Altitude and Tennis Game

While the rules and style of play in tennis do not change with an increase or decrease in altitude, the amount of air resistance does change. As a result, high altitude courts that are found in Denver and other high altitude cities often use high altitude tennis balls to offset the overall change in altitude.
Air Pressure
An increase in altitude directly correlates to a decrease in air pressure. When a tennis ball is hit through the air, the air pushes against the ball, slowing down its speed. With an increase in altitude, there is a direct decrease in air resistance, resulting in faster returns, serves and hits. To compensate, some tennis courts in high altitude regions move indoors, pressurizing an indoor facility to restore it to a higher level of air resistance.
Tennis Balls
In addition to pressurized tennis courts, tennis ball manufacturers have created both high-pressure and low-pressure tennis balls. To compensate for an increase in altitude, the high-pressure tennis ball has a bigger diameter, resulting in more surface area being exposed to air pressure. This increase in size balances out the air pressure, allowing the ball to hit and bounce in the same way that it does at a regular altitude. While high-altitude tennis balls are designed to compensate for this pressure change, large amounts of topspin on the ball can result in more severe movement than at a regular altitude.
Conditioning
Aside from changes in ball velocity and size, a change in altitude will affect your entire body. As a result, your training and conditioning will have to change in order to compensate for the new altitude. At higher altitude levels, there is a decrease in oxygen levels, making it harder to breathe in high-endurance sports that require consistent oxygen consumption. During weeks of training, your body will begin to produce more red blood cells, helping to bring oxygen from your lungs to your muscles. As a result, it is best to train for several weeks in a high-altitude area before a tennis competition.
Caution
A change in altitude will directly affect your body, potentially resulting in altitude sickness and trouble breathing. As a result, it is important to talk to your doctor to make sure you are healthy enough to play tennis at a high altitude. If you feel light headed or dizzy while playing, stop playing and sit down. As a safety precaution, spend a week or two in a high-altitude region before engaging in physical activity. This will help your body adjust prior to putting excessive strain on it.

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Cycling and Tennis for Endurance

While cycling and tennis are both intense, tennis requires a wider variety of skills than cycling does. In 2009, ESPN determined that athleticism consists of 10 components. They then asked a panel of sports experts to evaluate how much athletes use each component in 60 different sports. According to the panel's rankings, tennis is the seventh-hardest sport, while endurance cycling came in at number 20 and sprint cycling at 27.
ENDURANCE CYCLING
On a scale of 1 to 10, ESPN's panel determined that long-distance cycling requires an endurance level of 9.63. Endurance cyclists can ride more than 100 miles in a day, sometimes for several days in a row, so they need great aerobic stamina. They may also have to climb hills or pedal against wind or rain. The repetitive motion of pedaling calls for strength, power and durability, and ESPN's panel ranked distance cycling between 6 and 7 out of 10 for each of these attributes. The sport does not require much flexibility, agility or hand-eye coordination.
SPRINT CYCLING
The demands of sprint cycling are slightly different from those of endurance cycling. A sprint cyclist must be strong and fast rather than strong and steady, so he needs more anaerobic conditioning than a distance rider does. ESPN's panel determined that sprint cycling requires more speed and power than distance cycling, but less endurance and durability. Sprint cyclists also do not need much agility, flexibility or hand-eye coordination. According to the panel's ratings, endurance cycling is somewhat harder than sprint cycling.
TENNIS
A game of tennis requires more varied athletic skills than cycling. Although a tennis player does not need as much endurance as a distance cyclist or as much speed as a sprint cyclist, he needs more agility, flexibility, hand-eye coordination and analytic aptitude. A long tennis match demands aerobic fitness, but a player's repeated bursts of speed and power demand anaerobic fitness, muscular strength and flexibility. Players must also maintain their balance while in motion, a skill not specifically included on ESPN's list.
DIFFICULTY
Cyclists need to excel in one or two athletic areas, but tennis players must excel in at least four and be competent across the board in order to succeed at their sport. However, the difficulty of a sport cannot necessarily be quantified accurately. ESPN's 10 elements of athleticism are not the only factors that determine how challenging you find a sport. Your particular temperament, body composition, strength distribution and level of enthusiasm make a difference as well. Tennis may be harder than cycling technically, but if you hate cycling and love tennis, you might find tennis easier.

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Posted in: Cycling,Tennis

Things to Know About Good Back Hand Tennis Swing

Mastering the backhand is essential for developing a well-rounded tennis game. Notoriously a weak skill for most tennis players, if you strengthen your backhand, you will raise your skill level above the rest. Improve your stance, arm position, weight transfer and follow-through, which will send a backhand shot back to your opponent with the power you need to win.
Stance
Keeping an open stance with your feet facing forward allows you to rotate your lead shoulder until it rests under your chin. This position sets up the shot so that the lead arm uncoils fully, increasing your shot's power. Rick Macci, tennis instructor for Venus and Serena Williams, recommends standing at the baseline and practicing the open-stance shots to familiarize yourself with the full-rotation, which requires some getting used to.
Single-Handed or Double-Handed
The two-handed backhand is often easier for a beginner with undeveloped arm muscles, but eventually developing a single-handed shot might be better for your health. Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in a 2001 study compared backhand shots and their level of strain on upper-body muscles. The study showed that the single-handed backhand with a long stroke puts the least strain on the arms and shoulders.
Weight Transfer
The transfer of weight from a low to a high position adds power to your shot. Position your legs similar to how they would look if you were sitting in a chair. Keep your center of gravity low in order to maintain balance. When the swing begins with the lead shoulder under your chin, push up and swing the racket up and out.
Follow-Through
The final step for a successful backhand is follow-through. As you pull the racket around your body do not stop swinging after you hit the ball. Continue pulling the racket around to the lead-arm side of your body. The final position will vary depending on what feels comfortable. Victoria Azarenka, for example, pulls the racket around to the side of her head. You might decide to pull it near the level of your shoulder.

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7 Techniques to Hit Straight a Tennis Ball

You must execute a few important components of your stroke properly if you want to hit straight in tennis. The angle of your racket face at contact, where you make contact with the ball and what happens after contact are key factors. After you spend a few hours on court practicing the proper technique, you should be able to hit straight.
Step 1
Place a target cone 3 feet inside in each back corner of the tennis court. Set up a ball machine in the middle of the baseline and adjust it to shoot a moderate-speed ball with no spin. Do not turn the machine on.
Step 2
Practice your forehand ground stroke on the other side of the court. Draw an imaginary straight line from the left cone to where you plan to contact with the ball. Position your body so that the contact point is off to the right side of your body.
Step 3
Shadow stroke your forehand without hitting a ball and without the racket in your hand. For the basic forehand, your left shoulder points toward your target as you prepare to hit the ball. Stop your hand a few times at the contact point. Check to see if your palm faces the cone. Push your palm toward the cone by following the imaginary line.
Step 4
Grab your racket and shadow stroke your forehand. Stop the racket head at the point of contact. Check to see that your palm and the hitting surface of the racket are facing the target. Smooth out your stroke and take a few more practice swings. Concentrate on the hitting surface by following the imaginary line as long as possible. Finish your swings on the left side of your body.
Step 5
Start ball machine. Practice hitting the ball square with the strings of your racket. Envision an arrow going straight through the strings to your target. Don't stop your swing at contact. Concentrate on hitting through the middle of the ball and follow the imaginary line as long as possible before you finish your swing.
Step 6
Repeat the process for your backhand stroke after you turn the ball machine off. Draw an imaginary line from the right target cone to your contact point. Shadow stroke your backhand several times.
Step 7
Practice hitting balls toward the right cone with your backhand stroke after you have turned the machine on. Concentrate on hitting the ball squarely in the middle with the strings of your racket and following the imaginary line to the cone as long as possible.

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Posted in: Tennis

Techniques to Know About Tennis Sideways & Front Facing

In tennis, you can stand in several different positions depending on the technique you're using. The main positions are facing forward -- an open stance -- and facing sideways -- a neutral stance. Traditionally, coaches taught players to use a closed stance. However, recently players have begun to favor an open stance. Both positions have benefits, so pick the stance that's more comfortable for you.
Closed Stance
In a closed stance, both feet are essentially pointing to the sideline with one foot stepping in front of the other, as if taking a step toward the sideline. The closed stance has some benefits, though it's not used nearly as much as it once was. The closed stance ensures that you completely turn your body and shoulders during a swing. However, the modern tennis game has become much quicker and oftentimes you won't have time to completely turn your body and shoulders. It takes longer from the closed stance to move into position to return the next shot.
Open Stance
With an open stance, both feet are essentially facing toward the net. Your body will still turn to the side during a back swing. An open stance has a number of benefits in the modern game of tennis and many current professional tennis players prefer this stance. Using this position encourages a full follow through. It also takes less time to set up a shot. This stance is most commonly used for top-spin ground strokes and two-handed back swings. A drawback to the open stance is that you might not be able to transfer weight properly and can lose balance easier.
Other Stances
A semi-open stance is very similar to the open stance. When in a semi-open stance, you are still facing the net but at roughly a 45-degree angle. For instance, a right-handed player would move her left foot slightly forward and transfer all of her weight to her outside hip, in this case the right hip. The neutral stance is a basic stance that all other positions are based on. Beginners in tennis use this stance. During this stance, your body faces the sideline but both feet are pointed slightly toward the net, or the outside foot -- the one on the same side as your strong hand -- is parallel with the baseline, with your weight on the outside foot.
Recommendations
If you're new to tennis, learn both the closed stance and the open stance. Use whatever stance is most comfortable to you. You can also vary your stances depending on the type of shot and the time you have to prepare for the hit. If you have time to set up your shot, get into a closed stance. However, with a quick return you'll likely need to use an open stance.

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Backhand and Forehand Paddle Tennis Workouts

Paddle tennis, or platform tennis, is an outdoor sport with many similarities to tennis and squash. However, paddle tennis skills are easier to acquire than the skills for these other games. Both forehand and backhand drills are beneficial for gaining speed and accuracy. Rules of the game and scoring are the same as regular tennis with two exceptions: The ball may be played off the screens and only one serve is allowed when playing doubles.
BACKHAND DRILL
Gaining mastery of the backhand stroke is crucial to the game of paddle tennis, as 75 to 80 percent of volleys are hit with backhands. The back-against-the-screen drill provides practice in returning backhand volleys. Perform this drill on the court with your shoulders and back against a screen. A tosser throws an underhand ball slowly toward you, aiming the ball close to you so you do not have to take a step to reach the ball. Volley the ball back to the tosser using a backhand stroke when the ball is close to your body.
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CLOSE-IN VOLLEY
The close-in volley drill allows two players to practice their volley at the same time. Players stand on opposite sides of the net midway of the service area. Using backhand strokes, players volley the ball back and forth without letting the ball hit the court. Strokes are slightly upward with controlled speed, setting the ball up for the other player to volley it back. Make this drill fun by establishing a goal for the number of uninterrupted volleys.
FOREHAND DRILL
Returns in paddle tennis are usually hit with forehands. Make every effort to position yourself so the ball is in your strike zone, between your waist and shoulders. Brush up the back of the ball to give it spin. Practice this stroke by standing near the net and holding the ball between the net tape and your racket. Stroke the ball with your racket in the forehand position so the ball goes over the net.
FOREHAND AND BACKHAND DRILL
Perform a solo drill to practice both your forehand and backhand strokes. Stand in a corner of the court about 6 feet from a pair of screens. Forehand stroke a ball into the right screen so it strikes the left screen before bouncing onto the court. Backhand stroke the bouncing ball, striking it at an angle so it goes back into the left screen and strikes the right screen, setting it up for your forehand stroke. After you become proficient in this drill, practice without letting the ball bounce before you volley with a backhand.

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Hand Switching Techniques in Tennis

As in tennis or racquetball, badminton players typically use one hand dominantly. Although it's necessary to hit the ball on each side of the body, the player may use one hand for both the forehand and backhand strokes or she may use both hands when hitting on the nondominant side. A minority of badminton players develop ambidextrous abilities so they can switch the racket from one hand to the other. Ambidextrous ability is often innate, but it's also something you can learn.
Developing Ambidexterity: Basics
To effectively switch hands during a badminton match, you'll first need to build up the strength and deftness of your nondominant hand. Begin by using the nondominant hand for simple daily activities -- using a fork, brushing your hair and teeth and locking the door. If you have difficulty controlling the impulse to use your dominant hand, try sitting on it as you eat, forcing yourself to rely on the nondominant side. Drill simple activities that require you to use the nondominant hand to cross the midline of your body, such as sport stacking, a coordination exercise that consists of stacking plastic cups in a particular order.
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Developing Ambidexterity: Badminton Drills
As you develop basic use of your nondominant hand, incorporate your ambidexterity training into the particular movements required for badminton. Have a partner repeatedly serve the shuttlecock to the nondominant side of your body. Only use your nondominant hand to return the shot. Have your partner alert you if you accidentally use your dominant hand, a common instinctive reaction at the beginning.
An Extension: Serving
For enrichment, practice serving with your nondominant hand. While this doesn't necessarily offer a technical advantage during a game, practicing the serve on your opposite side can further develop your ambidexterity. Use a video camera or work with a qualified coach to accurately assess and tweak your form. If you use a video camera, record your dominant-handed serve before beginning the drill. Afterward, record it again; note whether you have made any adjustments to the standard serve through your nondominant drilling.
Switching Hands in a Game
Once you've developed some stability in your ambidexterity, incorporate it into the game. Take your time progressing from practice drills to real matches. Ideally, find a fellow player who's also looking to work on ambidexterity, so you will be well-matched for noncompetitive games. Otherwise, practice switching to your nondominant hand during easier shots. As you incorporate your new ability into the game, you may notice it affects your "ready" posture, as you hold the racket in a more neutral position.

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Returning Techniques of Two Handed Topspin in Tennis

In tennis, a lob is a rarely used move that can help provide points against an opponent who stays close to the net. The lob scores points in the space behind your opponent when he comes too close. The two-handed, backhand topspin lob is easier than the one-handed version because you have twice as much strength at your disposal. Adding topspin makes the ball gain height, helping it cruise out of reach over your opponent's head.
Method
The lob can be hit with a forehand or a backhand stroke. A lob with topspin is usually used for offensive moves. To use this move against your opponent, pretend you are going to hit the ball hard, which will cause him to close in on the net. Moving quickly, come up sharply underneath the ball and aim high. When hitting the ball, bend your arm as much as possible to get the leverage required to add spin. Concentrate on gaining height rather than on planning where the ball will land. The ball should fly out of reach over your opponent's head and land inside the baseline.
Purpose
"NorthEast Tennis" magazine calls the lob an effective way to win points against an opponent who always comes close to the net. Draw your opponent forward with shots that land close to the net. After he is drawn forward, the lob makes use of the space he has left unprotected at the back of the court. When you add topspin to the lob, it gains height, which makes it more difficult for your opponent to retrieve. Only use a topspin lob when your opponent is close to the net.
Timing
Using the lob early in the game might cost you a few points, but it also helps keep your opponent further back on the court. This provides more opportunities for scoring points in the long run, as you'll find more gaps closer to the net in which to hit your shots. To surprise your opponent later in the game, hold off on using the lob until he stays close to the net, then score a point with a lob when it matters.
Tips
Lob the ball high up so it falls from an area where your opponent has trouble seeing it because of the position of the sun, or the lights on an indoor course. Before you hit it, determine which way the wind is blowing because that will affect the ball's path through the air. To catch your opponent off guard later in the game, don't reveal your full abilities at lobbing the ball during your warm-up. Practice your lob often before trying to use it in a game.

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How to Generate Powerful Topspin on Tennis Ball?

A Western grip is used in tennis for a one-handed backhand return that generates a powerful topspin on the tennis ball. The Western grip is less frequently used in tennis than other grips such as the Eastern forehand, Eastern backhand and Continental. However, for maximum topspin to drive a low ball, the Western grip is favored by many tennis players.
Handgrip
Count the bevels on your racket handle beginning with the top bevel when your racket is perpendicular to the court. Number the bevels one through eight clockwise. For the Western one-handed backhand stroke, grip the racket with your dominant hand, placing the base knuckle of your index finger on the fifth bevel. Your remaining base knuckles should form a nearly straight line with the same bevel.
Body Placement
Position your body perpendicular to the net. Bend your knees and lean forward slightly, balancing yourself to pivot off your left foot. At the beginning of the stroke, move your right foot to position yourself for the incoming tennis ball. Using the shoulder as a pivot, drop the tennis racket toward the court and prepare to spring upward to create more power as you make contact with the tennis ball.
Swing
Drop the tennis racket down so the head is below your hand and below the incoming tennis ball. The racket head is perpendicular to the court when it makes contact with the ball. Brush the racket upward as you strike the ball while simultaneously springing your body upward from your flexed knees. The power of your body movement and the upward motion of your racket creates powerful topspin on the ball. Slide your left foot forward as you prepare for the follow-through.
Follow-Through
Complete the swing as the ball leaves the racket. Fully extend your arm and racket until they are like one long limb rotating upward as high as the 10 o'clock position before you allow the racket to drop behind your head to the 3 o'clock position. Your nondominant arm stays out of the action. Your upper body does not swivel from the waist. Body movement takes place as your left foot slides forward until it is even with your body and takes a step forward as you complete your follow-through.

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3 Types of Muscles Used in Tennis Volley

Though tennis volleys look easy enough for professional players, they require coordinated activation of at least nine muscles and muscle groups. Understanding how these muscles work together will allow you to build necessary strength and develop skill with specific volley movements. The major muscles involved in the tennis volley are in your arms and shoulders, though torso and calf muscles also participate in an expert shot. Talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise program.


The volley is a tennis stroke that hits the ball before it bounces or contacts the ground. Volley activation varies depending on ball speed, height and location. A backhand volley activates muscles differently than a forehand shot, for example. The major muscles involved in a tennis volley are the flexor and extensor carpi radiallis, triceps brachii, deltoids, pectoralis major, gastrocnemius, external obliques and erector spinae, according to a study published in "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise" in 1999.
Forearm Muscles
Muscles involved in the tennis volley in your forearm are the flexor and extensor carpi radiallis, which both help angle the wrist away from your body. Additionally, the flexor carpi radiallis is a powerful wrist flexor, or muscle that helps bend your wrist, and the extensor carpi radiallis primarily straightens, or extends your wrist. These muscles cock the wrist to keep the racket head up and help strengthen your grip when striking fast moving balls. Activity of the flexor and extensor carpi radiallis muscles was greater during forehand volleys versus backhand volleys, according to the study.
Upper Body Muscles
Your triceps brachii is a large muscle running along the back of your upper arm, your deltoids are the fleshy muscles on top of your shoulder joints and your pectoralis major muscles are your large, powerful chest muscles. Your triceps activate more strongly during backhand swings than forehand swings, possibly because forehand swings have assistance from the pectoralis major and the front portion of your deltoid muscles. While the pectoralis major assists the triceps in the forward swing phase, the front-to-middle portion of your deltoid plays a greater role in low forehand volleys.
Supporting Muscles
Your gastrocnemius, or calf muscles, support skilled volleys, as do your external obliques and erector spinae muscles. The external obliques are large, superficial abdominal muscles that play a role in trunk rotation and flexion, and your erector spinae muscles assist back extension and flexion. During a tennis volley, gastrocnemius activation was similar in forehand and backhand volleys, and the external obliques played a roll in shifting body weight in lateral movements. Bilateral activation of the erector spinae muscles decreased with lower ball level, suggesting changes in trunk posture depending on ball height.

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Stretching Workouts for Abdomen's Structure

Before Michael Phelps swims in a competition he stretches. Before Serena Williams plays a tennis match she stretches. Before Lance Armstrong's big races he too, you guessed it, stretches. Although each sport is different in nature, the common denominator of stretching before, during and after exercise can increase your efficiency, power output and recovery time while also helping to prevent injury. Quite often, however, exercise enthusiasts and even amateur athletes neglect to stretch a region of the body that is often regarded as the most tedious area to maintain and painstakingly hard to train, the abdomen.
The Abdomen's Structure and Exercise
The abdomen is comprised of multiple muscle groups, each varying in function. The deeper each abdominal muscle is in proximity to the spine, the more effect it exerts over back and body posture.
The rectus abdominis, often refered to as the 8-pack (both "upper" and "lower" abs), is the most prominent component of the abdominals. It runs the length of the abdominal region, from the pubic bone to the lower chest. Contraction of this muscle flexes your torso.
Exercise/stretch: The rectus abdominis is the primary muscle involved in normal crunches.
The external obliques run diagonally down from your lower eight ribs and attach to the top half of your hip and your rectus abdominis. The internal obliques run diagonally as well, but in the opposite direction from the external obliques. These muscles cooperate in opposition to rotate the body trunk. The oblique muscles also work together to compress the abdomen. The obliques primarily serve as rotators that twist your body at the waist and help you to straighten from a bent-over stance.
Exercise/stretch: The external/internal obliques are the primary muscles involved when performing side planks, bicycle crunches and any rotational movement (as in golf or baseball).
The transverse abdominis, located internally within the abdomen and aligned from side to side, lies underneath the obliques and serves as structural support for the internal organs and as a respiratory aid, pulling the abdominal wall inward as opposed to working as a rotational component.
Abdominal Functions
As a whole, working together, these muscle groups provide structural-trunk support, aiding our movement and assisting our breathing process. In congruence with our back muscles they also provide postural support, important for maintaining proper stature.
These same muscles also act as a guard, protecting our inner organs. Aside from its musculature, the abdominal region is where most of the absorption and digestion of food occurs. It houses the stomach, intestines, liver, kidneys, pancreas and other important internal organs involved in maintaining healthy digestion and healthy body function.
The Importance of Abdominal Exercise and Stretching
While it is important to engage your abdominals during any physical activity, to maintain stature and reduce exercise-related injuries, specific training and stretching techniques will help the development of the body's core integrity and strength.
When properly exercised, the abdominal muscles contribute to improved posture, balance and flexibility. Because of the multifunctional nature of the abdomen, performing exercises and stretches properly can also help to reduce the severity of back pain.
Abdominal Stretching
According to Tina Bernstein, M.S., biomedical engineer from the University of Southern California, "Any movement that hyperextends the back also stretches the abdomen. So roman chair work for the lumbar region and side bends for the obliques will stretch the rectus abdominus."
An excellent oblique stretch can be done by lying on a mat with your back on the floor, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Once in this position, extend your arms towards your feet with your hands clasped together to one side of your body. If you are stretching the right side of your obliques, your right arm is reaching straight out near the ground and your left arm is coming across your body to join your right arm.
To stretch your rectus abdominis using a stability ball, begin with the stability ball centered beneath your back lumbar region, with your feet flat on the floor. While relaxing your muscles, allow your upper body to gently roll backwards over the ball.

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