Archive for: tennis
As we are nearing the end of the first week of the US Open 2011, we have been able to watch many interesting matches. One of the things I have been focusing on is players who are wrongly challenging the Line Judge’s calls. Many people wonder how the player can challenge the call for a ball which is clearly on the line, especially when the player was right there to see where the ball landed. Of course, the other side of the coin is also rarely understood, when the Line Judge wrongly calls one way or the other and the ball is shown to have been clearly different from the call.
How Do Our Brains Discriminate This Information Wrongly?
Our coordination is based in some brain circuits which originate and parse out the timing signals for activation and release of our muscles. Our motor planning and sequencing process does the parsing so that each muscle is activated or released in the correct order for our movements to occur. The more precise those master timing brain circuits, the more precise is our motor planning and sequencing process, and the better is our coordination.
If our master brain timing circuits are not very precise our brain’s motor planning and sequencing circuits cannot keep up with the volume of (visual as well as auditory and kinesthetic) data being received, so they miss some of the data and fill in some data which our brain has made up (extrapolated) from the data that was perceived. If our brain’s master timing circuits are not very precise, many of the things we think we see are made up and filled in by our brain. So, we think we see one thing and the reality can be different.
It’s In The Flipping Cards
Do you remember seeing a series of drawings on a deck of cards being slowly flipped so that your brain sees the artwork moving like a cartoon? That’s how our brain processes the images it has to manage from the real world. It sees a series of frames. And, depending on the precision of your master brain timing circuits, your brain can process anywhere between 10 and 30 frames per second.
How About A Golf Story?
I worked with a golf professional to improve his rhythm and timing. He was not a tour pro. He operated a golf course and he trained golfers. He had a very busy training schedule and he never even had time to play a round of golf during the 6 weeks that we worked together. He did hit a bucket of balls each week, so he knew that his swing and his accuracy improved over the course of his training with me. I had secretly hoped that his golf scores would improve so that I had referral information about using this training to improve golf play. But the surprise was that his golf training students dramatically improved their results during and after his rhythm and timing training with me.
What happened was that he was processing about 15 frames per second as we started and was processing almost 30 frames per second when we finished. This means that for an average golf swing of one of his students, he was seeing perhaps 7 frames when he started the training with me. He was seeing about 15 frames per swing as he finished getting his own rhythm and timing circuits fine tuned with me.
Actually Seeing More Of The Cards
Because he was seeing more of the frames of his students swing, he was able to make more fine discriminations of his student’s movements. He was able to actually see more of what had been happening with his students swing, so he was able to make more fine and more appropriate distinctions of the movements in his student’s swings.
This means that his brain was not giving him as much ‘made up’ information as before. Because he had more precise information about the swing, he was able to give more precise training interventions and his students were able to dramatically improve their own golf scores.
Getting The Right Information Makes All The Difference
Challenging the Line Judge’s calls is tricky business when you didn’t actually ‘see’ where the ball landed. Many times in the matches at the US Open this year, we see a player challenge when a ball is called ‘in’ because they perceived that the ball was ‘out.’ And when the replay shows us that the ball was straddling the line, it is easy to come to the conclusion that the challenging player needs to improve their basic rhythm and timing brain circuits.
Here are some pictures of what Roger Federer might be wearing at this year’s US Open:
Day outfit:
Night outfit:
Here are some pictures of what World No. 2 Rafael Nadal might be wearing at this year’s US Open:
Day outfit:
Night outfit:
In her semifinal match with Agnieszka Radwanska at Carlsbad, California, Andrea Petkovic ran of the court in the second set of the match to go to the bathroom and vomit after she “ate something bad for lunch”, as Petkovic discussed that she wouldn’t have liked to be on SportsCenter for the next 25 years.
Petkovic eventually lost the match, 4-6, 6-0 6-4.
“At the point where I ran out, I couldn’t hold it back anymore,” Petkovic said. “I didn’t want to be on Sports Center for the next 25 years.”
Petkovic did not have a point taken away as a penalty, as she had previously warned the chair umpire. She was also allowed a medical timeout off the court.
“I told her immediately I need to throw up,” Petkovic said. “The trainer gave me something against it. It didn’t help. I just felt this big stone in my stomach that needed to get out. I told them, Listen, I actually just feel fine, I just need to go to the bathroom as quick as possible.”
Petkovic said that she wouldn’t have liked to have the same incident as Pete Sampras at the 1996 US Open against Alex Corretja.
Here is a photo of what Caroline Wozniacki’s outfit, obviously by Stella McCartney, could be for the 2011 US Open:
Former World No. 1 Serena Williams defeated Marion Bartoli for her first title since her comeback after a long year of injuries and illnesses. The American eased past the Frenchwoman after coming from behind in the first set, and earning the Bank of the West Classic title on Sunday with a score of 7-5 6-1.
“You can see the growth in her game, and also she’s such a nice person. Thank you for being sweet. That’s really nice.”, Serena said about Marion at the trophy presentation.
Going into the tournament, Williams was No. 169 in the world, but after beating top players such as Sharapova and Bartoli, her ranking has lifted to No. 79 in the world.
“I hated those triple digits. Now I’ve got to get to single digits.”, Serena said, chuckling, about her ranking.
ongratulations, Serena!
And welcome back to the winner’s circle!
Li Na is climbing towards Maria Sharapova in terms of the Highest Earning Emale Athlete , as the first Chinese Grand Slam champion has signed seven endorsement deals that range from $2 million to $3.5 million. Li Na’s agent, Max Eisenbud, who is also Sharapova’s agent, said that if she would have te time, she could easily sign five more deals.
Na’s endorsement deals include Mercedes Benz, Rolex, Haagen Dazs, and many more. All of Na’s new endorsement contracts are for a period of three years, and are worth at least $42 million combined.
The London Olympics is less than a year away and they have just showcased the medals the athletes will be trying to win.
Tennis has many tournaments in each season or year, but there are only four tournaments that mean the most to players who desire praise. The four Grand Slam tournaments are the Australian Open, the French Open, the Championships Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open. Let me tell you a little bit about the history of each of these four glorious events of tennis. First up, the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open. It has been played in seven different locations since 1905, when it was first played on grass. In 1988, the surface changed to hard courts, and the location of the Grand Slam stayed permanently in Melbourne, Australia. And here is a twist: the Australian Open was not even a Grand Slam until 1924! Since this tournament is played in the summertime of the southern hemisphere, there is a extreme-heat policy, since the temperatures can reach dangerous levels that could harm players.
Next up is the French Open, also known as Roland Garros, which is played in the city of love: Paris, France. This event has been played in four different venues since it started in 1891, (1897 for the women), and it was not official a Grand Slam tournament until 1925, when it was known as the French Championships. The French Open played on clay, is usually played around the end of May, and carries on for two weeks, just like all of the other Grand Slam tournaments. There was talk in 2010 about the French Open venue, as it was thought as being too small, and there was talk that it would be played in a bigger venue, but the rumors were put to a halt when the French Tennis Federation decided to keep the venue and build bigger stadiums, as well as build a roof on the main stadium.
The third Grand Slam of the year is quite special, as it is played on grass that is mowed down to a length on 8 millimeters! This event is called The Championships Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon, and is played in Wimbledon, London, England. Here are some cool facts about this Grand Slam: it is sometimes called SW19, because that is the post code of the area where Wimbledon’s venue is, which is the All England Club; the event started all the back at 1877; and Wimbledon was not played twice in its history, due to the outbreak of Word War I and Word War II. Wimbledon has had a roof since 2009, when it was decided that at least one court, the main stadium, should have a roof due to the annual rain reports at the tournament.
The last Grand Slam of the year is the U.S. Open, which is held in the Big Apple: New York, USA. Some fun facts about it are that it was first held in 1881 the state of Rhode Island; the U.S. Open has been played on three different surfaces, grass, then clay, then hard, in its history; it is held every year for two weeks, with one week before the Labor Day weekend, and one week after; and the main stadium of the venue is Arthur Ashe Stadium, which is the largest outdoor tennis-only stadium in the world!
The Grand Slams have a great history behind them, and that is why the history of these great tournaments is well worth knowing!
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It seems like Leisure Diving is the new viral thing at the moment and I just came across Leisure Diving Tennis Style.
What do you think?
Check out more pictures are Leisuredive.com
p.s. Looks a little bit like Andy Murray!
This morning we received an email about a great new tennis product, the Pressure Ball. Pressure Ball is a new product that helps keep the pressure on your tennis balls. Pressure Ball is in fact a multilayer flexible plastic pressure tube that fits 8 tennis balls at a time.
It seems like a very interesting product. Check out more details at www.pressureball.com.
Former world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport is pregnant with her third child, and she will not play the World Team Tennis Pro League this summer.
Lindsay gave birth to a boy, Jagger Jonathan, on June 10, 2007, and then she gave birth to a girl, Lauren Andrus, on June 27, 2009.
Davenport, now 35, has won three Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam doubles titles in her career.
Maria Sharapova’s US Open day dress is different from the one that was posted earlier, as that was her Wimbledon dress. Here is a picture of both day and night dresses:
Here are a few photos of the possible outfit that Maria Sharapova might wear at this year’s US Open:
Day:
Night:
The Championships Wimbledon was brought to the public for the first time, to nearly 200 theaters, in 3D; this was a very special event that occurred on Wimbledon’s 125th anniversary.
Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova filled the 3D screen for the ladies’ final of the third Grand Slam event of the year. Sharapova’s screams and the sounds of Kvitova pounding the ball were realistic, just as if the two women were actually playing the final in the theater room.
This was a breakthrough for technology, as the event was aired live, and in 3D, in theaters. Other sporting events have been aired in 3D, but this event was the most well-known, and the most successful, as it was aired in countries ranging from England to Uruguay.
Wimbledon has considered adding a retractable roof to Court No.1, the venue’s second biggest court after Center Court.
The first court to have a roof was Center Court, when the roof was finished and first used in the 2009 Wimbledon Championships.
Rain had hit Wimbledon this year more than it did last year. The roof was used often on Center Court in 2011, the only court that has a roof and could be played on during stormy days.
Some of the other Grand Slams have roofs over their main courts as well; there are two retractable roofs at the Australian Open, and Roland Garros says it will have a retractable roof on its main stadium by 2016. The U.S. Tennis Association says it does not plan to put a roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the top court for the U.S. Open.
Wimbledon spokesman Johnny Perkins said that “everything is up for discussion” and added that “a Court 1 roof can’t be ruled in, but couldn’t be ruled out.”
So you’re all dressed up in your gear, racket in hand, ready for a nice warm day full of tennis training at a Tennis Academy in Florida. But before you walk out onto that court, you’ve got to warm up those muscles to avoid straining them.
The problem is that most people aren’t doing proper warm-ups before playing tennis. Most people just stretch out their muscles because that is what they are taught to do. In reality, this is the worst thing you can do for your muscles before an active workout. Imagine your muscles as if they are rubber bands. If you stretch a rubber band too far too quickly it could easily snap. Yet if you stretch it gradually, a little bit each day, it will become more stretchable and flexible. It just takes time.
But before you start playing tennis, you don’t need to stretch. You need to warm your muscles up and get blood flowing to them so they’re ready for some intense activity. This is called dynamic stretching, or active dynamic warm-up. Basically, instead of stretching out the muscles, you are moving them so they are prepared for activity.
Some dynamic stretches you can do are:
*Light walking or jogging for five minutes
*Knee Hugs-walking by hugging each knee to your chest
*Arm circles
*Jumping jacks
Doing mock tennis moves also counts as dynamic stretching. Mocking hitting the ball with a variety of swings will prepare your muscles even better for playing. It is advised to do as much dynamic stretching as possible before every game or training session. But make sure to do it within thirty minutes of playing, as the benefits of the warm up will wear out with 30 minutes of inactivity.
Now when it comes to the cool down, this is a different story. If you have no intention of going to play more later in the day, then a static stretch, or cool down stretch, is important. This will help slow down your muscles without bringing them to a complete halt, and slowly removing the lactic acid your activity has build up in your muscles. Without stretching after your workout, your muscles will feel sore.
Some static stretches you can do are:
*Lunges-one foot forward, other leg stretched back, trying to press heel to the floor. Make sure front knee does not go beyond the toe, as this could injure the knee.
*Arm crossovers-one arm across the chest, the other arm holds and pushes it back
*Hand down spine-one arm overhead, hand going back on the spine, other hand gently pulls on the elbow
*Touch your toes-can be done sitting down or standing up. Each stretches the muscles differently.
Warming up and cooling down are integral parts of playing any sport. They are meant to prepare your muscles for active workouts and to relieve them from the stress they endured during the workout. Doing these will minimize the risk of injury.
Remember that dynamic stretching goes before you work out, and static stretching comes afterward. If you feel pain at any moment, cease stretching or working out and let the muscle rest. If it persists, seek medical assistance.
It has now been confirmed that Patty Schnyder has retired from tennis. Patty has had an amazing 17 year career with 11 WTA Tour titles.
The 32-year-old, currently ranked No. 55, made her first majors appearance at Roland Garros in 1996, and appropriately chose her 16th successive French Open to announce her retirement decision.
“It’s time to close this chapter of my tennis career. It’s very emotional,” said a tearful Schnyder at a news conference. “I had always wanted to win a Grand Slam title, but that will have to remain a dream.”
Daniel Koellerer has just been suspended for life from tennis. The Tennis Integrity Unit found him guilty on three charges of match fixing.
“The life ban applies with immediate effect, and means Mr Koellerer is not eligible to participate in any tournament or competition organized or sanctioned by the governing bodies of professional tennis,” the TIU said in a statement.
Koellerer, who was also fined $100,000, has the right to appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Dunlop has just launched their updated website and it looks a lot better than previous versions. The new Dunlop site showcases their team and all the rackets, accessories, baggage that Dunlop has for tennis.
Im a really big fan of the full browser experience and its great to see that Dunlop has adopted social media with the inclusion of their Twitter, Facebook and YouTube profiles. Im also loving the new player profile, but they are going to have to change the design again when they add more players to their roster.
Its great to see Dunlop back and taking tennis more seriously. Maybe not they can drop me an email and sponsor our site!
