Tennis Blog

Funny Video of Random question from Tennis Stars

This is a cool video that shows some random questions and funny answers from some of the top tennis stars that are playing in the ATP Word Tour Finals. It shows stars like Federer, and many more. This was asked by Sky Sports.

Wilson Six One Tour BLX

Roger Federer's latest racquet, the Wilson Six One Tour BLX tennis racquet is updated with BLX technology. Wilson's BLX technology aims to resist vibration and offer a cleaner feel due to Basalt fibers incorporated in the racquet's construction. BLX adds to the popular KFactor version mostly in terms of feel. The Six One Tour BLX does feel slightly more dampened than the KFactor, though. The racquet which is solid from all areas of the court is an excellent choice for advanced players looking for more control.

Racquet Specifications

Headsize: 90 sq. in.

Length: 27.00 in.

Weight (strung): 12.50 oz.

Stiffness (Babolat RDC): 65

Balance: 12.40 in. Head Light

Cross Section: 17mm Flat Beam

Swingweight: 324 kg*sq. cm

String Pattern: 16x19

Grip: Wilson Leather

Wilson Stiffness Index: 6.1

 

Price: $199

Prince EXO3 Black Team 100 Racket

Here is another one of the great rackets used in 2010 that I was mentioning in the previous Best Tennis Rackets of 2010 post.

An update on Maria Sharapova's Prince EXO3 Black 100, the "Team" version offers the same great power and control, but with less weight. The racquet allows for increased maneuverability. Since it is part of Prince's Tour Series, it utilizes EXO3 Energy Channel technology, which is supposed to help boost stability and ball control. The racquet is an ideal option for intermediate to advanced players looking to add spin and power to their game without carrying too much weight.

Racquet Specifications

Headsize: 100 sq. in.

Length: 27.00 in.

Weight (strung): 10.30 oz.

Stiffness (Babolat RDC): 67

Balance: 13.90 in. Head Heavy

Cross Section: 23/24/22mm Tapered Beam

Swingweight: 333 kg*sq. cm

String Pattern: 16x19

Grip: Prince ResiPro

Prince Power Level: 975

Price: $179

Best Tennis Rackets of 2010

Every year there is a new top notch tennis racket available and the best ones used by the pros.  For the next few posts, I'll post the specification for these latest tennis rackets:

Babolat AeroPro Drive GT

Prince EXO3 Black Team 100

Wilson Six One Tour BLX

First we will start with the AeroPro Drive Gt offered from Babolat.

This is the racquet choice of pros Rafael Nadal and Caroline Wozniacki, the Babolat AeroPro Drive GT (Graphite Tungsten) is the latest update in Babolat's AeroPro Drive line. Because the racquet uses a hybrid material of graphite and tungsten, it offers improved control with a more solid feel. Its aerodynamic design allows for fast strokes. It is a good pick for intermediate and advanced players.

Racquet Specifications

Headsize: 100 sq. in.

Length: 27.00 in.

Weight (strung): 11.30 oz.

Stiffness (Babolat RDC): 67

Balance: 12.90 in. Head Light

Cross Section: 23mm Head/26mm Throat

Swingweight: 329 kg*sq. cm

String Pattern: 16x19

Grip: Babolat Syntec

Price: $189

Proper Tennis Racquet Grip

There are some tennis players that don’t consider looking at how important it is to have a proper grip on a tennis racquet.  You might hear people explain the importance of restringing your racquet is, but I don’t hear enough about the talk with having a proper tennis grip.

First, when buying a racquet, make sure you get the right size by considering its head size, how stiff it is, and right size grip.  Every person is different so your friend’s spare tennis racquet may not be right for you.  Typical grip sizes are four inches and have increments of one eighth of an inch.

Now that you have the grip size that feels comfortable to your hand, it’s important to hold the grip correctly.  There is more than one way of gripping a racquet with the western, eastern, and continental grips.  In a very basic sense, all you do is grip the handle like you would shake a person’s hand.

Even if you later decide you want a larger grip size, you can buy inexpensive over grip.  This is basically a sleeve that you roll over the existing grip to give it and extra layer of cushioning.  Always make sure you have a proper grip size because a it can help improve you game.

See this resource for more info on finding your racquet grip size.

Kim Clijsters' Slice Tennis Racket Forehand

This is a great observation of the pro Kim Clijster's backhand.  One way to get better is to practice and watch films.  Another is to pay attention to how the pros hit and mimic the good things that they do.

Kim Clijsters' starts her shot with her hand in the continental grip and the head of her racquet above the tennis ball. She keeps her head straight up to maintain balance. Clijsters also places her off, left hand out as a counterbalance when she swings. Besides helping her maintain poise, her left hand adds power to her stroke. Her strong core allows her to keep her shoulders practically even and turned toward the net. In this shot, Clijsters' feet do not do much other than get her to the ball, but she still bends at the knee to prevent tension when swinging.

Tennis Pro Rafael Nadal Backhand

Rafael Nadal hits his backhand with a wide open stance using his midsection to power the offensive shot from a defensive position. Any other players attempting to hit the tennis balls from so far away and with their legs so stretched out would jump forward and lose power. Nadal still manages to turn his shoulders as well as slide into this stroke and stop at the perfect time. He flexes his knees and pushes his shot from the ground up. Interestingly enough, Nadal is naturally right-handed even though he plays tennis as a lefty. So, his right hand does a lot of the work on his backhand.

Wilson nCode Tennis Racquets

I like alot of the tennis racquets made by Wilson. They have a budget line of racquets and some top of the line products.

One of my favorites is the Wilson nCode which you can find at Midwest Sports.

Overall, the nCode provides a lot of control from every are of the court. It is recognized as having lots of hitting power without jeopardizing any control. It is very maneuverability which makes it a desired racquet and provides a solid quality feel.

Here is a cool promo video that Wilson made and I thought I would share it. It shows Federer and explains a little bit about the racquet.

 

Four main types of tennis courts

There are many types of tennis courts; clay courts, hard courts, grass courts and carpet courts. Each type of court has its own characteristics and this affects the playing style of the game. This also means a few of the types of courts utilize different types of tennis equipment. Different characteristics make it easier for some players to perform on certain courts than others. Do you know which type of court allows you to perform your best?

Carpet courts are normally used for indoor courts and are designed to have more cushioning. The playing characteristics depend on the texture and thickness of the materials used to make the carpet. Normally a carpet court is tough and thin, sort of like ‘astro turf’.

The bounce is predictable – like hard courts – but the friction from the carpet can slow the ball down.

Clay courts can be made of crushed shale, stone or brick and can range from red to green to gray. This type of court can slow down the tennis ball but it produces more bounce. This is because clay courts have more grab and give off more friction when the ball lands. Clay is more favored by defensive players who enjoy playing from the baseline. Although, if you have never played on a clay court, this might be quite an adjustment as the different textures in the court can cause the ball to bounce at unexpected angles. This type of court is also easiest on the legs.

Clay courts are more traditional and while they are cheaper to create, they are more expensive to maintain. A good tip for playing on clay courts is to hit the ball deep on your opponent’s side of the court to limit their ability to return the shot. The French Open is a large tournament that uses clay courts.

Grass courts consist of grass grown on hard-packed soil and are the fastest types of courts in common use. On grass courts, the height of the bounce depends on how healthy the grass is as well as how recently it has been mowed and the wear from recent play – although most grass courts give the tennis ball a lower bounce. If you are a ‘serve-and-volley’ tennis player – like Pete Sampras – then a grass court is the best bet for your style.

The surface isn’t as firm as hard court surfaces, which causes the ball to bounce lower and depending on the court, the ball can bounce unpredictably. Many times, players hit flatter shots to increase the power and allow the ball to travel faster before the ball hits the ground. Grass courts are more slippery than hard courts, which also affects the bounce of the ball. Wimbledon is the most famous grass tournament.

Hard courts are usually made of asphalt and vary in speed. They are typically faster than clay courts but not as quick as grass courts. Hard courts are considered the most equal courts for all playing styles because they give the most predictable bounce and speed. They are also the most common courts and easiest to maintain. If you are a hard-hitting player, this is a great court for you. The consistent surface makes this court a great court for beginners and the easiest for the arm.

The US Open is played on an acrylic hard court while the Australian Open is played on a synthetic hard court. The main difference between a true hard court and a synthetic hard court is the level of hardness. The amount of sand used and the size of the sand in the top paint also affect the speed. More sand means less speed while larger sand bits slow the speed of play.

International Tennis Hall of Fame nominees

Twelve people have been nominated for the 2010 International Tennis Hall of Fame. To be eligible for this honor, a candidate must have been competitive in the sport in the past 20 years but must not have been a significant factor on the ATP or WTA Tour in the last five years. The vote will be made by 150 international media members.

The Recent Player category nominees are Gigi Fernandez and Natasha Zvereva, Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde and Anders Jarryd.  Jarryd was ranked No. 1 in doubles for 110 weeks. Master Player category nominees are Owen Davidson and Peter Fleming and Bob Lutz. The Contributor category nominees are wheelchair tennis pioneer Brad Parks; the influential nick Bollettieri; chairman of the Lawn Tennis Association, Derek Hardwick and Eiichi Kawatei.

The Enshrinee Nominating Committee for 2009-2010 includes Tony Trabert, Mary Carillo, Bud Collins, Frew Mcmillan, Pam Shriver, Stan Smith and Fred Stolle, and others.

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