Tennis Secrets Of The Professionals Author: John Savage Author Ranking Silver | Posted: 13-09-2006 | Comments: 0 | Views: 373 |
This article which you are about to read on tennis psychology has been written because I have been made aware of the interest people have in this subject and this is understandable when you consider how getting a grasp on this will definitely improve your game considerably.
For ease of writing I have referred to He and Man but of course everything I say could just as equally apply to She or woman.
Tennis psychology is nothing more than understanding the workings of your opponents mind, and gauging the effect of your own game on his mental viewpoint, and understanding the mental effects resulting from the various external causes on your own mind. You cannot be a successful psychologist of others without first understanding your own mental processes, you must study the effect on yourself of the same happening under different circumstances. You react differently in different moods and under different conditions. You must realize the effect on your game of the resulting irritation, pleasure, confusion, or whatever form your reaction takes. Does it increase your efficiency? If so, strive for it, but never give it to your opponent.
Does it deprive you of concentration? If so, either remove the cause, or if that is not possible strive to ignore it.
Once you have judged accurately your own reaction to conditions, study your opponents, to decide their temperaments. Like temperaments react similarly, and you may judge men of your own type by yourself. Opposite temperaments you must seek to compare with people whose reactions you know.
A person who can control his own mental processes stands an excellent chance of reading those of another, for the human mind works along definite lines of thought, and can be studied. One can only control ones, mental processes after carefully studying them.
A steady phlegmatic baseline player is seldom a keen thinker. If he was he would not adhere to the baseline.
The physical appearance of a man is usually a pretty clear index to his type of mind. The stolid, easy-going man, who usually advocates the baseline game, does so because he hates to stir up his torpid mind to think out a safe method of reaching the net. There is the other type of baseline player, who prefers to remain on the back of the court while directing an attack intended to break up your game. He is a very dangerous player, and a deep, keen thinking antagonist. He achieves his results by mixing up his length and direction, and worrying you with the variety of his game. He is a good psychologist. The first type of player mentioned merely hits the ball with little idea of what he is doing, while the latter always has a definite plan and adheres to it. The hard-hitting, erratic, net rushing player is a creature of impulse. There is no real system to his attack, no understanding of your game. He will make brilliant coups on the spur of the moment, largely by instinct; but there is no mental power of consistent thinking. It is an interesting, fascinating type.
Now before you read any further let me just jump in here and say that I really do hope you are finding this interesting and indeed helpful. I have written this because I do believe that we need to know more about this subject, so, having said that, lets continue.
The dangerous man is the player who mixes his style from back to fore court at the direction of an ever alert mind. This is the man to study and learn from. He is a player with a definite purpose. A player who has an answer to every query you propound him in your game. He is the most subtle antagonist in the world. He is of the school of Brookes. Second only to him is the man of dogged determination that sets his mind on one plan and adheres to it, bitterly, fiercely fighting to the end, with never a thought of change. He is the man whose psychology is easy to understand, but whose mental viewpoint is hard to upset, for he never allows himself to think of anything except the business at hand. This man is your Johnston or your Wilding. I respect the mental capacity of Brookes more, but I admire the tenacity of purpose of Johnston.
Pick out your type from your own mental processes, and then work out your game along the lines best suited to you.
When two men are, in the same class, as regards stroke equipment, the determining factor in any given match is the mental viewpoint. Luck, so called, is often grasping the psychological value of a break in the game, and turning it to your own account.
We hear a great deal about the shots we have made. Few realize the importance of the shots we have missed. The science of missing shots is as important as that of making them, and at times a miss by an inch is of more value than a, return that is killed by your opponent.
Let me explain. A player drives you far out of court with an angle shot. You run hard to it, and reaching, drive it hard and fast down the side line, missing it by an inch. Your opponent is surprised and shaken, realizing that your shot might as well have gone in as out. He will expect you to try it again, and will not take the risk next time. He will try to play the ball, and may fall into error. You have thus taken some of your opponents confidence, and increased his chance of error, all by a miss.
If you had merely popped back that return, and it had been killed, your opponent would have felt increasingly confident of your inability to get the ball out of his reach, while you would merely have been winded without result.
Let us suppose you made the shot down the sideline. It was a seemingly impossible get. First it amounts to TWO points in that it took one away from your opponent that should have been his and gave you one you ought never to have had. It also worries your opponent, as he feels he has thrown away a big chance.
The psychology of a tennis match is very interesting, but easily understandable. Both men start with equal chances. Once one man establishes a real lead, his confidence goes up, while his opponent worries, and his mental viewpoint becomes poor. The sole object of the first man is to hold his lead, thus holding his confidence. If the second player pulls even or draws ahead, the inevitable reaction occurs with even a greater contrast in psychology. There is the natural confidence of the leader now with the second man as well as that great stimulus of having turned seeming defeat into probable victory. The reverse in the case of the first player is apt to hopelessly destroy his game, and collapse follows.
Let me finish this article by saying that there is a lot of information available on the psychology of tennis, just waiting for you to dig up. Try your local bookstore, your local library, my blog, and the internet, and you will be amazed at what you can find.
Tennis
elbow or Lateral Epicondylitis is a condition when the outer part of
the elbow becomes painful and tender, usually as a result of a specific
strain or overuse of the muscles which are attached to the bone at this
part of the elbow - the wrist extensors. They are the muscles which
pull the hand backwards. All the extensor muscles of the hand attach to
the elbow at the outer part (the lateral epicondyle). If they are
strained or over used they become inflamed, therefore they become
swollen, painful and tender to touch.
Both tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow typically result from
repetitive arm movement. Over-using the muscles in your arm can lead to
tiny tears in the tendons that attach the muscles in your forearms to
the epicondyles. If you continue to do the activity without allowing
the tears to heal, the tendons can become inflamed. This condition can
be caused by excessive use of your arm in long sessions practicing your
tennis stroke and in many other activities, including painting, raking,
pitching, rowing, hammering and using a screwdriver.
If you’ve
increased your activity in one of these areas and feel tenderness in
the elbow or pain that radiates down the arm, take some time off. Stop
doing whatever is causing the symptoms. Rest allows the microtears to
heal. If the symptoms are sports-related, you might examine your
technique and tennis equipment.
Today almost 50% of all tennis players will suffer from this disorder at some point. Interestingly though, the term tennis elbow is
also used for the disorder experienced by golfers , baseball players,
home fix-it enthusiasts and gardeners, although tennis players account
for only 5% of all sufferers of this condition.
The onset of
pain, on the outside (lateral) of the elbow, is usually gradual with
tenderness felt on or below the joint's bony prominence. Movements such
as gripping, lifting and carrying tend to be troublesome.
Symptoms
Recurring
pain on the outside of the upper forearm just below the bend of the
elbow. Pain caused by lifting or bending the arm or holding even light
objects. On occasions, pain radiates down the arm toward the wrist. Due
to inflamed muscles, tendons and ligaments, sufferers experience
difficulty in extending forearm. Pain that typically lasts for 6 to 12
weeks can last for months or several years.
The damage that
this condition incurs consists of tiny tears in a part of the tendon
and in muscle coverings. After the initial injury heals, these areas
often tear again, which leads to hemorrhaging and the formation of
rough, granulated tissue and calcium deposits within the surrounding
tissues. Collagen, a protein, leaks out from around the injured areas,
causing inflammation. The resulting pressure can cut off the blood flow
and pinch the radial nerve, one of the major nerves controlling muscles
in the arm and hand.
Tendons, which attach muscles to bones, do
not receive the same amount of oxygen and blood that muscles do, so
they heal more slowly. In fact, some cases of this condition can last
for years, though the inflammation usually subsides in 6 to 12 weeks.
Many medical textbooks treat tennis elbow
as a form of tendonitis, which is often the case, but if the muscles
and bones of the elbow joint are also involved, then the condition is
called epicondylitis. However, if you feel pain directly on the back of
your elbow joint, rather than down the outside of your arm, you may
have bursitis, which is caused when lubricating sacs in the joint
become inflamed. If you see swelling, which is almost never a symptom
of tennis elbow you may want to investigate other possible conditions,
such as arthritis, infection, gout or a tumor.
Relief
Conservative elbow treatment
usually works. Applying ice helps reduce swelling. An anti-inflammatory
medication, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, can also help. If symptoms
don’t subside in two or three weeks, call your doctor.
Flexibility and strengthening exercises are effective and will eventually allow you to return to the activity.
The best way for tennis elbow cure
is to stop doing anything that provides strain to the injured arm. Rest
the arm until the pain disappears, then massage to relieve stress and
tension in the muscles, and exercise to strengthen the area and prevent
re-injury. To prevent movement of your arm, you can buy an elbow brace,
elbow support or elbow strap from a sports shop or pharmaceutical
supplier, which can be helpful because it reduces the amount you can
use your elbow. For the tennis enthusiast, provide warm up activity to
the arm for several minutes before practice or play.
For most
mild to moderate cases of this condition, aspirin or ibuprofen will
help address the inflammation and the pain while you are resting the
injury, and then you can follow up with exercise and massage to speed
healing.
For stubborn cases of tennis elbow your doctor
may advise corticosteroid injections, which dramatically reduce
inflammation, but they cannot be used long-term because of potentially
damaging side effects.
If rest, anti-inflammatory medications, and a stretching routine fail to provide elbow cure, you may have to consider surgery. Consult your physician.
Even
after you feel you have overcome a case of this condition continue to
use your arm sparingly. Always warm up your arm for 5 to 10 minutes
before starting any activity involving your elbow. And if you develop
severe pain after use anyway, pack your arm in ice for 15 to 20 minutes
and call your doctor.
Prevention
To prevent tennis elbow and other tennis injuries:
Each year, more than 78,000 tennis-related injuries are treated in hospitals, doctors’ offices, clinics, ambulatory surgery centers and hospital emergency rooms.
Always
take time to warm up and stretch. Research studies have shown that cold
muscles are more prone to injury. Warm up with jumping jacks,
stationary cycling or running or walking in place for 3 to 5 minutes.
Then slowly and gently stretch, holding each stretch for 30 seconds.
Try
to avoid playing on hard surface courts with no "give," such as cement,
asphalt, or synthetic courts. To prevent lower back injuries when
playing tennis on hard surface courts, wear heel inserts to absorb the
shock.
Wear tennis shoes with good support to prevent ankle injuries. For added support, wear two pairs of socks or specially padded tennis socks.
To prevent blisters on your hands, dry your racket handle frequently.
When serving or hitting an overhead,
do not arch your back unnecessarily. Instead, bend your knees and raise
your heels, so your upper body weight is evenly balanced.
Avoid landing on the ball of your foot, which could result in an Achilles tendon injury.
Plantar fasciitis can occur if your foot is overused. Rest is the best remedy; but wearing tennis shoes with medial arch support or a heel cup can sometimes alleviate the pain.
Be
knowledgeable about first aid and be able to administer it for minor
injuries, such as facial cuts, bruises, or minor tendinitis, strains,
or sprains.
Be prepared for emergency situations and have a
plan to reach medical personnel to treat injuries such as concussions,
dislocations, elbow contusions, wrist or finger sprains, and fractures.
To prevent a relapse:
Discontinue
or modify the action that is causing the strain on your elbow joint. If
you must continue, be sure to warm up for 10 minutes or more before any
activity involving your arm, and apply ice to it afterward. Take more
frequent breaks. Try strapping a elbow strap, elbow brace, or elbow support
around your forearm just below your elbow. If the support seems to help
you lift objects such as heavy books, then continue with it. Be aware
that such bands can cut off circulation and impede healing, so they are
best used once tennis elbow has disappeared. At any rate,
several weeks of break from your tennis play is much better than
causing longterm injury to your arm.
Longest Tennis Matches
This article details longest tennis match records.Records
concerning the length of tennis matches can refer to either the length
of time that a match takes up or the number of games which a tennis
match lasts for.Many of the records have been affected by the introduction of the tiebreak in 1973 which has resulted in many earlier records not being broken.
All time
Longest match by time played: Fabrice Santoro versus Arnaud Clement at the 2004 French Open, it lasted 6 hours and 33 minutes.The match began on May 242004 but was suspended for bad light.Santoro won the match 6-4, 6-3, 6-7(5), 3-6, 16-14.
Longest women's match by time played: The longest women's match occurred between Vicki Nelson-Dunbar and Jean Hepner in 1984 lasting 6 hours and 31 minutes with Nelson-Dunbar winning 6-4 7-6(11).One point lasted 643 strokes and 29 minutes.
Wimbledon
Longest Wimbledon men's singles final: On July 62008, between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.The match lasted 4 hours and 48 minutes and was won by Nadal, 6-4 6-4 6-7(5) 6-7(8) 9-7.
Longest match by time played: Six hours and 33 minutes, between Fabrice Santoro and Arnaud Clement.The match began on May 242004 but was suspended for bad light.Santoro won the match 6-4, 6-3, 6-7(5), 3-6, 16-14.
Longest match by games: The 1955 semi-final between Sturgress and McGregor lasted 76 games with Sturgess winning 10-8 7-9 8-6 5-7 9-7.
Longest match by games since the introduction of the tiebreaker in 1973:
The 2nd round match between Agenor and Prinosil had a record 71 games.Agenor won, 6-7, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, 14-12.
The 2004 match between Fabrice Santoro versus Arnaud Clement, while breaking the record for longest match in terms of time equalled the record for games.The 71-game match was won by Santoro, 6-4, 6-3, 6-7, 3-6, 16-14.
Women's
Longest match by games: Before the
introduction of the tiebreaker, the longest match was occurred in 1955
between Mortimer and Knode and lasted 38 games.Mortimer won, 2-6, 7-5, 10-8.
Put
the first serve on the ad side. Determine which tennis player serves
first by figuring out who would serve the next match in regular play.
That player gets one service. Give the next player two serves, beginning on the deuce side. After
that, each player will get two serves at a time, each starting on the
deuce side. Score a tiebreaker match differently than a regular match. In a regular
tennis match, the score goes from love to 15 to 30 to 40. In a
tiebreaker match, the score progresses by one point. Change sides each time the total score total is divisible by six
points. So your first change will happen within the first six serves.
The second change will happen after another six serves. Win the tiebreaker match by reaching a score of seven or more and
beating your opponent by two points. For example, if you reach a score
of 6-6, you will need two more points to win.
OLYMPIC TENNIS FACTS AND TRIVIA
OLYMPIC TENNIS HISTORY:
Tennis was one of the original nine Olympic sports
in the first modern games held in Athens in 1896. The other eight
sports were Athletics (a.k.a Track & Field), Cycling, Fencing,
Gymnastics, Shooting, Swimming, Weightlifting and Wrestling.
Irishman John Boland (above) became the first Olympic tennis singles champion
(winning for Great Britain.) He had planned to visit the Games as a
spectator and was surprised when a Greek friend entered him into the
contest without his knowledge. He also won the doubles.
Charlotte Cooper (above) was the first woman champion in any Olympic sport,
winning the women's singles event in the 1900 Summer Games in Paris,
the first Olympics open to female athletes. She won the mixed doubles,
as well, with Reginald Doherty.
Tennis withdrew from the Olympics
after the 1924 Games, not returning until 1984, as a 21-and-under
demonstration event. The success of this event convinced the IOC to
reintroduce tennis as a full medal sport at Seoul in 1988.
There are no mixed doubles
on the current Olympic program, although it was an event in 1900, 1906,
1912, 1920, and 1924.
THE MEDAL COUNT:
Great Britain:
42.5 medals (I don't know how you win half a medal - perhaps it's
because a doubles team could consist of players from different
countries at one point. For example, John Boland won the doubles with a
German partner in 1896.)
Since tennis was reinstated in the Olympics in 1988, three of the five men's singles Gold medalists have never won a Grand Slam (Miloslav Mecir in '88, Marc Rosset in '92 and Nicolas Massu in '04) but all five women's singles Gold medalists have been multiple Slam winners (Graf, Capriati, Davenport, Venus and Henin.)
Serena Williams has not won a Gold in singles. She won Gold with her sister in 2000.
"Many players on the tennis tour have Olympic roots. Lindsay Davenport's father played volleyball in the 1968 Olympics. Leander Paes of India, a five-time Olympian, was conceived at the 1972 Munich Olympics. His father won a bronze medal in field hockey, and his mother was the captain of the Indian women's basketball team. Svetlana Kuznetsova's brother won a silver medal in cycling at the 1996 Olympics, and her father has coached six Olympic cyclists. Nadia Petrova's mother won a bronze medal in the 400-meter relay in the Montreal Olympics. Andre Agassi's father was an Olympic boxer for Iran."
Tennis Rules FAQ
Please explain how in game scoring 15 - 30 - 40 came
from.
In the fifteenth century in Old French une
journee meant "a sport match", as well as "a day", and
the scoring system was based on the number of hours in a day, and the number of
minutes in an hour. Each match consisted of 24 games, which in turn consisted
of four winning rallies worth 15 points each. However, it was soon realized
that when both sides were at 45 points each, it would be necessary to win two
rallies as otherwise the game might be decided on luck. But the total would
exceed 60 points and therefore also the number of minutes in an hour, so the
score was changed to 40-all with 10 points being given for each winning rally.
If there was a tie at 50 points all, the score would go back to 40-all. The
game could only be won by winning two rallies in a row. It was the same with
the game score. At 23 games all, it was necessary to win two games in a row, or
the score would be lowered to 22-all. As matches became too long, the number of
games played was lowered to 12 and later to 6.
What happens if a service is made
from the wrong half of the court?
All play resulting from the service will
stand, but the moment the error is spotted the correct serving point should be
taken up before the next service.
If I notice my opponent served
from wrong half of the court on his first service and it was a fault, does
he have to complete the service from that half of the court?
He should move to the correct half of the
court immediately, but has only one service left on that point.
If my opponent serves and then I
realize it is my turn to serve what happens?
The fault should be rectified immediately,
but all points scored before the error was noticed shall count. However, if the
error is noted after your opponent has served a fault, the fault does not carry
over to you when you become the server.
What about doubles? Surely it must
happen often that the wrong player serves? What happens then?
Well, it doesn't happen at the top level,
but it does happen in the local park. Once the error is discovered the correct
sequence should be reverted to and all points scored during the error shall
count. The same applies if the receivers take the service in the wrong order.
If players go to the wrong ends
after changing service when should the error be rectified?
As soon as it is noticed. All points scored
up to that time shall count however.
During an indoor game, the ball
from a service hits a rafter and then bounces into the correct service
court. Is the service good or not?
It would be a fault. Any ball that hits a
permanent fixture from the service is a fault. Permanent fixtures include such
things as stands, permanent seating and their occupants ... which could well be
a judge!
If the server throws the ball up
and then fails to hit it, is it a fault?
Yes. Just like in golf, it is a 'fresh air'
shot, and counts.
If the server decides to abort the
serve after throwing the ball up, is it a fault?
No.
Is a let called if the ball hits
the top of the net and goes into the correct court during a normal rally?
No. If can only be called a let at the
service.
Can I catch the ball on my racket?
Yes, you most probably can. But if you do
the point goes to your opponent!
What happens if a ball becomes
damaged during a rally?
A let should be called and the point should
be replayed.
If I play a shot then deliberately
hit my racket on to the ground and distort the shape of it before
returning the ball for a winning shot do I still get the point?
No. You are not allowed to deliberately and
materially change the shape of your racket during the playing of a point. Mind
you, if you have time to damage your racket, and then play a winning shot you
must be some player ...
What happens if my racket becomes
damaged during a rally?
You will have to wait until the end of the
point to change it.
If I play a shot that hits the
ground within the confines of the court and then hits the stop-netting at
the back of the court before my opponent can reach it, is it a winning
point?
Yes. The same applies if the ball hits any
other permanent fixture, provided you hit a good ball into the opposing court
first.
If I return a ball and it hits the
net post and then does into the opposing court, does it count or is a let
called?
It counts as a legitimate point.
What would happen if my opponent played
a shot, it bounced in my half of the court and then the wind took it back
over to his side of the net?
You would be allowed to play the ball
provided you did not touch the net with your body, clothing or racket.
What happens if my racket
accidentally slips out of my hand and hits the net, do I lose the point?
Yes, provided the ball is in play at the
time. Mind you, you were warned to take some talcum powder on to the court with
you weren't you?
Does a player have to be standing
in the court to make a shot?
No. He can be anywhere, except in his
opponent's area of the court.
If I play a volley close to the
net, hit the ball in my half of the court, but then allow my racket to
follow-through and go over the net, am I penalized?
No, but again you must make sure you don't
touch the net.
Does a ball that hits another ball
lying on the court have to be played as a let?
No, the shot counts. Mind you, if it
happened at Wimbledon the umpire would certainly have a few choice words
to say to the ball-boy!
If I am hindered from playing my
shot is a let called?
Yes, unless you are hindered by a permanent
fixture. Let's say a pigeon flies across your sight just as you're about to
play, that is certainly outside interference.
What exactly are 'permanent
fixtures'?
The laws of the game describe a permanent
fixture thus: 'The net, posts, singles sticks, cord or metal cables, strap and
band. Also, where there are any: the back and side stops, the stands, fixed or
movable seats and chairs around the court, and their occupants, all other
fixtures above and around the court, and the umpire, net-cord judge, foot-fault
judge, linesmen and ball-boys (or girls) when in their respective places.'
Can the server's feet be off the
ground at the time of the service?
Yes, but at the moment of striking the ball
his foot (or feet) must not touch the baseline or court the other side of the
baseline.
Where does the receiver have to
stand when taking the service?
Anywhere, provided it is in his own half of
the court. How close you stand to the net depends on the strength of your
opponent's serve.
How is the 1.5 minute break in
between games timed?
The time is taken from the moment the ball
goes out of play at the end of the game to the time the ball is struck for the
first point of the next game.
Is there a time limit on the
amount of time a server can take in between the end of one point and
serving to start the next?
In major international events this is
normally 30 seconds.
How often are the balls changed
during the tie-break game?
Not at all. The tie-break game is counted as
one game for the purpose of the ball change. If the balls, however, are due to
be changed at the beginning of the tie-break, the change is delayed until it is
completed.
Ballinlough Club History
In the summer of 1980 there was much speculation among the citizenry of Ballinlough as to what was being built by the Corporation next to the Community Centre - "Was it to be a Soccer Pitch? Was it to be a playground?" Nobody however guessed that this work was sowing the seeds of what was to grow into the vibrant Tennis Club that Ballinlough has become today. This early work was the construction of the very first court in the complex. It was carried out by Cork Corporation as part of an Environmental Scheme. Its opening by the then Lord Mayor Toddy O'Sullivan was obviously welcomed because in a very short space of time, the club had 180 members including 90 juniors. A small group of dedicated people most notable Mary Healy and Brian O'Connell and their committee worked very hard to get things off the ground. There was a lot of work involved - including taking down the net each evening and putting it back up every morning! Betty Preston, who is still a member, remembers supervising kids playing tennis throughout the summer. One committee member who was a young mother used to bring her baby together with all necessary nappies, bottles etc. while on supervision duty.
Unfortunatley the workload became too much for the small group who ran the club and so it went into somewhat of a decline for a couple of years.
However, with an ability to save the day which has characterised the Club's achievements both on and off the court since, the club was reactivated in 1984 with the construction of a second court. People like Myles Kerrigan, Vivienne Ryan, Ann O'Shea etc. all got involved and the Ballinlough Tennis Club phoenix rose again. It is fair to say that from then on the Club has never looked back.
The club has been very fortunate in a number of respects - there has always been a core group of enthusiastic people ready to run the club. It is somewhat unique in that unlike many organisations where the same people are left to run things for years on end there has been a constant renewal and revitalising of the club by the introduction of new people with new ideas onto the Committee over the years. Looking back through the club's records it is interesting to see that so many members were at one time or another very involved in the running of the club. It is no coincidence that in this period of constant renewal the Club has developed rapidly. As mentioned already, the second court was added in 1984. This was very quickly followed by the construction of 2 more courts in 1987 and 1990. In a further move to improve the facilities, flood lighting was provided in 1991. This was a major change for the club and meant that many more people could play more often in winter time.
Again, not content to rest on their laurels, the Club decided to re-surface all the courts. This involved major expenditure but confident that it was both desirable and necessary the Club proceeded with it. This work was completed in 1993 and no sooner was the contractor pulling out onto the Ballinlough Road than plans were being hatched for the building of "The Clubhouse". Like any happy family, life was incomplete without a home of its own. The club considered the matter carefully - it would be the single biggest undertaking yet - but again foresight and good sense prevailed and it was decided to "go for it". That decision led to the opening of the original Clubhouse in 1996.
