Tennis Blog :: Tennis Equipment

Choosing Your Table Tennis Gear

Andy Johnson — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 07:26:45 +0000

A large number of table tennis equipment retailers will show you different types of essential equipment that you need to play table tennis. In fact, they may even let you choose the paddle or blade that you want and rubber you want to go with him and assemble them for you. However, the problem is to know by whom or blade rubber to get you to increase your performance when playing table tennis. The rule in palettes table tennis is that the racket must have a black rubber on one side and a red one on the other. You also need to remember that the ball must be white or orange and ITTA new rules suggest that the official ball should be large 40mm.

When choosing a rubber for your blade, you need to know about the amount of spin rubber can generate. You should also know that different types of coatings will affect the speed of your paddle. You can try to customize the palette with a type of rubber on one side and another type of rubber on the other. Remember that it should be red on one side and black on the other side.

The blade can also vary. Try to remember that you need to know about the weight, speed and the handle shape. For most people, the handle is flared and a large average weight blade is also preferable because it gives you a good speed and good mass. The basic rule is, try to find the heaviest possible that paddle will not affect the speed of your swing. For handles, the handle is flared by far the most popular. It is used by loopers and all players around. For people who like curling or driving, then the anatomical or conical neck is your number one choice. The handle is right for people who are good at breaking and is favoured by players table tennis that have a powerful backhand. If you use Chinese and Japanese face, then the handful of Penhold is your choice.

Choosing the Best Tennis Racket

Henry — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 07:26:42 +0000

Whether you are just starting out as a tennis player, or even if you are an old pro, the tennis gear you choose is extremely important. One of the most important pieces of tennis merchandise that you will purchase as a tennis player is your tennis racket. Your racket is extremely important and will set the tone for your game, so of course you want to pick out the best tennis racket you can find. With so many different choices out there, it can be difficult to figure out what the best tennis racket is for you; however, if you consider your skills, your style of playing, the weight, and the materials of the racket, you should pick a winner.

When you are looking for the best tennis racket, one of the most important things that you need to consider is your skill level. Beginners will want to make different choices from advanced players when it comes to picking out tennis equipment.

If you are a beginner at tennis, more than likely you will want to start out with a cheap racket that has a larger head than most. Having the oversized head will make it easier to hit the tennis ball while you are learning. Also, there is definitely no need to spend a couple hundred dollars on a racket until you have learned the basics and decided that you want to actively pursue this sport.

Intermediate and advanced players will want to pick out a racket that has a smaller head than the rackets for the beginners. While the oversized head is great for beginners, as an intermediate to advanced player, you should have more strength in your tennis swing and a smaller head will allow you a great deal more control in your hits.

More than likely if you are an advanced player, you have your own particular style of playing. Your tennis playing style will also influence what you will need in a good tennis racket. If you like to use a great deal of topspin in your game, then a racket that is head heavy can help you improve your spin. Also, if you are a serve and volley player, there are tennis rackets that are specifically designed for your style of play, and the same goes for players whose game relies mainly on groundstroking. No matter what style of play you enjoy, more than likely you will be able to find a racket that can enhance and improve your style.

To avoid injury, taking a look at the weight of the tennis racket is important before you purchase it. While you may be inclined to head for the lighter rackets, actually you will want to choose a racket that is a bit heavier; however, the head should be fairly light. While it may sound a bit crazy to purchase a racket that is a bit on the heavy side, a lighter racket can also lead to injury, such as tennis elbow and shoulder problems. Also, a racket that is a bit heavier can also improve your serves as well as your groundstroke.

When you are trying to pick out the best tennis racket, you will also need to consider the various materials that they are made of as well. The most common materials that are used on tennis rackets today include graphite, aluminum, and boron and Kevlar. Graphite rackets are probably the most popular, since it provides great hitting power and both beginners and even advanced players will find that this type of a racket will perform nicely for them. Aluminum rackets are cheaper than graphite ones, and they will provide you with excellent feel. The Boron and Kevlar rackets are very stiff and can cause shoulder problems due to the shock, so this type of racket should be avoided by a beginning player.

Betting Tennis Techniques – Winning on Betfair

Fred Peters — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 08:30:03 +0000

You will know by now that Betting Exchange exchange gambling is rather unique compared to a majority of online gambling sites and it is this quality that entices in many gamblers. If someone is willing to take your bet, you can decide on the odds you want to back someone at which increases your chances of finding favourable odds. Whether you follow the form of tennis or perhaps you can make a mathematical equation of the odds that are provided, Betting Exchange tennis gambling offers something for everything.

With so many different options when it comes to tennis gambling, there is the chance to get involved in a lot of games in a very short space of time. As well as the match winner, Betting Exchange tennis gambling provides provisions for set betting, betting on the number of games, betting on the margin of victory and much more. Even if a highly respected player is up against an unfancied opponent and the odds of victory are meagre, there is likely to be a good chance of better odds on one of the other betting options available on Betting Exchange tennis.

This large variety in betting options allied to the amount of matches and tournaments that are available each year means there are countless opportunities for tennis lovers or gambling fanatics to get involved in. When you add this fact to the expertise and improved odds that Betting Exchange provides, is it any wonder to see that the popularity of tennis gambling is increasing? So whether you are a massive tennis fan or a once a year watcher, there is no doubt that Betting Exchange provides the best options available for anyone wanting to have a bet on tennis.

Playing Tennis On Different Courts

Kathy Austin — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 09:06:00 +0000

One commonly used surface for tennis courts is one that is known as Rebound Ace. This substance is hard, and it is found in may courts throughout the world. It consists of a basic layer of asphalt and/or concrete that is topped with acrylic paint that is combined with sand to get a semi-sticky, grippy, consistent surface. Tennis courts that are made of Rebound Ace have a predictable bounce and speed due to the fact that the court is uniformly created of the same hard materials. To that end, it’s a good place to begin playing tennis so that you can get the feel of a consistent surface. Another type of tennis court that you may run into is one that is made of clay. Clay courts are made of crushed-up bricks and covered with a layer of rough, loose clay. Clay courts make the ball stick to the ground more, causing the ball to slow down. Consequently, you may find yourself skidding when performing quick movements due to the loose surface. To win on a clay court, work on hitting the ball deep into your opponent’s side of the court, putting as much spin on the ball as you can. This limits your opponent’s opportunities to return the shot. Also, you may want to consider making shots that will put your opponent off of their footing, causing them to miss the return. Grass tennis courts are not seen as often as they used to be, but you can still find them out there. Wimbledon is a grass court, and is one of the few remaining competitions held on grass. Grass can cause the ball to bounce much lower, making grass courts a field of advantage for those who make quick, low shots. Changing up your shots from shot-type to shot-type can also provide to be an efficient advantage over your opponent when playing on grass. Now that you know more about how the courts of tennis can effect your game, you can better understand exactly what you need to do to keep on top of your game. Happy playing!

Understand The Tennis Court In Order To Understand Tennis

Tera Warner — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 08:46:52 +0000

Clay courts are made of crushed stone, brick, or shale, and are usually reddish orange in color, although they can be green as well. Clay courts are considered slow courts where balls tend to bounce higher and more slowly than on other surfaces. Consequently, points often last longer on clay courts as players tend to stay near the baseline – the line farthest from the net – and play defensively because it is so difficult to simply blast one by their opponent. The second kind of playing surface that one would find on a tennis court is grass. Rarely seen because of their high maintenance costs, grass courts are grown on firmly packed soil, much like a golf green. Of all the playing surfaces, grass presents the most variables to players. Successful grass court players typically play a serve and volley style of game where they quickly rush to the net after serving in hopes of forcing their opponent to hit a fast and perfect return; not easy on a fast, grass court. The most famous grass court is most certainly Centre Court at Wimbledon, home of The Championships, Wimbledon, a Grand Slam event and the oldest event in championship tennis.

Faster than clay courts yet slower than grass courts, hard courts are the most common type of tennis court. Constructed of cement or synthetic materials, hard courts vary in speed and bounce, but generally fall in the middle of the spectrum on both fronts. Hard courts are also the most conducive to all styles of play and, unlike grass or clay, they do not provide significant advantage or disadvantage to players with different styles. Consequently, hard courts are often considered to provide the fairest test of all around skill. The United States Open and Australian Open are both played on hard courts, although the US Open uses an acrylic surface while the Australian Open utilizes a synthetic surface. Indoor courts are a variable of hard courts that are usually made of cement, wood, or even artificial turf. They typically have similar playing characteristics that are similar to other variations of hard courts.

Know More About Tennis

Fred Peters — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 07:08:25 +0000

Tennis is basically played on a flat and rectangular surface that can range from hard court and clay court or grass court. The length of the court is 78feet and its width is 27feet. Incase of double matches, the width of the court is 36feet. The net stands at the centre of the base line so that the court is divided in two equal halves. The height of the net is 3feet and 6inches and its height is 3feet. In terms of the surface, as stated above that tennis court is divided in three surfaces, clay court (red or green clay), grass court (as in Wimbeldon) and hard court that is made of concrete, basically it is made of Plexicusion and coated with asphalt.

The game of tennis is based on the sets of rules where each win earns a single point. In this game, one player is server and the other player is receiver. However, for a clear service, the ball has to travel over the net and land in a diagonal service box of the opponent. The game of tennis is based on point system that decides a set. In the game of tennis, first three points are described as love and the concluding points are known as 15, 30 and 40. When both the players gain three points, then the score card is deuce. In this case, any player who makes a winning shot has an advantage over his/her opponent. However, apart from the basic rules of tennis game, there are various kinds of tennis match such as no-ad, pro set and match tie break. Tennis is a game that requires highest energy levels and amazing stamina so as to play some powerful tennis shots. Therefore, if you are looking forward to play the game of tennis, make sure you work on your physical fitness as well as improve upon your game so as to become a good player of tennis.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MATCH PLAY IN TENNIS

Henry — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:40:58 +0000

The first and most important point in match play is to know how to lose. Lose cheerfully, generously, and like a sportsman. This is the first great law of tennis, and the second is like unto it to win modestly, cheerfully, generously, and like a sportsman. The object of match play is to win, but no credit goes to a man who does not win fairly and squarely. A victory is a defeat if it is other than fair. Yet again I say to win is the object, and to do so, one should play to the last ounce of his strength, the last gasp of his breath, and the last scrap of his nerve. If you do so and lose, the better man won. If you do not, you have robbed your opponent of his right of beating your best. Be fair to both him and yourself. “The Play’s the thing,” and in match play a good defeat is far more creditable than a hollow victory. Play tennis for the game’s sake. Play it for the men you meet, the friends you make, and the pleasure you may give to the public by the hard working yet sporting game that is owed them by their presence at the match. Many tennis players feel they owe the public nothing, and are granting a favour by playing. It is my belief that when the public so honours a player that they attend matches, that player is in duty bound to give of his best, freely, willingly, and cheerfully, for only by so doing can he repay the honour paid him. The tennis star of today owes his public as much as the actor owes the audience, and only by meeting his obligations can tennis be retained in public favour. The players get their reward in the personal popularity they gain by their conscientious work. There is another factor that is even stronger than this, that will always produce fine tennis in championship events. It is the competitive spirit that is the breath of life to every true sportsman: the desire to prove to himself he can beat the best of the other man; the real regret that comes when he wins, and feels the loser was not at his best. The keen competitive spirit that stimulates a match player also increases the nervous strain. This should be recognized by tournament committees, and the conditions of play should be as nearly standardized as weather permits. The first thing to fix firmly in your mind in playing a match, is never to allow your opponent to play a shot he likes if it is possible to force him to make one he does not. Study your opponent both on and off the court. Look for a weakness, and, once finding it, pound it without mercy. Remember that you do not decide your mode of attack. It is decided for you by the weakness of your opponent. If he dislikes to meet a netman, go to the net. If he wants you at the net, stay back and force him to come in. If he attacks viciously, meet his attack with an equally strong offensive. Remember that the strongest defence is to attack, for if the other man is occupied in meeting your attack, he will have less time to formulate his own system. If you are playing a very steady man, do not strive to beat him at his own game. He is better at it than you in many cases, so go in and hit to win. On the other hand, if you find that your opponent is wild and prone to miss, play safe and reap the full crop of his errors. It saves you trouble and takes his confidence. Above all, never change a winning game

Some Of The More Common Tennis Injuries And How To Avoid Them

Wolfgang Jaegel — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 07:40:57 +0000

When you are playing the game of tennis you are susceptible to many injuries like tearing ligaments, tearing tendons, pulling ligaments, pulling tendons, anything can happen when you are playing the game of tennis. You can be running and then pull your calf muscle and then it is over. After you hurt yourself playing tennis it will be even harder to get back in shape to where you can play the sport hard like you did before. If you are a person that can get in shape quick then you should already be flexible and shouldn’t have gotten an injury. So when you are playing tennis you will want to be careful as you are running across court for the ball.

When you are playing the game of tennis will be tendinitis. You can get this from playing tennis to much and by the way you play the sport. You will get this injury around the shoulders, wrists, and neck when you are playing this sport. Tendinitis is kind of like having weak bones because you cannot use them as much as you could before you got the injury. This can put you out of tennis for a long time if you get hurt. The other kind of injury that you can get while playing the game of tennis is hurting your knees. You can hurt your knees in any sport but tennis is a sport where you can hurt your knees very easy. You are always running when you are playing tennis so you are going to fall sometimes by tripping over your feet or your partner if you are playing teams. So when you are playing tennis you will want to be careful where you run and how you run so that you don’t mess up or tear your ACL of your knee because that will put you out of playing tennis for a long time if not forever.

Some Great Exercise Tips To Keep You In Shape For Tennis

Gareth Parkin — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:31:58 +0000

As you can see and think tennis is a pretty good sport to do if you are in need of some exercise. It is not a sport that you can just do and then lay around. It is one of those types of sports where when you are playing it you are constantly running and trying to keep up with it. I have played tennis and I know what it takes to play the sport. You do not have to be in top shape to play the sport but if you are going to be actually playing the sport then you need to be able to run quick and get to the ball so you can hit it back. Tennis is a cardio sport and you need to be able to do that in order to play this sport.

If you have the energy to go running or jogging then you have the ability to play a good game of tennis. It is just one of those sports that you need to be able to run and keep up with yourself or your teammate that you are playing tennis with. Running is just part of the game and if you cannot run or jog for at least like 20 to 30 minutes then you are not going to be able to play the game of tennis because it will be too hard on you and you will more then likely get sick. So if you are out of shape then you need to run or jog so that you can get in shape to play the sport. You arms and your legs will be your two main places that you need to keep in shape and keep them doing something everyday. Without your arms and legs you are not a tennis player. After you have toned out everything then you can start to play the sport with fun because you will be able to wing that ball and be able to play the sport.

Learning How To Play Tennis

Brad Taylor — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:43:26 +0000

Anyone who is considering tennis training will be happy to know that there are plenty of ways to learn how to play the game. Every way from the tennis court to the internet, the video store and even the classroom will prove to be beneficial for those wanting to learn how to play the great game of tennis. Prices will vary depending on the type of training method that is chosen, but can often be quite affordable. This is especially true of those who opt for learning at home through the use of videos or internet lessons. A professional tennis trainer, however, will likely be the most expensive way to learn but will provide a hands-on experience that none of the aforementioned options can.

If you choose to hire a tennis instructor, you will probably want to hire someone who has a lot of experience in either teaching or playing tennis. Or, if possible, find someone who has done both. During this training, you will begin to learn the various swings and in which situation each can be used. In the beginning, tennis may seem intimidating because of the physical activity that is involved, along with the need to have a very fast reaction to every situation. But, after a few lessons, you will be more familiar with the game and how to play it. Patience is the key to learning anything new and tennis is no different. Many tennis instructors work one-on-one with their students, while others prefer to educate to a group of individuals. Those who prefer to learn as much as possible, but without doing so with hands-on training may opt for online lessons. The only drawback is that this method does not provide actual practice, which can be sought separately by the learner. Friends and family can often provide valuable insight in helping one to learning how to play tennis without professional instruction.