to position it at various spots based on the style of shot you want. Because the tennis system doesn't have any oscillation features, the only means of changing the shot is to change the position. You'll also want to place the Tennis Twist on the same side of the net because it only shoots about 10 feet or so. Although if you want to practice the overhead smash you'll need to put it on the opposite side of the net.

These are just a few examples of what makes this tennis machine different from other tennis machines. To get a better look at how the tennis machine works and some additional benefits (and even some weaknesses) you'll want to check out a Tennis Twist review.

Comparing the Tennis Twist

The Tennis Twist is the best value for the money when it comes to tennis machines, but how does it compare to other, more expensive machines? One popular brand of tennis ball machine is the Lobster Elite line. Just looking at the cheapest lobster tennis ball machine, you would spend $850 which is nearly 4 times as much as the Tennis Twist. Is it worth four times more? The Lobster Elite Freedom, which is the cheap tennis ball machine, has adjustable speeds, a higher ball capacity, and a nice horizontal oscillation feature that will alternate the shots around the court. The speed adjust feature is helpful because it allows you to hit the ball faster;however, the key to a good practice is solid form and hitting more balls doesn't necessarily make you better. As far as the hopper capacity goes, the unit provides a 2 minute rally and unless you are in fantastic physical shape, 2 minutes is a good workout. And with the Lobster's oscillation feature, it can be good practice running to each side of the court, but you can effectively do the same thing with the Tennis Twist with some creativity. For an extra $630 you get some nice features, but not really necessary.

Another popular ball machine is the official Tennis Tutor model. This system costs around $950 and is practically the same as the Lobster Elite Freedom when it comes to features. So when reviewing the Tennis Twist against the Tennis Tutor ball machine, you save close to $700. Don't get me wrong, these expensive tennis ball machines do have their place. If you are a competitive player or a coach, many of these models will have valuable features, but if you need a cheap tennis ball machine to help you get better at tennis, there is no better value.

Where to Get the Best Price on Tennis Twist Tennis Ball Machine

Whether you live in the US, UK, or anywhere else in the world, in order to get the lowest price on a Tennis Twist you'll need to look around online. There are many physical stores that have an online website and frequently will advertise specials. A surefire idea would be to check out a Tennis Twist review as many times they'll give you ideas on how to save money buying a tennis ball machine.

Tennis Humor - The Gift Of Making People Laugh At The Game Of Tennis

To those of us who love to play the game of tennis, it is the competition, the athletic challenge and the potential for artistic shot making that usually gets us going emotionally. There's little time for tennis humor as we focus on ripping that next shot for a winner.

But take a step back or just start watching some tennis matches at your club and you'll begin to see the humorous situations that abound in our game. Of course, just like mother-in-law jokes are a staple of marriage humor, dysfunctional tennis dynamics are the source of most tennis humor. And tennis humor in the form of tennis jokes or tennis cartoons on mugs, tshirts, mousepads, or greeting cards make great tennis gifts.

So, without further adieu here are a number of tennis dynamics that lend themselves to humor:

1. The married mixed doubles team. Need I say more? This classic dynamic has caused guffaws at the best of times and divorces at the worst. And for those still in dating mode -- tread very carefully!

2. The poseurs -- look great in their new tennis clothes which they claim they received as tennis gifts from a well known-touring pro, carry at least 3 of the latest hi-tech rackets, and are the epitome of style until they have to hit that first ball. Of course, if truly desperate, they will feign injury while opening up a new can of balls to avoid public display of their atrocious strokes.

3. The emotional player versus the " classic tennis dinker". Nothing can drive a tennis player more quickly to the asylum that having to play a talented retriever who gets everything back with no pace. Sit back, have a drink, and start betting pools on the number of times you're going to see a racket tossed in frustration.

4. The obsessive tennis nut -- can't be standing in a line anywhere without starting to practice his or her swing - without a racket of course. Observers often inquire if they're watching some new martial art.

5. The interfering tennis parent -- can't play, never studied the game except for having watched an instructional video or two, but feels free to walk on the court and correct former Wimbledon champ who is instructing his or her child. Just watching the tennis pro try not to explode at this preposterous chutzpah is priceless.

Of course, there are many more of these funny tennis dynamics which I'll address in a later article. So for now, keep your eyes open at the club and you may be very entertained by the gift of tennis humor happening right in front of your eyes.

Glenn Sheiner M.D. is the author of the world's top selling tennis cartoon book THE WACKY WORLD OF TENNIS. Treat yourself to a laugh and split step over to http://www.cafepress.com/wackytennis . Check out great tennis gift items or just browse some of the cartoons.

How Do You Play Tennis?

Always wanted to learn how to play tennis but don't know where to start? Don't worry, there's a bunch of different ways you can learn how to play tennis online. Books is a great way to explore what tennis has to offer, not to mention videos which is even better since you get to see all the moves and techniques get preformed in front of you. So how do you play tennis? This article will teach you the basics of tennis, reveal the tennis scoring system, discuss court differences and hopefully give you some insight on the subject.

Technique in tennis is just a little part of the abilities and skills required to play tennis. I've encountered many instructional videos and books which hasn't understood this. They are all about how you play tennis, and how to make the correct move with your arms or legs, not twisting your wrist etc. when you actually might have problems with judging the balls landing spot or getting into position for the ball within the time limit. How do you play tennis? You study the rules of the game, learn the basic moves and perform them over and over again until you feel like you can evolve and try performing some more advanced techniques that will let you get that score advantage against your tennis partner.

To describe the tennis scoring system as simple as possible, a player must win four points to win a game, six games to win a set, and two or sometimes three sets to win a match. Game points will be counted 0(love)-15-30-40-game, and if the score between two players is 40-40 it's called Deuce. To win the game at deuce, a player must first acquire an advantage by winning a point, and then win the following point. If a player gains an advantage but loses the following point, the score is reset back to deuce. The first player who wins six games by margin of two points wins a set, and the first player to win two (or sometimes three) sets wins the match. The outcome of matches can often depend on which type of court the match is played on, so it is important to know the differences between them.

There are many types of courts used for tennis, but do you know what a fast or slow court is? A fast court is a court which has a faster surface, in other words is slowing the ball down less then a slow court. The ball also generally bounces higher on slower surfaces then on faster surfaces and vice versa. As expected the fast court surfaces suites a big server and serve-and-volley player best, although shorter strokes are easily executed on a fast surface compared to longer strokes. Slow court surfaces are baseliners favorite courts with their long strokes and/or a consistency based game. To sum up, slow courts makes you run less while fast courts make you run more, which by the way is a good thing as a game of tennis is a fabulous workout opportunity.

Tennis requires flexibility and agility to keep up with the ball, raw strength for powerful shots, endurance to be able to play a whole match and a good mental mind to stay ahead of ones opponent. Tennis allows you to train all of this while having fun, relieving stress and energizing your spirit. Tennis shapes the body as well as sharpens the mind. Each time a ball is hit, one is forced to react and respond fast. Some might want to find a strategy to use against an opponent. This keeps your brain young and helps relieve tension. Hitting the ball with a racket for an hour or two will leave you stronger and surely tone and sculpt your entire upper body. Tennis players often have good core strength (abs and lower back muscles) because they do the hard work when hitting a tennis ball but also keeps you balanced when you run and provide power to your strokes along with your legs and upper body. And the fact that your legs will get a full workout should be apparent when playing tennis, but you might not have known that you stretch muscles all over your body, (increasing your flexibility) including a few you didn't even know you had just by playing tennis. Your heart is also getting a piece of the action when you play tennis, interval training improves your heart function and you might well say tennis is interval training since you get a few seconds rest in between the points.

As you probably can tell this is only a fraction of the subject, but what you've read in this article is the basics of playing tennis. So if you're still asking "How do you play tennis?", maybe this game isn't for you.

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The Common Thread of a Polo, Tennis and Golf Shirts

A tennis shirt is actually what most people are referring to when they say "polo shirt" or "golf shirt." These are a type of t-shirt that has a collar, two or three buttons down the front slit, and two side slits on the bottom. They often come with a chest pocket and made from such fine fabrics as; knitted pique cotton, merino wool, and silk.

Rene Lacoste, a 7-time tennis Grand Slam winner from France, is credited as the first person to create the tennis shirt when he introduced his shirt design in 1929. The idea of creating the shirt came to Lacoste because the tennis apparel up to that time consisted of long-sleeved shirts, trousers and ties. The clothes worn by tennis players on the tennis court during the 19th and early 20th centuries were more appropriate for offices. Besides, the dress shirts worn on the courts were stiff and the ties heavy.

On the other hand, Lacoste's tennis shirt had a thick collar, was loose and non-starched, was made of pique cotton, had side slits at the bottom, and sported a longer shirt-tail. The thick collar, when turned up, provided protection to the neck so that the player didn't get sun burned.

What's interesting about Lacoste's tennis shirt was that polo players were already wearing shirts of the same design since the late 19th century. Back then, they wore long-sleeved shirts that had a button-down collar. These shirts were made of thick Oxford-cloth cotton. Even though the collar of this shirt-style was thick and didn't constantly flap from the wind, these polo shirts were still not comfortable nor were they convenient to wear. Thus, when polo players discovered Lacoste's shirt design during the 1930s, they didn't think twice about adopting his design for their polo shirt.

It didn't take long for tennis shirts and polo shirts to be synonymous. When the 1950s came around, polo shirts were regarded as formal tennis attire in the United States. Even tennis players were calling their attire "polo shirt". In reality, though, the "polo shirt" was actually first worn during a tennis game and not during a polo game.

The polo shirt reached its peak of popularity in 1967 when Ralph Lauren introduced his original clothing line aptly named Polo. Ralph Lauren's shirts weren't made for players to wear during polo games but the association of the polo shirt with the idea of leisure propelled his shirt into an instant hit with non-polo players.

Golf attire used to be formal, but in the 20th century, golf players started to wear less formal and more easygoing golf apparel. It wasn't just polo players who started adopting the tennis shirt as standard sports attire, but golf players as well. Today, you'll see most golf players wearing these shirts at tournaments. However, since golf is very different from tennis, the tennis shirts for golf players has to have a different cut design which differentiates the golf shirt from a tennis shirt.

Tennis shirts are so common today; they are worn by practically anyone whether they play sports or not. Men and women wear them regardless of occasion. Clothing companies typically have their own version of Lacoste's shirt. These shirts are the perfect attire for times when round-collar t-shirts are too informal and formal business wear is too overdressed. You'll find semi-professional people and those in the retail industry often wearing tennis shirts to work. In many workplace environments, these shirts are acceptable work attire as they're smart and casual.

Then in the 1990s, the tennis shirt became the standard attire (business informal/casual) in the high-tech industry. This eventually spread to other industries. Companies eventually started printing their logos on tennis shirts when they became the corporate apparel. This way, the shirts provide the ultimate casual work wear while setting corporate identity and uniformity among employees at the same time.

In sports, tennis shirts are the standard attire. Caddies, umpires, and sports announcers wear tennis shirts. The shirts are also commonly worn in schools both by teachers and students. In many schools, these shirts are actually the required uniform.

Tennis shirts are, above all, associated very closely with sports, so most tennis shirts come in light colors, with white being the most typical color. Aside from the color, the "tennis tail" is another feature of the shirt design. Tennis shirts typically have a back that is a few centimeters longer than the front of the shirt. This is actually an original design by Lacoste. The tennis tail is designed such that when a tennis player leans forward, the back of the shirt remains tucked in his shorts.

Tommy has a collection of Lacoste Polo shirts that he has worn for several years without the fabric looking worn or the colors becoming faded. At a reasonable price, he recommends Lacoste Polo shirts and for outdoor headwear, Lacoste hats. He even keeps the money he saves from buying online, at less expensive prices rather than in his local mall, in his Lacoste wallet.

Is Online Tennis Training For You?

There are many benefits you can get from online tennis training. There are a variety of resources including eBooks, online videos and articles written by expert tennis instructors. Some of the online training can give you information on the best tennis techniques, best tennis equipment and the best ways to play a better game of tennis through exercises designed specifically to improve your stance and swing. Many people like the convenience that online tennis training offers, which has made it one of the more popular ways to perfect your tennis game.

There are online tennis training websites that feature lessons for every tennis stroke, how to mentally prepare to think and play tennis like a pro and you can take advantage of free lessons that teach you everything a beginner should know or teach you some of the more advanced tennis playing techniques that the pros use. There are thousands of people that learn to play tennis by watching the pros play and many of the online tennis training videos feature the best techniques that are easy to master.

The great thing about training online is that you can learn at your own pace and put what you have learned into practice on the court as you learn the techniques. Some people might criticize that learning online is a one-way street with little feedback from an instructor, but there are many forums and chat sites where you can ask questions and get tips from expert players without paying the high costs associated with a gym membership or private tennis lessons.

For those that love to play tennis recreationally, online tennis training can improve your game. By taking advantage of the free online tennis courses and videos, you can learn the basics and some of the more sophisticated tennis techniques, which is all that most amateur tennis players need to know, when it comes to beating their opponent.

Because tennis and many other sports involves some visualization and mental attitude to be successful, it is believed that tennis training online can offer a lot of benefit to many tennis players that want to improve their game. Of course, professional athletes can gain some additional perspective from online tennis training, even though they may be involved in professional lessons from the pros.

Tennis is a game that requires good hand-eye coordination and a great degree of agility. Some of the online lesson give you warm-up exercise routines and upper body strength building exercises that can improve your swing. Getting expert advice about the best tennis equipment is part of the improvement that many beginners find out about, but they can learn new techniques that they might not come across any other way, as well.

If you have an interest in tennis and are looking for ways to improve your game, you should consider some of the excellent online tennis training that is available. You might be surprised by what you can learn from watching the videos and most of the eBooks are quite affordable, convenient to download and have a lot of information you can use to improve your tennis game. It is the convenience that online tennis training offers that makes it so popular with those that want to learn about better tennis in the comfort of their home.

Learn about some of the available online tennis lesson plans such as Tennis Insider Strategies and the Ten Laws of Tennis

Tennis Shoes: A Buyer's Guide

While the term "tennis shoes" is commonly used in reference to athletic shoes of any type, you should not wear running shoes, walking shoes, or cross-trainers when playing tennis. These types of shoes do not provide the correct support and can increase the risk of foot and ankle injuries. In addition, such shoes can also damage the tennis court surface.

There are several criteria tennis players should consider when selecting tennis shoes. First, the court surface you primarily play on will dictate the type of tennis shoe you need. Second, the characteristics of your feet and body will determine what type of tennis shoe is most comfortable and effective. Finally, as with any type of shoe, different people value certain shoe attributes and qualities more than others.

Tennis players that play on hard court surfaces should choose tennis shoes that are durable and resistant to wear. Repeated play on hard (i.e. concrete) courts will wear the tread off the soles of tennis shoes. Loss of tread leads to loss of traction and increased slipping. In addition, the part of the tennis shoe that covers the big toes should have extra protection on the outside. Tennis players often drag their toe while executing shots, especially the serve. It is crucial for right-handed players that the inside toe area of their right tennis shoe have extra protection to prevent premature wear. This area of the tennis shoe is particularly vulnerable because most right-handed players drag their right foot when serving, and often when executing forehand groundstrokes.

Tennis players that play primarily on soft court surfaces (i.e. clay) should select tennis shoes that are comfortable and provide good traction. Durability is less of a concern. It is also vital that the tennis shoe have a smooth, flat sole. The knobs and bumps found on the soles of running shoes and cross-trainers can damage clay court surfaces. In fact, most clay court facilities do not allow players to wear such shoes, instead requiring appropriate tennis shoes.

Feet and body characteristics are an important consideration when selecting tennis shoes. People who are prone to blisters must wear tennis shoes that fit properly and are well cushioned. Advances in tennis shoe technology have created cushioning systems that are lighter, more comfortable, and better at removing moisture. Body type is also an important consideration in tennis shoe selection. For example, larger and heavier players may prefer heavier shoes that provide extra support.

Finally, as with all types of shoes, personal preference and taste often determines what type of tennis shoe a person purchases. Many players desire a tennis shoe with a certain look or color scheme. On a more functional level, some players may select lightweight tennis shoes in an effort to enhance foot speed and agility.

After you determine the type of tennis shoe is right for you, it is important to select a shoe that fits properly. Because tennis involves a lot of sprinting, cutting, stopping, and starting, you should select a tennis shoe that fits snugly across the width of the foot. You should, however, make sure that your tennis shoes have at least a half-inch of space between the toes and the end of the tennis shoe.

For more information on tennis try visiting http://www.TennisQuestions.com, a website that specializes in providing tennis related tips, advice and resources to include information on the best tennis shoes.

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Female Tennis Stars

There are many female tennis stars around the world who have won the hearts of millions of people. The list is simply never ending, but still you can spot few female tennis players that have left special mark on the game. The history of tennis is not clear but the major grand slam events gave birth to famous female tennis stars.

The female players were included in prestigious Wimbledon in 1884. But the start of 20th century was the real period when female tennis stars began to leave their impact on the game. The four grand slam tournaments Australian open, French open, Wimbledon, and U.S. open allowed many women to prove their talent in tennis. American female tennis stars Elisabeth Moore and Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman won many U.S. championship titles in early part of 20th century. Molla Mallory created history by winning eight titles from 1915. Suzanne Lenglen of France and Helen Wills Moody of the United States were the rising female tennis stars, and Moody created records by winning eight Wimbledon titles, seven U.S. championship titles, and four French championship titles.

The dominant female tennis stars in 1940s included Pauline Betz who won four U.S. championships and Louise Brough who won four Wimbledon titles. Maureen Connolly dominated tennis by winning the grand slam in 1953. Althea Gibson won both U.S. and Wimbledon titles in 1957 to become the first black woman player in history of tennis. The female tennis stars in 1960s included Maria Bueno from Brazil, Margaret Smith Court from England, and Billie Jean King from the United States.

The start of 1970 gave birth to one of the real legend in female tennis stars. Martina Navratilova from Czech Republic ruled the tennis world from 1970-1990. The only player to compete with Martina was the American Chris Evert who managed to won seven French opens and six U.S. opens in her entire career. The games between these two female tennis stars were the most intense games in history of women tennis. Martina Navratilova, a left-handed player was declared as the greatest tennis player of all times. She won 18 grand slam single titles, 31 grand slam womens doubles titles, and 10 grand slam mixed doubles titles.

Martina was unstoppable until the arrival of another legend Steffi Graf. Steffi, from West Germany is still considered to be the one of the hottest female tennis stars of all time. Steffi Graf ruled hearts of millions of people around the world by winning 22 grand slam titles. She also won a gold medal in 1988 Olympics and became the first tennis player to hold No.1 spot for a record of 377 weeks. Many other great female tennis stars such as Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario of Spain, were over-shadowed by this great legend, Steffi Graf. The injury in 1992 allowed Monica Seles to enter the exciting world of tennis. Monica Seles from America also managed to won nine grand slam titles in her entire career.

The 21st century was regarded as a new beginning in female tennis stars. The quality of play was raised and many hot tennis beauties entered the world of tennis. You can now easily enjoy the true combination of beautiful game and beautiful girls. The competition became tough and not a single player was allowed to stay on the No.1 spot for long time. Martina Hingis from Switzerland, Maria Sharapova from Russia, Daniela Hantuchova from Slovakia, Elena Dementieva from Russia, Anna Kournikova, Jelena Dokic, Jennifer Capriati, Kim Clijsters, Lindsay Davenport, Sania Mirza from India, Maria Kirilenko, Anastasia Myskina, etc. and above all the black beauties William sisters Serena and Venus are the most beautiful and eligible female tennis stars in history of tennis.

Candis Reade is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about Female Tennis Stars [http://mytennisnow.info/female-tennis-stars/], please visit My Tennis Now [http://mytennisnow.info/] for current articles and discussions.

How To Play Tennis: Instructional Videos For Tennis Beginners

49 step-by-step tennis instruction videos covering all 6 basic strokes in tennis.

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The Great World Of Tennis: Benefits And Facts

Tennis is a world known sport since the 1800s. It originated from France and has become widely known in Europe although the sport has been known to have existed in the 12th century, but without using Tennis Racquets. Today tennis grand slam events the US open, French Open, Australian Open, and Wimbledon are annually anticipated by tennis enthusiasts.

World renowned players such as Andre Agassi, Billie Jean King, Margaret Court, and Roger Federer are some of the greatest players of all time for they each have won multiple Grand Slam tournament titles.

Before playing tennis you should be aware that there are some tennis equipment that you will need beforehand, first of all you will need a tennis racquet, especially made tennis shoes, and of course proper tennis clothing.

Because of its grown popularity more and more people are encouraged to join this event, what they do not know is that there is more to tennis than they thought they know. Did you know that tennis is one of the most recommended sports by most doctors? This is right although there are a lot of sports out there keep your body healthy yet tennis remains to be the only one that promotes discipline, as well as physical, mental, and emotional well being all at the same time.

Here are some of the benefits that one could get by playing tennis:

1. It is a proven fact that people who engaged themselves into three hours of tennis every week cuts their possibility of death caused many different natural causes of diseases.

2. A study have also shown that people who plays tennis in good mood have higher chance of winning as compared to angry or depress players.

3. Tennis is also a game that requires mental alertness and strategic thinking which means that you continuously develop new connections from the brain into the nerves and vice versa, which means that even if you grow old your brain continues to develop.

4. Tennis also promotes positivity in terms of personality development.

5. The process of playing tennis promote both aerobic and anaerobic fitness that helps in burning more fats at the same time give your muscles enough time to rest.

The world of tennis has indeed been developed ultimately and because of this development there are more than enough stores worldwide that continuously come up with various tennis equipment to keep players at their best.

It is very important that as you follow the rules you also follow the basic guidelines of tennis in terms of clothing and accessorizing. There are tennis accessories such as sunglasses, that helps you stay in focus even with the sun towering high over you, some people simply miss the ball just because the sun hit them directly into the eye.

Other accessories such as tennis caps, allows you to cover you face from direct sunlight without hassles. Tennis clothing on the other hand are especially made for players to move freely inside the court. Tennis is a great sport but takes courage and determination to be good a good player just like any other sports, except you get more benefits more than anything.

If you are looking for great tennis equipment such as tennis shoes, tennis raquets, or clothing, visit thetennisshop.com.au. They offer the best tennis accessories from equipments to tennis apparels. Everything about tennis will be available to you in just one click.

Tennis Court Racketeers

Tennis is a great sport, but not without a few foibles. Tennis was a game I remember playing from a very young age. Not really sure, what prompted me to pick up the game, but my younger brother and I use to head over to the local public tennis courts quite a few times during our summer vacation. Quite a few very competitive matches ensued during those long summer days, and a number of them evolved into some very competitive and verbal matches. Ala John Mcenroe vs Jimmy Conners kinda stuff. Not the same tennis skill level of course, but some of the tennis style disagreements certainly did.

There are a few things that are kind of annoying about the game of tennis, especially whey you play at the very beginning skill level. One has to be learning to hit a decent tennis serve. Certainly tricky, hitting the ball with just the right power to get it over the next, and still land it in that itty bitty little square of a service box. Certainly makes you look in awe at the tennis pros, as they pound the tennis balls at over 100 miles per hour just barely over the net, and paint the lines of the service box. Of course thousands of hours with a tennis racket in your hands hitting balls till there are callouses on your callouses helps develop a great tennis serve.

Tennis Serving Wenches

The other thing that kind of annoys me about tennis, is all the time spent chasing errant balls. All those tennis shots, that should have been great, but somehow ended up flying over the fence, orwhacking the guy two courts over, or the really sneaking ones that zipped out under the hole in the fence into the big bunch of bushes. I think every tennis court, public or otherwise, should come with a full time staff of ball boys or ball girls. I love watching those kids on the big televised matches running around fetching balls, handing out towels, at the beck and call of the players. As I've gotten older, and hadchildren, I've tried to encourage them to take up the fine and honorable of career of tennis ball girls, but to no avail. There must be something about chasing all my wild tennis shots, that just doesn't appeal to youngsters these days.

Tennis Graduation Days

I don't play a whole lot of tennis these days. Occasionally I'll play with friends and family while on vacation, or at resorts that have tennis courts available. I've taken up other racket sport activities. Played racquetball for a while before moving on to the game of squash. There is something to be said for playing in a court with no net, and no chance of the ball slipping under or over the fence. Helps to save my energy for running down my opponents shots, instead of traipsing through a pack of bushes look for that pink tennis ball, that should be oh so easy to find. Although, I'd have to thank my early days on the tennis courts to develop my affinity for other racket sports. Their all fun in their own way, a great game to play with family, and quite a racket.

For more on tennis [http://www.tennisopenonline.com] visit tennisopenonline.com or read other tennis articles at foolishmumbles.com/category/tennis

Tennis Training Aids - What Teachers Should Teach Their Tennis Students

When summer comes around, numerous sports camps also sprout. One of the more popular ones is tennis camp. Basically, practically anybody who has an interest in this sport can play the game. But not everybody ends up to be a good player though. There are certain things you must know should you want to pursue tennis and become good at it, like the professionals. And one of these things that are crucial to playing a good game is to know about tennis training aids.

Tennis training are for every tennis player wanting to be good, if not great, at this sport. If you're a tennis teacher and you have students playing for different reasons, they may play tennis for leisure, or perhaps for physical exercise and health, or maybe for a sense of accomplishment and competition, tennis training aids will be good for the game. The players not only end up healthier with the hours of

exercise they're getting, but they'd also be amazed at how easy it is to earn how to be good at tennis, with the help of the tennis training aids.

For new students, or those who are taking refresher course in tennis, If you are just starting with tennis, below are some tips you should teach them to attain their best game.

Lightweight Tennis Racket - A huge face is one of the tennis training aids that your student will need. This kind of racket will ensure that the ball will be hit square in the face and will be returned to the other side of the court.

New Tennis Balls - Tennis balls have to be new most of the time. These are the tennis training aids that must be replaced more frequently than the others. These are the tennis training aids which always need to be replaced in time. They tend to lose air & pressure after they are out of the can, and if they're not as bouncy as before, they could cost you your game.

Proper Attire - This is probably one of the most vain tennis training aids you will ever need. But do make sure that you can move freely with your tennis attire.

For tennis players in the intermediate level, here are some tips on the perfect tennis training aids for you or your students:

Have more than one racket - Your spare racket must be the same as your primary one. It must have identical string tension, so when your primary racket breaks, you can immediately use your spare without delay.

Have The Right Shoes - The right kind of shoes are those with rubber over-toes for your feet's protection during toe drags.

Wear Skirts or Shorts with Pockets - Shorts and skirts with pockets are advisable for faster service.

For professionals and for teachers as well, tennis training aids are still very crucial because they will ensure your powerful and strong shots, they will give you fast swing and they will make you feel like you are holding a lightweight racket. Here are the training aids that you should always have:

A lot of identical, best-quality titanium, or graphite tennis rackets that must be newly strung before every match;

Brand new tennis balls per match;

spare over-grips;

special string for your racket; and

another pair of tennis shoes.

All of these tennis training aids will prove to be a great help to any tennis player's game. Those who are just starting to learn tennis must know these things and teachers should be obliged to teach about them. If you follow the tips given here, you can and will become a great tennis player.

For more information, tips and advice on Tennis Training Aids, visit tennisdrills4u

Tennis - The Benefit of Tennis Ball Machine Practice

Tennis is a sport in which the more skill you have and the amount of time you put in practicing, the more successful you will be. Some tennis professionals have played tennis as far back as they can remember or their parents played tennis. For those who have tennis engrained in their blood, they still have to have some amount of practice in order to beat the other players that will be on the same or higher level than they are. There are many ways a person can train to perform at high level on the tennis court. One of the first things that you have to have is determination followed by patience and the will to succeed. Practicing your game is not unlike any other sport or art, the more you practice, the higher your skill and expertise become.

Just like many of its sports counterparts, tennis players will do what is necessary to win at their craft. Some players will begin their day with tennis and also end their day with tennis. Great players with a passion for the game can be found by joining the local country club or by heading down to the city park. When it comes to having a passion for the game, no card membership makes anyone more qualified than another. Unfortunately not everyone will have a skilled player to compete against daily so they will have to find other methods such as machinery to assist them. Hitting the ball back and forth helps the tennis pro be able to return a serve given to them by their opponents. So they would spend hours with their tennis ball machines returning the ball across the net. This ball machines tennis allow the tennis player to stay out on the court for as long as they would like.

Some players are so dedicated to their craft that they will purchase a portable ball machine to practice anywhere they go. In order to be good at tennis you have to return the ball back from where it came and put the ball where the other player cannot get to it. So some players invest in one of the most inexpensive portable machines in the twist tennis ball machine for their selves. The tennis twist ball machine can help them with their placement and their return. The good thing is for those with a budget to spend on their tennis lessons, this machine will help them tremendously in both savings and the improving tennis skill.

For those tennis players that are looking to improve their tennis skills faster and are ok with investing more money, the prince tennis ball machine is the ball machine for you. The tennis ball machine prince will give the tennis player variable speeds to choose to hit, various levels of ball trajectory and also can hold up to 250 of the prince tennis ball for your return. They will keep coming at you, so you can practice your forehand and backhand swings at the pace of a normal return from a human player.

For all levels of tennis players you can see look for the tutor tennis ball machine which is said to be the best portable machine on the market. The tennis tutor ball machine comes in a state of the art design which is considered best for traveling. It has a cubed design that can easily fit in the back of your vehicle to be taken out when you are ready to hit a tennis balls when you have the opportunity.

There is no wrong choice when it comes to how you want to train for tennis matches or to just use tennis as a way to stay in shape. You will not always be able to practice with a person so you cannot go wrong on which brand of automated machine you choose.

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The Tennis Bag: A Tennis Accessory Too Often Overlooked!

Remember, when you are an avid tennis player, among the most essential tennis accessories are tennis bags. Everything from single tennis bags, to tennis bags that will fit balls and extra racquets or other accessories, and everything in between is available on the market today--the industry has never been better!

The manufacturers of tennis bags available right now are creating new lines of tennis bags, adding new and improved features you have never seen before. The technology behind the specific design of tennis bags is the key to creating a great tennis bag for you. The tennis bags you can find online from many manufacturers are also high quality tennis bags--designed to last and last.

Whether you want tennis bags for men, women, or children, whether you want plain designs, special designs, or custom designed tennis bags there are virtually endless possibilities.

The manufacturers of tennis bags want to make sure that there is room for your essentials as well as your tennis accessories. Sometimes all you require is a small tennis bag, and other times you will need a larger one to carry with you. There are many different designers, many different styles, and if you still can't choose--design your own personal tennis bag--purchase tennis bags custom made just for you. Several designers will be happy to help you create the perfect bag.

When you need tennis bags and you have not yet found what you are looking for, why not shop online where you can find websites that feature wide varieties of in stock selections? You will find that when you shop online you will see more variety than you can find anywhere else.

Even the largest selections at the highest quality sports stores cannot provide you with the huge selection of merchandise online. Save time and frustration and order your tennis bags from an online source. The continual improvements, features, and designs will always be updated if you find the right website.

In addition, you want to be sure to look for tennis bags that will last and last. Keep the tennis bags we know you will love for years and years to come. Remember, as a tennis enthusiast you may even want to have more than one tennis bag. Some for certain occasions or events, and others for certain other occasions in which you will not need something so small, or by the same token, you may not want your tennis bags to be too big either. So choose the tennis bags that will best suit your needs and you will be glad you did!

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, recreation, education and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles about tennis and tennis accessories, please visit Tennis Bags.

Modern Tennis Wear

While tennis clothes were once all pretty similar, you have a lot of stylish options when picking out tennis attire these days. In the early days of tennis in England, tennis was played on lawns and the players wore formal clothing. Even women wore full-length dresses as they played tennis. Nearly all tennis players wore all-white, cotton outfits. Today, tennis players wear all sorts of stylish tennis clothes made of all sorts of synthetic fabrics and in all sorts of colors.

The changes in the tennis clothes being worn during each era could be matched to the fashions of each era. In the 1970s and 1980s, for example, most men wore short-legged shorts and a polo shirt. Females in this same era wore short tennis skirts. In the 1990s and 2000s, most men began wearing long-legged, loose shorts and loose shirts. Women have also been wearing a wide variety of tennis wear, including long-legged shorts with t-shirts or miniskirts with t-shirts. While in the major competitions there may be a color mandate for clothing, generally white, at most competitions tennis clothes can be found on tennis players in vary wide variety of colors.

The style found in tennis clothes is not just based on being fashionable. A lot of the design of the modern tennis clothes is based on allowing the tennis players to move in a fluid, free motion. Tennis has become a very competitive sport, where every conceivable advantage, no matter how small is taken seriously. Mentally this makes the tennis player feel more comfortable, even when the advantage is slight. Modern tennis clothes are designed to allow athletes to feel unencumbered as they jump, twist, cut, and swing simultaneously in various combinations. This is why modern tennis clothes fit well, yet loosely. They are lightweight and don't hold moisture. This also helps keep the tennis players dry and cool.

The more clothing technology advances, the more tennis clothes adapt to this technology to give the tennis players the greatest possible advantages. Most professional tennis players wear synthetic fabrics for their various advantages. Even recreational tennis players are beginning to enjoy the cooling effects and movement freedoms provided by synthetic tennis clothing. For amateurs, the difference may not be seen as directly in performance as in feeling more comfortable when they play, which indirectly leads to greater performance.

You can expect these trends in tennis clothes to continue. As new fashions hit the general marketplace, they will find their way onto the tennis court, but framed in the latest technologies to help the tennis player perform at optimal levels. It is about feeling comfortable when you are playing tennis. Part of feeling comfortable for many athletes is the ability to express a sense of who they are through their fashion choices. Even tennis equipment is beginning to influenced as much by fashion as it is by the latest technologies.

Tommy has a collection of Lacoste Polo shirts that he has worn for several years without the fabric looking worn or the colors becoming faded. At a reasonable price, he recommends Lacoste Polo shirts and for outdoor headwear, Lacoste hats. He even keeps the money he saves from buying online, at less expensive prices rather than in his local mall, in his Lacoste wallet.

Girls' Tennis Clothing Comes Of Age

A Girl's Tennis Clothing Is Fashioned By Her Mother's Desires

The styles and scope of girls' tennis clothing has recently blossomed to match the rapid growth of fashionable women's tennis clothing, and seems to gain momentum year on year.

There's a twin conflicting desire for women to both model their tennis outfits on the most successful and stylish players in the game, and yet at the same time look different, exclusive and unique.

There's yet another desire to wear state-of-the-art apparel that maximizes protection and cooling on court, to gain a competitive advantage as the tennis match 'heats up'. Most women's tennis apparel now contains technology to protect against the sun's rays, to ward off odor-causing bacteria growth, to cool the skin by efficiently channeling away moisture, and even to cushion and support muscles for optimum performance.

Naturally, mothers want their fledgling tennis stars to benefit from all these tennis clothing attributes, in style and textile technology. Tennis clothes manufacturers have catered to this demand with dresses. skirts, skorts, tops and shoes for girls that sport many or all of the features of their adult counterpart.

This is good business sense on the part of tennis apparel manufacturers like Adidas, Nike, Fila, Prince, Babolat etc. Once a young lady gets to liking a particular tennis brand, she'll likely stay loyal throughout her tennis years.

The Tennis Apparel Dark Ages

Way back in the early 1970s, at about the time that Chris Evert was emerging as a world class tennis player, a woman called Marilyn Kosten was getting very frustrated at the lack of pretty tennis clothing available to buy for her two daughters, who were about to compete in junior tennis competitions. She channeled that frustration into forming her own tennis apparel business, designing the girls' clothing herself.

Her business really took off in 1977, when a young rising star called Tracy Austin wore one of Marilyn's dresses during her passage to victory at the US Open. Tracy also wore the dress at Wimbledon, and so introduced this innovative and stylish girl's tennis clothing to a much wider audience.

Three and a half decades later, tennis apparel has changed out of all recognition. Fashion is even more to the fore, vying with sports clothing fabric technology to yield a fusion of style and function that shapes every new garment. 100% cotton is now a rarity, with subtle combinations of man-made fibres best able to offer the comfort and mobility demanded by today's athletes.

Mary Kosten's 'Little Miss tennis' business is still flourishing, and now caters to young boy's tennis clothing needs as well, with the LMT range. Now, all the major tennis gear manufacturers have girl's, boy's or unisex kids tennis apparel lines alongside their adult clothing, so lack of choice is no longer an issue.

Girl's And Women's Tennis Fashion Merge

Women who look to the high-fashion, cutting-edge tennis apparel worn by the leading players for inspiration, can now encourage their daughters to do the same. For example, the identical Adidas adilibria tennis dress recently co-designed and worn by Ana Ivanovic was available in girls' sizes with all the 'Climacool' technology and comfort meshing of the adult dress. Other familiar Adidas tennis lines like 'Barricade', 'Edge' and 'Competition' also have their girl-sized counterparts, so mother and daughter can wear complementary apparel at the tennis club.

Nike, as you might expect, have their own girls tennis clothing lines such as 'Athlete', that mirror the apparel worn by the women. Like Adidas, there's plenty of variety in dresses, skirts, skorts, shirts, tennis shoes and accessories, with comfort features like Dri-FIT, to give the same cooling and moisture management as the adult version.

Fila, with two of the game's big hitters, Kim Clijsters and Svetlana Kuznetsova on their books, is hot on the heels of the two largest tennis apparel manufacturers, Adidas and Nike, with it's own girls' selection. They produce junior varieties of familiar women's tennis favorites like the 'Essenza' tennis dress. These dresses are made with sun protective material, to reduce UV damage to young ladies' skins. This can be an important consideration in warmer climes where tennis is an outdoor activity.

Tennis Apparel For Those Rebellious Years

There will come a time when your young lady would rather wear distinctive (tennis) clothing than try to copy her mother as she moves into adulthood. There's a tennis apparel manufacturer keen to cater to these more rebellious instincts - DUC. They're happy that their clothing isn't designed for people too far into their 20s or beyond. They draw a little from the history of women's tennis dress with subtle pleating, but make it asymmetrical to keep abreast of the times.

Much of the clothing is labeled with assertive, slightly racy tags like 'Dominate' (dress), 'Compete' (skirt), 'Rush' (racer-back top) and 2-Timer (reversible top), and accentuates feminine contours. The 2-Timer top actually refers to it's reversible two-tops-in-one feature, which when combined with the large choice of colors and reversible skirt, creates a wide range of styles - great for emphasizing your unique style. Reversing your apparel and changing your look during a match might also have beneficial unsettling effects on your opponent. Though cutting edge in design, DUC tennis clothing lacks none of the comfort features prerequisite in modern tennis clothing.

So, from youngster to young women, varied, vibrant, in vogue girl's tennis clothing is in plentiful supply. Thanks to determined women like Marilyn Kosten, the 'dark ages' are over, and girls can revel in the choice of cutting-edge tennis apparel that was until recently the sole preserve of their parents.

Cheri Britton is the editor of 'Women's Tennis Apparel' and 'Ball Machine For Tennis'. In her tennis fashion and clothing website, she reviews and showcases the latest styles in tennis dresses, skirts and skorts, women's tennis bags and shoes. She highlights in particular the tennis apparel worn by the top women players on the WTA tour, and has an special fondness for the designer tennis creations of Stella McCartney for Adidas.

Her new tennis ball machine website is devoted to comparing these mini mechanical devices with regard to price, portability, useability, features and suitability to the individual owner or buyer. Quality manufacturers such as Lobster, Tennis Tutor, SAM. Playmate and Wilson produce a range of models to engage the tennis game of beginners through to professional tennis players. The right ball machine will quickly take your tennis to a higher level, at a time place and frequency of your choosing. Oh, and tennis machines are great fun and fantastic for your fitness as well!

Get Fit With Tennis - Get a Backyard Tennis Court

Having a backyard tennis court is much better than having to go to the local courts everyday. With a back yard tennis court, tennis lovers can play any time a partner is available. With the high gas prices of today, constructing a tennis court in the back yard proves to be economically feasible.

Overview

Having a back yard tennis court is fun for the entire family. It doesn't matter if there is a tennis player in the family or not. The fact is that the sport provides a wonderful forum for exercise. Being that the game can be played with four players, a family of four can very easily enjoy a game of tennis on their own court.

When making the decision to embark upon tennis court construction, it must be realized that this is an important and a wise investment. It is also important to realize that there is tennis equipment involved and that the court and the equipment need to be maintained well. Tennis courts can be beautiful in a back yard if they are maintained properly

Benefits

A backyard court gives a family a good workout and allows them to spend quality time together. Because of the fact that so many individuals are encountering health issues due to inactivity and many are battling obesity, adding something such as a back yard tennis court can help reverse the effects brought on by these issues.

A backyard court also makes for a great place to get together with friends and have a good time. Individuals can have barbecues and play a good game of tennis or have matches in the back yard. The possibilities are virtually endless. However, most of the benefits lie in what having a tennis court can do for the overall health of the entire family.

Tennis court construction

Tennis court construction isn't as involved as it may look to some. It is good to have the area fenced in so that the tennis balls do not fly into a neighbor's yard or into another area where they don't belong. Fencing also keeps out intruders. You can use a privacy fence and you can even get a green vinyl cover to put around your tennis court.

There is also the fact that the concrete has to be poured at 4 inches. The compressive strength should also be 3,000 psi. Also, the water to cement ratio needs to be no more than.40 with a 6% air content. This is to give the concrete the right feel. Having the right feel is important to tennis court construction and to the overall game play because having concrete with the right air content makes for a lesser impact on the knees. The next step is to paint the concrete green or red. Many individuals use both of these colors. There is also the fact that the lines have to be painted onto the court. A tennis court is not a tennis court until it looks like one.

Some individuals even put stone retaining walls around their backyard court that only sits about two feet off of the ground. They do this to keep such elements as water out and to keep animals out. This is great at keeping the court in tip top shape.

And then of course there is the net. A tennis net is your last step. It is not hard to acquire and is quite affordable. They come in one height, so you don't have to worry about any particular measurements or anything of that sort. After the net is put in place, you now have yourself a backyard court.

Tennis equipment

When a family is going to have a backyard court, it is important to have tennis court equipment. Tennis equipment consists of such items as windscreens to put around the court, the tennis net, trash cans for everyone to throw their trash, water coolers, net posts, tennis ball machines for solo games, tennis ball baskets to carry around all of the balls, and benches so that others can watch.

Players can also include numbers if they really want to feel as if they're in a real match. They can even invest in tennis ball mowers to pick up the tennis balls faster. If a person doesn't want a tennis ball basket, they can have a tennis ball cart. There are so many different types of tennis court equipment that can be used to make playing more enjoyable.

It is more or less up to the individual what type of tennis equipment they invest in. This is because different individuals have different levels of experience. Some also view it as a simple workout and others want their tennis court to look like it belongs at a professional match. There is nothing wrong with that. It is a hefty investment, but worth it to those who really want that game feel.

Love the game

It is hard to not love the game of tennis. It is exciting because of that adrenaline rush that comes about when the ball is returned. It also makes individuals feel really good after a game. That's because the workout is incredible. And to think that it is possible to have a backyard tennis court is even more exciting. This means no more waiting for other players to get done at the court. Public courts usually have just a few courts open at a time, which means people have to wait for others to finish. Having a backyard tennis court fixes that problem.

Swati is a freelancer, a work from home mom, who loves to write. She is a postgraduate in English and an MBA. She has written on practically every niche on the web. She writes articles, blogs, web pages, reports, press releases, product descriptions, eBooks, sales letters and newsletters. Visit Swati's blog now if you need content for your business or personal needs.

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Three Secrets You Want to Know to Playing Your Best Tennis

There are so many millions of people who play tennis everyday throughout the world. They play in public parks, country clubs, private tennis courts, and anything in between (i.e. against a wall).

Tennis is the only sport I know that begins with love and is a sport for a lifetime. I remember the great Sugar Daddy, Bobby Riggs who said in one of the many tennis clinics he taught, "Tennis is a sport you can play from cradle to grave."

Why do people enjoy playing tennis? I believe because it is a classy sport. It is a sport you can play for as short as 15 minutes or as long as 3 to 5 hours, it all depends on your ability level and motivation. I was fortunate enough to play professional tennis. I had a world ranking in the ATP Tennis of 662 in singles and 457 in doubles. I had wins over players ranked in the top 200 in singles in the world and wins over players ranked in the top 50 in doubles.

In this article, I want to provide you with the three secrets to playing your best tennis. Of course, there are more than three secrets, but three secrets are enough to help you play better tennis.

First, there is no substitute to practicing, practicing, over and over and over again. Practice is the seed to building confidence! When you practice in addition to playing tennis regularly, you will feel a sense of accomplishment, you will feel that you deserve to win because you know for yourself that you have been investing the time to improve your game. So, practice at least two to three hours extra a week if you are a club tennis player. If you are a tournament player you should practice at least 15 hours a week, which equals to 3 hours a day, 5 days a week.

Second, visualize yourself hitting the tennis ball perfectly. Imagine yourself in the movie screen of your mind that you are moving side to side, running forward and backward, hitting each ball with perfect accuracy. Visualize your forehand, backhand ground strokes being hit over the net with 3 to 5 feet clearance. Picture every stroke you hit with perfect ball control. See each of your tennis strokes, feel each tennis stroke, and experience each and every tennis stroke you hit with confidence. Repeat this each time pre and post tennis game or match. By so doing, you are training your mind or inner game to manifest itself in your outer game or physical game. Tennis is a mind game once you have learned all the fundamentals of each tennis stroke.

Third, watch the big players or your favorite tennis pro on the ATP or WTA tour and copy their tennis style. Watch YouTube videos or television footage of your favorite player over and over again until you emulate their movements. One of my favorite players to watch when I was playing competitive tennis was John McEnroe (USA) and Guillermo Villas (Argentina). I use to watch McEnroe's serve and literally copy his serve. I would watch Villas hit his ground strokes over and over again until I was mirroring Guillermo Villas' ground strokes. It was usually after watching these great tennis players in a grand slam event that I mirrored their mannerisms. After all, why event the wheel, copy what the big players do and do the same. Of course, as your tennis game matures, you will begin to develop your own style and preferences.

So, there you are the three secrets you want to know to playing your best tennis! Remember, there is no substitute to practicing each and every day in addition to playing regularly tennis matches. Begin today if you do not already do so; visualize yourself hitting the tennis ball with each and every tennis stroke perfectly until you are confident in your mind and in your heart that you can execute it with ease and confidence. And, finally, do not reinvent the wheel, copy the tennis players on the tennis tour by watching their tennis until can have someone say on the side line, "Hey, that person hits the ball like Roger Federer or Maria Sharapova." Before you know it you will be winning your club tournaments and filling your shelves with trophies.

To learn more about me: Dr. Macavinta.

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Building Your Own Backyard Tennis Court

Stress is the common problem these days for many people due to the changes in life style and the aggressive career goals. Many of us forget the stress built within us while chasing our dream of earning money to have a better life. To get peace of mind while we fight with this aggressive life style, many of us choose various relaxation methods. Playing games is considered as the best option since it relaxes the mind in a very enjoyable way. Tennis is one of the favorite games for many people which gives a complete body workout and helps in maintaining the body health as well. The game not only relaxes the mind, but also gives a stretching relief for the body.

Tennis being one of the most popular games around the world, individuals begins playing the game pretty early. As a result, more and more people line for playing. However, with the lack of space, most have to go through long queues and endless waits before they get a change to hit the tennis ball around the court. Public tennis courts are a few in number and so if you too are tired of waiting or never seem to find an empty court, you could consider building a backyard tennis court.

A backyard tennis court is a great solution for every tennis buff. And converting the backyard into a tennis court is a really cool idea as well! Whether you go for a grass court or a concrete court, you will have plenty to choose from and your dreams of having a backyard court could become a reality in no time. It is always great to have a play area at home, where you can spend considerable time of your day in the game and get the stress relief as well.

If you are lucky to have a backyard that's big enough to house a court, you should immediately begin looking at data as to how to build a backyard tennis court. It is no secret that some of the most fames tennis stars of recent times had always enjoyed the services of a backyard court while growing up. From Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt and the great Andre Agassi, everyone grew up playing tennis at the backyard tennis court. So if you too want to give support to your children who show immense talent in the sport, consider building a backyard court.

Planning For Backyard Tennis Court

For a grass backyard tennis court, what you need is a flat surface. If your backyard is big enough to hold a 78 by 36 feet tennis court, nothing like it! However, if you have a smaller backyard, go for a court that's 27 feet wide. That would serve as a good singles court. Once you have the space,

? Get rid of all the obstructions huge stones, pebbles, bushes, debris, junk, etc.

? Reverse the soil with the help of a spade or shovel. This will help expose the fresh soil from underneath and will also help trim out all the extra, dead and dry grass.

? Rent a roller and take it around the playing surface. This will help harden the playing surface and make it level as well. You can hire a roller from the local hardware shop.

? Once you have leveled the ground, sprinkle grass seeds and with proper watering, you will see fresh, new grass appearing in no time, just the perfect beginning for your very own backyard tennis court.

? After the grass grows to a height of 19 mm, which is the height required for playing, you could start marking the area with the help of spray paints.

? The next step would be to a buy the net and install it. Take care while installing the net. Fix two poles on the adjacent sides to which the net will be tied. The net needs to be absolutely straight and uptight. Once equipped with the net, you will have successfully transformed your regular backyard into a sprawling court.

Construction Of The Tennis Court

While a grass backyard court is simple to set up and maintain, for areas where grass does not grow easily, concrete backyard tennis courts are the preferred choice. Concrete tennis courts are also heavy-duty, can be looked after easily, and are anti fracture. However unlike a grass backyard tennis court, constructing a concrete backyard tennis court is not very simple and therefore it is recommended that you consult an expert for it. There are a lot of construction firms that specialize in backyard tennis courts and it will do you good to seek their services. Before consulting the experts for the construction, you will need to collect a lot of information like the area space details, any other affecting factors like water, electricity etc... and most importantly your budget. Based on your inputs for the construction of the court, the construction companies give the plan and the estimation for making the backyard tennis court. It is suggested to consult with more than one consultation firm to make the your dream backyard tennis court.

For Tennis Career People

If you want your child to grow up and take tennis up as a profession, it is highly recommended that you get a backyard court. If you have the space and the resources, definitely go for it. A lot of the top tennis coaches of the country have always suggested that for a player to flourish later on, it is important that training begins early. And what better place to train than at home! Setting up a well planned tennis court at home will give flexibility for you and your children to practice the game anytime in the day. You can find a lot of tennis coaches available for training the players at home and give great tips to excel in the game. Having a backyard tennis court is always an added advantage to get an effective training from a home training tennis coaches.

Factors To Consider

While building a backyard tennis court, you should, however, be cautious about a few things. The neighborhood you live in could play a very vital role. If you have nice, friendly and supportive neighbors, then well and good! But if your neighbors are troublesome and like picking arguments, you may have to face a lot of problems. A lot of complaints are heard from neighbors of people who have backyard courts and how the light and the sound from the backyard tennis disturb them. Sometimes, if you play at night, you may have to use floodlights, and that often causes a lot of problems for the neighbors. Also, the constant, monotonous noise that a tennis ball machine makes can be very annoying for the people around you. So before you install a backyard court, make sure you have the neighbors on your side and thereby prevent any future misunderstandings and obstacles.

Budget And Time For The Construction

Building a backyard tennis court may seem simple, but before you embark upon the project, you need to sort out important issues like your budget, the time you are willing to devote, and so on. Budget is a very important consideration and the overall look, design and sturdiness of the backyard court will depend on the amount of money you will spend on it. So sit down and chart out a budget carefully. See how much money you can spend and where you want to spend it. Also, building a backyard tennis court will take up a lot of your time. Be sure that you will be able to devote that much time to the project; else the project will get completed with numerous flaws. You will need to check with the construction firm for the construction methods they follow and how they deploy the planned project. You can check their previous experience in making such projects, find their delivery time and can estimate how well and faster your dream court can be made.

So build a backyard tennis court that will not only give you the opportunity to play tennis and remain fit, it will also be a great place where you can have complete family activities at anytime of the year! Having our own tennis court at home gives lots benefits in having a joyful time with the family together at the play area, enjoy the game and have a wonderful time together!

Swati is a freelancer, a work from home mom, who loves to write. She is a postgraduate in English and an MBA. She has written on practically every niche on the web. She writes articles, blogs, web pages, reports, press releases, product descriptions, eBooks, sales letters and newsletters. Visit Swati's blog at http://swatibanerjee.wordpress.com now if you need content for your business or personal needs.

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That Underrated Backhand

The backhand may be tennis' most undervalued and intimidating stroke. The very word backhand is known to instill fear and trepidation in otherwise upstanding characters.

This is both a pity and a shame. With appropriate props to the forehand, the backhand is the jewel of groundstrokes. If approached with affection and confidence, the backhand can be friend and weapon. By applying solid technique and regular practice, you can turn the backhand into your favorite shot. We love the backhand.

The backhand stroke takes place on the non-dominant side of the body. This is the left side for right-handers, the right side for lefties. The backhand swing - specifically the one-handed version - is a natural swing, given the proper setup. Where the forehand actually involves swinging across or against the body in some measure, the backhand is in concert with the body's natural impulse to move forward. You use the legs and dominant shoulder to 'lead', contacting the ball well ahead of the body.

We might call this backhand physics partly to demonstrate why the one-handed backhand is a natural, clean shot. Assuming you set up your hitting platform well, turning sufficiently to allow the coiling and uncoiling of your legs, torso, arm and shoulder, this is a satisfying and very useful stroke. Moreover, learning to hit a single-handed backhand makes learning the one-handed slice a natural step. The backhand slice is a very useful stroke for varying baseline rallies and for approaching the net.

The two-handed backhand is a different stroke. It doesn't require the lower body turn into the hitting platform, which is more upright and uses an open or semi-open stance. The two-hander also employs the upper body far more. This makes it easier for many people, more like the forehand, and less smooth.

The two-handed backhand has become a default stroke for young baseliners. It is easier to teach, given that students see results faster, and it promotes more control of topspin. Considering that topspin tennis is the order of the day, coaches gravitate towards teaching this stroke rather than the one-hander. Its limitations include the dependance on precise upper-body timing and health. Additionally, learning the one-handed slice becomes more of a challenge, given the distance between the two-handed topspin and the slice in conception and execution.

NOTE: Because the one-handed and two-handed backhand are fundamentally different strokes, we will treat each one separately. Discussions of grips, stances and individual backhand shot variations fall in the appropriate sections.

The One-Handed Backhand

The one-handed backhand remains a viable and artistic stroke, despite the increasing popularity of its two-handed counterpart. When we discuss the one-handed backhand, we are really referring to the topspin one-hander. The slice, which we discuss a bit later, is almost a separate stroke because of the disparate technique involved.

The one-hander depends on consistently implementing these elements:

A secure grip which can vary from standard to extreme;
Creating a solid hitting platform that depends on a full shoulder-hip turn and bent legs;
Making sure your contact point is ahead of the body and that you swing smoothly and with a full follow-through.

We get into these aspects of the one-handed backhand in more detail following the sections on grips and stance.

Grips Overview

There are basically two grip options for the one-handed backhand. As with the forehand, the Continental grip, once popular, has gone the way of the tennis dinosaurs. Though people don't talk much about the different grips, we can identify them as:

Eastern. Like its forehand equivalent, this grip is one stop away from the Continental, but in the opposite direction. It is an easy grip to learn and use, enables quick changes, and is well suited to hitting with light or moderate topspin (though not with heavy topspin). One disadvantage is that it offers less inherent power than an extreme backhand grip.
Extreme (Eastern). The extreme is another quarter-turn away from Continental. This is a topspin-friendly grip. It presents challenges for grip changes and makes hitting a flat ball difficult.

We would recommend the Eastern backhand grip for most one-handed players. Use the grip that fits best for you, keeping in mind that extreme grips

1) force you to hit major topspin on every stroke,

2) require a big adjustment when changing to a volley or forehand grip.

NOTE: You are not limited to using a single grip. You can learn the Eastern and extreme, for example, and switch depending on the game/rally situation.

The One-Handed Backhand Stance

The heading is specific and intentional. Where the forehand depends on a hitting platform that enables a variety of 'derivative' stances, the one-handed backhand promotes a single stance.

NOTE: We are discussing the topspin (or drive) backhand. The slice backhand has its own stance rules.

There is really only one good way to hit a one-handed (drive or topspin) backhand with consistency, power and depth. And that is to turn sideways to the net, with knees bent. Yet, there is more to the one-hander than this, so we will go point-by-point:

1. Make sure your footwork brings you within range of the approaching ball, but not so close that you are crowding it.

There is a critical difference in running to the backhand versus to the forehand side. When you run towards the backhand, you keep your 'off' hand on the racquet handle, near the throat. This is a vital component of racquet preparation, as this 'off' hand helps guide the racquet into position for the stroke.

2. As you reach the ball, step across your body with your lead (right - assuming a right-handed player) foot so that it points towards the sideline. As you do so, you will turn your shoulder;

NOTE: Your right, or dominant foot, is still in the air until you swing. Your weight is placed on the left leg once you turn. You only plant the right leg/foot as you begin the forward swing.

3. Concurrent with this, you pull the racquet back using the left hand as a guide;

4. This creates the stance. The knees are also bent (it is important that the back leg also be bent). Your right shoulder blade should either be 'pointing' to the net or along the plane of the intended shot direction.

That is the stance for the one-handed topspin (and drive) backhand. Many players fail to turn completely and set themselves, either because of a lack of correct practice or from fatigue. Practicing this one-set-piece move to create a solid platform for the one-hander is simply vital to solid technique and execution.

The Single-Handed Topspin

As with the forehand, the typical modern backhand stroke is topspin. The racquet stroke travel from low to high, the angle applied conforming to the amount of topspin you want to deliver. The shallower the 'ascent angle,' the milder the topspin. The steeper the ascent, the greater the topspin applied.

Less topspin equals more pace and depth, and a smaller margin of error - both for net clearance and for keeping the ball inside the baseline. More topspin translates to more spin off the bounce, greater safety of shot, and reduced ball speed.

The progression of the stroke really includes setting up the platform as the first piece:

Turn and set up a balanced platform, as described above. Make sure to stay low as a priority: this involves the legs which are an important power source in this shot. The one-handed backhand actually resembles the serve in that it features a 'kinetic chain' that starts with the legs. The player coils and uncoils, using legs, torso, arms and shoulders in sequence.
NOTE: Assume the backhand as soon as possible while moving towards the ball. This is very important as once you create the hitting platform you won't have time to 'find' the grip.
Set the racquet behind your body, preferably low. The off-hand is still on the frame up near the racquet throat at this point, helping maintain its position for the swing. Your weight is on your back leg;
Begin the swing, releasing your off-hand from the frame and staying low to the ground;
Plant your right (or dominant) leg so that it points about 45 degrees to the left of the target. This is not a precise requirement: the arm coming forward will help 'tell' your foot how to position itself;
Strike the ball ahead of your body, watching the ball to impact;
Complete a full follow-through, with your racquet finishing out in front. You will feel your wrist 'flip' over at and after impact.

Focus on finishing the stroke. 'Pulling off' the ball results in frequent mishits: finish the stroke.

Players relatively new to the game will naturally start their recovery too soon in an effort to regain a good position for the next stroke. This is almost always a mistake. Instead, emphasize the finish and you will hit reliably effective shots that will make the opponent run. You will have plenty of time to recover for the next ball.

The Drive Backhand

The drive or 'topspin drive' is merely a variant of the basic one-handed topspin backhand. It relies on all the same principles and mechanics. The difference is that you swing on a flat trajectory. This is the backhand equivalent of the flat forehand.

We will not spend additional time on the drive backhand for a few reasons - it should only be used by advanced players because of the difficult racquet-ball timing and arm strength required. It is rarely used, given the many advantages of applying topspin to the backhand - including the fact that you are typically engaged in a backhand-to-backhand rally when hitting crosscourt backhands. By using topspin, you stress the opponent and his reactions. It's just harder to return topspin with your backhand than with a forehand, so why not oblige the odds?

Summing up, the one-handed backhand is similar to the forehand. You set up a platform that relies on legs well set, a consistent backswing and acceleration through the ball. The legs, torso and arm all play a role in the stroke itself.

As you swing the racquet forward with the right arm and racquet to meet the ball, pull the left arm back. This creates balance and power and stabilizes the body prior to recovery.

NOTE: As with every stroke in tennis, you benefit by visualization. Picture the desired swing, and your mind is likely to 'tell' your body to repeat the image.

The Backhand Slice

The backhand slice can be considered either a variation of the one-handed backhand or as a separate stroke. It does not share much in common with the topspin backhand, as setup and stroke technique both differ substantially from the topspin shot.

The backhand slice is a very important shot, both as a rally variation and as the backhand approach shot. Its role is thus very similar to that of the flat forehand, which shares this specialization in the modern game. The two-handed backhand players will attempt to approach the net behind topspin, but exposure to the slice should cure them of this proclivity fairly rapidly.

NOTE: Topspin approach shots tend to bounce too high and give the opponent time to hit an aggressive shot or even a passing shot as you run towards the net.

To hit the slice backhand use a closed stance as well. You start with the racquet held at shoulder height and finish with it about waist height. The shoulder, arm and wrist work in concert.

The follow through is abbreviated and is nearly a chopping action. This increases the spin applied to the ball. You can even think of 'stopping' the racquet right after contact. (Some follow-through will happen naturally. Body momentum takes care of that.)

NOTE: Bend the knees thoroughly when hitting the crosscourt rally slice, for this stroke requires both strength and precision. When slicing straight ahead or hitting the backhand slice approach shot, bending the knees becomes optional.

Here are the uses of the backhand slice in more detail:

A rally variation. The slice is a great change of pace. It forces your opponent to adjust to different ball spin and movement (spin is not just forward and back, and a good rally slice will have sidespin), while creating an in-rally timeout from the rigors of topspin hitting. While topspin strokes are the core of a rally, they require more player preparation and energy.

When used as a rally shot, the slice should be hit low and crosscourt, or up the middle. It is no different from a forehand in that all shots should reflect awareness of court geometry. People are creatures of habits, so upsetting the opponent's rhythm is helpful. Introducing slice to rallies accomplishes this.
As an approach shot. Slice is the preferred backhand approach shot, hit either straight ahead or towards the opponent's Deuce court corner. Slice approaches are especially effective when hit low and skidding. This makes the opponent 'dig' the ball out and float back his shot, and that makes your first volley easier.
As a defensive rally shot, especially on the run. Hitting topspin backhands while moving is difficult. The fact that the backhand slice engages more 'upper body' makes hitting this shot on the run easier.

Slice Tips

Slice begets slice; it will be difficult for your foe to stay with topspin. This can be a big advantage if his topspin stroke is effective and if he is less comfortable hitting slice backhands. If you enjoy hitting slice backhands and are proficient at them, you can immediately turn the rally to your advantage.
Do not replace the topspin with slice as your default rally stroke. You simply reintroduce predictability and remove the element of power inherent to good topspin backhands. The slice's power as a tactical weapon is partly the power of suggestion; letting the opponent know it is there is part of the game.
Slice is a finesse shot. Its utility is enhanced if you don't hit the ball too hard.

The Two-Handed Backhand

The two-handed backhand is the 'default backhand of modern tennis. The two-hander, which involves rather different mechanics than the one-handed backhand, requires less body turn, more upper body and uses a more upright stance.

The two-handed backhand produces more consistency than its single-handed counterpart, which is a big part of why it has become so popular. It is simpler to recreate, stroke after stroke, and it promotes the application of topspin. To rally from the baseline against a good player, you must have the ability to create topspin.

The primary reason for greater consistency with the two-hander is that you can use your arms to adjust the racquet angle at the last second. The one-handed backhand dictates that you set the racquet sooner. Changing the racquet angle during the swing is a big risk, given that you interrupt the swing to do so. Another way to explain this is that the backswing for the two-hander is shorter and does not commit the racket to a specific swing path (given the role of the arms).

Two-Handed Grips

The two-handed backhand has the dominant hand lower, close to the racquet butt, while the off-hand clasps the handle above the dominant hand. The top hand's side and wrist will touch the lower, dominant hand's thumb and forefinger.

The two-handed backhand grip is unique in one very important way. It is basically a combination of two separate grips:

The lower hand grasps the handle in a Continental, neutral grip;
The top hand grabs the handle in an Eastern grip.

What does this mean? It means that the top hand's palm faces up and away from the court. It's as simple as that.

The Two-Handed Stance

As with the one-hander, the double-fisted backhand includes a turn. However, it is a partial turn. The stance is not closed but partly closed, or semi-open.

In rare cases, highly advanced players may hit this stroke with an open stance. We don't recommend this adaptation, but for very strong or tall players with natural leverage deriving from long limbs, the open stance is an option.

Even if the stance is semi-open, the shoulders are well rotated. You can bend the legs, but a deep bend is not as essential. Most of the stroke's power comes from the uncoiling of the shoulder and arms. The legs are more of an anchor; in the one-handed shot they are both a source and trigger of the stroke.

NOTE: The left arm is a key part of the stroke, helping both with power and shot direction. Advanced players will use the top wrist to help with directional control, especially if they late in setting up to the ball. Strong wrists are a boon to a good two-hander. If you have them, use them. Strengthen your wrists by squeezing a rubber ball or 'sports' ball.

Two-Handed Topspin

The topspin backhand is the standard rally backhand. This doesn't change because of grip. The only reason it would change is if a player becomes slice-happy, which is more likely to happen with one-handed players.

The topspin rally stroke is indispensable for multiple reasons: it is the perfect stroke to maintain your position in a crosscourt rally. A good topspin stroke either keeps the opponent locked in position or can force him to back up. The topspin backhand lets you rally safely and with depth, neutralize an opponent's offensive purposes, and wait for an opportunity to hit a forcing shot or outright winner.

The two-hander involves your upper body more, which is a point worth stressing. This gives you

1) more consistency, and

2) the ability to vary the shot.

These are considerable advantages. Like many other good things, however, the two-handed topspin backhand can be spoiled by too much human cleverness. Two-handers love to use the strength inherent in their technique to go up the line. Beware of going to excess (as with all things).

The two-handed backhand's mechanics really provide you a range of options. You can use different stances, from semi-open to open. You have the advantage of both hands 'working' to produce the shot. So take advantage of its possibilities.

Two-Handed Slice

There is no such thing. Two-handers, read the Backhand Slice section above for more.:)

We will also not explore the mysteries of the two-handed backhand drive in an independent section, as the principles of the 'drive' are the same for both one and two-handers. See 'The Drive Backhand' section above.

Backhands are great. Backhands are underrated. Develop a consistent arsenal of backhands and find yourself rolling in tennis clover.

Learn more at: http://uptofitness.com

Larry Hall is a writer who still plays a bit of tennis.

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Tennis clothes have changed drastically in style, fabric, and color over the last 100 years. The first lawn tennis players in England wore formal attire when playing. Standard tennis clothes for women were full-length dresses. Men wore long pants and formal, long sleeve shirts. The tennis clothes of both men and women were entirely white in color. Contrast this formal style with the tennis clothes worn by the tennis players of today. Modern tennis players favor synthetic fabrics, more athletic clothing styles, and a greater variety of colors.

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