Technology Which Changed Tennis Game

As you go through a tennis racquet selection guide, you are likely to come across products that come with the fanciest technologies and the latest developments. The goal of these technologies is to improve your game. Some examples include the development of durable and lighter tennis rackets and strings to enable players to play better, save money, and reduce their risk of injury. The following is an overview of some of the most commonly used pieces of tennis equipment made as the result of technological developments:

Graphite rackets – Consult any tennis racquet selection guide and you will find that the most highly recommended rackets are those that are made of graphite and Kevlar. These materials changed the tennis game, as they helped players swing faster with lightweight frames. However, it enabled players to develop stronger bodies and higher technique requirements, too. Performance tennis rackets are manufactured with combined fibers that change their feel, response, and flexibility for every player.

Polyester strings – Polyester is another major game changer in tennis. It was introduced in the mid to late 1990s as synthetic strings, which helped develop aggressive and offensive tennis players. The strings are durable and capable of keeping up with the demands of professional and trained players, as they help generate more spin and speed.

Telemetry sensors – These are devices that help players keep tabs on their game and serve as an aid in improving their technique by providing real-time data analysis. The information is generated from the racket, so the data is more accurate. A tennis racquet selection guide can recommend specialized rackets with telemetry sensors.

Hawk eye – Introducing computer systems to the court has helped tournaments in accurate scoring. The Hawk Eye is a computer system designed to track a ball’s trajectory. Though it was initially used for replay purposes on TV and broadcast systems, it enabled players to understand the trajectory of the ball, too.

Professional Tennis Trick & Tips

Tennis comes with a continuous learning process where professional players thrive on tips and tricks from other players. Amateur players can improve their game by looking up tennis tricks and tips from experts and their coaches, too. That way, every player can understand the right strokes that can improve their game. Here is an overview of professional tennis tips and tricks that anyone can apply:

• Keep practicing – To make practice more effective, do it with a specific objective in mind, like mastering a specific technique. Once you have mastered certain moves (i.e. generating more power on the forehand, serving variety, and sharper volleys), you can move on to another objective.

• Practice with an experienced player – You can make the most of the practice by playing with a player who is senior to you or someone who plays better than you. This way, you can maintain your defense and exert more effort in your shots. Remember your objective in practicing and do not be intimidated by a more experienced player.

• Have the right tennis equipment – Adults need a 26-inch or 27-inch racket. When determining the right grip size, hold the racket hand out, palm side up, and measure from your ring finger’s crease to that finger’s tip. That way, you can determine the measurement around the handle, which is typically four inches in diameter.

• Watch professionals play – Look up footage of professionals playing tennis and replay them in slow motion. Focus on their movements to gain insight and compare them with your own game. Professional tennis players watch recordings of one another so they can learn, too.

• Try coaching a less experienced player – Another way to learn and master tennis is to teach it to another player who is less experienced than you. That way, you can further examine and understand certain techniques.

Things You Didn’t Know About Tennis Racquets

The tennis Racquet is like your trusty partner on the court, but do you know it well? Here are 20 things you may be surprised to learn about tennis Racquets:

• Tennis Racquets used to be made of wood from the 15th century to 1965, and they had strings made from cow intestines, which have been twisted and stretched to create an elastic surface with a high tension on the Racquet’s head.

• Before the 15th century, Tennis-like games used to be played literally by hand and people wore custom-made gloves or wrapped rope around their hands.

• Rene Lacoste created the first Racquet with a steel frame, and it revolutionized the manufacture of tennis Racquets when it enabled the increase string tension and the size of the head.

• The first professional player to use steel tennis Racquets was Jimmy Connors.

• The first modification made to traditional gut string Racquets was accomplished with nylon strings.

• For years, a lot of professional players believed that wooden Racquets provided greater ball control and accuracy, so they refused to use steel frame Racquets. However, the wooden Racquets were no match to the steel framed Racquet’s power.

• Wooden Racquets typically weighed around 350 grams, and some weighed half a kilogram. Modern Racquets weigh an average of around 250 grams, with lighter versions available.

• Tennis Racquets that are supposedly made of graphite are not made using the mineral that bears the same name. Instead, ‘graphite’ pertains to the reinforced thermoplastic visco-elastic polymer, which is durable and lightweight.

• Graphite tennis Racquets were popularized by John McEnroe.

• Many of the tennis Racquets we know today are manufactured in Asia, particularly in Japan.

• Some modern Racquets have heads with tiny chambers, which contain ball bearings to absorb impact and to minimize tennis elbow.

• High-quality Racquets are sold without their strings, so experienced players have more freedom to pick the strings and tension according to their preference.

• In the 1980s, ITF banned ‘spaghetti string’ Racquets to prevent low-ranked players from consistently defeating skilled players.

• Low tension strings offer more power, and high tensions provide more control over the ball’s behavior.

• The spacing of the tennis Racquet’s strings can affect the ball’s angle of deflection. Hence, rules restrict the distance to 1.3cm.

• A modern tennis Racquet has a head with a surface area that can be as big as 137 square inches, which is almost double the maximum size of the head of wooden Racquets.

• If you choose a lightweight Racquet, you get a smaller sweet spot, more vibration, and reduced power.

• The size of the tennis Racquet’s grip is more crucial than other factors when choosing a tennis Racquet. Choose the wrong size and you risk injury and becoming easily fatigued.

• There are no laws regulating tennis Racquet length.

• The tennis Racquet evolved with reducing vibrations upon impact with tennis balls as the main goal.

Best Tennis Racket Brands

There are more than 15 different tennis racket brands? You certainly have a wide variety of options when buying a new racket. You are probably very familiar with names like Prince, Dunlop, Wilson, and Head, but some brands may sound unfamiliar to you. Don’t overlook these unfamiliar names because they may have the best type of tennis racket for your skill level and play style. Here are some of the best tennis racket brands you should consider:

• Babolat – The company is known for inventing tennis strings, and they produce many different types of rackets for different sports (including badminton and paddle). Well-known tennis players like Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal have helped make Babolat popular with both recreational and highly competitive players. Babolat’s rackets come with unique features like Cortex Active technology, graphite tungsten technology, Aero Beam, Woofer, and Aero Modular.
  
  
• Wilson – This American company started out in the meatpacking industry. They used animal byproducts to create natural gut tennis strings. Wilson’s popularity surged partly because of the endorsement of players like the Williams sisters and Roger Federer. Technologies like Triad with Iso Zorb, Yoke, Amplifeel, and spin effect technology are all produced by Wilson. To see their bestsellers, look at their Pro Staff line.
  
  
• Prince – Since 1970, Prince has been revolutionizing tennis with its tennis ball machine. But it was only in 1995 that it became well-known for producing a signature tennis racket--the Longbody Michael Change—which became the best in the world.
  
  
• Head – This brand has been around since the 1950s and is credited with producing the first oversized metal tennis rackets. Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi contributed to the popularity of Head in the 1990s.
  
  
• Yonex – This company started out with badminton rackets in 1957. In 1982, they started producing aluminum tennis rackets.
  
  

• Volkl – Originally a ski manufacturer, Volkl has expanded its product offerings to include tennis gear and rackets with signature technologies like Bio Sensor and Organix high tech carbon material, which dampens vibration.

5 Common Injuries That Tennis Players Face

Although tennis is not as high-impact as other sports like football, hockey, and basketball, it still puts you at risk of certain types of injury. Here are some of them:

• Rotator cuff tears – Your rotator cuff is made up of four muscles and various tendons that work together for mobility and stability. Overuse or an acute injury can cause it to tear gradually. The symptoms of a tear include tenderness, weakness, and pain in the shoulder, cracking and snapping noises when you move your shoulder, and difficulty in lifting your arm.

• Tennis elbow – Medically known as ‘lateral epicondylitis,’ tennis elbow is the inflammation of tendons joining your forearm muscles to the outside of your elbow. It is similar to a golfer’s elbow, except that it occurs on the outside of your elbow instead of the inside. The condition occurs because of overuse, and it is common in people who play racket sports like tennis. The symptoms include weak grip strength and burning or pain outside the elbow, and these may worsen as you use your forearm.

• Jumper’s knee – Jumping can put too much strain on the patellar tendon, which attaches your kneecap to the shinbone and helps in the movement of your leg. The tendon supports your weight when jumping and walking, too. Microscopic injuries and tears can occur as a result of repetitive jumping, resulting in swelling and pain, which may intensify as you use the stairs, jump, or kneel.

• Sprains – With all the sudden sideways movements, tennis players often sprain or damage their ankles, resulting in swelling, stiffness, and pain. Some bruising may occur, too. You may not be able to play for a while as long as the ankle is unstable.

• Stress fractures – Tennis requires you to hyperextend your back, which means bending, side-bending, and rotating your trunk, resulting in stress fractures. The actions can put stress on your lower back and may lead to spondylolisthesis, a condition in which your vertebra moves forward.

Breathing - the First Step TowardsImproving Your Tennis Skills

Do you tend to hold your breath before hitting the ball? Does your breathing become shallow while you are playing tennis? If you do (like most players) then you could be taking power and control away from your swing. There is a way to breathe properly while playing tennis if you want to improve your performance. Here are some tips.

1. Exhale as exhale as you swing.

Make it a habit to exhale during your forward swing. Keep your exhale long for serves and groundstrokes and shorter for overheads and volleys. To practice, try exhaling immediately as you begin your forward swing. Fight the urge to breathe all your air out as you hit the ball. You should ideally be in the middle of your exhale when you hit it. In simplest terms, half your exhale should happen before contact and half of it after contact.

2. Breathe during a rally.

The key is to maintain a steady breathing rhythm between strokes. This might be a lot more challenging than it seems especially when all your attention is on the ball and on the movements of your opponent. You might instinctively hold your breath. But don’t give up—you can change your habits. Practice in easy playing conditions first. Rally with your partner down the middle until you can establish a breathing rhythm, then ask your partner to start moving you around the tennis court. Try to maintain the same steadiness in your breathing pattern.

3. Recover after each point.

Get some oxygen by taking a few deep breaths. This will resupply your lungs with air and give you the energy you can use for future points. Breathe deeply as you walk around the court and aim to get back to your normal breathing. There are only a few seconds in between points in a real match—20 seconds to be exact—so you need to train your lungs to recover quickly.