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                            J A N U A R Y   2007   TENNIS NEWSLETTER

Welcome to all new members and existing members to our monthly tennis news.

This is a single page newsletter and there will be links to other items featured
on the website Tennisatthenet.ws  .  All links will be hi-lighted as you have just seen, and if you click on the above links it will take you directly to the website.  

                                                                       




Please introduce your tennis mates (Coaches - players - students - club members ) to this newsletter, they can subscribe for FREE at: Tennisatthenet.ws .

You can, at any time access all previous newsletters by going to the archives, you can also
download a PDF files of the 'Play better doubles' Manual.

                                                     A R C H I V E S


                                           This Months Comments.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all subscribers the compliments
of the season, I trust everyone had an enjoyable Christmas and hope that
2007 will bring you Good Health, Great Happiness and Prosperity.

For my New Years wish to you - click on the following picture:

                              


Tennisatthenet newsletter is two years old, thanks for your support.

There is a lot to read this month so please enjoy the info.

The difference between a dreamer and an achiever is action.
They may both have the same goal, but only one of them will ever
reach it.

Everything is available to they who dare to play.

"Who dares to teach must never cease to learn"
- John Cotton Dana

New> 
Two items from Clint,U.S.A. this month, an article + a drill
Tennis for the beginner - next article.
In 'Coaches Facilities' at the website, I have now included
details about the CASC, you can view this directly by clicking
on CASC, this covers tax relief available.

2007 calender - 1 page per month - click here . to download.
You will also find the following on the same page:
How to develop confidence in your tennis game -

 
LATEST WORLD TENNIS NEWS - UPDATED DAILY
Have you tried it yet!! 

GRAND SLAMS FOR 2007  - CLICK  HERE
Plus all the ATP & WTA tournaments.


Untll next time

Coach John.


In This Month Issue:     

Item 1.         Tip of the month

Item 2.         Drill of the month  -  For squads            )
                     Drill of the month  -   For individuals    )     These are all extracted
                                                                                        )     from my drill book
Item 3.         Fun Game of the month                          )     on sale at the website.

Bonus Drills:

Have you checked these out!!!
There are 100 different tennis drills you can use to improve your
tennis or adapt as you require.

As a bonus for subscribing to our newsletter, you can download 100 drills.
These cover every aspect of improving your tennis; some are for more than
two players but can be adapted to suit your needs.

Where a 'pro' is mentioned, substitute 'your partner'.

100 DRILL BONUS DOWNLOAD

Broken Promises

"Sheesh! Give me a few points for self control!" I snapped at my cranky husband. I wanted to stop at a sporting goods
store "Going Out of Business" sale we passed in the mall. "There's nothing we need", his usual grumpy male comment.
"It's all overpriced junk. If they had anything good they wouldn't be going out of business."

"But, it's sporting goods", I wheedled. "Could be some good deals for the grandkids. And, you like boats and fishing
stuff. I've put up with that photo of your "dream-canoe" stuck on the bathroom mirror for years now. Maybe you'd enjoy
just looking around?"

"Are you crazy" his eyes got funny and he said something like. "The boat I want is the Supremo Numero-Uno blah-blah.
Soon as I finish saving up 6,000 bucks for that baby I'm going to order right from the manufacturer. Custom. In silver.
Yesiree. This loser store wouldn't carry something like THAT. And I'm sure not going near those sucker crowds."

"You're so darn negative and boring!" I retorted. "I happen to like crowds. They make me feel like I'm part of something.
I promise I won't buy anything but I'm going to look around for fun anyways. You go for coffee and I'll meet you back
here in half an hour."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, old girl." He chuckled in that self-satisfied "I'll believe it when I see it" way that
always gets me riled. "I know you're going to come out of there with useless junk. You always do."

His words made me mad. How dare he accuse me of being frivolous! I prided myself on being a wise shopper. I had a
darn good nose for bargains and stretched our old age pensions like nobody's business. Now I had a mad on, that's for
sure. "Boy, I'll show him." I promised myself I would not buy a darn thing, no matter what. Ha! I wouldn't give Mr.
Know-It-All smarty-pants reason to gloat.

I squared my chin and marched into the crowded store. Aisles and aisles of hockey equipment, basketballs, golf clubs,
exercise equipment, fishing gear, boy toys galore were strung with huge blaring signs. CLOSING OUT SALE - Up to
80% OFF. NO REFUNDS.

Up and down the aisles I strolled, ducked and dodged, humming to myself and enjoying the frenetic energy and
excitement of a sale.

All of a sudden, there, at the back of the store, in gleaming silver, full of lifejackets, paddles and fishing stuff, sat the
exact canoe of my husband's picture. I gasped and blinked three times. Yup. It was still there. The Supremo Numero-Uno
blah, blah. My heart beat wildly. I elbowed my way through the crowds, scrambled over junk in the aisles and darned near
fell into the canoe looking for the price tag.There it was - a little tattered, with the manufacturer's suggested retail price at
$6,750 plus tax crossed out and a handwritten TO CLEAR $750 AS IS. NO RETURNS. Must be a mistake. $6000 off?
Salesman. I had to talk to a salesman.I spotted a young fellow with a "Hi. I'm Mathew" tag trying to hide out from the
mob of bargain hunters. I clutched his sleeve. "Mathew. Tell me about this El Supremo canoe. What's wrong with it?
Why is it only $750?"

"Oh. There's nothing wrong with it. It's brand new. We're closing the store is all. It's on clearance like everything else.
I think that includes lifejackets, paddles and a bunch of fishing gear, too. I'll go check."

A few minutes later he came back and said, "I'm sorry ma'am. Someone made a mistake on the sale tag. It's supposed
to be $4,750 for the whole package. I just talked to my Dad who is running the close-out. He said it was worth more than
$8,000 regular price so it's still a real good deal."

I felt tears well up in my eyes. "Oh well", I said sadly. "Of course, it was too good to be true. This is exactly like my
husband's dreamboat. I guess I started to dream myself when I saw that price tag. He's going to be 62 years old Friday.
Had to retire early for his health. It's been hard on just the pension but the stubborn old fool has been saving $10 every
week for years to buy one just like this. Just an old man's silly dream, you know. Always said he wanted to spend his
retirement out fishing in a canoe," my voice trailed off and I turned and walked away.I was already at the mall door when
Mathew caught up with me. "Do you have $750 plus $25 for delivery and a bit more for tax, ma'am?" I gasped.
"Yes. Yes. That's about all I have," I said as I thought fleetingly about the cataract surgery I was saving up for."Well then,
you just have your husband sitting on the front porch on Friday morning around 10 o'clock so's he can be there when my
Dad and I come to unload his new boat. We'll even put a bow on it for his birthday."I started to cry. My old hand shook
and I had to squint as I wrote out my cheque. Mathew swallowed hard.

"Ma'am. There's something you should know. This store was my Grampa's. He ran it for more than 30 years. He always
promised to retire one day. Said he wanted to spend time relaxing and out fishing in a canoe. He ordered this one, custom,
for himself last year but, well, just never took the time off to use it."He swallowed even harder. "My Grampa died,
sudden-like, just last week. He was only 68 years old. I think he'd be mighty happy that your husband will get this here
canoe. My Dad thinks so too. You just have to make sure he uses it a lot, okay? Promise?"I handed Mathew a Kleenex
and we stood there together, quietly lost in our own thoughts for a moment, blowing our noses. "I promise," I said as I
dashed off to look for my dear sweet husband.


 

TENNIS FOR THE BEGINNER.

THIS MONTH’S LESSON FOR BEGINNERS.


Before we go any further we need to look at the grip that is used for the most strokes in tennis.

Because we tend to hit more groundstrokes than any other stroke, then obviously they are the most used grips and we have to change our grips for these two strokes. But; the grip that is most used for different strokes is the ‘Continental’ grip or as it is most commonly known ‘The Chopper’ grip. The reason for this is that it is how we would hold a chopper to chop wood, or a hammer to nail in a tack.


To find this grip take the racquet in your non-dominant hand holding it by the throat, place the thumb and index finger either side of the racquet head (see picture) and take that hand back down to hold the racquet handle.


This grip is used for the  SERVE  -  VOLLEY  -  SLICE  -  SMASH & a number of speciality shots.


THE SERVE.

This month and next we are going to do the serve and I am breaking this down into sections, to make it easier for you to learn.


The serve is the most important stroke in tennis, if you cannot get the serve in the service box, you are not even in the game; likewise, the return of serve is the second  most important stroke.


It is of the utmost importance that you follow these instructions religiously step-by-step, as any faults that you develop at this stage will be very hard to rectify later.


Take plenty of time on each point as they are discussed and make sure you are doing each and every one of them, every time you are going to serve or practice your serve.


1/.  Make sure you have the correct grip.


2/. Line your feet up correctly – it does not matter from where you are serving, the feet position remains the same- for right handers, the left foot points to the right hand net post, left handers the opposite. The other foot (back foot) is parallel with the base line.

Stand nice and comfortably.


3/. At this stage I want you to start at the service line (i.e. the line nearest to the net), stand behind this line and make sure your feet are not touching the line, this would be a foot fault and you lose the point.


4/. I want you to now hold the racquet up over your right shoulder, left shoulder for left handers. The edge of the racquet should be pointing straight down the court, Now take the racquet straight up, as though you are going to hit the ball with the edge of the racquet. Do this several times to get the feel; when we start to throwing the ball up, we will practice a few, hitting with the edge of the racquet.


5/. Now as you take the racquet up on edge, at the last moment turn it outwards so that you will be able to hit the ball straight down the court.


6/. Finish the stroke with the racquet flowing across your body and down to your left hand side.

That is all we are practicing of the stroke this month, other than throwing the ball up to hit.


7/. Place your racquet on the ground, straight out from your left foot (see picture). Hold a ball in your left hand and practice throwing it up so that it lands as close to the racquet head as possible.


The throwing hand starts level with the racquet and goes slightly down and up with the

Racquet (when we get to that point). The arm should be straight out, holding the ball, but not locked, the ball is released at the highest possible point, throwing the ball a little higher than you could reach with your racquet. There should be no spin on the ball. Having let the ball drop to the racquet a few times, now try and catch the ball in the throwing hand without any deviation to the side, the ball goes straight up and straight down. This will take some practice.

When a point breaks down, go back and go right through the routine again. The serve, being the most important stroke is also the most difficult to learn, be patient.


8/. Now put all the points so far learnt together and try to gently hit the ball over the net into the service bow. Practice – Practice – Practice.

We will finish the service action nex month.

                                                                                            
                                                       

Tip of the Month.

                                  January Tip of the month.

                                 *****************************************

 

DO YOU EAT BANANAS ON COURT?

Dr. Babette Pluim of the Netherlands said the following during  a conference on  on Sports nutrition.

The lecture concerned which energizers to drink or eat on the tennis court. She clarified that the carbohydrates in sports drinks only take about 15 minutes to benefit an athlete  However, contrary to popular belief, she stated that a banana is not a good option as a source of on-court energy since the carbos in a banana will take as long as three full hours to be fully digested and benefit the athlete.

                              *************************************

THE NEED FOR SPEED IN YOUR DRILLS

Often time the more competitive tennis groups (ie. 4.0 men or tournament level juniors) find regular drilling slow and eventually uninteresting. A great way to speed up the game and add a huge dose of bravado is by instituting the “burn rule”. What is the burn rule?

Simply, a burn is a clean winner. So the burn rule rewards those players that hit clean winners. Before everyone starts shouting about this goes against high percentage tennis just relax. In no way, am I endorsing low percentage / high risk tennis; however winners are a part of the game of tennis. Every player tries to hit them.

The problem usually arises with the timing of trying these shots. By incorporating the burn rule into competitive practice games, you now open up the perfect opportunity to instruct on the do’s and don’t of when to attempt winners.


For example, using the burn rule with competitive juniors in the game of Olympics [1], almost all competitive junior players will try to blast a winner on the first ball. More time than not they will miss horribly. This affords the coach the perfect opportunity to point out winners aren’t just about brute strength but about working the point and setting up good high percentage chances to hit and make (the important part of this) winners.


The burn rule can be used in any competitive game or drill where you have one player or team trying to get to a top court or champion’s side. It states that if a challenging player hits a winner, they take the champions spot automatically. If the champion hits a winner, then the challenging player’s turn is over. I will outline this quickly in an example of “Hot Seat [2]”.


Play this game best of three points. Which ever net person loses the second point then that is the person that is replaced by the challenger. Now using the burn rule. If on the first shot the challenger hits a clean winner down the alley, they automatically take over the spot of the player they passed.


This adds an extra level of excitement and fun to any game. It allows stresses the importance of setting up and working points before pulling the trigger on the big winner.


Clint Brassel

Icon Sports Systems

iconsportsystems@yahoo.com

USPTA & USNTA

http://www.writingup.com/blog/rgvsports

[1] For more information on how Olympics if played, please contact Clint at iconsportsystems@yahoo.com.

[2] Hot Seat is a game where 2 players start at the net in a dominant position while 1 player challenges from the baseline. They play out points with the baseline player trying to beat the net team.

                       SO WE’RE NOT PERFECT AFTER ALL !!

                          And Nature Makes Certain of That.

Are you a frustrated Tennis player and wonder why you can not repeat that
perfect shot?


Scientist have now found the answer.


They have discovered that the brain is designed to plan a move from scratch  
every single time. this means you cannot automatically repeat what has
happened before.


This may prove frustrating on the tennis court, but back in pre-history, when
we were hunting, such adaptability was vital to success as our prey was unlikely
to move the same way each time.


Unfortunately, the team behind the study, have not come up with any tips for sportsmen to over-ride  this natural instinct.


Researcher Mark Churchland, from Stanford University in California, said
practice and training may help a player improve, because the brain can work
out what to do more quickly.

Researchs say their findings shed important light on why humans move as
they do. They also show that, if perfection is all about consistency,
                   It really is true that 'Nobody's Perfect'.

Drill of the month - for squads    

Serious Drill   -   DOUBLES PRACTICE WITH COACH        

                                                     

Coach feeds first ball to 2 who starts on the
baseline. 2 hits ball back to coach and coach
plays the shot to one side making 2 move.
2 hits ball to 1who is at net with coach. 3
who was behind 2 moves to partner 2 and
the point is played out.

If 2 & 3 win, 2 goes and replaces 5 and 5
moves to play next point – 1 goes to end of
line. If 2 & 3 lose,2 goes to end and 3starts
the next point.

First player on coaches side to reach a set
number of points wins.


Drill of the month - for individuals

Serious Drill   -  WRONG FOOT DRILL                 


This drill is to set up a situation where you       
can wrong foot the opponent, the object is
to keep control of the point and dominate
the opponent allowing a finishing shot.


To start this is a fed ball drill and followed
by an open drill playing against the pro.

The player is working on one shot at a time
of a two shot combination.


The player is working on hitting behind the
opponent by going back in the same direction
the ball is hit from.


1., Coach feeds player from either of the places.


2/. Player hits back in the same direction.


3/. Use both target areas for the drill


4/. Player can come in and hit first volley to
       the open court.


Fun Game of the month                                                          

Fun Game – MINI TENNIS – HIT & RUN.                    

 

Includes an element of fitness training and
good footwork.


All four players start near the service line
and one player feeds a co-operative ball,
and then runs back and touches the baseline.
Each player must also run back and touch
the baseline, Players must hit alternative
shots.


Every ball must bounce and after each point,
all players return to the service line..


Alternative:  All shots must be hit with under
spin.
Can be played with six players who either
rotate in after each shot or each point.

An Extra drill this month from my collegue Clint who lives in Texas, many thanks
Clint for your contributions.

Group Warm-up “Zip Line to the Net” Drill 

                                                                                           

When dealing with large groups, sometimes it           

 can be difficult to find drills that keep the

group interested, motivated, and moving.

 

This particular drill accomplishes all three

challenges. Here is how it works.

 

Have the group split into 2 lines at the baseline.

1 line will only hit forehands and the other only

backhands.

Starting at the baseline, feed a groundstroke,

then an approach shot, and finally a volley to

the players.

After hitting the three shots, the players exit

the court through the alley closest to them and

then return to the opposite line. So if they had

just hit forehands, then they would get into the

backhand line.

The key to this drill is the feeder. The feeder

must be able to feed to both lines at the same

time. This allows 2 players to hit at once and

keeps the lines moving.  If the group is very large,

it may be a good idea to institute either a

bottomless basket (where players pick up balls

after they hit) or “non-stop” feet (where players

in line must keep moving their feet). This sounds

easy but after 5 minutes or so it does begin to

get tiring! 

                                                             


A
Featured at our 'Tennis At The Net Website:

Advanced Tennis - A must for all budding tennis stars Become A Better Player

Wardlaw Directionals - Learn when it is the best time to change direction.

DynaBand fitness training,Should anyone wish to purchase Dynabands, they are
a great way to exercise when on the move and they are easy to post or airmail
to you.

Flexibility Stretching - The latest facts about this important area in your programme.

Fitness Facts - including ladder drills, look in left hand menu.

Fancy a great tennis holiday - Any time of the year!   WindMillHill Place    
their number is 08700 339997

The unwritten rules of tennis includes an explanation of many rules of which the player is often not certain. Rules.

                                               BOOKS
You can now buy all of your tennis books, plus books on other:
              Sports  -  Activities  -  Coaching  -  Etc.
You will purchase at exactly the same prices as if you went direct.

Just follow the links below:

Click here to go to website & and on click on books.

Books published by the newsletter author:

Teach Yourself Tennis - All you need to know to start playing tennis.

Drill Book - Over 250 Drills & Games for Senior & Junior Squads.

Rotations - Features all of the permutations for tournaments -
                    Singles
                    Mens and Ladies Doubles - with same partner or changing partners.
                    Mixed Doubles - with same or changing partners.

Buy your tennis requirements -
                    Tennis Racquets 
                    Tennis Balls (transtition & regular) competitive prices .
                    Tennis Shoes
                    Mini Tennis Nets - £25.00  Also great for beach or garden.
                    DynaBands - Fitness training bands - as used by L.T.A. students.

Links to other tennis sites.

ADVICE TO HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR TENNIS CLUB.
Click for Lots of Ideas


Well that's all for this month - Only if you dare to try can you hope to succeed.

Success is the result of good judgement.
Good judgement is the result of experience.
Experience is often the result of poor jusdgement.

Coach John 

 
       

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