It's All in the Grip

Tennis can be a very technical sport. Especially for beginners that are trying to learn the correct techniques. The secret to hitting the ball properly is how you grip your racquet. The handle on the racquets have 8 different sides called "bevels" and this is the base for all the grips. There are different grips for the different shots a player wants to do. Learning and perfecting these grips will greatly increase the rate of improvement of any player. The continental grip is the most common grip. It can be used for almost any shot and every player uses this grip. However, tennis has evolved and newer grips have come along to replace the continental grip in some areas. Other grips include the eastern forehand grip, the semi-western forehand grip, the western fore-hand grip, the eastern and extreme eastern backhand grip, and the two-handed backhand grip. Here is a video that explains the necessities of the grips and how to do the continental grip:

Keeping it a Secret

Everyone knows about the numerous injuries that come along with playing tennis but for professionals, this is an even bigger deal. Tennis players have to deal with injuries while also keeping the details of the injury a secret. Players that have injuries that put them out of playing for a while often tell the press what their injuries are but for players that can still play, their injuries are their secrets. This is due to how tennis is played. If a player knows their opponents injury then they are able to expose it while playing. Opponents can target injuries as they hit the ball in locations where the injured player has difficulty reaching it. If the player can't reach it then the opponent can easily win the match and the injured player can worsen their injury because of the repetitive motions. Professionals must look and act like they are not injured and tell the press that whatever is going on is confidential. The Williams sisters are constantly asked information about their injuries on TV and every time they say that they can not talk about it. Often players tape themselves to help their injuries and this gives opponents a little insight into the injuries but they still must play as if the other player is 100%. Opponents don't know anything until the match is being played and they see how the other player is handling the match. This is another reason why tennis is such a demanding sport. It requires strength and perseverance of every player.

Why Do They Make that Noise?!

"Grunting" is a familiar sound when it comes to tennis. It's a unique quality of the sport that is welcomed by some and hated by others. The grunting of players differ from player to player. Some players don't grunt at all. Some grunt only on serves. Some grunt the entire match. People opposed to hearing players grunt say that it is disrespectful to the other player and to the sport. They say that players only grunt to annoy the other player and to get a psychological advantage over them. This can be true. When I play people that grunt, often I get annoyed by the sound and it throws me off my rhythm.

However, grunting does have an advantage to the sport of tennis. Some tennis academies even teach players how to grunt while they play. This is because grunting gives a physical advantage to the player. When a player grunts, air that is in their lungs is released. This makes for less tension in their body and they are able to hit the ball more precisely. Therefore, players that grunt are able to hit the ball more effectively and place the ball better.

It is a tough skill to conquer. I have tried grunting many times and it can be difficult. It can be distracting to the person grunting because they aren't used to the sound and action. It takes time to see the results of grunt but it does offer a physical advantage to the players.

The Plague of Injuries

The professional realm of tennis is known for the extreme wear and tear it puts on the human body. The average tennis career is short lived. This isn't the end for the people that play but it is the end of their professional career. No tennis player wants to end their career, but sadly, they are forced to. Injures plague their joints to the point where repeated strain is too much. Knee injuries dominate many injuries in tennis. Ligament injuries to the knee are very common. Extreme forces on the knee can result in torn ligaments. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the medial collateral ligament (MCL) are the most often injured. Torn knee cartilage is usually a torn meniscus. These injuries can be fixed by surgery but a full recovery is not always the case. Injuries that involve the shoulders and arms can be very detrimental to a player. A torn rotator cuff can end a tennis players career for good. Other injures allow for full recovery. One injury that is widely known by all is tennis elbow. Tennis elbow is a common term for a condition caused by overuse of arm and forearm muscles that results in elbow pain. Tennis elbow is caused by either abrupt or subtle injury of the muscle and tendon area around the outside of the elbow. Still, with time, players can recover. Even though tennis is a demanding sport, it doesn't take away from the pure joy of playing. Tennis will continue to be a love for many.

For The Young And Old

Many people look at tennis as a sport that has short lived careers with injuries plaguing every player til leave retire. Tennis does put a tremendous strain on the human body and the careers are way shorter than other sports. But what is not looked at, is the fact that tennis players range from 5 year old to 80 years old. While I was at a tennis match in high school, I was able to look across the road and see 7 year olds practicing their serves and running frantically around the court. As I looked at the courts beside ours, I saw a seniors league play. The average age of these players was close to 80. People of all ages are addicted to playing. Peoples love for tennis pushes them to constantly play and overcome obstacles. For many elderly people, the obstacles are their physical abilities. They can't move as fast and as agile as the used to. These players have to use their other abilities to still play tennis. Although tennis applies alot of strain on the body, there are ways to play that don't strain. They rely on their ability to place the ball in order to win. They don't apply much force on the ball but instead they use soft, finesse hits that still show their skill. The sport of tennis will continue to instill inspiration in the youth of the world as the elders of the world hold on to that same inspiration. Tennis connects people of all ages and brings a common ground to the world.

Woods and Federer

Many people choose their friends because they have something in common. This is usually like a favorite sport, hobby, or general interest. It's not common that that common connection is being a modern legend in your own sport. Not only are they both experts in their sports but they also have a little competition between themselves. They have both won many major titles and Woods is only one major title behind Federer. Needless to say, it's just a friendly competition. Through Nike advertising and Gillette commercials, Woods and Federer have gotten to know each other. They have invited each other to watch themselves play tournaments and over time, they have grown to respect and admire the other persons skill and determination. A determination that they find in themselves as well. Their relationship has grow far beyond the realm of sports. When Federer and his wife were thinking about starting a family, he called Woods, a father of two, to ask for his advice. Their friendship has moved past the publicity and drama of normal celebrity friendships to what is a true friendship. They have been able to offer support to one another as they both struggle with the publicity of being one of the best professional athletes of all time. They have an unlikely friendship, but at the same time, they show everyone else how two people are able to come from completely different backgrounds and support and care for each other.

She's Back!

Maria Sharapova has been out of the lime light for almost a whole year. Her shoulder injury prevented her from even touching a tennis racquet for 9 months. Before her injury she was one of the best in the world and one of the most talented players ever. However, after her injury she has been struggling to gain her skill and abilities back. After being knocked out of many tournaments, Sharapova finally grabbed a championship after her injury. Maria beat Jankovic in the Pan Pacific Open for the championship early this October. Jankovic had been ranked #1 in the world earlier this year so this was a very impressive win. Maria Sharapova is only 22 years old and already she has achieved the rank of #2 in the world, fallen out of the top 100 because of injury, and then fought back to beat one of the worlds best. She is truly a tremendous athlete. Although her injury has set her back, Sharapova still displays the skill and talent of a world-class player. She still has the potential to have the #1 rank in the WTA if she can stay injury free and keep her playing consistent. She is an example to all tennis players struggling with injury and to any one else, as she shows that with hard work and dedication, any one can fight back to where they were, just like she has done. Even though the rest of the WTA got to rest for a while as Sharapova recovered. It's now time to get serious because she is back.

Showin' Some Love

Rafa Nadal had an unexpected surprise at this years U.S. Open. I've seen some pretty enthusiastic fans but this tops them all. During one of Nadal's matches a crazed fan came onto the court, ran up to Nadal, and kissed him on the cheek. Nadal told reporters that the man said he loved him and then proceeded to kiss him. He said that the man said "I love you" in english but Nadal understood what that meant. Nadal wasn't upset by this and that was a good reaction. There's no need to be upset with a fan of yours. Especially one bold enough to do something like that. Even though tennis is a proper sport, sometimes it's okay to express your emotions; if those emotions are positive. Sadly the man was arrested for his actions but at least he completed his goal. Here's a news video that shows footage from the match:

The Improved Andy Roddick

For many years, I didn't know much about tennis. I was interested in playing and I liked watching it on TV but i didn't know where to start. I was only familiar with a few professionals like the Williams sisters, Federer, James Blake and Andy Roddick. Obviously they were all very impressive athletes since they were professionals but every time I heard anyone talk about Andy Roddick, someone would always chime in and say something about how all he had was his serve. Andy Roddick does have the fastest serve in tennis and he is more of a power player than a topspin or slice player. This does separate him from a lot of the other famous players, besides the Williams sisters. In many of his matches he would win on his serves but fall short when the other player served and this gave him the reputation of "only having his serve" that made him good. For a while, I believed this to be true. Roddick would never win a grand slam event yet he had the most powerful serve in tennis. However, Wimbledon 2009 ended that belief. It seemed like a "coming out" party for Roddick as he displayed the skills and tenacity of an amazing player. He was able to control tempo, precisely aim backhand and slice shots, and volley at the net like a monster. I was shocked as I watched him defeat Andy Murray, not at the fact that Murray was losing but at the extremely high level Roddick was playing at. Roddick soon had to face Federer in the finals. If he would have beat Federer then that would have truely been a testimony to the new Andy Roddick. However even in loss, the match still showed how skilled Andy Roddick really was. He has been a new player since Wimbledon and he has potential to be a great tennis player.