Serve and Volley tennis is a style of play in which the player rushes to the net as often as possible to hit more volleys and fewer ground strokes. Below are a couple videos from the best serve-and-volley player of all time, Pete Sampras.
I chose to use this style because it's less tiring to serve-and-volley. Hitting a serve and coming into net repeatedly it drastically shortens the points. After a player hits the serve and comes up to the net he can either A. a shot out of the air as a volley which gives the player a good shot at putting the point away right there, or B. get passed by the returner.
If a player hits a bad serve or something that the person on the other side of the net is anticipating he/she can hit a good shot off the server and give that player a tough shot from closer to the net or get the ball hit passed them on either side of the court. In either instance, the points will be shorter than grinding out a match from the baseline. If both players hit shots from the baseline the whole time you can get into long rallies and become more susceptible to fatigue.
Which was the problem in my last match with Cory.
I also wanted to implement the serve-and-volley technique because I played doubles for a good portion of my high school tennis career. Through all this doubles playing experience I was stuck at net alot and had to learn how to volley properly to win matches. So, having the experience volleying I think that this technique might work for me considering that volleying is one of the strongest aspects of my game.
While I think this technique could work for me, I also think it has its disadvantages for me. I am not confident enough in my serve right now in this stage of my epic comeback to think that i can set myself up for a good ball to volley consistently. I am hoping that I don't just keep serving winners that Cory can smack by me at any given time.
I am also shorter and have a greater risk of having the ball lobbed over my head. If I am consistently at net Cory will realize to just pop the ball over my head so I cannot reach it and thus lose the point. The lob is also one of Cory's best shots, which hurts me even more when coming into net.
Ultimately, this technique can win me some more points and hopefully games because of the strength of my net game.
By keeping the points shorter as well I hope to be able to keep a higher level of energy throughout the match and not be completely fatigued so early.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Racquet Review: Head Flexpoint Radical MidPlus
I wanted to try and review some racquets over the course of this blog. So, I figured it would be smart to review the racquet I have used every time I've stepped on the court the last 3 years or so, the flexpoint radical. My review will be a little more biased because I want to talk about what this racquet does for my game in particular and how much it will help me on my journey.
However, Tennis warehouse provides a fantastic un-biased review which is definitely worth a read if you are looking for a new frame.
Obviously, since I have been using these frames for many years now, I do like them. With this in mind, I want to start off with the positives I have found in this racquet.
- 98 inch headsize provides a good blend of power and control.
- 11.1 oz weight makes the frame a little lighter than some player frames and allows me to put some good swings on the ball because I have a very long loopy swing that can be slowed down by a heavier racquet.
- The flexpoint technology provides some flexibility to the frame. The flex to the frame gives me a better feel on my volleys and drop shots. This helps alot with my finesse game because I feel like I can hit a hard slice groundstroke or volley and the ball will just die. This keeps my opponent always moving and sometimes even if he expects the short ball it is so short that he won't be able to run up and hit it before it bounces twice.
- This frame is also extremely durable. I tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve out on the court, and every now and again I will take my frustrations out on my racquet by way of slamming it to the ground, or throwing it against a fence or two. Even though I don't do this all to often, it has happened a couple times before and these frames show no sign of cracking or being damaged in any way. This is huge for me because I do not really have the expendable income to be buying new tennis racquets every year.
Now for the Negatives....
- Actually just one negative, and that is the lack of power I seem to be able to create on my shots. Unfortunately, I was not graced with the biggest of body frames and trying to get pace on my shots is a little hard for me. This racquet does not help me in this area and no matter what kind of string I put on it, I just cannot generate enough pace to bring my game to the next level.
The lack of power has always been the big problem for me with this racquet. It is basically the whole reason why I am going to start trying out new racquets and see if i can put some more pace on my shots with different frames.
Overall, the Head Flexpoint Radical MidPlus is a great racquet for a finesse player. The touch the that the frame creates is amazing, and will really help with your slice shots and drop volleys. However, if it is an increase in power you are looking for in a new frame, the radical is not for you.
Final Score: 7.5/10
Back on the Saddle
Keeping with the whole point with the blog I decided it was finally time to finally get on the court and see what skills I still had left.
On Sunday I played my good friend and roommate. Cory was the second best tennis player on our high school team, and someone I have never been able to beat in a tennis match. We have probably played over 200 times but alas, he has my number.
We are going to try and play at least once every week and how I end up doing in the match every week should give me the best indicator of how my tennis game is coming along from week to week. Also, since Cory is one of the most consistent tennis players I know, the results should stay constant.
For this particular match I didn't wanna try any new strategies or equipment I just wanted to go out and hit for the first time in awhile and see what I still had left in the tank. As far as my game goes I use an eastern grip on the racquet on the forehand side, and the continental grip for my serves, backhand, and volleys. These are two of the most standard grips and I want to try and explain them in a later post, but for now on to the match.
We started playing at around 2 in the afternoon and we both used the same tennis racquets we always do. Cory used the Yonex RDS 001 while I stuck with my usual frame the Head Flexpoint Radical. These two racquets are pretty similar in weight and headsize, but the shape of the head of the two racquets are completely. This slight fact does matter alot in identifying how each racquet plays.
Cory and I agreed on a best of three sets match, with me serving first. The match could not have started any better for me. After a couple month layoff from the game all together I won the first game to take a 1-0 lead in the first set after serving a couple un-returned bombs to my opponents backhand (the clearly weaker part of his game).
After the confidence I gained from my first game victory I could have experienced a let down in the second game. However, Cory double faulted three out of the four points putting me up 2-0 in the set.
The next game Cory finally got on the board with a couple unforced errors off my forehand. 2-1. Cory kept the double faults coming in the next game and I was able to break his serve and take a 3-1 lead in the first set.
I could not consolidate my insurance break of his serve by losing a tight game. On break point I thought i had put a forehand away by hitting behind Cory to the add side of the court. He surprisingly cut back and got a piece of the ball, having it hit the net chord, and barely bouncing over on my side.
On Sunday I played my good friend and roommate. Cory was the second best tennis player on our high school team, and someone I have never been able to beat in a tennis match. We have probably played over 200 times but alas, he has my number.
We are going to try and play at least once every week and how I end up doing in the match every week should give me the best indicator of how my tennis game is coming along from week to week. Also, since Cory is one of the most consistent tennis players I know, the results should stay constant.
For this particular match I didn't wanna try any new strategies or equipment I just wanted to go out and hit for the first time in awhile and see what I still had left in the tank. As far as my game goes I use an eastern grip on the racquet on the forehand side, and the continental grip for my serves, backhand, and volleys. These are two of the most standard grips and I want to try and explain them in a later post, but for now on to the match.
We started playing at around 2 in the afternoon and we both used the same tennis racquets we always do. Cory used the Yonex RDS 001 while I stuck with my usual frame the Head Flexpoint Radical. These two racquets are pretty similar in weight and headsize, but the shape of the head of the two racquets are completely. This slight fact does matter alot in identifying how each racquet plays.
Cory and I agreed on a best of three sets match, with me serving first. The match could not have started any better for me. After a couple month layoff from the game all together I won the first game to take a 1-0 lead in the first set after serving a couple un-returned bombs to my opponents backhand (the clearly weaker part of his game).
After the confidence I gained from my first game victory I could have experienced a let down in the second game. However, Cory double faulted three out of the four points putting me up 2-0 in the set.
The next game Cory finally got on the board with a couple unforced errors off my forehand. 2-1. Cory kept the double faults coming in the next game and I was able to break his serve and take a 3-1 lead in the first set.
I could not consolidate my insurance break of his serve by losing a tight game. On break point I thought i had put a forehand away by hitting behind Cory to the add side of the court. He surprisingly cut back and got a piece of the ball, having it hit the net chord, and barely bouncing over on my side.
Luckiest shot I have ever seen.
I blew the next point by shanking a forehand, 3-2.
Cory's serving was still awful and I was able to break him and go up 4-2. At this point I was feeling very good about my prospects to maybe win my first match against Cory, and then....
DISASTER STRUCK!!!!!
I ended up losing the next four games, giving away the set. The next set was even worse because I could not even manage to win a single game falling 0-6 to Cory and losing the match in pretty embarassing fashion.
Final Score: 4-6, 0-6
It felt really good to come out and play for the first time in awhile, but I discovered just how rusty I really was. The fact that I could not muster a single game in the second set might be a sign of how unfit I am and how that might be the first thing I need to work on. Next week I am going to try and change my strategy and see if I can't put up a more respectable score. Instead of trying to beat him with my ground strokes, I want to try and impliment a serve and volley game. I will explain more about how to play serve and volley tennis in a later post, and what makes it different from my normal style. Hopefully switching my strategies will put me over the top!
Cory's serving was still awful and I was able to break him and go up 4-2. At this point I was feeling very good about my prospects to maybe win my first match against Cory, and then....
DISASTER STRUCK!!!!!
I ended up losing the next four games, giving away the set. The next set was even worse because I could not even manage to win a single game falling 0-6 to Cory and losing the match in pretty embarassing fashion.
Final Score: 4-6, 0-6
It felt really good to come out and play for the first time in awhile, but I discovered just how rusty I really was. The fact that I could not muster a single game in the second set might be a sign of how unfit I am and how that might be the first thing I need to work on. Next week I am going to try and change my strategy and see if I can't put up a more respectable score. Instead of trying to beat him with my ground strokes, I want to try and impliment a serve and volley game. I will explain more about how to play serve and volley tennis in a later post, and what makes it different from my normal style. Hopefully switching my strategies will put me over the top!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Tennis Blog Bibliography
ATP Tennis Official Website
This website is the official site of the professional men's tour. The site gives everything to the rankings of the players to complete head to head records of every player on the tour.
Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Homepage
This site is the homepage to the Women's professional tour. The site is essentially the same as the men's with it's information and aesthetic appeal.
Tennis Magazine's Homepage
This website is basically the mecca for all tennis information. The site has news on the professional game, tips on game improvement, and equipment reviews.
Tennis Warehouse Learning Center
This site basically gives an overview of everything tennis from the equipment side of things. Offers reviews and recommendations as to what every tennis player should be using when he/she steps onto the court.
Tennis X
This is a similar blog site to the blog I wish to create. The person using this site offers insight on the professional game as well as reviews on equipment and tips to take your game to the next level.
The Asian Tennis Blogger
The Asian blogger is an Asian American who follows the professional tennis association. He basically blogs about what's going on with the tour and offers his insights into the current events of the professional game.
Women's Tennis Blog
This tennis blog covers the woman's tour and offers some funny distractions from the serious events of the tour. The blogger doesn't take herself too seriously and tries to add humor to her posts which is something I would like to accomplish as well.
The Tennis Guru
This blog is very similar to the others where it covers the men's professional tour. I do like this one though because on the sidebar he offers the men's and women's top ten rankings along with some other useful information right on the front page.
Tennis Country
This blog is different because it provides real insight into the life of professional players. The blog has players talk about their travels and what it is like to live the life of a professional tennis player outside of the court.
GoToTennis Blog
This blog is actually pretty funny. The author of this site dishes about the relationships and drama that goes on between the professional tennis players.
Peter Bodo's TennisWorld
In Peter's blog he also talks about the relationships of professional tennis players. He also compares old and new tennis players and partakes in debates about which generation of players are better than others.
NY Times Straight Sets Blog
In John Martin's blog he takes tennis stories from the paper and puts his own opinion on them. From the most recent posts it seems like he mostly just covers the tour and the players and coaches involved in it.
Pro Tennis Addict Blog
This is another blog that covers the professional tour but puts an emphasis on specific matches, mostly upsets. I like that this blog shows the recent scores of matches played everyday which I think is key.
Buzzilions.com
This website is a site that gives product reviews. I like this site because I was thinking of reviewing products on my blog and this could be a good stepping stone for that.
Pro Tennis Blog
This blog is just awful and offers me some insight on how not to run my blog. The font is yellow and the pictures just don't really seem to fit the overall theme of the site.
TennisTalk
This blog is actually really cool. There are many different authors contributing to this site who cover all aspects of the game and offer many different insights. This has probably been the most informative site I have read and will probably bookmark it.
Wilson Tennis' Blog
This blog is kind of cool because of the fact that it has Wilsons' own sponsored players blogging about their experiences. Getting the perspectives of actual professional players is cool to read and its an interesting.
The Big Serve Blog
This blog goes over the USTA and gives insight into the surrounding tournaments and how to increase your ranking. It's kind of cool to see a sight devouted to the amateur player.
On The Baseline
This is just a site which posts links to numerous other tennis blogs. All of the blogs linked seem pretty legit and I look forward to visiting most of them.
USTA Official Home Page
This is the official site of the USTA and provides all its members the information they would need to have to join the organization, find tournaments, and learn about the ranking system.
This website is the official site of the professional men's tour. The site gives everything to the rankings of the players to complete head to head records of every player on the tour.
Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Homepage
This site is the homepage to the Women's professional tour. The site is essentially the same as the men's with it's information and aesthetic appeal.
Tennis Magazine's Homepage
This website is basically the mecca for all tennis information. The site has news on the professional game, tips on game improvement, and equipment reviews.
Tennis Warehouse Learning Center
This site basically gives an overview of everything tennis from the equipment side of things. Offers reviews and recommendations as to what every tennis player should be using when he/she steps onto the court.
Tennis X
This is a similar blog site to the blog I wish to create. The person using this site offers insight on the professional game as well as reviews on equipment and tips to take your game to the next level.
The Asian Tennis Blogger
The Asian blogger is an Asian American who follows the professional tennis association. He basically blogs about what's going on with the tour and offers his insights into the current events of the professional game.
Women's Tennis Blog
This tennis blog covers the woman's tour and offers some funny distractions from the serious events of the tour. The blogger doesn't take herself too seriously and tries to add humor to her posts which is something I would like to accomplish as well.
The Tennis Guru
This blog is very similar to the others where it covers the men's professional tour. I do like this one though because on the sidebar he offers the men's and women's top ten rankings along with some other useful information right on the front page.
Tennis Country
This blog is different because it provides real insight into the life of professional players. The blog has players talk about their travels and what it is like to live the life of a professional tennis player outside of the court.
GoToTennis Blog
This blog is actually pretty funny. The author of this site dishes about the relationships and drama that goes on between the professional tennis players.
Peter Bodo's TennisWorld
In Peter's blog he also talks about the relationships of professional tennis players. He also compares old and new tennis players and partakes in debates about which generation of players are better than others.
NY Times Straight Sets Blog
In John Martin's blog he takes tennis stories from the paper and puts his own opinion on them. From the most recent posts it seems like he mostly just covers the tour and the players and coaches involved in it.
Pro Tennis Addict Blog
This is another blog that covers the professional tour but puts an emphasis on specific matches, mostly upsets. I like that this blog shows the recent scores of matches played everyday which I think is key.
Buzzilions.com
This website is a site that gives product reviews. I like this site because I was thinking of reviewing products on my blog and this could be a good stepping stone for that.
Pro Tennis Blog
This blog is just awful and offers me some insight on how not to run my blog. The font is yellow and the pictures just don't really seem to fit the overall theme of the site.
TennisTalk
This blog is actually really cool. There are many different authors contributing to this site who cover all aspects of the game and offer many different insights. This has probably been the most informative site I have read and will probably bookmark it.
Wilson Tennis' Blog
This blog is kind of cool because of the fact that it has Wilsons' own sponsored players blogging about their experiences. Getting the perspectives of actual professional players is cool to read and its an interesting.
The Big Serve Blog
This blog goes over the USTA and gives insight into the surrounding tournaments and how to increase your ranking. It's kind of cool to see a sight devouted to the amateur player.
On The Baseline
This is just a site which posts links to numerous other tennis blogs. All of the blogs linked seem pretty legit and I look forward to visiting most of them.
USTA Official Home Page
This is the official site of the USTA and provides all its members the information they would need to have to join the organization, find tournaments, and learn about the ranking system.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
John McEnroe's Opinion of Modern Day Tennis
The ABC News team had a chance to catch up with all-time tennis great, John McEnroe, to discuss his viewpoint on the state of the ATP and WTA. In his opinion there were five specific changes he would make to the professional tennis game. These changes include.....
1. Schedule changes: Making Davis Cup and Olympic play more important and allowing the players more time off from their regular tour events in order to be well rested for these particular events.
I tend to agree with all of McEnroe’s suggestions. I find Davis Cup play to be one of the most entertaining aspects of professional tennis. Davis Cup play pits teams of players representing their respective countries against one another. These matches are never played at a neutral site, and usually the home team has a huge advantage. Seeing the audiences go wild for their home countries team provides a lot of entertainment, and I wish these events were given more attention and televised more frequently then they currently are. So, like McEnroe I tend to agree that the schedule makers of the professional tennis tour should include more time for these events, and not just make them a non-serious/un-televised affair
2. Wooden Racquet's: McEnroe has been a very big supporter of the wooden racquet, and feels that the racquets that players use today give them too much power and too much control. Even though he feels it is too late to make players switch over to the nostalgic wooden frames, he feels that it would be a positive change for the sport.
3. Make doubles as popular as singles: With tennis regularly getting lower ratings than sports such as golf and poker, McEnroe feels that if doubles tennis matches were given more air time, and the players were given a greater chance to showcase their skills on a nationally televised stage that it could bring more fans to the sport.
Doubles matches are enjoyable to watch on occasion, but none of the top men’s players ever participate in the events. I personally don’t want to watch four guys I have never heard of play each other, not my cup of tea. If somehow we had a Roddick/Federer vs. Nadal/Murray match, than I think doubles would gain a lot more ratings. However, this will never happen because the emphasis on the singles titles is too great.
4. Smaller tennis courts for junior players: McEnroe has a strong opinion on why there are not that many young tennis players. He states that "think if we could build smaller courts and get more people playing, there would, perhaps, be increased emphasis on being able to hit all shots, like volleys, for example, which you don't do because they are intimidating." Also, he uses football as a basis for his theory. If young children just starting to play football can use a smaller field and ball, why can't young aspiring tennis players.
McEnroe’s suggestions about the smaller courts is good because if more young people from America get interested in tennis at a younger age, in 15-20 years we will see a dramatic increase in the popularity of the game, which would be a great thing.
5.No more grunting: The grunting aspect of the professional tennis game has gotten out of hand according to McEnroe. He cannot understand why an 18 or 19 year old player has to grunt after every point. He feels that the grunting is a distraction to the audience and the other player, and should be done away with as soon as possible.
Grunting is obnoxious and is a big reason why I cannot watch some matches, so the quicker it is banned the better.
Overall, I think McEnroe makes some really good points in this article, and aside from his suggestion about wooden racquets I would like to see these other changes put in to play to better the sport.
1. Schedule changes: Making Davis Cup and Olympic play more important and allowing the players more time off from their regular tour events in order to be well rested for these particular events.
I tend to agree with all of McEnroe’s suggestions. I find Davis Cup play to be one of the most entertaining aspects of professional tennis. Davis Cup play pits teams of players representing their respective countries against one another. These matches are never played at a neutral site, and usually the home team has a huge advantage. Seeing the audiences go wild for their home countries team provides a lot of entertainment, and I wish these events were given more attention and televised more frequently then they currently are. So, like McEnroe I tend to agree that the schedule makers of the professional tennis tour should include more time for these events, and not just make them a non-serious/un-televised affair
2. Wooden Racquet's: McEnroe has been a very big supporter of the wooden racquet, and feels that the racquets that players use today give them too much power and too much control. Even though he feels it is too late to make players switch over to the nostalgic wooden frames, he feels that it would be a positive change for the sport.
Wooden racquets should be done away with all together in my opinion. The technology given to players in the current tennis age provides so much power to their shots, which I believe makes the game faster paced and more exciting to watch.
3. Make doubles as popular as singles: With tennis regularly getting lower ratings than sports such as golf and poker, McEnroe feels that if doubles tennis matches were given more air time, and the players were given a greater chance to showcase their skills on a nationally televised stage that it could bring more fans to the sport.
Doubles matches are enjoyable to watch on occasion, but none of the top men’s players ever participate in the events. I personally don’t want to watch four guys I have never heard of play each other, not my cup of tea. If somehow we had a Roddick/Federer vs. Nadal/Murray match, than I think doubles would gain a lot more ratings. However, this will never happen because the emphasis on the singles titles is too great.
4. Smaller tennis courts for junior players: McEnroe has a strong opinion on why there are not that many young tennis players. He states that "think if we could build smaller courts and get more people playing, there would, perhaps, be increased emphasis on being able to hit all shots, like volleys, for example, which you don't do because they are intimidating." Also, he uses football as a basis for his theory. If young children just starting to play football can use a smaller field and ball, why can't young aspiring tennis players.
McEnroe’s suggestions about the smaller courts is good because if more young people from America get interested in tennis at a younger age, in 15-20 years we will see a dramatic increase in the popularity of the game, which would be a great thing.
5.No more grunting: The grunting aspect of the professional tennis game has gotten out of hand according to McEnroe. He cannot understand why an 18 or 19 year old player has to grunt after every point. He feels that the grunting is a distraction to the audience and the other player, and should be done away with as soon as possible.
Grunting is obnoxious and is a big reason why I cannot watch some matches, so the quicker it is banned the better.
Overall, I think McEnroe makes some really good points in this article, and aside from his suggestion about wooden racquets I would like to see these other changes put in to play to better the sport.
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